As 2nd Victim Is Mourned, Plea to Stem Violence Echoes

For the second time in as many days, a grieving community packed the aisles and pews of a church Saturday to remember a La Crescenta teenager who was killed last weekend.

More than 600 people paid their respects to the family of 14-year-old Blaine Talmo Jr., whose badly beaten body was found last Sunday next to that of 13-year-old Christopher McCulloch on a playground at Valley View Elementary School in La Crescenta.

The congregation gathered at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montrose included law enforcement officials--among them Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca--and teenagers who knew both victims.

Blaine’s father, sheriff’s Sgt. Blaine Talmo, his wife, Alana, and their two children were huddled at the front of the church as Eric Clapton’s somber hymn “Tears in Heaven” played.

Talmo was flanked by hundreds of his co-workers at the Catholic Mass, some in uniform and others dressed in black. The Rev. Gordon Chang praised the family for remaining strong and reminded them that Blaine has gone back home.

“This is not the end but the beginning for Blaine,” he said. “He is going where he once came from.”

Blaine was described as an outgoing and friendly youth who took the time to listen to others. He and Chris were avid skateboarders, and friends say they had been running with a tougher crowd recently.

But family friends said there was more to Blaine than the recent depiction of the boy in the media.

“He wasn’t a roughshod kid,” said sheriff’s Deputy Al Rodriguez, who worked with Blaine’s father at the department’s Universal Studios substation and gave the eulogy. “He was a gentle soul.

“This tragedy will be burned in our memory for years, but nonetheless there was more to this kid than this one day,” Rodriguez continued. “There wasn’t one person who didn’t like Blaine. We have to remember that kids aren’t ours. We are theirs.”

During separate memorial services for the two young victims, a theme that echoed was that violence is all too prevalent in today’s society.

On Friday at Christopher’s service, his mother, Aileen Bristow, called for an end to the violence that has claimed the lives of children like her own.

A day later, at Blaine’s memorial, the same message was clear.

“We should all learn from this tragedy,” said the boys’ friend, Ashley Penland, who spoke at Blaine’s service and wore a yellow ribbon in her hair that read: “C&B;, Live and Love 4 Ever.”

Ashley spoke softly about Chris and Blaine but also had a message for those listening. “We need to stop the violence,” she said. “They didn’t deserve to die.”