A family is still in mourning at the loss of their 13-year-old daughter a year after a tragic hit-and-run crash killed her and her two friends.
Lexandra Perez, Lexi Perez and Andrea Gonzalez were killed when Jaquinn Bell, 32, struck all three with his car after he failed to stop at the crosswalk where the girls were walking. He then fled the scene and did not stop to help.
Even with their daughter's killer behind bars, Halloween will never be the same for the Gonzalez family.
"It could be easier for us to get up and move but [my mother] feels a little bit of comfort knowing she grew up here and her memories are here," said Andrea's sister, Brenda.
"If I go, I will leave her," said Andrea's mother, Maria de Jesus Gonzalez.
The family has a Día de los Muertos altar dedicated to Andrea in their home. A crossing light has been installed at the crosswalk where the three girls were killed in an attempt to make that spot safer for everyone.
The Santa Ana Police Department joined Fairhaven Elementary's Fall Festival to give some safety tips to Gonzalez's former school's students for a safe and fun Halloween.
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The SAPD hopes their tips will add to that safety, and ensure that everyone has a happy Halloween.
"We hope all the children will be with adults when they're out trick or treating," said Corporal Mark Bell. "Most importantly, if they're going to cross a busy street we want them to be supervised."
