In memory of Sarah Alden: Candlelight vigil for the woman brutally attacked on the canals of Venice | News

On June 13, community members and their loved ones gathered to remember a woman who was brutalized and murdered along the canals of Venice. Sarah Alden, 53, was taken off life support in May after being declared brain dead.

During the hour-long candlelight vigil, the Sherman Canal was transformed as dozens of friends, family, neighbors and community members gathered to remember Alden. Flowers decorated the pedestrian bridges and musicians on boats provided a tranquil soundtrack for the evening, playing “Amazing Grace” and Alden’s favorite Grateful Dead song, “So Many Roads.”

On April 6, Sarah Alden and Mary Klein, 54, were brutally attacked in two separate incidents while walking along the canals. Alden fell into a coma after the attack and Klein was seriously injured and hospitalized. The suspect, Anthony Francisco Jones, 29, was arrested on April 11 for the attacks and police confirmed that both attacks were sexually motivated. Jones was captured on security cameras walking near the canals that night holding a liquor bottle believed to have been used in the attacks. He is also believed to be homeless.

He has since been charged with two counts of rape and one count each of sexual penetration with use of force, torture, assault, attempted murder and sodomy with use of force. After Alden’s death, Jones was also charged with murder.

Many tears were shed as family members remembered Alden as a kind friend and devoted mother of two sons. From the lighted bridge, Alden’s best friend Cynthia Strong expressed her gratitude to the community as Alden’s son Elle and community members looked on.

“I want to express my gratitude for the immense support and generous kindness I have received from the community,” Strong said, describing Alden as a lover of sunrises and sunsets. “Sarah was incredibly unique, fun and witty. We had so many amazing adventures. There is no one like her; she was the light to us boring people, the fun, and with her bright red hair and alabaster skin, you couldn’t miss her from a mile away. She told incredible stories about the simplest things.”

Alden had worked tirelessly to fulfill her dream of living in Venice Beach. She had just moved here from Massachusetts and had signed a lease on an apartment when she was killed. “This should never have happened,” a family member said during the vigil. “We should be able to walk our streets and enjoy our community safely.”

The second victim, Klein, a longtime Venice resident, was left disfigured but stable. She suffered severe injuries, including a broken jaw, broken teeth, a large cut on the back of her head and numerous bruises. Her face and chest were severely bruised and swollen.

“For some reason I survived, and I’m not really sure why,” Klein said. Klein still faces a long recovery and is focusing her efforts on advocating for criminal justice reform. “This kind of thing shouldn’t happen in our country,” she said. “We have police and laws, but violent criminals get out of prison.”

“What do you say to women who are afraid in their own neighborhoods?” asked Council Member Traci Park, who attended the vigil. “How do I deal with the anger of a community that has been pushed to the brink? How do I even begin to acknowledge the depth of loss and grief that Sarah’s family and loved ones are feeling?” she continued, visibly distraught.

“In a world where this is possible, we must fight violence twice as hard – with light, passionate hope and community. I see a wonderful community here tonight standing in solidarity with Sarah, her family and her friends.”

Park vowed to restore safety, adding: “I didn’t know Sarah, but I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about her. Sarah spent her last night here in the canals. This should never have happened, which makes the pain and anger all the more real and the demand for justice all the louder.”

The attacks have shocked many Venice residents. “We have the right to be on our streets,” said Daniella Kaplan, Alden’s friend and community member. “We have to protect our people,” she said, calling for increased police presence.