Mural of fallen officers Vega & Zerebny unveiled on 5th anniversary of murders
Fallen Palm Springs police officers Jose "Gil" Vega and Lesley Zerebny were honored by the community during a special 5th annual commemoration ceremony on Friday.
Officers Vega & Zerebny were killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call on Oct. 8, 2016.
A commemoration ceremony was held Friday afternoon at 169 N. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs with city leaders, family members, and co-workers talked about the officers' sacrifice.
During the ceremony, a mural of Vega and Zerebny was unveiled to the public.
5 years later, friends and family said the passing time hasn't weakened the heartache of losing their loved ones.
"5 years; there's something so incredibly painful about saying that," said Britta Kling, Zerebny's sister. "The pain over the last 5 years is like a waterfall – constant, powerful, a thundering current of pain and loss with no end."
Last month, News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia spoke to an artist who is part of a team creating the mural to honor Vega and Zerebny.
Vega, 63, was a veteran cop who was killed just months before he was set to retire after 35 years of service, five years past his retirement eligibility. He had planned to retire in 2018. Vega had eight children, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Check Out: Vega daughters reflect on the death of their father, PSPD Officer Gil Vega
Zerebny, 27, had been with the department for 18 months and had just returned to duty following maternity leave, having given birth to a daughter, Cora, four months earlier.
Check Out: Life without Lesley, honoring the memory of one of Palm Springs’ finest
Vega and Zerebny were the first Palm Springs police officers killed in the line of duty since Jan. 1, 1962, when Officer Lyle Wayne Larrabee died during a vehicle pursuit. The only other death in the department was that of Officer Gale Gene Eldridge, who was fatally shot on Jan. 18, 1961, while investigating an armed robbery.
