Memorial For Teens Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver

A night to remember, family and friends mourning the loss of two 16-year-old boys crowded into Montwood High School for a memorial Tuesday night.

This past Friday, John Cervoni and Aaron Carrillo were helping jump-start the car of a fellow band member on the side of the road when they were hit and killed.

Police say suspected drunk driver, Hector Tellez, smelled of alcohol and had been driving on the shoulder well before he allegedly struck the teens.

At times, there was not a dry eye inside the gymnasium during Tuesday night’s vigil. But there was also laughter and smiles as those who knew Aaron and John shared stories of how much the young men touched their lives.

Now family members say they want these tragedies to be a positive platform for change.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone,” one of Aaron’s football teammates said, as he struggled to hold back tears. “Every morning I wake up and remember all the great things we ever did.”

The gym was packed with friends and family who share many of those same memories of two young men gone much too soon.

Both Aaron and John are described as having a strong sense of faith, and both were members in a Christian rock band.

“Just look around, all the people today that showed up are just a small percentage of people that were affected by Aarons and John’s life,” a pastor from the Abundant Living Faith Center said.

Aaron’s mother, Margaret, and John’s mother, Pat Montes, both say it is the community support that is helping them get through each difficult day.

“The impact that he’d made on his own peers… it’s beyond words,” Margaret said.

And that impact has spread like wildfire, lighting up the lives of those who knew them. A candlelight vigil was also a difficult time of letting go, as balloons floated away with the wind.

“I’m so sad to see him go, he was the love of my life,” Ashley Carrillo, Aaron’s brother, said. “But I’m so happy, I’m so proud of the impact he’s making in this city.”

And both families say the deaths of their sons send a sobering message.

“My son has never liked smoking, drinking or cussing, and it’s just too bad that he was taken by somebody that was drinking,” Montes said.

Fred Carrillo, Aaron’s father, says this is a reminder of how someone else’s decision to drink and drive can take away the life of a child, a friend, a brother in an instant.

“Make something out of this tragedy,” Fred said.

He says it also reminds others why they should never drink and get behind the wheel.

Both families say they now have two new guardian angels, and their love will always remain in their hearts.

“I’m just thankful I was given the chance to be his mom,” Margaret said.