CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — At Brandi Fenton Memorial Park in the Catalina Foothills, people went up to the microphone one by one and said the name of their loved one who they lost to a homicide.
Homicide Survivors Inc. organized a candlelight vigil on National Remembrance Day. About a hundred people who lost their loved ones came together, candles glowing under the setting sun.
One of the people in attendance was Robert Varela, who lost his son Ricardo Varela in a drive-by shooting in 2008.
“Ricardo was a very fun guy to be around. He loved helping out a lot,” Varela said about his son.
Ricardo was at a party when he got shot but didn’t have any connection to the shooters. He was hiding while he got shot, but the bullet ricocheted into him.
“It’s hard, and it just gets harder,” Varela said. “The funeral isn’t the hard part. The hard part is living without him.”
To remember his son, he established Bereaved Fathers, a support group for dads who lost their kids, and Ricardo’s Lasting Impact.
“It’s where we let out, because it’s hard for dads to let out in front of their family,” Varela said.
While Ricardo’s homicide is still unsolved, Varela said getting together with others who lost loved ones is impactful.
“You have people here that are going through the same thing that you’re going through, so you can freely talk to somebody,” he said.
A few of those people talked about their experiences in front of everybody at the event, recounting their loved ones’ murders and the life they lived before it.
“They’re not going to sugar coat what they’re going through, which is therapy for everybody,” Varela said.
Also in attendance was the family of James Sanchez, who was killed in 2022 in Catalina. They were joined by the family of Isaac Benitez who was killed at just 17 years old in 2023.
“He was always smiling. He was always such a happy person,” Araceli Benitez said about Isaac.
Homicide Survivors Inc. also hosts therapy and group activities for families. It’s what has helped Araceli connect with others in her very same shoes.
“They know the pain and the suffering that we all go through,” Benitez said.
As their loved ones looked down on them, they were reminded that they all have each other.
“Having survivors here together, it means a lot, because it shows that sometimes you feel alone,” Benitez said while Varela said, “We never asked to be a part of this family, but we’re all a family here.”
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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