Ms LaVerne (or Beverly, as that is what she would tell people to call her because she didn't want to let her real name be known)was a fixture in the community of our City of Corona for several years. Not quite sure when or why or how she ended up in Corona, but she was known to most of the residents here as "Bus bench lady". She was first known by some to be sitting on a bus bench on Vicentia next to the old City Hall/Police Station and across from the Settlement House. Sally Carlson knew Laverne “about as well as anyone could have known her.” Carlson, director of the Settlement House, a homeless lunch program and thrift store, has been helping the woman for eight years – taking her to the welfare office, trying to connect her with the county’s homeless and mental health services, even putting her up in a hotel room when she was sick.
When Laverne first came to the charity, she presented her Maine state ID and told Carlson she was waiting on an unemployment check. It’s why she always chose to stay at benches near a post office, Carlson said.
“She was waiting on a check that was never going to come,” Carlson said. “She couldn’t accept that. She got upset with me for trying to send her to Riverside for homeless services.”
After a few years at that location she ended up for the last few years on Main St. in front of the 99 cents only store, across the street from the Corona Reg Med Center and the Public Library. Most everyone who lives here drives down that street and would see her sitting there reading her weathered bible, or when it started getting dark she would start putting on more layers for the night then she would be sleeping sitting up. She always was wearing layers of clothing no matter how hot is was, and had several black plastic bags with her belongings in tow. Most had tried to offer her money, food, personal hygiene items, clothes, blankets, etc... to Motel rooms, especially when the weather was unbearable to us with homes, but she always refused with a smile and said "The Lord takes care of me, but thank you", and suggest giving it to someone more in need than herself. When the City and RTA decided to install anti-vagrant bus benches it just broke my heart to see her having to sit (because of the bars used to divide the bench) and no back rest, instead of lay down at night, she had already been physically affected by sitting for long periods as her poor circulation caused a wound to form on her lower leg, but after weekly treatments at the hospital's wound care center, she healed within a few months.
But those things didn't contribute to her suddenly passing on Sept 22, 2016. At 11:00 am, as she was passing through the parking lot between the store and her bench, when local resident Steven Loia age 54, attacked for no apparent reason, and started stabbing her, when that wasn't doing it, (probably due to her layers of clothes). According to a witness who was working outside the 99-cent store that morning.
“As she was screaming and laying on the ground bleeding to death, he went across the street … and got this bat,” Alecia Aquino said.
Witnesses who ran to help the victim moved back when the assailant approached again, Aquino said. He swung the bat right at the victim’s skull three or four times and then struck her neck and shoulder blades, she recalled. Aquino said she called 911, hysterically asking officers to arrive quickly.
He then he ran off, with a witness to the event following. The witness was able to lead the police to him, where he was arrested with the knife in his possession. It is unknown what motivated this attack (on an innocent person who never bothered anyone and was very friendly). LaVerne was taken by EMTs across the street to the ER where she passed away at 12:09 pm. The whole City of Corona was in shock and saddened by her tragic death, and soon a steady stream of mourners began bringing flowers, balloons and lit many prayer candles, taking pictures, and talking about what happened. This grew into a huge Memorial that 16 days later is still attracting visitors with items to lay at the bench!
News coverage by local stations KTLA 5 and ABC 7 did aired the story, and the Press Enterprise has been following and updating info as it becomes available. Corona Regional Hospital is paying for the funeral and all the donations will be paying for the burial and marker! The Coroner's office finally made contact with her brother in Baltimore Maryland (where she is from) and he said to go ahead with the services and burial at Sunnyslope Cemetery on Rimpau in Corona. Services are being handled by Thomas Miller Mortuary and set for Wednesday Oct. 10th at 12:00 pm. Viewing at 11:00 am.
When Laverne first came to the charity, she presented her Maine state ID and told Carlson she was waiting on an unemployment check. It’s why she always chose to stay at benches near a post office, Carlson said.
“She was waiting on a check that was never going to come,” Carlson said. “She couldn’t accept that. She got upset with me for trying to send her to Riverside for homeless services.”
