'My heart aches': Family of 18-year-old woman killed in drunk driving accident holds candlelight vigil
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Outside of Da Bar in West Allis lays a budding memorial filled with candles, flowers and balloons.
And in front of that memorial lays glass shards, broken car scraps, and a downed traffic pole -- all that remains of a fateful Sunday morning.
West Allis police responded to a "serious car crash" around 12:30 a.m. on April 23 by 60th and Burnham.
A preliminary investigation reports a 20-year-old West Allis man was driving a Pontiac with an 18-year-old female passenger.
They were heading eastbound on Burnham St. when the driver allegedly ran a red light and hit a Jeep and two men, ages 50 and 53, from Milwaukee.
The driver of the Pontiac, the driver of the Jeep and the pedestrians were taken to a hospital for treatment, but the passenger died on scene.
Loved ones told CBS 58 that the victim was Maryxa Valle Zepeda -- a woman they remember as "sweet, beautiful and kind."
On Sunday night, hours after her death, dozens came out to the scene to host a candlelight vigil and remember a life that was tragically cut short.
“I feel like we should learn from this situation. It’s very devastating, we lost somebody that had her whole life ahead of her," said one of Zepeda's best friends.
Zepeda's mother confirmed that the driver of the Pontiac was her daughter's boyfriend, Jason, but said she feels no hate toward him or his family.
"I cannot hate you. I don't have the heart to do it," Zepeda's mother said. “This is the worst news you can wake up to. Them coming to look for you to tell you your child is gone.”
She added that the loss of her child is a "nightmare" that she can't wake up from.
"My baby's gone. She was taken. This is hurting so bad," Zepeda's mother said. "Every parent hug your children, tell them every day that you love them."
Officials said the driver of the Pontiac is under arrest for suspicion of homicide by operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
A GoFundMe for the family can be found here.