TOLEDO, Ohio — In the ash and rubble of a north Toledo arson, family members, friends and loved ones gathered for a vigil to remember the lives of 16-year-old Ke'Marion Wilder and 15-year-old Kyshawn Pittman. The Lucas County Coroner's Office identified their bodies earlier Friday after they were found Thursday at the site of the Dec. 5 arson on Chase Street.
The vigil started at 6 p.m. and was held at the same location crews discovered the bodies of the teens who were reported missing on Dec. 5 and had not been seen since Dec. 3. Even as the December night grew colder and snow began to fall, the crowd continued to grow.
Wilder's passing leaves a hole in his family that was previously filled by an energetic and happy person, said Wilder's sister, M'Aaliya Nino.
"He was a good person," she said. "He was very outgoing. He lights up any room he's ever been in ... He was the glue to my family. We'll miss him."
Four Toledo police cruisers sat at the end of Chase Street during the vigil, and the sidewalk and street were packed. Attendees held candles, pictures and each other while remembering Wilder and Pittman. Nino said the vigil comes at an important time because it finally gives the family something after two weeks of searching: closure.
The closure doesn't ease the family's grief, but "it feels better to know that they're not just out here suffering," Nino said.
Some attendees also brought balloons, smiles and warm embraces in efforts to dull the sadness.
The vigil was about paying respects and being present for one another in a time of hardship, attendees said.
Nino said no matter the circumstances of the teens' deaths, they didn't deserve their fates at such young ages.
"They were kids, and no matter what the situation was, I know they ain't deserve that," Nino said.
Family members of Pittman declined to speak at this time while they grieve.
Nino and several others close to Wilder and Pittman whom WTOL 11 spoke with said they were happy and appreciative of everyone who came to the vigil. It made them happy to see so many people showing love and support for the teens, but it won't fill the hole of them never coming home.
Five charged in murder investigation
Cruz Garcia, 24, was arrested and charged Thursday with two counts of kidnapping related to the case. Garcia's charges have been upgraded to two counts of murder.
Court documents allege Garcia assaulted the boys, tied them up, kidnapped them and went to the area of the abandoned house on Chase Street "several times" between the time the boys were kidnapped and the fire.
Court documents say Garcia went to the area of the abandoned house on Chase Street "several times" between the time the boys were kidnapped and the fire.
Four others -- Diamond Rivera, Crystal LaForge-Yingling, Corbin Gingrich and Carissa Eames -- have been charged with obstructing justice in the case. Nino said LaForge-Yingling, Gingrich and Eames, who were arrested two days prior to Rivera, are Wilder's girlfriend's family.
Garcia and Rivera were arraigned on their charges Friday. Gerken said in a press conference Thursday, the day before the coroner's office identified the bodies, that "more people are involved" and the investigation is far from over.
A shooting overnight Friday is also connected to the murder investigation, TPD confirmed.
Police say someone inside of a moving vehicle that sped away afterward shot multiple rounds into a car outside of a home on Seaman Road in east Toledo. Police say the home where the shooting happened is where one of the suspects connected to the investigation lives.
No injuries were reported in the shooting.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call or text Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.