A grieving family left in wake of Montebello tragedy

This comes from the mailbag: (Sent by Chrisa Christy an aunt of Albert Garcia)

"Wait! Take a picture of my good side..."  

These were excited words from a vivacious, adventurous, 12 year old boy named Albert Garcia.  He loved his brother, Dominic, 10, and taught him all his best skateboarding tricks much to the weariness of his resilient mother, Willene Garcia.   

Albert, Dominic, and Willene have learned a lot about resilience in the past 8 years.  A single mother, Willene put herself through school to learn computers and eventually obtained a position with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. 

 
Trying to give her boys a better chance she moved away from the harsh reality of life in the city for a single mom and two young boys all the way to the East Coast.   

"You have to take a chance sometimes.  You never know."  Willene watched her two boys play in the ocean that day, happy and content.  They didn't seem to have a care in the world.  Two weeks after the sun filled day in the Atlantic Ocean, the Garcia family once again faced the smog and congestion of the city.   

The following weekend brought a reconnection with Albert and Dominic's father, Juan Garcia, 44.  The boys had not seen their father in over a year.  With most of Juan's family in Puerto Rico, Albert and Dominic were happy to spend the weekend with their father getting to know his life.   

Albert and Juan Garcia were shot Saturday night, June 21^st 2008, while attending a Quinceañera in the 100 block of East Madison Street in Montebello, California. 

Sunday afternoon Willene Garcia was taken into a small room and shown a "picture" of young Albert Garcia for identification purposes.  He and his father, Juan were pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. on June 22, 2008 at Beverly Hospital.  

Funeral arrangements are currently scheduled for Albert Garcia to be buried on Friday, June 26 2008 in Riverside.