A San Jose auto body shop owner is aghast after someone spray painted his building in what appears to be an attempt to memorialize a 17-year-old boy who was killed in a car crash outside the shop last week.
White paint illustrating the phrases "RIP," "RIP JR" and "RIP Sergio" were just some of the markings left on the store's facade and others signs in the area.
The auto shop owner, who did not want to be identified, is shocked that someone would deface his building with white paint after he claims his staff were the first people to rush to the teen's aid.
"We did the best we could to try and save him," the owner said. "This is the thanks we get. It's just unbelievable."
The owner's heart goes out to the family and those impacted by the tragic loss, but he doesn't appreciate that his property has been vandalized.
"I understand that people are mad," he said. "A life has been lost, but this isn't the way you express your grief. Grafitti doesn't help anybody. It just destroys the community."
Local
The teenager killed in Friday's accident was identified Monday by the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office as Sergio Ramirez.
Ramirez was driving south on Monterey Road when he collided with another driver who was turning left onto that roadway from Daylight Way. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
