Two more names have been added to a Hemet monument that honors fallen law officers from the area.
The Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District’s Officer Lesley Zerebny First Responders Memorial Wall now includes the names of Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies Michael Haugen and Brett Harris.
Their inclusion was celebrated with a Friday, May 17, ceremony at Diamond Valley Lake Community Park, where the wall stands.
The wall commemorates first responders who lost their life on duty and who were born, lived or served within the park district’s boundaries, which includes Hemet, San Jacinto, Winchester, French Valley, Aguanga and part of Menifee, a district news release states.
Haugen, a San Jacinto resident, was killed Jan. 5, 1997, when he and his partner were ambushed and gunned down while responding to a domestic violence call in Whitewater.
Harris died last year — on May 13, 2023 — after a crash while responding to a call. He lived and served in Valley-Wide’s area, the release states.
Also, the district placed a plaque for Zerebny, a late Palm Springs police officer and the wall’s namesake.
She grew up in the Hemet area and was killed while on duty with the Palm Springs force on Oct. 8, 2016, while responding to a domestic violence call. Her partner, Jose “Gil” Vega, also died that day.
Members of the Haugen, Harris and Zerenby families attended the ceremony, as did representatives from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Palm Springs Police Department.
