Isabel Martin would’ve turned 8 last week. Instead of a party, her family plans a funeral
Isabel Agnes Delgadillo Martin’s family gathered in Southside Park last week on the day she would have turned 8 years old. They shared memories of a happy little girl who loved to sing and dance, and released two lanterns into the night sky – one to represent Isabel’s birthday and one to represent her death.
“Instead of throwing her a party, we’re picking out her casket,” said Sonia Delgadillo, Isabel’s aunt. “Who imagines doing that?”
Isabel was shot and killed earlier this month near Seavey Circle in the Upper Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento. Isabel’s uncle, Tyrice Martin, 22, has been charged in connection with the shooting. Clifford Hall, 42, a resident of the public housing complex, was also fatally shot.
“It’s really hard,” said Brandon Martin, Isabel’s father, wearing a blue T-shirt decorated with a photo of Isabel making a funny face. “She was a really good person.”
As the lanterns floated away, Martin blew kisses toward the sky.
“Happy birthday, baby girl,” he said, tears in his eyes. “You were my best friend.”
After the group sang Happy Birthday, Monica Delgadillo, Isabel’s mother, blew out a unicorn candle in the strawberry cake. She then shook her head in disbelief.
“I love you baby girl,” she said.
The couple’s other child, 2-year-old Brandon, sat in his stroller in Spider Man pajamas, drinking a bottle of juice.
The family has been homeless for about a year, Monica Delgadillo said.
“We’ve been going in and out of our car and motels,” said Monica Delgadillo, who was raised in Sacramento.
The night Isabel was shot, the family was planning to stay in a hotel, but had stopped by the housing complex to visit Brandon’s family. They were leaving around 10 p.m. when shots were fired.
‘Isabel was beautiful’
Family and friends describe Isabel as a happy little girl who loved going to school and loved her brother.
“She would always take great care of him,” said Selena George, Isabel’s aunt. “She was the best big sister anyone could ask for.”
Sonia Delgadillo agreed.
“She had beautiful curls and hazel eyes,” said Sonia Delgadillo. “Her laugh was contagious. I can still picture her dancing around.”
When Sonia Delgadillo found out that Isabel had been shot, she threw her phone in anger so hard it broke. She couldn’t sleep that night.
Mariah Delgadillo, Isabel’s cousin, had tears in her eyes as she waited for the vigil to start.
“She wanted to be a lot of stuff when she grew up,” Mariah Delgadillo, 10, said. She reflected on a happy memory of going to Target and buying dolls with her cousin, a day full of laughter.
Caesar Gardner, a longtime family friend and former neighbor, called the family together in a circle to say a prayer while they held candles. Martin buried his head on Monica Delgadillo’s shoulder while listening. At the end, Gardner broke down crying.
“Isabel was beautiful,” Gardner said. “She was a sweet girl, always laughing. Just a blessing to be around. The whole family misses her.”
The family is staying at a motel while they plan Isabel’s funeral.
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report released this year said 1,148 homeless people in families with children live in Sacramento. The number ticked up from 1,132 a year earlier. The average rent in the Sacramento region is now higher than Washington, D.C., New York City and Seattle.
The day after the shooting, a group of Black community leaders and Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela called for increased city funding for groups that work to prevent gun violence, and also for safety upgrades at the public housing complex. The next day, Mayor Darrell Steinberg posted on social media in support of a new dedicated source of annual funding for youth.
The family is raising money for Isabel’s burial through GoFundMe. They plan to bury her in Rio Linda with her grandmother.
