SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Friday night’s vigil in downtown La Mesa showed just how close-knit the city truly is.
Community members, friends, and loved ones gathered in front of the Pink Rose Café to remember, honor, and celebrate the life of Officer Lauren Craven — a life cut tragically short.
“She’s an amazing person. She’s an amazing police officer — so dedicated and loving to this community,” said La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney.
The front of the café was lit up as residents stood mourning together in the heart of La Mesa.
“What we’ve gone through in the last couple of days and the loss of Officer Craven has been heartbreaking… devastating,” Sweeney said. “A lot of hugging, a lot of tears, as you can imagine — just embracing each other, embracing the community.”
On Monday night, Officer Craven and a 19-year-old driver she was assisting on Interstate 8 were both hit and killed by a suspected DUI driver.
“She loved this job. It was everything to her,” Chief Sweeney added.
For Nadia Zamora, owner of the Pink Rose Café, hosting the vigil and fundraiser for Craven’s family was personal.
“La Mesa is such a tight-knit community — everybody knows everybody,” Zamora said. “The La Mesa Police Department has always been very supportive towards us. It’s an honor for us to be able to show support to the department and the Craven family.”
Zamora said the tragedy hit close to home.
“I have sisters that are that age. Most of my employees are around that age,” she said. “We just want to make sure the community knows that we support her and provide a space to mourn.”
For those closest to Officer Craven, the turnout and support from the community meant everything.
“It means the world,” Sweeney said. “Because we’re hurting. And our community’s here — and when our community is hurting, we’re there. You’ve heard the term ‘one strong community.’ This is La Mesa, and this is what La Mesa is all about.”
All proceeds from Friday night’s fundraiser will go directly to the Craven family during this difficult time.
