300 Friends, Family Mourn Slain Teen-Ager at Funeral

At a crowded funeral service Friday, about 300 friends and family members mourned a 16-year-old student killed near Cleveland High School by a stray bullet from a gang conflict.

Rocio Delgado was killed Monday as she walked home from school along Vanalden Avenue near Napa Street in Northridge, about six blocks north of the campus.

After the Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Northridge, friends and family members crowded around the open casket, paying their last respects and praying for her.

Many people in the largely teen-age crowd sobbed as they passed by her casket.

“Goodby little angel,” one boy said, sobbing.

“We miss you. We love you,” said a teary-eyed girl. “But you’ll be safer in heaven.”

In his bilingual sermon, the Rev. Terry Farrell said Rocio’s death may wake up some people and ultimately “bring some peace to the community.”

He urged people to pray for peace in the streets.

Farrell also said the Virgin Mary, revered by Mexicans as Our Lady of Guadalupe, would watch over Rocio.

“Just as Our Lady held Jesus in her arms, so will she hold Rocio in her arms in heaven,” Farrell said.

Her body will be buried in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where her family lived until moving to Northridge about four years ago.

Her family told friends and school officials that they will move back to Mexico on Saturday.

Friends said they have raised more than $1,700 to help with funeral costs.

On Thursday, about 200 students attended an emotional tribute to Rocio in the high school auditorium.

Her friends, including about 40 members of the school’s Latino cultural club, took turns speaking of her in English and Spanish.

Police say Rocio was killed after a fistfight between rival gang members escalated into gunfire.

Three teen-agers--ages 16, 17 and 18--arrested in connection with the shooting were charged with murder Thursday, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a request in Sylmar Juvenile Court on Friday to allow the two minors to be tried as adults.

The youths are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

A judge will probably set a hearing date at the district attorney’s request at that time, said Sandi Gibbons, district attorney spokeswoman.