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Victim of fiery Marina crash remembered

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- A local outreach group that ministers to the homeless want to showcase the life of a man who came to them more than a year ago. 

Ron James touched several lives within the Chinatown community.   

“This is our community they are just lost, and if we don't reach out to them,” said Chris Fender, with Closer Walk, located on Soledad’s street.  

Read more: Four killed after moving truck hits power pole near Marina will be identified in a month

Fender with Closer Walk in Salinas says that Ron was once a clean-cut guy who owned his own business.  

He was once a married man with a family. However, after a divorce and an addiction, he spent more than a decade on the streets. 

“His hopes and ambition were to reunite with his son William and teach him a godly way, to not fall into the hold of darkness that he did himself, said Fender.  

A Closer Walk had helped Ron reconnect with his son more than two months ago. Ron started forming a relationship with his son. Sadly that relationship never flourished. On August 26, Ron and three other men died in a fiery crash. They had been hired by a man who reached out to the homeless for labor jobs. 

“Ron was always ready to help, always ready to lend a hand or a smart remark,” added Fender.  

A memorial service was held for Ron, Art, and two other men named Tom and Mike. Not only did Closer Walk want to celebrate their lives - but they also wanted to send a message about the Chinatown community they were all a part of.  

“We want the community to realize they just can't dust them off their shoes. We're here to remind you that these people need to be showed the love and the love of god, said Fender.  

Closer Walk hopes that love is shown with the presence of more churches in the area helping them.  

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Veronica Macias

Veronica Macias is an evening anchor at KION News Channel 5/46.

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