Community Bands Together To Help Family Of Slain 3-Year-Old Girl
SAN BERNARDINO (CBS) — A San Bernadino community banded together Saturday to help raise money for the family of a 3-year-old girl who was shot and killed Monday while playing on her front porch.
KCAL9 and CBS2 reporter Melissa Maynarich was there when residents held a car wash to help the grieving family.
Nylah Franco-Torrez, 3, was shot and killed. A 22-year-old pregnant woman, La-Donna Howie, and her 3-year-old daughter Justine, were also shot and wounded.
Howie is out of the hospital and attended today's car wash. Her daughter remains in critical condition but doctors say she has responded to hand signals.
Brandon Taray Barnes, 19, was arrested as the alleged suspect Thursday.
But this day, as Maynarich reports, the focus was on the victim's...not the alleged killer.
A group calling themselves Young Visionaries organized the car wash to help pay for the little girl's funeral expenses as well as rising medical expenses for the pregnant woman and her daughter.
And the Franco-Torrez family expressed their gratitude and said they were amazed by the kindness they are now being shown.
The victim's uncle, John Prendergast, said the outpouring from the community is helping the family heal. "We want to thank the Young Visionaries. There are a lot of good people out there. You know, you can't look at something bad...and think everything out there is bad."
He called the group's efforts "overwhelming. It really is."
A family cousin concurred. Said Teresa Rivas Carrillo, "It's overwhelming. Overwhelming. Money has been pouring in from everywhere. It's beautiful. It's a beautiful thing. Without the community we wouldn't be able to get through this. Thank you so much."
Young Visionaries Founder Terrance Stone told Maynarich they didn't think they were doing anything special. "The whole community is heart broke. It's like she was our baby," he said, "The whole community is heart broke."
