Riverside County District Attorney to host candlelight vigils

A candlelight vigil honoring crime victims will be hosted by Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin in Palm Desert and Riverside, the district attorney's office announced today.

The Palm Desert vigil will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park located at 43900 San Pablo Ave.  

The Riverside vigil will be held on at 7 p.m. April 24 at the Riverside County Historic Courthouse located at 4050 Main St. After the Riverside vigil there will be a special gathering at the nearby District Attorney's Office Victims Memorial Courtyard, located at 3960 Orange St., to unveil new names on the Victims Memorial Wall.   

Since 2004, the vigils have paid tribute to those lost to violent crime. Hestrin will address those in attendance at each event and will be joined by keynote speakers who will share their stories of loss, resilience and seeking justice.

The names of the victims who died because of violent crime will be read at each venue and candles will be lit to remember them.   

The keynote speaker for the Palm Desert vigil will be Sophia Flores, whose son was killed by her nephew in 2014 in an altercation at a family party.   

In Riverside, the keynote speaker will be Catherine Barajas, whose son was killed while watching a movie with a friend in Corona in 2021.   

The media and public were invited to attend each of the vigils.   

Additional information on the vigils could be obtained by contacting media@rivcoda.org.