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Funerals Held For Three Teen Girls Killed in Halloween Hit-and-Run

A service for twin sisters Lexi and Lexandra Perez was held at Our Lady Guadalupe in Santa Ana, and a service for Andrea Gonzalez was held at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange

Funerals were held Saturday for the three 13-year-old girls who were struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Halloween.

A service for twin sisters Lexi and Lexandra Perez was held at Our Lady Guadalupe in Santa Ana, California. A service for Andrea Gonzalez was held at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange.

Family, friends and community members gathered at the funerals to remember the girls and provide their support.

"Who wouldn’t be touched?" said Father Marlon Beof of the community’s response, before conducting the ceremony for the twins. "They’re shocked and they’re affected … they feel it."

Elvia Banuelos, who said her niece is a friend of the family, said she doesn’t know what to do other than show up in support.

"What words can you say that are going to make (the twins’ mom) feel better?" she said. "There’s nothing you can."

In Orange, the Holy Family Cathedral filled up with people there to commemorate Andrea.

"Honestly I didn’t think that there was going to be that much people in there," said family friend George Alvarado. "That brought joy to me."

Twelve-year-old Arlene Molina attended Andrea’s funeral to celebrate her friend.

"She was a really nice person. She had a great smile on her face every day," Molina said. "I miss her. It was hard to let go."

The three girls were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash last Friday, which occurred while they were trick-or-treating. They were struck at a crosswalk in the 1400 block of East Fairhaven Avenue by a Honda CRV, the driver of which fled the scene.

Jaquinn Ramone Bell, 31, of Orange was arrested Sunday morning at a Motel 6 in Stanton and is being held on $1 million bail.

He faces felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, one felony count of hit-and-run with permanent injury or death, one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license with sentencing enhancement allegations for personally inflicting great bodily injury and fleeing the scene of a crime after committing a vehicular manslaughter. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 17 years in state prison. 

Michael Larkin contributed to this report.

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