Community Corner

Family of Slain Lehigh Worker Needs Financial Help

Mothers Against Murder asks the community to keep in mind the victims' families left behind after the workplace shooting at Lehigh Cement.

A Palo Alto based anti-violence group is seeking donations to help the family of one of the Lehigh Cement plant employees who was killed in .

Manuel Pinon, 48, of Newman, was killed along with John Robert Vallejos, 51, and Mark Munoz, 59, both of San Jose, at Lehigh at about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, and seven other workers were injured.

Melina Pinon, wife of Manuel Pinon, has a brain tumor and for the past 27 years relied on her husband’s income to pay the mortgage and other bills, including her health insurance, according to Margaret Petros, executive director of Mothers Against Murder, a Palo Alto victim advocate group working with the family.

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“She’s concerned about medical issues and financial issues, and on top of all that (she lost) her husband to a violent crime,” Petros said.

, 47, the alleged shooter, also shot a woman during an attempted carjacking hours later in the Hewlett-Packard parking lot off of Homestead Road.
A 24-hour manhunt for Allman ended when he was fatally shot by three Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies.

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Mothers Against Murder has done outreach to the other victims’ families but has not heard back from anyone other than Pinon, Petros said.

The organization assisted Pinon in getting a bank account established where donations can be made to financially help the family.

Lehigh agreed to pay for the funeral services for the victims.

A rosary service for Pinon, who also leaves behind four adult sons and daughters, is planned for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Oak Hill Funeral Home at 300 Curtner Ave. in San Jose. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the same location.

Donations to help Melina Pinon can be made to Manuel Pinon's Memorial Fund at Bank of the West with the account number 025648840. Donations can also be made in person at any Bank of the West branch or mailed to the Newman branch located at 945 Fresno St., Newman, California, 95360-1301.

—Bay City News Service contributed to this report.


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