Loved ones remember Sergio Alvarez, gun violence victim

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Loved ones looked up to the skies Monday, knowing Sergio Alvarez is looking back down at them. 

“I know his angel is still going to be watching over me,” says Krystal Gary, a friend who says Alvarez was like a big brother to her. 

Twenty-four-year-old Sergio Alvarez died Sunday as a result of gun violence, happening on South Bend’s southeast side near Milton and St. Joseph streets. 

“Many mothers are out there, many mothers have suffered through this, and unfortunately, we won’t be the last ones either,” says the mother of Alvarez. 

The vigil was held at the Boys and Girls Club of St. Joe County, where his girlfriend Da’Guejiha works, and where he helped to make a positive impact on the youth in the community.  

Not only is Da’Quejiha mourning the loss of her boyfriend, but also the father of her child. They say Sergio was excited to be a dad.  

“We don’t want her to think ‘Oh my goodness I’m raising a child alone, this is going to be difficult.’ I want her to know we have different family members here for her, we’re going to be willing to commit to the baby,” Gary reassures. 

Family and friends of Alvarez will remember him for the caring, loving, and down-to-earth person he was.  

“I called him Sergi, he will always be my Sergi,” his mother says. “Sergio was a good young man; he was changing his life for the better. Unfortunately, God had other plans.”  

The South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is handling the investigation into the shooting that killed Sergio Alvarez. If you have any information, you're urged to contact Michiana Crimestoppers at 574-288-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous.