The Rev. Carlos Ortega of Agua Caliente’s St. Leo’s
Catholic Church looked out at the sea of people, Latino and
white, young and old, who had gathered to say goodbye
to 17-year-old Luis Miranda, who was shot to death,
police say, by three members of a gang Monday evening
at a Sonoma Valley park.
Ortega, his voice rising and filled with emotion
looked in the direction of where many teenagers were
sitting and in Spanish said: ‘Not one more! Not one
more!”
The priest was speaking of a fear that the slaying
of Miranda — allegedly by three members of the Sureno
gang — would be followed by other killings; that a
senseless tragedy triggered by a verbal altercation at
the Maxwell Farms Regional Park on Monday would
trigger other senseless acts of violence, beginning a
cycle all too common in the nation’s big cities but
virtually unheard of here in the valley.
The priest’s plea followed a vigil of more than an
hour that was conducted almost entirely in Spanish
and in hushed tones that were shattered occasionally
by the cry of a baby. About 300 people
attended the service, which will be followed by a 3
p.m. Mass at St. Leo’s Monday.
Luis’ open casket was just in front of the altar.
Before the service began, his mother and father stood
before it, staring down at their only child, Luis’
father occasionally moving his arm around to pat his
wife on her shoulder.
Above the casket was a large photo of Luis. He
appears to be about 15 or 16 in the photo and he is
smiling broadly, revealing braces across his top
teeth. Very handsome with his short black hair
slicked back, he is wearing a white button-down shirt
and red tie. He looks happy, like he is just about to
laugh.
Police say he was shot down with a 16-gauge sawed-
off shotgun after exchanging “hostile gestures” with
the three homicide suspects who are expected to be
arraigned Friday in Santa Rosa.
Authorities say Luis was a member of another, rival
gang. His friends say that is not true.
One of those friends is Francisco Martinez, 15, who was at
Sunday’s vigil.
He said Luis “was fun to hang out with. He like to
joke a lot.”
Dan Skaff is a friend of the Miranda family and was
asked to speak for them at Sunday’s service. He
thanked all for being there and then concluded with
these words to the youth who had turned out for this
sad occasion on such a warm, cloudless autumn
afternoon.
” To our children: Take care of yourselves. Take
care of each other. This is the greatest tribute we
can pay to the memory of our son.”