After a few years at that location she ended up for the last few years on Main St. in front of the 99 cents only store, across the street from the Corona Reg Med Center and the Public Library. Most everyone who lives here drives down that street and would see her sitting there reading her weathered bible, or when it started getting dark she would start putting on more layers for the night then she would be sleeping sitting up. She always was wearing layers of clothing no matter how hot is was, and had several black plastic bags with her belongings in tow. Most had tried to offer her money, food, personal hygiene items, clothes, blankets, etc... to Motel rooms, especially when the weather was unbearable to us with homes, but she always refused with a smile and said "The Lord takes care of me, but thank you", and suggest giving it to someone more in need than herself. When the City and RTA decided to install anti-vagrant bus benches it just broke my heart to see her having to sit (because of the bars used to divide the bench) and no back rest, instead of lay down at night, she had already been physically affected by sitting for long periods as her poor circulation caused a wound to form on her lower leg, but after weekly treatments at the hospital's wound care center, she healed within a few months.
But those things didn't contribute to her suddenly passing on Sept 22, 2016. At 11:00 am, as she was passing through the parking lot between the store and her bench, when local resident Steven Loia age 54, attacked for no apparent reason, and started stabbing her, when that wasn't doing it, (probably due to her layers of clothes). According to a witness who was working outside the 99-cent store that morning.
“As she was screaming and laying on the ground bleeding to death, he went across the street … and got this bat,” Alecia Aquino said.
Witnesses who ran to help the victim moved back when the assailant approached again, Aquino said. He swung the bat right at the victim’s skull three or four times and then struck her neck and shoulder blades, she recalled. Aquino said she called 911, hysterically asking officers to arrive quickly.
He then he ran off, with a witness to the event following. The witness was able to lead the police to him, where he was arrested with the knife in his possession. It is unknown what motivated this attack (on an innocent person who never bothered anyone and was very friendly). LaVerne was taken by EMTs across the street to the ER where she passed away at 12:09 pm. The whole City of Corona was in shock and saddened by her tragic death, and soon a steady stream of mourners began bringing flowers, balloons and lit many prayer candles, taking pictures, and talking about what happened. This grew into a huge Memorial that 16 days later is still attracting visitors with items to lay at the bench!
News coverage by local stations KTLA 5 and ABC 7 did aired the story, and the Press Enterprise has been following and updating info as it becomes available. Corona Regional Hospital is paying for the funeral and all the donations will be paying for the burial and marker! The Coroner's office finally made contact with her brother in Baltimore Maryland (where she is from) and he said to go ahead with the services and burial at Sunnyslope Cemetery on Rimpau in Corona. Services are being handled by Thomas Miller Mortuary and set for Wednesday Oct. 10th at 12:00 pm. Viewing at 11:00 am.
Ms LaVerne (or Beverly, as that is what she would tell people to call her because she didn't want to let her real name be known)was a fixture in the community of our City of Corona for several years. Not quite sure when or why or how she ended up in Corona, but she was known to most of the residents here as "Bus bench lady". She was first known by some to be sitting on a bus bench on Vicentia next to the old City Hall/Police Station and across from the Settlement House. Sally Carlson knew Laverne “about as well as anyone could have known her.” Carlson, director of the Settlement House, a homeless lunch program and thrift store, has been helping the woman for eight years – taking her to the welfare office, trying to connect her with the county’s homeless and mental health services, even putting her up in a hotel room when she was sick.
When Laverne first came to the charity, she presented her Maine state ID and told Carlson she was waiting on an unemployment check. It’s why she always chose to stay at benches near a post office, Carlson said.
“She was waiting on a check that was never going to come,” Carlson said. “She couldn’t accept that. She got upset with me for trying to send her to Riverside for homeless services.”
After a few years at that location she ended up for the last few years on Main St. in front of the 99 cents only store, across the street from the Corona Reg Med Center and the Public Library. Most everyone who lives here drives down that street and would see her sitting there reading her weathered bible, or when it started getting dark she would start putting on more layers for the night then she would be sleeping sitting up. She always was wearing layers of clothing no matter how hot is was, and had several black plastic bags with her belongings in tow. Most had tried to offer her money, food, personal hygiene items, clothes, blankets, etc... to Motel rooms, especially when the weather was unbearable to us with homes, but she always refused with a smile and said "The Lord takes care of me, but thank you", and suggest giving it to someone more in need than herself. When the City and RTA decided to install anti-vagrant bus benches it just broke my heart to see her having to sit (because of the bars used to divide the bench) and no back rest, instead of lay down at night, she had already been physically affected by sitting for long periods as her poor circulation caused a wound to form on her lower leg, but after weekly treatments at the hospital's wound care center, she healed within a few months.
But those things didn't contribute to her suddenly passing on Sept 22, 2016. At 11:00 am, as she was passing through the parking lot between the store and her bench, when local resident Steven Loia age 54, attacked for no apparent reason, and started stabbing her, when that wasn't doing it, (probably due to her layers of clothes). According to a witness who was working outside the 99-cent store that morning.
