Community, family honor toddlers with candlelight vigil
The family of two toddlers gathered Saturday night at the North Las Vegas site of the crash that took the girls’ lives less than a week ago.
Taeylr Wilmer, 3, and Rose Wilmer, 2, were passengers in a 2004 Honda Odyssey van that veered off the road in the 5000 block of Scott Robinson Boulevard, north of Lone Mountain Road at around 9:15 p.m. Dec. 11.
The Clark County coroner’s office identified the 3-year-old killed as “Taylor” but her father Tavon Wilmer said her name was spelled Taeylr.
Police said the girls were wearing adult seat belts as their aunt Kaleah Manning, 23, drove the van while impaired. Their mother, Raenysha Washington, 25, was in the front passenger seat.
Police previously spelled the mother’s name Raenysa.
The van drove over the curb and into a landscaped area where it struck two trees and a light pole. Police said Rose died at the scene, and Taeylr was taken to University Medical Center but died early Monday.
A small memorial grew in size around a palm tree near the crash site this week. Candles, flowers, stuffed animals, balloons and a child car seat were placed around the tree.
For about an hour starting at 6 p.m., about 15-20 family members took over the right lane in front of the memorial. They stood in a circle and spoke with community members who came by to pay their respects.
Tavon Wilmer held a candle as he stood with other family members in the street where the crash occurred.
“They just brought me joy every day … Every day I wake up I feel like some part of me is missing,” he said.
The family asked that all donations go to the fundraiser it created on Cash App. Donations will go toward funeral services for the girls.
“I appreciate everyone that came. I appreciate everyone that started this,” he said of the memorial. “My kids didn’t deserve this. They were beautiful kids. This is hard.”
Donations can go to $TaeylrRoseMarie on Cash App.
Tavon Wilmer said he and his family have not created any GoFundMe pages and that all donations should be made through Cash App.
Venus Blankenship, who had been Rose’s babysitter, also spoke at the event.
“She brought so much life to me and my family,” Blankenship said. “She was the best baby ever.”
Manning faces three counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm or death and is accused of driving with a suspended license and having no proof of insurance.
Washington faces two counts of child neglect/endangerment resulting in death. Both women were hospitalized after the crash and booked in absentia.
Manning and Washington are due in court on Tuesday and both remain in custody at the hospital as of Saturday night, police said.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.
