Family, friends remember girl with big smile

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Kevin Vaughan, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 1, 2008 at 10:47 p.m.
Updated January 1, 2008 at 10:47 p.m.

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People remembered Angelica Martinez Tuesday as a little girl with a big smile and a sense of humor to match.

Martin Vasquez, 11, recalled how he recently tried to play Guitar Hero, a video game, and fumbled around as he searched for the right notes.

"I'm not really good at it," he said, so Angelica poked some well-deserved fun at him.

Martin was one of the last people to see Angelica alive. He was at the New Year's Eve party in the West Denver home when a bullet came out of nowhere and struck Angelica and her older cousin.

Norma Kaholo, Angelica's aunt, described her as "the prettiest little girl I've ever seen."

Angelica was a student at Lake Middle School.

Assistant Principal Elza Guajardo said the staff would begin planning immediately on how to help students with their grief when they return to school next Tuesday.

"I'm just devastated. She was 11 years old," said Guajardo.

"They are just children. It makes me sad to think what we're going to have to do to help them deal with all of this."

Math and science teacher Mary Kelley Floyd didn't have Angelica in her class, but taught her older brother, Angel, when he was in middle school.

"They're a very caring, warm family. They're actually probably one of my favorite families," Floyd said. "Whenever the mom would come into the building, even though I didn't have Angelica, she would come by and say hello to me."

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