SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Family members, friends and community members gathered at Crystal Pier on Friday night to honor Luis Alberto Quiroz-Arreola, known to loved ones as “Beto,” the unarmed security guard who was shot and killed while working at the popular Pacific Beach location.
Flowers, candles and other memorial items were left at the site as mourners came together to remember Quiroz-Arreola and support his grieving family. The vigil was filled with tears, embraces and heartfelt tributes to a man whose death has left loved ones searching for answers.
“He was only a month apart from me, and we literally grew up together,” one of Quiroz Arreola’s cousins said. “We’re all just here to remember my cousin.”
Quiroz Arreola was shot and killed around 2 a.m. Monday while working as a security guard at Crystal Pier, according to the report. In the days following his death, those who knew him, along with community members who never met him, gathered to pay their respects.
His mother, Gloria Quiroz, made an emotional plea for justice during the vigil.
“I want justice for my son,” she said in Spanish.
Quiroz Arreola was the eldest of three children. His mother described the loss as devastating, expressing the pain of knowing she would no longer have her son by her side.
The tragedy has also left behind Quiroz-Arreola’s 8-year-old daughter, who must now grow up without her father.
As the family mourns, police continue searching for the person responsible for the deadly shooting. Authorities have increased patrols in the area and released additional surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the suspect.
Investigators believe the person seen in the footage, dressed entirely in black, may be connected to the killing. The video appears to show the individual walking through the area before riding away through an alley on what appears to be an electric bicycle.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to come forward.
Despite their grief, Quiroz-Arreola’s family remains hopeful that someone will help investigators find the person responsible.
A GoFundMe has also been established to help support the family during this difficult time.
For those who gathered at Crystal Pier, the vigil was an opportunity to honor Beto’s memory, stand alongside his loved ones and make their message clear: They want justice for the life lost and answers for a family left behind.
