Candlelight vigil planned for Maliyha Garcia

A candlelight vigil is planned next week for Maliyha Hope Garcia, the 5-year-old Redmond girl whose adopted parents were convicted of murder last week in her December 2016 starvation death.

The vigil is planned for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Centennial Park, at the corner of Seventh Street and Evergreen Avenue in Redmond, organizers said.

“Maliyha succumbed to years of child abuse at the hands of her parents on Dec. 21, 2016 at the tender age of 5 years old. She weighed 24 lbs.,” the announcement said. “This event is not only to honor precious Maliyha’s memory, but also to raise awareness on the issue of child abuse and prevention.

“Sadly, her family, friends, and community let Maliyha down. She needed help, but no help came. We pray that her struggle and pain can be a turning point in the fight against child abuse and that her death was not in vain.”

Those who attend the vigil are asked to wear blue “to commemorate this event in an effort to bring child abuse prevention to the forefront in our city, county, state and nation.”

Vigil organizers also will be accepting donations of new and/or clean “like new” stuffed animals and books to be donated in Maliyha’s honor to local programs including the KIDS Center of Bend and the Redmond police and fire departments.

Estevan Garcia and Sacora Horn-Garcia are scheduled to be sentenced next month on murder by abuse and criminal mistreatment charges.

KTVZ 2019