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Family finds crosses defaced at crash site

Fernando Santacruz is familiar with the pile of stuffed animals and sympathy cards left at the memorial site for his ex-wife, 9-year-old son and three other family members killed in a drunken driving collision at Farm Road and Tenaya Way.

But when he went to the makeshift memorial Wednesday night with about a dozen family members, he saw something that was like a slap in the face.


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  • Someone had attached paper messages reading "Free Ronnie" on the five wooden crosses erected for the victims who died after 19-year-old Ronald Jayne Jr. slammed into their vehicle in a GMC Sierra.

    Jayne had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent on the night of the collision, more than twice the legal limit, according to a source familiar with the investigation. He remains behind bars at the county jail.

    For Santacruz and other family members, those "Free Ronnie" signs were the ultimate gesture of disrespect. Someone had defaced the crosses with messages of support for the man accused in the deaths of their loved ones. The family removed them and tore them up.

    What happened next, however, struck fear into their hearts, Santacruz said.

    About 9:30 p.m., a group of young men in a Ford Ranger drove up to the memorial blasting loud music and laughing loudly. They peeled out but returned minutes later, shouting "Let Ron free" and "This is for Ron," family members said.

    Mario Dominguez, a relative of the crash victims, said he heard the young men shout, "(Expletive) the dead!"

    Santacruz said, "They made us angry because we're here to pray for our family."

    He said he and others were afraid that the men might be armed and, angry that Jayne was behind bars, might turn violent against the family.

    Speaking at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday morning after a hearing for Jayne, Dominguez had a message for those responsible for defacing the crosses: "Stay away. Leave those signs out of there."

    "There's been a big tragedy here. And if they do this again, there might be a bigger tragedy next time," he said.

    A bail hearing for Jayne was postponed until Wednesday while prosecutors continued to put the case together.

    Jayne faces eight counts of driving under the influence involving a death or substantial bodily harm. Witnesses told police that Jayne was driving at least 70 mph on Farm Road before he ran through a stop sign and collided with a sport utility vehicle driven by Claudia Dominguez, 32, who died in the crash. Four others died, and three were wounded.

    L.J. O'Neale, the deputy district attorney who is prosecuting Jayne, declined to comment in detail about the case Thursday. He said the district attorney's office will ask for "significant" bail at Wednesday's hearing.

    Jeffrey Shaner, the attorney representing Jayne, said Jayne and his family had nothing to do with the "Free Ronnie" messages.

    "Certainly that was not at the behest of my client or his family. We have no idea who those people are," he said.

    Shaner wouldn't discuss the details of the case against Jayne but said his family is devastated.

    "They're decent people, and they are deeply affected by what happened to everyone," he said.

    Even friends of Jayne were upset that someone would deface the crosses.

    "I think it's disrespectful," said a 17-year-old who gave only her first name, Ashley.

    She and a friend were at the memorial Thursday afternoon. A sign placed behind the crosses bore the message "Don't Drink & Drive -- Arbor View Cares." Many of Jayne's friends attend Arbor View high school, about a half-mile from the site, Ashley said.

    But people had written messages of support for Jayne on the Arbor View sign, including "Free Ronnie," the same message that angered the family. Others wrote "We all love you, may you be forgiven" and "Love Ronnie & RIP to the family."

    Ashley said the "Free Ronnie" messages were not only disrespectful to the victims, they cast Jayne and his family as spiteful even though they had nothing to do with them.

    "I don't like it and would like to take a marker and scratch it out," she said. "They really aren't helping their friend out at all."

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    one sided unfairness wrote on February 29, 2008 07:59 AM: They were not his friends. They were aquaintances. His friends would NEVER do that to the family. The media shows the ugly, evil side of ONLY ONE SIDE.


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    Madison wrote on November 14, 2007 01:12 PM: I'm sorry. That should say, "No one is saying what Ronnie did is RIGHT." Not wrong. Sorry.


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    Madison wrote on November 14, 2007 01:11 PM: Nicole-
    My best friend AND my cousin were killed by a drunk driver. My best friend in 2004, and my cousin in December of last year. It takes a bigger person to forgive those people than it does to hold a grudge. No one is saying what Ronnie did was wrong. Coming from someone who had to experience the pain of losing 2 people I cared about more than anyone, I know firsthand that I KNEW the day would come where there was nothing I could've done to prevent it from happening. Ronnie made a horrible mistake, no doubt. Holding a grudge my whole life wasn't going to bring my best friend or my cousin back. The last day of court for my best friends trial, I hugged the person who killed her after his sentencing. Do you have ANY idea how hard that was? He was also a young man with a bright future. Now, he's sitting in cell and he'll have to live with what he did the rest of his life. I'm sure Ronnie will NEVER EVER forget whta happened.
    I am now on both ends of the stick here. I have had people I loved killed by drunk drivers, and I have also had a friend who was a drunk driver kill someone else. Either way, it's a sad situation.
    Not everyone has to forgive, but not forgiving isn't going to do anything. I know the 2 people who killed my best friend and my cousin think about it everyday, and truly had remorse over what they did. I KNOW Ronnie does, too.