“As she was screaming and laying on the ground bleeding to death, he went across the street … and got this bat,” Alecia Aquino said.
Witnesses who ran to help the victim moved back when the assailant approached again, Aquino said. He swung the bat right at the victim’s skull three or four times and then struck her neck and shoulder blades, she recalled. Aquino said she called 911, hysterically asking officers to arrive quickly.
He then he ran off, with a witness to the event following. The witness was able to lead the police to him, where he was arrested with the knife in his possession. It is unknown what motivated this attack (on an innocent person who never bothered anyone and was very friendly). LaVerne was taken by EMTs across the street to the ER where she passed away at 12:09 pm. The whole City of Corona was in shock and saddened by her tragic death, and soon a steady stream of mourners began bringing flowers, balloons and lit many prayer candles, taking pictures, and talking about what happened. This grew into a huge Memorial that 16 days later is still attracting visitors with items to lay at the bench!
News coverage by local stations KTLA 5 and ABC 7 did aired the story, and the Press Enterprise has been following and updating info as it becomes available. Corona Regional Hospital is paying for the funeral and all the donations will be paying for the burial and marker! The Coroner's office finally made contact with her brother in Baltimore Maryland (where she is from) and he said to go ahead with the services and burial at Sunnyslope Cemetery on Rimpau in Corona. Services are being handled by Thomas Miller Mortuary and set for Wednesday Oct. 10th at 12:00 pm. Viewing at 11:00 am.
When Laverne first came to the charity, she presented her Maine state ID and told Carlson she was waiting on an unemployment check. It’s why she always chose to stay at benches near a post office, Carlson said.
“She was waiting on a check that was never going to come,” Carlson said. “She couldn’t accept that. She got upset with me for trying to send her to Riverside for homeless services.”
After a few years at that location she ended up for the last few years on Main St. in front of the 99 cents only store, across the street from the Corona Reg Med Center and the Public Library. Most everyone who lives here drives down that street and would see her sitting there reading her weathered bible, or when it started getting dark she would start putting on more layers for the night then she would be sleeping sitting up. She always was wearing layers of clothing no matter how hot is was, and had several black plastic bags with her belongings in tow. Most had tried to offer her money, food, personal hygiene items, clothes, blankets, etc... to Motel rooms, especially when the weather was unbearable to us with homes, but she always refused with a smile and said "The Lord takes care of me, but thank you", and suggest giving it to someone more in need than herself. When the City and RTA decided to install anti-vagrant bus benches it just broke my heart to see her having to sit (because of the bars used to divide the bench) and no back rest, instead of lay down at night, she had already been physically affected by sitting for long periods as her poor circulation caused a wound to form on her lower leg, but after weekly treatments at the hospital's wound care center, she healed within a few months.
But those things didn't contribute to her suddenly passing on Sept 22, 2016. At 11:00 am, as she was passing through the parking lot between the store and her bench, when local resident Steven Loia age 54, attacked for no apparent reason, and started stabbing her, when that wasn't doing it, (probably due to her layers of clothes). According to a witness who was working outside the 99-cent store that morning.
“As she was screaming and laying on the ground bleeding to death, he went across the street … and got this bat,” Alecia Aquino said.
Witnesses who ran to help the victim moved back when the assailant approached again, Aquino said. He swung the bat right at the victim’s skull three or four times and then struck her neck and shoulder blades, she recalled. Aquino said she called 911, hysterically asking officers to arrive quickly.
He then he ran off, with a witness to the event following. The witness was able to lead the police to him, where he was arrested with the knife in his possession. It is unknown what motivated this attack (on an innocent person who never bothered anyone and was very friendly). LaVerne was taken by EMTs across the street to the ER where she passed away at 12:09 pm. The whole City of Corona was in shock and saddened by her tragic death, and soon a steady stream of mourners began bringing flowers, balloons and lit many prayer candles, taking pictures, and talking about what happened. This grew into a huge Memorial that 16 days later is still attracting visitors with items to lay at the bench!
News coverage by local stations KTLA 5 and ABC 7 did aired the story, and the Press Enterprise has been following and updating info as it becomes available. Corona Regional Hospital is paying for the funeral and all the donations will be paying for the burial and marker! The Coroner's office finally made contact with her brother in Baltimore Maryland (where she is from) and he said to go ahead with the services and burial at Sunnyslope Cemetery on Rimpau in Corona. Services are being handled by Thomas Miller Mortuary and set for Wednesday Oct. 10th at 12:00 pm. Viewing at 11:00 am.
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