Victims of violent crimes and their families gathered Monday evening for the 25th annual Candlelight Tribute for Crime Survivors event.
Top law enforcement officials also attended the event, including San Diego County District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis and Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman.
Lisa Vidaurri was one of the speakers.
Two years ago her husband, Tony, was nearly killed by a drunk driver. The driver had slammed his pick-up truck into their Escondido home crushing Tony and barely missing their daughter.
Tony was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
On Monday, he told NBC 7 he is still undergoing surgeries.
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“I’m just one of the fortunate ones that I’m still here,” Tony Vidaurri told NBC 7. “You know obviously there are more bad endings you could say.”
“It’s been a long, long road after that,” said Lisa, “It’s still affecting our family two years later. I still relive that night.”
Michael Scharbarth was also at the event.
In 2012, his sister Kathy Scharbarth was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, Michael Robles, in her Carlsbad home while her daughter slept upstairs.
“I went to hug my mom and she just exploded. Really there's nothing to prepare yourself for,” said Scharbarth.
The goal of the tribute was to remember the lives lost, honor those who survived and remind current victims and their loved ones help is out there.
The tribute was sponsored by some of those groups including the Victim Assistance Coordinating Council, the Alliance for Community Empowerment, the Crime and Trauma Recovery Program, the District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Victim Witness Program and Mothers Against Drug Driving.
