Families honored loved ones lost to homicide at the 28th annual Tree of Angels, placing ornaments inside the Nueces County Courthouse as part of a longtime tradition

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Families from across the Coastal Bend filled the Nueces County Courthouse on Tuesday night for the 28th annual Tree of Angels, a ceremony honoring loved ones lost to homicide and offering support as the holiday season begins.

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The event, organized by the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office, invites families to bring ornaments that represent their relatives and place them on Christmas trees that will remain displayed throughout December. For many, it’s an emotional but meaningful tradition.

Debra Vasquez, who attended to honor her younger brother, Carlos Vasquez Jr., said the gathering provides a sense of unity that helps carry families through the grief. 

“It’s some kind of peace knowing that we’re all here together for the same reason,” Vasquez said. “To remember our loved ones and to be here through the hardest times, through the holidays.”

She added that families in the room understand one another in a way others often cannot. 

“Everyone’s going through the same thing I’m going through,” she said, “so it’s good to have something like this so we can all be together and give each other some type of hope through these holidays to get us through, ya know.”

For some attending, the pain of loss is still fresh. Seleste Ortiz honored her father, Isaias Ortiz, who died in 2022. She said he was “a lovely person, very friendly, and had so many friends.”

Ortiz said the event brings together people who share a unique and difficult experience. 

“Other people here are the only ones who seem to understand what it’s like to have lost somebody, especially with no one to pay for the crime.” she said. “And we all kind of share it in the same way that other people don’t understand if they haven’t lost someone this way.”

Domingo Live co-host Rudy Treviño emceed the ceremony and thanked the families for their strength. 

“You are in our prayers,” Trevino said. “Thank you for your bravery, your courage, and the continued love and support of this program.”

Though somber, the ceremony aims to offer comfort and connection. Families embraced, shared memories and leaned on one another, finding light, healing and community as they honored those they lost.