A statue of 14-year-old Tara Romero, a Morgan Hill resident who died in a drive-by shooting more than four years ago, will adorn city grounds as a permanent reminder of the impact of violence, urging local youth and other passersby to commit to a peaceful environment.
Romero’s father Joseph Romero commissioned the statue titled “Never Forgotten.” It will stand about six feet tall and depict the teen’s likeness, with butterflies floating from her outstretched hand. The City Council voted unanimously Dec. 16 to place the statue, which will be complete by the end of January 2016, at the “Demonstration Garden” at the Peak Avenue civic center campus, between City Hall and council chambers. The garden area is currently under development, and is expected to be completed by February 2016.
A plaque attached to the base of the bronze statue will provide an explanation similar to the following, which appeared in a Dec. 16 city staff report presented to the City Council: “On November 4, 2011, there was an attack on 5 school kids … EVERYONE’S CHILD, Tara Alish Romero died that night. This statue of her is a reminder to our community to live in Peace and Harmony longed for in the community of Morgan Hill, California.”
Tara Romero was a freshman at Sobrato High School at the time of the shooting, which took place near the intersection of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues. Three other teens—Romero’s friends and classmates—were injured by the gunfire.
Joseph Romero commissioned the $33,000 statue, financed largely out of his own pocket, after the city’s Library, Culture and Arts approved the concept in 2012. The statue, created by artist David Spellerberg, is almost complete.
Romero preferred the LCAC’s alternate location for the statue, outside the Community and Cultural Center. While the council went with city staff’s preferred location at the civic center campus, Romero said he’s happy the city has embraced the public art piece.
“I don’t see a problem with it as long as the statue is prominently displayed,” Romero said after the Dec. 16 council meeting. “I’m glad the city wants something permanently displayed to give them and the community hope that we live in a peaceful (environment), and not the violence that occurred that night.”
Romero added that he is working on acquiring donations of materials for the statue’s base, as well as lighting that will illuminate the artwork at nighttime.
Councilmembers briefly discussed the location alternatives before approving the site Dec. 16, after Romero voiced his preference for the CCC during public comments. They said both the CCC or Demo Garden would be ideal, but they ultimately trusted in the LCAC’s recommendation.
“For me, it’s almost a flip of a coin,” said Mayor Pro Temp Richard Constantine. “But I agree with (LCAC), for the fact that the demo garden is going to be a better place for quiet reflection.”
Five suspects remain in custody for the Nov. 4, 2011 shooting that left Tara Romero dead. The alleged gang members are charged with murder and attempted murder, and are accused of carrying out the shooting for the benefit of a criminal street gang, according to authorities.
The next hearing for the five suspects is Dec. 29 at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, said Joseph Romero, who has been frustrated with the slow pace of justice since his daughter’s death more than four years ago.
