Remembering Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco 1 year after his death

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A somber day volition beryllium remembered crossed Central California connected Wednesday.

The time volition people 1 twelvemonth since Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. was killed successful the enactment of duty.

While the Valley honors a hero, a Dinuba constabulary serviceman and the babe lad who bears portion of his father's sanction volition wage tribute to the antheral down the badge.

Maximus Gonzalo Carrasco is moments distant from becoming a walking and talking toddler.

He'll crook 1 twelvemonth aged adjacent month.

RELATED: Memorial to beryllium dedicated to Selma serviceman 1 twelvemonth aft death

He's grown truthful accelerated successful the months aft Action News archetypal met him.

The clip has besides seemed similar an eternity to his mom, Karla Alvarez.

"This past twelvemonth has been 1 of the hardest if not the hardest year, conscionable coping with everything and getting backmost to 'normal' it's not, it's not easy," Alvarez explained.

Part of that caller mean was returning to enactment aft maternity leave.

Not lone did she miss being with the baby, but she had to bravely look putting connected her ain azygous arsenic a Dinuba Police officer.

"I went into my patrol car, went into a parking batch successful 1 of the churches here, parked it, and conscionable cried," Karla said.

Karla's imaginativeness of raising Max with his begetter was shattered connected January 31st, 2023, erstwhile the 24-year-old was changeable and killed.

Gonzalo's decease was the archetypal line-of-duty decease successful the past of the Selma Police Department.

Max was calved conscionable weeks aft the senseless shooting.

RELATED: Fallen Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco's bequest lives connected done lad helium ne'er met

Every clip Max reaches a milestone, it's a bittersweet moment.

I don't person Gonzalo present to observe our son's archetypal birthday, truthful it's hard," said Karla.

"Literally an mundane thing. I spot him, and immoderate small happening reminds maine of him, of Gonzalo. I think, 'I privation his dada was present to spot this.'"

Karla believes Gonzalo is watching implicit them, possibly adjacent making his beingness known with the playful sarcasm they shared due to the fact that Max's archetypal connection wasn't mama.

"He's already said 'Dada,' and I'm like, 'Oh my goodness, boy,'" she recalled portion laughing. "That's his archetypal connection truthful far."

Karla's household cares for Max erstwhile she's astatine work, and her different large helper is her son, 10-year-old Dominic, who's embraced being a large brother.

Max's resemblance to his begetter is undeniable.

Karla talks to their lad astir his father, showing him momentos that marque the babe smile.

One day, erstwhile it's virtually and figuratively fitting, Karla volition springiness Max his Gonzalo's chapeau on with stories astir what helium meant to them and the sacrifice helium made for the greater good.

RELATED: Mother reflects connected raising lad without fallen Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco

"I honestly can't hold for the time for him to genuinely recognize who his begetter was," Karla explained.

Until then, Karla believes Max's guardian angel is loving his lad from above.

Karla, Dominic and Baby Max volition be a memorial dedication for Gonzalo astatine the Selma Police Department connected Wednesday.

The imperishable tribute to Gonzalo successful beforehand of the section wherever helium served was built wholly from assemblage donations.

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