Vigil Held For Man Shot And Killed By Cousin At Pizza Place
Wildomar (CBSLA) — An emotional vigil tonight for a man who was gunned down at his favorite pizza shop. Killed, his family said, by his own cousin.
No one in Mark Corona's family seemed surprised by the number of people who came out to remember the 35-year-old.
"He had a passion for everybody. He treated everybody like he was his family. And he truly impacted this world," said brother Chris Arredondo.
Sunday afternoon, Corona was going to Stadium Pizza, one of his favorite hangouts, when detectives say his cousin Paul Stoeppler shot and killed him in the parking lot.
"It's hard no matter what if someone passes that you love. But the fact that somebody who is supposed to be his blood and love him, it's wild," said friend Brandon Trahan.
"This was the place my brother loved to be at," said Arredondo. "He always tried to take my cousin in and have him hang out with his friends because he didn't have anybody."
Family members say Stoeppler suffered from PTSD after serving with the Green Berets, but Corona had been trying to help him.
"If you were in need or hurting or going through hell, he wanted to be there for you no matter what," said Trahan. "Just like he wanted to be there for the man that murdered him."
"We were the only ones he had. He just really let us down. I can't even explain how I feel about him now," said Arredondo.
Investigators have not released any information about a possible motive. Stoeppler is due in court on Wednesday.