Pico Youth Come to Aid of Victims’ Families

By Jorge Casuso

March 9 -- Three days after two young Santa Monicans were gunned down at a party Saturday night, dozens of young men and women were busy organizing fundraising drives to help the families and grappling with the sudden loss of their friends.

At the Pico Youth and Family Center Tuesday afternoon, youngsters gathered around a makeshift alter, with flowers and votive candles framing snapshots of the victims -- Jonathan Hernandez, a 19 year-old who was active at the center, and Hector Bonilla, a 25-year-old husband and father of three.

In the lounge area, two counselors were busy helping a group of teenagers find ways to grieve and remember the young victims.

“There’s just clearly a time of sadness here,” said Susan Hill a volunteer counselor and artist who has worked with the Youth Authority for 20 years. “There’s a feeling of respect. There’s a calm. I think there’s a level of trust here.”

Sitting on couches around Hill half a dozen youngsters were trying to come up with images for a mural they had decided to have painted on a blank wall at the center on Pico Boulevard.

There should be a black cross and perhaps clouds, the youngsters decided. There could also be a poem at the center and the victims’ names.

“We’re all dealing with the deaths and struggling with what’s going on,” said Leslie Sutton, the center’s youth resource coordinator, as she wrote the ideas on a large pad.

Standing in small groups, other youngsters were finding ways to help the struggling families pay for the funerals, which have been scheduled for Monday. A vigil for both victims will be held at St. Anne’s church on 20th and Colorado starting at 7 p.m. Sunday. The funeral mass will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at the church.

Standing near a row of teenage girls typing at a bank of computers, Julian Ayala, the brother of Bonilla’s widow, Krizna, was organizing a car wash at the SAMOHI “Circle” Saturday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The young organizers hope to wash 100 cars at $5 each plus donations, with all the proceeds going towards the funeral costs. They also want to sell hot dogs and sodas and have decided to charge $2 and $1, respectively.

Nearby Sean Nieto, who knew both of the victims, is planning a different way to raise funds. Nieto, who works at Sunset Barbers on Ocean Park Boulevard, will team up with two colleagues from the Pico Barbershop Sunday, which is their day off.

The three barbers will offer $11 haircuts ($10 for kids) between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Pico Barbershop, 2906 Pico Boulevard, with all the proceeds going to the families. Nieto hopes people will make larger donations.

“Both of the families didn’t have much money, so whatever people can give, it will help,” Nieto said. “It’s either that or wash cars, and I don’t wash cars.”

Meanwhile, the center’s leaders are turning to businesses frequented by the youngsters from the center to help the families with donations. They hope local restaurants can donate food for the funeral services, while others can donate money and flowers.

Those wishing to drop off donations or have them picked up should call the Pico Youth and Family Center at 310-396-7101 to make arrangements. All checks should be made payable to “PNA” (Pico Neighborhood Association) with the words “Victims of Violence Support Fund” in the memo area. Checks may also be mailed to:

Pico Neighborhood Association
1705 Pico Blvd., Box 125
Santa Monica, CA. 90404

“When one in our community suffers, we all suffer,” said a statement released by the center. “Help us create a supportive community where we can look toward each other for help.”