Stockton Fire Capt. Vidal 'Max' Fortuna remembered a year after his slaying

A year ago, the Stockton Fire Department lost one of its crew members in the line of duty when responding to a fire at Aurora and Washington streets in Stockton.

It was an early Monday morning, Jan. 31, when Stockton Engine 2 responded to a call of a dumpster fire at 4:45 a.m. at Aurora and Washington streets. While working the fire, Stockton Fire Capt. Vidal "Max" Fortuna was shot. He was taken to an area hospital. Fortuna later died from his injuries.

Fortuna's peers remembered him at a private memorial on Tuesday.

The Stockton Fire Department is building a firefighter memorial at Company 6 Victory Park. Officials anticipated completing the project by the end of January, but because of the storms that battered California, they are facing delays. When complete later this year, they will hold a public memorial and dedication ceremony to honor Fortuna and other fallen Stockton firefighters.

Brett Laws, 29, and Bryan Golden, 21, who were killed in 1997 attempting to rescue a trapped elderly woman inside her home on Mendocino Avenue are among those who the department will honor.

“Unfortunately, due to the storms, completion of the memorial has been delayed for a few months,” Connie Cochran, city of Stockton spokesperson said in an email on Friday. “When completed, we will hold a public dedication ceremony and honor the memory of Captain Fortuna.”

The Stockton Firefighters Local 456 took to Facebook to share how much Fortuna is missed.

Fortuna, who was 47, had been with the Stockton Fire Department for 21 years.

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton Fire Capt. Vidal Fortuna remembered a year after his slaying