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Another Blow For Family In Holiday Hit-And-Run

POSTED: 8:36 pm PST November 29, 2007
UPDATED: 10:38 pm PST November 29, 2007

The family of two girls killed in a horrific car crash on Thanksgiving night was victimized a second time Thursday after their car full of condolence donations was stolen from outside the mortuary where they were attending the young victims' wake.

The family of the two girls says the theft of cash donations and gifts adds to their feelings of devastation and helplessness, leaving them wondering just how bad things can get.

Thursday afternoon, family and friends attended a wake for the two girls at Cooper's Mortuary on Oakland's Fruitvale Avenue.

The girls' uncle, Adolfo Gomez, told KTVU he went out to parking lot to retrieve something from his Honda Sedan only to find the car stolen in broad daylight.

Through a translator, he explained that all the money the community donated to the family to help with funeral expenses was in the car.

"I feel really bad. It's money for the girls. I don't care about the car; I just wants the money back," said a sorrowful Gomez.

"Everyone's devastated right now. They're no words. It just seems like everything is happening one thing after another," added Maria Herrera, the distraught aunt of the two victims.

The two girls were killed last Thursday when a hit-and-run driver struck their car on the way to a relative's home for thanksgiving dinner.

14-year-old Stephanie Cervantes was riding in the car along with her four-year-old cousin Jacqueline Munquia and Jacqueline's mother and little sister.

The mother and sister survived the accident, but remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

Relatives say the donations stolen Thursday were meant to help the family pay the cost of flying the bodies of the two girls to Mexico for burial.

"We're already in such a horrible situation. I don't see why they want to come here and take something that's not theirs. They should bring it back. No questions asked; just return the stuff," pleas Herrera. "Bring it back where you got it from. No one's going to ask you any questions."

The stolen car has California license plate 5SZA845. It is a 1994 white four-door Honda Civic sedan. The family asks anyone with information to call the police right away.

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