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Community Corner

Arellano's Life Remembered at Roadside Memorial Site

Albert Arellano Jr.'s memory lives on thanks to his mother and many anonymous well-wishers at the site where he was killed in a motorcycle accident on Sharp Park Road.

By Bridget Oates

In case you’ve wondered about the vibrant roadside memorial at the top of Sharp Park Road, you’re not alone.

People have been leaving rosaries and sympathy cards there for the past six years since Minnie Arellano erected the site to honor her son.

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After Albert Arellano Jr.’s tragic fatal motorcycle accident on November 25, 2005, Minnie has visited the site monthly with fresh flowers and holiday decorations  despite the hour and a half drive from her home.

“It’s really an honor,” said Arellano. “As a mother, you can never do enough.”

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Albert was a UCSF graduate who worked for the City of Oakland in the Planning & Building department.

“He had goals,” his mother said, adding that he had just applied to law school to become a corporate attorney.

One of his great passions was his 2004 Yamaha RX Super Sport Bike.

“When he was riding his motorcycle, he was free,” his mother said. “He rode every chance he got.”

It was a routine Sunday when 25-year-old Albert and four friends set out on a motorcycle ride to Santa Cruz. Though the group had planned on finishing at 2:00, recalled friend and fellow rider Norm Reyes, Albert and another friend suggested they end their ride with a couple of runs on Sharp Park Road.

Around one of the last curves, Albert drifted inexplicably to the right and his handlebar hit the guardrail. He went over the railing and hit the tree where his memorial now stands.

“We were still optimistic,” recalled Reyes of when the ambulance sped off. Tragically, however, Albert succumbed to his injuries.

His four riding friends, who were also pallbearers at his memorial, returned to the site soon after the accident and held a vigil. They put up a wooden cross and left pictures of their friend.

Albert’s loss was felt deeply by the many he touched in his short life.

“He is still very close to our hearts,” said sister-in-law Cheryl Benavidez.

“He’s in our thoughts daily. His nephews look at his Facebook page where people still write to him and thank him six years later.”

On July 26th, Minnie is bringing festive balloons to the site to celebrate what would have been Albert’s 32nd birthday.

For those of you well-wishers who have been inspired to reach out over the years, now you know who to wish happy birthday to.

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