Victims’ Candlelight Vigil held in Palm Desert Wednesday night

A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday night in Palm Desert to honor the victims of violent crimes. A second vigil will be held at the Riverside courthouse Thursday at 7.

The week of April 7-13 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, recognized annually in special ceremonies hosted by the county District Attorney’s Office.

D.A.’s Victims’ Services Supervisor Patty Cardenas was a speaker at the vigil in Palm Desert, detailing the circumstances and aftermath of her 20-year-old brother, Alex Cardenas’ slaying by gang members in Orange County in 1992.

Eric Littleton’s mother, Michelle Jesse, visited her son’s memorial site prior to the vigil. Littleton’s body was found in the desert just east of Mountain View Road near Desert Hot Springs. She says events, like the Victim’s of Violent Crime Vigil, help with the healing process. Her son’s death is still an open investigation according to the Sheriff’s Department. Jesse asks anyone with information on her son’s death to call police.

Sandra Maturing was also at the vigil. She says she’s remembering her sister who was a victim of domestic violence. “It helps me to remember that I’m not the only who’s lost someone due to a victim of a crime and it makes me feel good because we get to support them (victim’s whose lives were taken) and let them know that they’re not forgotten even though they’re not here anymore,” Maturing said.

The final vigil will be held on April 11, 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.

Anaheim firefighter Rick Cheatham and his wife, Kelly, will be the featured speakers, discussing the repercussions of losing their 23-year-old son, Michael Cheatham, in December 2013.

The victim was severely beaten and then strangled in his Corona apartment by Francisco Humberto Real, who went to the residence to collect a drug debt from Cheatham.

District Attorney Mike Hestrin and members of his staff will attend both gatherings.

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