Outpouring of Help Offered to 3 Boys Orphaned in Auto Crash

Three Chino boys, orphaned when their parents were killed in a car crash, received an outpouring of community support Thursday, and two relatives quickly offered to care for them.

Shem Forrest, 17, and his brothers, Justin, 11, and Daniel, 9, were seriously injured when a van crashed into the family car Wednesday in Pomona, killing their parents, Fred, 38, and Janet, 40.

The family was en route to a grandmother’s funeral at the time.

In the wake of the tragedy, the boys’ maternal aunt, Marilyn Richards, and their paternal uncle, Jim Forrest, have volunteered to assume custody. Jim Forrest, who is Fred Forrest’s older brother, said he and Richards--who is blind--are engaged to be married and live together in Lake Elsinore.

Although it will be a struggle to provide for the three youths, he said, “we think we can manage. The Lord will help us through.”

Since Fred and Janet Forrest left no will, the courts will probably have to approve the decision, said Donna Lenhert, assistant to the pastor of Pomona Brethren in Christ Church, where the Forrests were members. If the relatives are not found suitable, she said, church members would probably offer to take charge of the boys.

“They’ll be cared for by somebody,” Lenhert promised.

In the meantime, citizens moved by their plight have flooded the Pomona Fire Department with promises of money, clothes, free passes to events and other donations to assist the children, who were virtually left with nothing.

Fire Capt. Jim Swearingen said firefighters--who put out the appeal for assistance after initially hearing the family had only one close relative--intend to set up a trust fund to help pay the boys’ expenses. He said the department has had more than 1,000 calls.

The family’s church reported a similar response.

“It’s captured the hearts of people everywhere,” said the Rev. Lynn Thrush.

The Forrests were described as a “very humble,” family, who were living in a borrowed mobile home and struggling to survive on Fred Forrest’s salary as a security guard and his window-washing business.

“They didn’t have much to speak of,” Lenhert said.

Lenhert said the family was active in the church. The couple volunteered in educational programs for children and adults, and they brought the boys to services regularly.

The accident occurred as the family was heading to the funeral of Fred Forrest’s mother. The Forrests were stopped at a signal on the Corona Expressway at the intersection of the Pomona Freeway when a van broadsided their small Datsun, authorities said.

The van’s driver, Javier Martinez, 31, who was unhurt, was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter. Bail was set at $5,000. A Pomona police spokesman said alcohol did not appear to be involved in the incident.

Shem Forrest was already outside of the car when firefighters arrived. He was quickly airlifted to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center for treatment of internal injuries. He was reported in stable condition Thursday.

Firefighters spent nearly an hour extricating the two youngest boys from the car, which was loaded with funeral flowers.

During that time, Swearingen said, “we fell in love with them. . . . They were really a couple of characters.”

The two boys had sustained broken legs, wrists and fingers, and every move during the extrication process was very painful. Throughout, the boys repeatedly asked “was this really happening,” and begged the firefighters not to leave them alone, Swearingen said.

“We told them we were going to stay right with them through this whole thing,” said firefighter Jim Lile.