Behind the Badge
The 8-year-old daughter of fallen Palm Springs PD officer Jose “Gil” Vega returned to school Monday with help from a few of her dad’s friends.
More than a dozen uniformed Palm Springs police officers escorted Vanessa Vega to Rio Vista Elementary as a show of support for the young girl.
“It is a very tragic time for her. We can’t walk away. She has a whole new family to rely on,” Sgt. William Hutchinson told the Desert Sun.
Hutchinson added the department had to limit the numbers of officers who showed up for the escort to avoid causing a major traffic pile up.
Vega was one of two Palm Springs officers shot and killed Oct. 8 while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A memorial that drew more than 20,000 people — including law enforcement from across the country — was held Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Palm Springs.
Vega left behind a wife and eight children. Vanessa is the youngest.
