Stolen lives, that is how families refer to the death of their loved ones at the hands of criminals who were present in the country illegally when these men and women’s lives were stopped short. The Stolen Lives Quilt organization gathers these families and friends and on the National Remembrance Day to speak out not only for remembrance, but also to speak against lack of government enforcement in immigration policies.
German immigrant and single mother of her only child, Sabine Durden spoke at the Sunday event in tribute to her son Dominic. The 30-year old sheriff dispatcher and pilot was killed when a Guatemalan illegally present in the United States and driving without a license caused the accident that left him dead. Juan Zacarias Tzun had two prior drunk driving convictions. It was only through the diligent efforts of Ms. Durden that the illegal alien, whom had requested amnesty from a judge, was deported, Durden told the crowd.
“My son Dominic and I were best of friends for all of his 30 years on this earth,” Sabine Durden said from the speaker’s podium in front of a park and along a busy Temecula roadway, the site of the National Remembrance Day event. Sabine first spoke with Breitbart News at the site of illegal immigration protests in nearby Murrietta, California in July of this year.
Jamiel Shaw, Jr. was a high school football star with a very bright future ahead of him. The deafening ring of shots fired rang in the ears of Jamiel Shaw, Sr. one day as his son was gunned down near the family home at the hands of illegal alien gang member Pedro Espinoza. Shaw told the crowd of Espinoza’s history of violence. Espinoza had also been released from jail the day before he killed Jamiel. Espinoza was sentenced to death row and is now locked up at San Quentin.
Shaw Sr. testified before the House Judiciary committee in June regarding his son’s death and the illegal alien gang member that killed him. As Breitbart reported, the killer would qualify for “legalization under the DREAM Act provisions of the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill.” Shaw Sr. has been an adamant activist for support of a proposal called Jamiel’s Law and hosts a regular radio program. Sunday’s program covered the National Day of Remembrance.
Shaw also signed on to a letter in July addressed to House Speaker John Boehner, written from victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens and was provided exclusively to Breitbart News. The letter pleaded for enforcement at America’s borders.
Brenda Sparks honored her son Eric Haydu Zepeda and shared their story. Young Eric and his passenger were struck while on his motorcycle by illegal alien driver Pablo Arturo Duarte Rodriguez in August of 2011. Eric died almost a month later from his injuries and his passenger Amanda remains disabled, a summary of Brenda’s story recorded. Brenda shared that the individual responsible for her son’s death remains illegally present in the United States without recourse.
Lupe Moreno shared her story of the murder of her nephew. She told the crowd, a truck of intoxicated illegal aliens, “started punching and hitting them[a group of kids] and because my nephew was so young, the older boys told him to run. An illegal alien grabbed him by the shoulder, asked him what he was and he said, ‘I’m an American’ and the guy shoots him in the back of the head. My sister died that day.”
Don Rosenberg shared the story of his son Drew with the group. A summary of Drew detailed the second year law student’s life, stolen when his motorcycle collided with an unlicensed, Honduran national illegally present in the U.S., Roberto Galo. Galo illegally crossed into Drew’s path, killing the young man. He served half of a six month sentence before being deported, action that came only from the Rosenberg family’s activism.
The group also recognized two law enforcement officers recently killed in the Sacramento, California area, allegedly gunned down by an illegal alien.
Gabe Pacheco, a National Border Patrol Union spokesman provided the following comment to Breitbart News. Pacheco was present at Sunday’s event.
I am so proud of the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol and their steadfast commitment to enforcing the immigration laws of the United States. While we cannot prevent every entry and escape from detection, we can make it difficult for these criminals to cross by using design controls, infrastructure, and manpower. Each entry that goes undetected and escapes or eludes America’s frontline is a potential criminal that could harm and murder innocent Americans.
Special interests groups would disagree with this opinion because they characterize these criminals as “hard working” folks who want a better way of life, and that they are leaving poverty, gang violence, and political corruption behind. They remark, “Before we were us, we were them,” as to say that America is a nation made of immigrants and at one time we or our ancestors were coming to America under the same circumstances. Then this would be followed up with another comment on “European ancestry,” thus making this an issue of racism and discrimination. This is not an issue of racism or discrimination. These special interest groups look at these illegal aliens as a new means of taxation and influence by which they will benefit. A new subjugation of those who are simple and who are limited by the language barrier. However, when confronted by the truth of the murder of two law enforcement officials by an illegal alien in northern California, they openly condemned the behavior because it undermines their agenda.
… Giving States and Local law enforcement authorities the ability to enforce immigration laws, with access to immigration databases, and the ability to immediately adjudicate immigration cases, is perhaps, the way to prevent the needless stealing of lives.
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A sheet with the names, faces and details of some of the “stolen lives” remembered in Temecula, California that day are included in the document below.
11.02.14 Remembrance Project by michedia
Photo and video: Michelle Moons