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    Nicole wrote on November 08, 2007 11:16 AM: You know, it's a shame to see some of you justifying what Ron did. You know what i new Ron too. He is a grown ass man, and not only did he decide to drink and drive but he took human life. You make me laugh when you say what is that was your son in jail. Well what if that was your family killed by Ron, would you still be defending him. What if that was your mother or sister. Just because you new him doesn't mean you should be all high and mighty your self and defend him for actions he did himself. Would you raise money to bail someone out of jail if they murdered your family, you are so naive to the real picture. Never the less one day when you grow up and really look back and see what happened and all of ron's so called friends stop supporting him, which by now i'm sure they have you'll think how ridiculous was i to support someone who took innocent lives going 70 MPH through a stop sign. Think if that was your family, would you still be friends ron?!?!?!?


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    Ms. PBB wrote on November 02, 2007 04:12 PM: This is in response to a so-called friend who commented on another RJ article, I want to make sure as many read this as is possible:
    Jen, I believe you are correct about the other people running the stop sign and it being partial responsibility on their (the victims') part. Please, when you are doing something as important as standing up for someone who's life is on the line...make sure you don't appear to the public as uneducated or they will not give credit to the meaning of your words. Things like this are only going to hurt his case. Ron's true friends will double check their statements and actions. *NOTE/I.E. - it was 'NOT' Ron's friends who defaced the accident scene, only previous acquaintances from high school.* For all who care for and about Ron "Let's really think about what we are doing before we act-out, write &/or speak on his behalf". We, as his friends & the people who love him, are representing him to the public. Let's be as well-mannered, kind, loving and thoughtful as Ron had always been prior to that night that changed so many of our lives forever. Anger and ignorance (or the appearance of) are not favors to him.
    P.S. I miss him so much. The level of pain I feel only raises my level of sympathy for the family of the people who died. Remember that a split second earlier the roles would have been reversed, he would have died and she would be in jail with DUI-Death-Alcohol charge(s); that is my understanding & belief. Let's all have a heart; everyone involved is hurting enough!!


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    jp wrote on October 14, 2007 08:34 PM: "And his friends defacing the memorial are as low class as he is."-Emily

    I never made it out to the memorial, but I saw pictures. Im a friend of Ron. And just to let you know, "defacing" the memorial was not out of want to demolish anything lady. His friends that did that just want to get there point across that not only is that family missed, so is Ron.
    AND CLEARLY, you need to look up low class again! Its says nothing about killing people, low class my ass, he f**ked up beyond belief. But I knew Ron, and from what I knew he wasnt low class.

    P.S. ITS SO FUNNY TO ME HOW YOU PEOPLE THINK THIS IS THE WHOLE STORY. HAHAHAHA if you only new.


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    punk wrote on June 13, 2007 11:29 AM: i also just read up on some more info on this...and the family is now trying to raise money to fly the loved ones to be buried in mexico...and im sure many of people will donate to that cause...but now what about rons mother who will never get to see her son out of a jail outfit or behing a plastic wall?? shall we raise money to get him out?or to help his family? now its turning into a pitty case!!!!this family is now going to take what they can from this.and also on this story about ppl in the ranger comming and sayin that and oh ya im sure the family members were afraid for there lives too!? ya dont think so pitty pitty.i know alot of these kids i went to 2 highschools and knew alot of vegas teenagers and i can tell you not one has intentions of murder..neither did ron.


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    Punk wrote on June 12, 2007 10:03 PM: I dont agree with anyone all of you are not thinking in the middle and feeling bolth sides and rachel did that "little girl" make u feel better?..yes he killed a family yes they werent all buckled in but know matter the situation you cant see from bolth sides..hes a teenager who made the biggest mistake of his life and who will never have a life again and its the right punishment for what he did.the people that he killed will never have a life either..it was not a choice for them to die and it was ron's choice to get in a car but was not crossing his mind that oh maybe tonight ill kill a family.All i keep thinking is when i was a little girl wanting to grow up and be a model doctor or whatever it may be..all of you remeber that to..now do u think he ever once thought "when i grow up ill kill a family and spend life in prison at 19!!!!and the worst part is the people who loved the family and the ones who loved ron.and the people who say o punks blah blah blah you wait till its your kid or you sober or anything and youll be sorry and maybe then ull relize none of us can really say shit its the familys and ron the ones who will really feel it forever..and rachel go ahead call me a lil girl<3


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    Jenn wrote on May 24, 2007 11:23 PM: For all of you people who look down on ron are all hypocrites! who do you think you are? God in a form of a new man? I mean sure you probably never have killed someone but im sure you may have had a beer or two and still drove. Perhaps not all of you but im sure atleast one of you. If not that you broke the law somewhere throughout your teen life! I don't agree with what Ron did, and he is paying for his mistake now. What if that was your son would you be saying rot in jail? I think not. So before you talk all high and mighty and judge those who have made mistakes ask yourself am I in any posistion to talk shit? Sure his friends were disrespectful but there kids for god sake! What if that was your best friend. I do feel sorry for the family and my preyers are with them, but how did she manage to fit all those people in safely? So they are both at fault. This is also saving someone elses life im sure. His friends and viewers will think twice before driving drunk again!


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    level headed wrote on May 14, 2007 04:49 PM: the comment I just posted was actually directed at Janet Marie's comment. My apologies for the name error.

    Please know, I am not saying that Ronald Jayne Jr. is not to blame for the majority of this accident... I am simply stating that the other driver attributed to the level of devestation by not being law abiding herself and therefore all the focus is not just on the drunk driver, as horrible as that may seem.


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