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Family, Hundreds of Others Gather to Mourn Couple Killed in Kern County Crash While Fleeing ICE

Outside of a Delano church, the children draped their bodies over the caskets that held their parents, tears streaming down their faces.

The brothers of Santos Hilario Garcia, who was killed in a crash while fleeing ICE in Kern County along with his partner, Marcelina Garcia Perfecto, are seen standing around the couple’s caskets on the day of their funeral service at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Delano on April 2, 2018. (Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

They were about five miles away from the site where their parents had fatally crashed while fleeing from immigration agents last month.

The six sons and daughters were joined by nearly 400 others who packed Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Monday morning for the funeral services of Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Perfecto.

“Marcelina and Santos were hard workers who only wanted to provide for their family. Like many other immigrants, they were farmworkers — people who lifted up this country,” said Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers of America. “We want to ensure that the deaths of Marcelina and Santos are not in vain. This tragedy has shown this country that the inhumane politics of this administration destroy families.”

Read the full story on LATimes.com.

The oldest child, second from left, of Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Profecto mourns with her siblings, left, and relatives during the funeral services at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Delano. (Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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