Memorial Services Honor 2 Murdered Youths : Grief: Tustin school service is held for Carl Dan Claes, 14. People at Santa Ana vigil prayed for him and Julio Sarinana, 17.

Students, relatives and community activists attended memorial ceremonies Wednesday for two Orange County teen-agers, who recently were slain in separate shootings.

Students choked back tears as they gave hugs and flowers to relatives of Carl Dan Claes, 14, at a memorial ceremony Wednesday morning at A.G. Currie Middle School.

Joanna Mendoza, eighth-grade student body president, welcomed Claes’ mother, Danella George, 40, and his grandfather, Dan George, 73, to the ceremony, which included the planting of a tree bought with student donations.

“It’s not just a tragedy for us, but for also Carl’s mother and grandfather,” Mendoza said at the outdoor ceremony attended by Currie’s 800 students. “Many of us admired him. Our hearts will be with you always.”

The youngster’s body was found May 17 in a ditch about three miles from the house in Tustin where he lived with his grandfather. He had been shot in the head at close range. Three Tustin teen-agers are being held in Orange County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of killing him over a $2,500 piece of stereo equipment.

On Wednesday night, Los Amigos of Orange County sponsored separate candlelight vigils for Claes and Julio Sarinana, 17, who was killed in a gang-related shooting the same day Claes’ body was discovered. About 30 members of the community service organization attended Sarinana’s vigil at the supermarket parking lot where he was slain.

Although none of the people attending the vigil had known Sarinana, the group dedicated prayers on his behalf and spoke out against gang and other violence.

“We don’t need any more of our kids killed on the street,” said Karen Toya Lott, a member of the organization. “We need to stand together and say we don’t want any more violence.”

Sarinana was murdered while sitting in his father’s car in the 1200 block of 1st Street in Santa Ana, police said.

“He was waiting for his father to come out of the store, when an unknown suspect came up to the car and started to have a conversation with him,” Police Sgt. Bob Clark said Wednesday. “The conversation lasted a couple of minutes. Then someone heard a shot and saw someone run away. When officers got there, they found the boy slumped over in the car.”

Sarinana, who was shot once in the head, was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he died a day later. Although there are witnesses to the killing, police have made no arrests. The department’s gang unit is handling the case because the suspect may have been a gang member, Clark said.

While Claes’ death sparked widespread public concern, Sarinana’s slaying drew little attention.

“It appears then, when something is labeled a gang shooting, it becomes just another slaying,” said Amin David, chairman of Los Amigos of Orange County. “The death of little Carl caused a lot of interest because it was a very unusual occurrence, particularly because of where it took place.”

David said his group sponsors weekly vigils for people killed in the Santa Ana area to raise awareness about the senseless violence taking place in the community, particularly among young people. Eleven of Orange County’s 71 homicide victims this year have been 17 years old or younger.

“Unfortunately, people have become immune to gang killings,” David said. “Consequently, we don’t want these incidents to be just another thing that happened. That’s why we attempt to call attention to it.”

At the morning ceremony for Claes Wednesday, a 14-foot sycamore tree that was planted by the students and the victim’s mother.

Turning to the students, Danella George said, “Thank you very much. Thank you for being close friends.” The tree, she said, was “beautiful. It’s very beautiful.”