Community mourns teen stabbed to death before graduation

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Friends of Kayden Romo gathered at his memorial on Wanek Road to mourn the loss of the 14-year-old, who was stabbed to death Monday just before his eighth-grade graduation in Bear Valley Middle School. .

On Saturday, Escondido police arrested two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, in connection with Romo's killing, which authorities believe was gang-related.

“He was a good kid…He was a well-liked kid, as you can see throughout our community, and he was not a gang member. That’s what’s sad,” said Agner Medrano, a former gang member turned community activist.

Medrano, who now works with children at Victory Outreach Church to prevent violence, is helping the Romo family through this tragic time.

“My reaction was shock. Here we go again,” Medrano said. “But also, how can I support the family, how can I support our young people today.”

Over the past two years, Escondido police have reported at least four stabbings involving juveniles. To combat this, the department launched a sports league aimed at keeping children out of trouble.

“What I see is they want to belong to something. They want someone who cares about them,” said Allen Owens, the league's director.

Owens said the league has had a positive impact on hundreds of kids.

“Talking to the children about what happened, talking to them about drug use, talking to them about the need to make good choices… I also talked to the parents about the need to make good choices,” Owens said.

Owens encourages parents to stay involved in their children's lives. Medrano said Escondido needs more community advocates to support its teens. Both agree that Romo's death was an avoidable tragedy.