By Maggie Ybarra and Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas — There were tears Thursday night in the parking lot of a retail area in memory of El Paso police Officer Karl McDonough, who was killed early Wednesday in a traffic crash.
About 100 people attended a candlelight vigil about 9:30 p.m. at the shopping strip near Zaragoza Road and Saul Kleinfeld Drive where McDonough died after Alejandro Fierro, 19, allegedly ran a red light and his car collided with the patrol car McDonough was in.
Among those attending were McDonough’s family, other El Paso police officers, state troopers, constables and regular people who wanted to honor McDonough, a four-year member of the police force.
Lt. Robert Pisarcik, who worked with McDonough, described him as “very outgoing, very pleasant, very approachable and a true professional. He will be sorely missed.”
Pisarcik said the turnout Thursday “shows we have community support and more importantly support from other law enforcement.”
“We are all a family,” he said.
Officer Victor Vela told the group that “everybody knows a candle is always lighted to provide light in a dark situation.”
People and police officers in uniform cried during the sad tribute. Law enforcement officers had black tape across their badges, signifying that one of their own had fallen.
Officials said the funeral for McDonough will be Tuesday, but no further details were offered. McDonough is survived by his wife and three children.
Many officers have been trying to console and financially support McDonough’s family during the past two days, said Ron Martin, president of the El Paso Municipal Police Officers’ Association.
Detective Mike Baranyay, a police spokesman, said McDonough’s family is not ready to talk about his death and is asking for privacy.
They are still struggling to cope with their loss, Martin said.
McDonough’s partner, Ricardo Lopez, 39, was riding with him at the time.
The two were on duty and en route to a non-emergency call when Fierro hit their car with his silver Mercedes, police said.
Lopez was taken to University Medical Center with a concussion and a broken pelvis Wednesday morning. By Wednesday night, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility on the East Side, Martin said.
“He is already in rehab, and his goal now is to make it to his partner’s funeral. He wants to be able to walk to his partner’s funeral,” he said.
“That officer’s family is never going to be the same,” he said. “Those kids are going to be without a father, and I know that the young man who was driving, it’s going to affect his family.”
Martin said McDonough’s wife is worried about health insurance for the children and other financial difficulties.
It is not known how long McDonough and Lopez had been partners.
Both were four-year members of the El Paso Police Department, Baranyay said.
Before being partners, they worked the same shift at Pebble Hills Regional Command Center, Martin said.
Fierro was also injured in the crash. He was taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries.
Police then arrested him on suspicion of intoxicated manslaughter causing the death of a police officer and intoxicated assault causing severe bodily injury to a police officer.
He was booked into the El Paso County Jail under a total bond of $50,000 about 3:30 p.m. and was released about four hours later.
Baranyay said the police will investigate the crash and then the district attorney’s office will decide whether to prosecute Fierro. There will not be an external investigation into the crash, he said. However, if the Police Department is suspected of wrongdoing, then the FBI has the ability to launch an investigation into that, Baranyay said.
Neither Fierro or his family could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Neighbors who live near Fierro’s home in the 12400 block of Paseo Blanco Drive said the former Montwood High School student was a quiet and well-mannered young man.
Neighbor Alicia Herrera, 36, said it was sad that Fierro’s life would be changed forever by Wednesday’s crash.
“I don’t understand why it happened. He didn’t have any other problems or scandals,” she said.
According to a police affidavit, Fierro said he had just left his friend’s house on Estrada Drive when the collision occurred.
He told police that he saw the traffic light at the intersection of Zaragoza Road and Saul Kleinfeld Drive turn yellow and sped up to cross through it before it turned red, the affidavit said.
Police said they suspected Fierro was intoxicated at the time of the crash because he had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol, the affidavit said. They took a sample of his blood with his consent, the affidavit said.
A witness said he heard the crash from a nearby Verizon store and ran outside to see what happened, according to the affidavit. That witness said he asked Fierro what happened and Fierro told him, “I ran the stop sign,” the affidavit said.
Fierro also told police that he had three or four 12-ounce Corona beers and was on his way home.
Fierro does not have any prior convictions, according to El Paso County records.
At the vigil Thursday night, Yolanda Recobo said that she had known McDonough for about 10 years and that they had worked together at a manufacturing plant. He was a security guard.
“His dream was to be a police officer,” she said. “He was striving for that goal. Last night, when I heard his name on television, it broke my heart. All of you guys on the force, please take care of yourselves.”
Copyright 2010 El Paso Times, a MediaNews Group Newspaper