Victims of violent crime to be honored next week

Three candlelight vigils will be held on different nights next week in Riverside County to honor the memories of those whose lives were taken in acts of violence.

The week of April 8-14 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, recognized annually in special ceremonies hosted by the District Attorney’s Office.

Three public memorials — all beginning at 7 p.m. — are planned, the first of which will be held on April 10 at Murrieta Town Square Park, 1 Town Square.

Patty Cardenas, a victim advocate for the D.A.’s office, will speak at the service, detailing the circumstances and aftermath of her 20-year-old brother Alex Cardenas’ slaying by gang members in 1992 in Orange County.

The second candlelight vigil is slated for April 11 in the amphitheater at Palm Desert Civic Center Park, 43-900 San Pablo Ave.

Denise Rodriguez Bowman, a child forensic interviewer at the Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage, will impart the facts related to a close family member’s violent death in Indio, as well as share thoughts about her experiences with child victims of crime and the need for protective measures.

The final vigil will be held on April 12, beginning with a brief ceremony outside the Riverside Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main St., from which attendees will walk and gather at the Victims’ Memorial Courtyard, adjacent to the D.A.’s headquarters at 3960 Orange St.

Department of Probation employee Jessica Ceren will be the featured speaker, discussing the trauma of being attacked by a former boyfriend and how he threatened to kill her with a shotgun — as her 4-year-old daughter watched, according to the D.A.’s office.

District Attorney Mike Hestrin and members of his staff will attend each gathering.

Information regarding the services can be found here: http://rivcoda.org/.