A Hemet park now has a monument to first responders who were killed in the line of duty.
The Officer Lesley Zerebny First Responders Memorial Wall was dedicated Friday, Oct. 14, at Diamond Valley Lake Community Park in a ceremony that included comments from Zerebny’s father and sister, a news release states.
More than 200 people, including first responders, attended.
Zerebny, who grew up in the Hemet area, was working as a Palm Springs Police Department officer when she was killed Oct. 8, 2016, while answering a domestic violence call. She was 26. Her partner, Jose “Gil” Vega, also was killed.
The Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District’s board commissioned the wall to memorialize first responders who died in the line of duty who were born, lived or served within the district’s boundaries, the release states. Those boundaries include Aguanga, French Valley, Hemet, Menifee, San Jacinto and Winchester.
“This wall, and all of you being here gives us reassurance that she will never be forgotten,” Zerebny’s father, David Kling, said during the ceremony, according to the release.
Zerebny’s mother, Luanne; husband, Zack; and daughter, Cora attended the event. Before she became a police officer, Zerebny took part in Valley-Wide events and worked as a receptionist for the district, according to the release.
