The community of Bellflower came together Wednesday to honor the short life of 8-month-old Alexia Rose Echeverria, whose body was found dumped behind a mortuary.
The heartbreaking discovery came Monday morning amid a search for the girl and her father, 22-year-old Alexander Echeverria, after they vanished from their Sacramento home.
The memorial, filled with balloons, flowers, and candles, grows with each passing day as the search for her father continues.
The girl’s mother said she last saw Echeverria on Sunday in Sacramento, when he said he was taking the baby to Bakersfield. The next day, he called his brother to say the baby had died in an accident, according to the girl’s mother.
Although those gathered at the vigil didn’t know Alexia or her family, they felt compelled to do something.
“For the sake of your daughter, for the sake of her family, turn yourself in,” Bellflower resident Tony Roper said.
On Tuesday, Echeverria was named a person of interest in his daughter’s death by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, which has taken over the investigation.
Detectives believe he is driving a gray, 2014 Volkswagen Jetta, with California license plate 7FFT866.
Anyone with knowledge of the missing man’s whereabouts is urged to call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office at 916- 874-5115. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by dialing 916-443-4357.