Maya McFadden Photos
Candles and flowers decorate corner of Lenox and Clifton at Thursday vigil; Mesquita’s death has raised awareness of a rise in domestic violence and spurred calls for action.
Sandy Mesquita: I’m Alaia’s grandmother, mother, father now.
Sixty loved ones of domestic-violence homicide victim Alessia Mesquita gathered Thursday evening to mourn the death of the 28-year old daughter, mother, and sister.
Friends and family joined together at the corner of Lenox and Clifton Street, where Mesquita was shot dead on Monday allegedly by her boyfriend, who had a history of violence and domestic abuse. She left behind a year-old daughter, Alaia, who remained in the car when Mesquita’s alleged killer fled from the scene (police later found her uninjured); and a son named Joseph.
Mesquita’s mother, Sandy Mesquita, heard the gunshots that took her daughter’s life from her Lexington Avenue home. She organized Thursday night’s vigil to call attention to domestic violence. Mesquita’s killing was one of two domestic-violence homicides in six days in New Haven; it has raised awareness of a recent rise in domestic violence and calls to action. An “End To Domestic Violence Homicide” event is scheduled to take place Monday on the New Haven Green beginning at 3 p.m.
Sandy Mesquita told the crowd Thursday night she is thankful her daughter is no longer in pain or suffering through her abusive relationship. Sandy urged family members and friends to never give up on their loved ones in abusive relationships. (Click here to read more about Alessia and Sandy.)
The community paraded a theme of purple on the street to represent Alessia’s favorite color and domestic violence awareness. Some wore pins and T‑shirts with Alessia’s face on them.
A Final Sleepover
Family sells pins to pay for funeral expenses.
Thursday’s gathering showed the impact Alessia had on dozens.
Xiomairaliz Ayala, 27, said she met Alessia at Wilbur Cross High School. Alessia and Ayala were a part of a small friend group that stuck together throughout high school.
Xiomairaliz Ayala.
Growing up, Ayala had a strict curfew and recalled Alessia always being there to walk her home before eight o’clock hit. The two would often have sleepovers and always spent Christmas together. Ayala described her best friend as “big hearted.”
At one point Alessia and Ayala lived together in Fair Haven. While Ayala was pregnant, Alessia provided support during her entire pregnancy. “Her favorite thing to always say was, ‘You and your hormones!’” she said.
Three days before Alessia’s death, Alessia reached out to Ayala asking to have a sleepover like in the old days.
Before this, the two hadn’t hung out in a while due to Alessia’s relationship problems with her abusive boyfriend, Ayala said. “I always said to her, ‘I miss my friend,’ because the relationship was hurting her so much that she got distanced from me,” she said. “She use to be so happy but lately she was down and depressed.”
The two had the sleepover Friday night, talking and giving each other advice about their problems. “I’m so grateful I got to see her. She’s my sister from another mother,” Ayala said.
Before the two departed Saturday morning, Ayala recalled, Alessia told her that “being out the house was a relief.”
Their last moments were spent making a promise to each other that they would spend more time together this summer. “We were so excited, we had plans to make up for lost time,” she said.
On Sunday, Ayala said she and Alessia talked about her “dealing with her relationship.”
“She was serious this time. She wanted out so bad. She said she was going to deal with it Monday,” Ayala said.
On Monday morning, Ayala received the homicide news from Alessia’s sister via text.
Janie Rivera, 28 was friends with Alessia and Ayala in high school. Though Rivera and Alessia hadn’t recently spoken due to her own personal issues she described their relationship as “unconditional love.”
Janie Rivera.
When in high school, Alessia “would make me watch scary movies then be scared all night cuddling with me,” Rivera recalled.
Rivera’s home was often the friend group’s hangout spot after school. Alessia was goofy, loved to talk, and tell stories, Rivera said. The friends would gather together and yell “story time” and Alessia would begin telling them stories.
“She made an impact on all our lives. We won’t ever forget her,” Rivera said.
It just makes me even sadder that a loved one's life is celebrated on the curb of a street. Is there no sacred place, a sanctuary, a place where the person can be recognized, grieved for, and remembered other than the murder site? I wish that the places of worship would offer up their locations for grieving family and friends to gather. And if local and close by, even create a space for memorials in the immediate aftermath and where lives so tragically lost can be remembered longer-term with a plaque or other symbol of the person. The street, the curb ... so random.