Two Years After the Hit and Run Deaths of Faith Tsarnas and Kiya Kitchen, Community Members Gather to Pray for Healing and Justice

Pastor Michael Delamarian III of Hydesville Community Church who organized a Remembrance Walk last night leads a concluding prayer circle at the Fortuna Park and Ride near where a hit and run driver struck and killed Faith Tsarnas and Kiya Kitchen. 

Yesterday evening on the anniversary of the hit and run collision that left two teenage girls dead, about 100 people walked through Fortuna stopping and praying along the way. As the sun set, they gathered at the Park and Ride at the corner of Kenmar Road and Eel River Drive near where Faith Tsarnas and Kiya Kitchen who had been skateboarding were struck by a vehicle that sped off in the gathering dusk. The mother of Kiya Kitchen was later arrested and charged with their deaths.

Pastor Michael Delamarian III of the Hydesville Community Church attended by family members of the two girls conceived of the gathering. Many at the Remembrance Walk carried prayer cards that spoke of healing for the community, asked for “no further delays in the court proceedings” and asked for justice.”

With dog Alan and Shelly Mendes pray while holding their dog Kobe. Alan is a Sheriff’s deputy and Sherrie is a paramedic. Their son Tanner was on the fire engine that responded to the scene. Faith is important to them and prayed for the families and for the community at large.

Alan and Shellie Mendes pray while holding their dog Kobe. Alan is a Sheriff’s deputy and Shellie is a paramedic. Their son Tanner was on the fire engine that responded to the scene. Their faith is important to them. They said they prayed for the families and for the community at large. [All photos by Mark McKenna]

Members of the prayer walk had a moment of silence before people prayed aloud and spoke.

Several of those gathered shared that their faith was helping them and, hopefully, the community to heal.

A prayer card used throughout the walk

A prayer card used throughout the walk. 

Some also said that they had faith that justice would be served and that it was needed.

A prayer card held by an attendee.

A prayer card held by an attendee. 

One attendee, Kathi Meskill, said the event was about coming together as a community. She explained, “I believe that the healing begins with the caring…People come together and they connect and the connection starts the healing.”

Michael Delamarian hugs one of the attendees as the event ends. He asked everyone in the crowd to hug three people.

Pastor Delamarian hugs one of the attendees as the event ends. He asked everyone in the crowd to hug three people.

Pastor Delamarian urged everyone to hug three others. As people reached out and held one another, they passed on the sense of connection and caring.

A family friend of the Tsarnas family, Sharron Grover, holding a bouquet of flowers hugs another attendee at the event. hug

A family friend of the Tsarnas family, Sharron Grover, holding a bouquet of flowers hugs another attendee at the event.

A tearful Sharron Grover after the event told reporters that the gathering was “a wonderful remembrance.”

At the scene of the collision, stuffed animals lean against flowers in a roadside memorial.

At the scene of the collision, stuffed animals lean against flowers in a roadside memorial.

Grover, a friend of the Tsarnas family, said that Faith’s parents, “Mark and Stephanie want people to remember the girls and the joy that they brought to our lives and focus on that.  Yes, they want justice but they’ll never get their girls back.”

Links to earlier stories:

 

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15 Comments
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Dan F
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Dan F
5 years ago

I’ll bet the woman who caused this to happen, in the first place, was nowhere to be found at least if she has ANY common sense she wasn’t!!!

Sharpen your pencil
Guest
Sharpen your pencil
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

Common sense? No, she has none of that. If she did, the loved ones and community in general wouldn’t be in this predicament… Not to mention to you ladies would still be spreading their joy, instead of their memory….

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
5 years ago

Agreed sadly, I wish, that it never happened in the first place, but much to many’s very great dismay it did!!! I just hope there is some justice in this finally sometime soon!!! This court date dodging of the “Suspect” has gone on waay too long!!!

Ezra
Guest
Ezra
5 years ago

With all the suffering and cries from the families and community, I just hope justice is served. This has taken way to long it’s shameful. After all this time, I hurt for these families, enough already. I’m surprised this hasn’t hit the news outside this county. The country should see the injustice that has left families and the community shaken.

Nemo
Guest
Nemo
5 years ago
Reply to  Ezra

Actually, Ezra, it has. Kym has a rather large following here in Wisconsin (many of us grew up in NorCal). We are saddened and stunned. This court case would NEVER have taken this long here. Then again, she would never have been allowed out to travel and blow through her money so that she can rely on the taxpayers to shoulder her defense.

Love, peace and prayers to all.

Eldon G. Whitehead
Guest
Eldon G. Whitehead
5 years ago

This is what is wrong with our Judicial system. After a terrible and horrible death(s) like this, the system just seems to go into limbo and I think at times, they do this for a reason in hopes that people will forget about it and it fades away for awhile and than when the trial comes along, the final sentence turns out to be very minimal and very fairly UNJUST. The Judicial System needs to step up and get these done a lot faster and the Criminal (if convicted) put away for a very long time. I also think that if a person is drunk when the accident? happens, they should get a AUTOMATIC 20 years added on to whatever other sentence that they might receive. MY OPINION ONLY AS IT WON’T CHANGE THE WAY THEY HANDLE JUSTICE ANYMORE HERE IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY.

poe person
Guest
poe person
5 years ago

if she were poor, she’d be in jail. ask oj.

Rolo
Guest
Rolo
5 years ago

Time for “Kitchen the Killer” to be put away for life! Waiting for two years to get her sentenced makes me sick. Our justice system in this county really sucks. Get off your butts and start the show PLEASE.

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago

Justice is like gravity, you cannot see it, but it is unavoidable.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Ha. There have been many representatives of evil who died in their own beds of self satisfied old age. Of course many religions take this idea on as the oft found God’s judgement after death but in life, justice needs perspicacity, patience, diligence and a willingness to live with imperfection.

From_Hoopa_w/
Guest
From_Hoopa_w/
5 years ago

Why hasn’t the national news picked this story up? Maybe with pressure from the nation, the courts will finally take action!

Connie Dobbs
Guest
Connie Dobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  From_Hoopa_w/

Because no one has emailed National Geographic or the Discovery Networks the tip yet. Also try the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

Livin' Easy
Guest
Livin' Easy
5 years ago

Just another example of how money for a good attorney, judges/DA’s who are criminal sympathetic and manipulation of our justice system can benefit criminals with disregard for the victims. It happens everywhere, but Humboldt judges/DA seem to blatantly make decisions benefitting criminals. Whether it’s letting 4 time repeat heroin dealers out on OR time and time again to sell drugs, reducing grand theft auto (twice in one day) to a possession of stolen property and the ridiculous postponements of this trial; everyone is tired of people not being held responsible for their crimes. Listening to the excuses of ‘Our jails are too full” and “Our DA’s office doesn’t have the staff to handle the load” are getting old and need to be fixed.

Divide by Zero
Guest
Divide by Zero
5 years ago

Mummy will get the pass, same as it always was.

Local Yocal
Guest
Local Yocal
5 years ago

I would think she is in her own open air prison .cant go out in public has probably no one to turn to and has to live with what she has done..