ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Friends of Kayden Romo gathered at his memorial on Wanek Road to mourn the loss of the 14-year-old, who was stabbed to death on Monday just before his eighth-grade graduation at Bear Valley Middle School.
On Saturday, Escondido police arrested two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, in connection with Romo’s murder, which authorities believe was gang-related.
“He was a good kid ... He was a well-liked kid as you can see throughout our community and he wasn’t a gang member. That’s the thing that was sad,” said Agner Medrano, a former gang member turned community activist.
Medrano, who now works with kids at Victory Outreach Church to prevent violence, is helping the Romo family through this tragic time.
“My reaction was shock. Here we go again," Medrano said. "But also how can I support the family, how can I support our youth today.”
In the past two years, Escondido police have reported at least four stabbings involving minors. To combat this, the department started an athletic league aimed at keeping kids out of trouble.
"The big thing I see is they want to belong in something. They want someone who cares about them,” said Allen Owens, the director of the league.
Owens said the league has positively impacted hundreds of kids.
“Talking to the kids about things that happened, talking to them about drug use, talking to them about making good choices ... I've talked to parents about making the right choices as well,” Owens said.
Owens encourages parents to stay involved in their children’s lives. Medrano said Escondido needs more community advocates to support its teens. Both agree that Romo’s death was a preventable tragedy.
