Emotions high at vigil for 3-year-old Merced boy killed this week

Tense emotions, heavy tears and hostile allegations of dishonesty colored a candle-light vigil Thursday in Merced for a 3-year-old boy killed earlier this week in an incident in which many questions remain unanswered.

Santos Alvarez, a 3-year-old Merced boy, died Monday at an area hospital. Merced police were told the boy was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant on West 13th Street.

Jonathan Thao, the boyfriend of the boy’s mother, was initially identified as the child’s father. Thao fought back tears Thursday as he stood on the spot in the parking lot where he said the boy was struck. Thao explained his story as a crowd of nearly 40 people burned candles in the toddler’s memory. He said though he was not the boy’s father, he felt as though he lost his own son.

“I was holding his left hand with my right hand and ... he broke free and went around and as I was following him, he got hit by the vehicle and was tossed off to the side,” Thao told the Sun-Star. “As I was looking back at my child, my child was trying comeback into consciousness, but then it seemed like he had no clue what happened. At that moment he said his last few words.”

Thao refused to share the 3-year-old’s final words. He said he did not see the driver’s face, but described the vehicle as an older model white Chevrolet pickup truck. He said the truck was last seen heading north on R Street.

Several people connected to the child’s family interrupted Thao’s retelling of the incident, questioning his honesty. Many asked him why he didn’t call 911 and, instead, drove the child to the hospital himself. Thao said he was panicking and forgot he had a cellphone. Some accused him of “doing something to the baby.”

Others in the family like Francisco Alvarez, the child’s uncle, said, whatever happened, they would always blame Thao.

“My brother is Santos’ real father and if his real father had been there, my baby nephew wouldn’t be dead,” Alvarez told Thao. Family members said the boy’s father, whom they identified as Monte Alvarez, is serving time in prison in Arizona. Relatives did not comment on the nature of Monte Alvarez’s criminal conviction.

Several relatives urged others to remain calm and to focus on the short, happy life of the young child.

Santos’ cousin, Juanita Alvarez, described the child as a happy, excitable boy, who liked to play with puppies, watch cartoons, especially SpongeBob Squarepants, and to eat rice. “It’s hard. I’m trying to stay strong for my family, but inside, I’m torn apart,” Juanita Alvarez said.

The child’s mother, Sophouen Alvarez, did not attend Thursday’s vigil, family said.

Thao watched most of the vigil from a distance. He said the fact that many of the boy’s family question his story “hurts.”

“In that moment, I was all lost and confused. I didn’t go in (the restaurant) for help, I didn’t call — at that moment I didn’t realize I had a phone and I thought if I waited (for an ambulance) maybe that takes longer,” Thao said. “My biggest regret is I didn’t hold onto the child harder, tighter. People can say all they want. I’m speaking the whole entire truth of how the incident happened.”

Merced police urged patience and caution Thursday night. Capt. Bimley West said the department has assigned detectives from both the traffic and the criminal investigations division to the case. West said officers were looking at every possible scenario, which, he said, includes the possibility there was more to the story than police were initially told.

Capt. Tom Trindad said it was critical for family members to remain calm and to come forward with “factual information.”

“It doesn’t really help if people just tell what they think or believe happened. We need them to tell us what happened for a fact,” Trindad said. “Until it’s known what happened for a fact, everybody needs to refrain from jumping to conclusions. We need everyone to be patient. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2014 at 8:23 PM with the headline "Emotions high at vigil for 3-year-old Merced boy killed this week."