Candlelight vigil honors Collier County young mom, domestic violence victims
Through tears, Laura Candia's great grandmother recalled the young single mother as a bright light, a circle of luminaria flickered in the dark as tribute to domestic assault victims.
In Collier County, Candia, 20, of Immokalee, is the 80th documented victim of domestic violence homicide since The Shelter for Abused Women & Children Naples began keeping records in 1993, Linda Oberhaus, CEO of the shelter, said.
More: Man charged in Immokalee shooting that killed 1 woman, injured another pleads innocent
As Candia's grieving family members - with five generations represented - wore black T-shirts featuring her photo and the words "in loving memory," they held lit candles and leaned on each other.
The shelter held a vigil Thursday in front of the Immokalee Branch Library to remember Candia and the 79 other victims in the county during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
"It is vital that we, as a community, speak out and work to raise awareness for services that help victims before they become a statistic," Oberhaus said.
The shelter never got to meet Candia; she was killed by her abuser Sept. 16, she said.
"Had Laura known about The Shelter's services, we may have been able to help her safety plan and/or provide safe shelter for herself and her daughter," shelter spokesperson Kaydee Tuff said.
The day she was killed
While Candia and her grandmother Olga Welch drove in Immokalee in broad daylight on Sept. 16, Michael Maldonado, 24, of Fort Myers, the father of Candia's daughter, struck their car with his and caused them to crash, according to court records.
Maldonado then shot into their car multiple times, leaving Welch, who was driving, severely injured with 17 bullet wounds and Candia dead, reports from Collier County Sheriff's Office say.
Collier County deputies found Maldonado shortly after the incident. They found the suspected vehicle, and it contained several shell casings inside, records state.
He was brought to the Immokalee Substation and booked into jail, where he remains.
He pleaded not guilty Oct. 16, and his next court date is Dec. 7.
Who Laura leaves behind
The shooting took away a 3-year-old girl's mother and left a family overwhelmed with grief.
Candia's grandmother, Olga Welch, who attended the vigil, is recovering from 17 bullet wounds she sustained after the crash. She relied on a walker to move around.
Candia leaves behind her father, Hienio Candia, mother, Maggie Montez, stepmother, Maria Lara, daughter, Melanie Maldonado, and three siblings, Nathan Candia, Angelina Candia and Jayden Candia, according to her obituary from Brister Funeral Home.
Domestic violence services available
The Shelter provides a 24-hour crisis line at 239-775-1101, two 60-bed emergency shelters, nine transitional living cottages and 30 programs and services, which are all free.
Between 2022 and 2023, the shelter served 1,698 survivors of domestic violence and provided 47,395 bed nights of shelter.
It also provides prevention programs in all Collier County schools. The goal is to end the cycle of abuse and stop violence before it begins, Tuff said.
Educational speakers and training classes also raise awareness on how to identify and report domestic violence and human trafficking in the community.
"It is imperative that we stand as a community, raise awareness, know the signs and support the resources that will ultimately end domestic violence in Collier County," Oberhaus said. "By not speaking out, our silence condones it."
Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You may reach her at emma.behrmann@naplesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Immokalee mom, 20, others honored at Collier domestic violence vigil
