A hospital in Corona is offering to pay for the burial expenses of a 60-year-old homeless woman who was in their care after she was fatally stabbed in front of a store on Sept. 22.
Corona resident Laverne Davis, known to all as "the woman on the bench" and by many other names, was beaten and fatally stabbed last week in front of a 99 Cents Only Store.
"We want to give her the burial she deserves," the Corona Regional Medical Center posted on their Facebook page Tuesday.
The medical center is partnering with the Thomas Miller Mortuary to coordinate Davis' funeral. They are also accepting cash and check donations.
Davis, who was previously unnamed pending family notification, frequently sat on a bench in front of the strip mall where she was attacked.
She was described as "sweet," "humble," and "very religious" by the Corona community. Although residents offered her assistance such as overnight stays at hotels, the woman would decline and prefer to stay on the bench in order to be "close to God."
Funeral donations will be used to memorialize Davis if it is approved by the city. If not, the donations will be given to a local charity that serves the homeless.
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"Should there be family members identified that want to take charge, we will certainly step aside," Mark Uffer, the CEO of Corona Regional Medical Center, said. "If not, we'd like to take the leadership role to financially pay for a proper burial."
