New fundraiser set for W. Richland paraeducator killed by ex-husband outside her school
A Kennewick food truck court plans a fundraiser for the victim of last week’s murder at a West Richland grade school.
Summer’s Hub is hosting the event for Amber Rodriguez’s family from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the truck hub at 6481 W. Skagit Ave. in Kennewick.
The 31-year-old mother of two was gunned down after school by her ex-husband, who also killed his teen girlfriend at his nearby home, said investigators.
The owners of Summer’s Hub are donating 100% of all beer sales along with the money from a silent auction to the relatives of the West Richland paraeducator shot by Elias Huizar, 39, outside William Wiley Elementary on April. 22.
Participating vendors also will be donating a portion of their sales to the cause.
Fliers for the event used language directly from the GoFundMe set up by Tara Symons.
“So many in our community and beyond are looking for a way to support Amber’s family during this devastating and tragic time,” Symons posted. “Funds will be used for the immediate and long-term needs of the children, as well as to lay Amber to rest.”
Huizar’s rampage and kidnapping of his 1-year-old son ended April 23 with a high-speed chase on Interstate 5 in Oregon, where the former Yakima police officer died by suicide.
The William Wiley paraeducator was outside of the school with her 9-year-old son when Huizar approached her and fired several times. After she fell to the ground, he fired several more shots, say police.
The Summer’s Hub event and the GoFundMe are the two fundraisers authorized by the family, according to a news release from Mason Pickett of Pickett Law.
Family has asked for privacy while they grieve, Pickett said in the release posted on Symons’ GoFundMe page.
“Siblings lost a sister, parents lost their daughter and most importantly, children lost both of their parents,” he said.
The GoFundMe has raised $63,000.
Angelica Santos GoFundMe
The family of Angelica Santos are continuing to raise money for the 17-year-old who was described by her aunt as a bubbly girl who loved being a mother and was remembered for her dimples.
Santos was discovered stabbed to death inside the home she had shared with Huizar less than a block from the elementary school.
Her aunt, Samantha DeLuna, said her niece didn’t deserve what happened to her.
“She loved her family. She absolutely loved her grandmother (who raised her),” she said.
So far, the family has raised nearly $14,000 to cover funeral costs.
