Wake Held For Girl, 10, Who Died Following After-School Fight
HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — Family and friends held a wake Saturday evening to remember Joanna Ramos, the 10-year-old girl who died following an after-school fight last Friday evening.
Ramos will be buried Sunday -- in her little white casket -- at a public ceremony at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Amanda Burden, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, spoke to Cecilia Villanueva, the little girl's devastated mother, Saturday night.
Burden reports that there was an overflow crowd outside the Hollywood Forever Funeral Home. The little girl's wake was standing room only...loved one's having one final chance to say goodbye.
While she was strengthened by the large crowd, the wake was understandably tough on Villanueva. "It's hard for me to see my daughter like that, because it's not my Joanna."
Ramos, a 5th grader, died tragically hours after a fight in the alley near Willard Elementary School.
The fight lasted less than a minute. No weapons were used. Witnesses said Ramos didn't even fall to the ground.
It was only much later that Ramos complained of a headache.
Ramos' sister is heartbroken. "She was like everything to me, because she was my little sister," said Vanessa Urbina.
The family told Burden the home is just too quiet without the rambunctious and fun Ramos. Said Urbina, "this is just horrible. She was too young to pass away."
Friend Gisselle Restrepo is also inconsolable. "It's kinda hard seeing her gone. And I can't see her any more."
Burden reports emotions ran especially high when Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" blared over the loudspeakers.
Villanueva remembered that her own daughter had star dreams and wanted to be a singer herself someday.
"She was just a happy girl with the dreams. She had dreams, a lot of dreams."
The dreams may have been dashed, and cut short. But Villanueva tells Burden one thing is giving her comfort. "I know she's not here ... but she's with God."
