‘Never be forgotten’ Fallen Officer Lesley Zerebny honored in her hometown
Fallen Palm Springs Police Officer Lesley Zerebny was honored in her hometown of Hemet on Friday evening.
In honor of her service, a First Responders Memorial wall at Diamond Valley Lake Community Park was dedicated to Zerebny along with 4 firemen and a deputy who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“This wall and all of you being here, gives us the reassurance that she’ll never be forgotten,” said Zerebny's father David Kling.
Dozens of people, including loved ones, law enforcement, and members of the public came to honor her.
Zerebny and Officer Jose ‘Gil’ Vega’ lost their lives in the line of duty in October 2016. Six years have now passed since that fateful day.
Kling told News Channel 3's Samantha Lomibao he misses her every day. “We think about Lesley every single day. So for Valley-wide to do this for us, and put this memorial wall up, it just means the world to us.”
He told me, it’s now his favorite spot to visit, right down the street from his home. “If I'm going to town for something, I'll just stop by and it's completely quiet. There's no one here. And I can just sit down with my memories of Leslie and think of her. Okay, occasionally. Okay, every time a good cry. And then when we come here on weekends, there's children running around. There's softball and soccer going on. And she would have really appreciated that as well.”
As a former CHP Officer, Kling tells us Zerebny fell in love with public service at a young age. “We saw a COPS episode with the Palm Springs Police Department and I told her I go, I've worked with him many times," he explained, "And I said it's a great department. And she went and applied, got accepted, and was in the academy and could not be any happier with Palm Springs PD.”
She dedicated her life to helping people, not only as an officer but as a mother and wife. “When she had Cora, that was 100% How she just loved Cora and being a mom and everything else involved with it. And she loves Zach too."
Although her life was taken too soon, her impact on the community will live on forever.
“She died a hero, because she lived as one," said Zerebny's sister Britta Kling.
