McGruff the Crime Dog makes an appearance
Gilroy – The kids piled into the assembly hall at Rod Kelley Elementary School, shouting, giggling, waving at Cherie Somavia, school resource officer. It was the universal din of any schoolhouse, a joyful ruckus.
But when principal Luis Carrillo quieted the room, and asked for a moment of silence to honor Julio Gonzalez, the noise evaporated, and the chaos stilled.
Rod Kelley lost 5-year-old Julio, a first-grader, in a traffic accident Tuesday. To prevent another tragedy, Gilroy schools are hosting traffic safety assemblies, presented by police, and a certain “special guest” — McGruff the Crime Dog.
Kids giggled and exclaimed as the plush dog, wrapped in a khaki trenchcoat and an orange safety vest, strutted in front of them, acting out the safety tips raised by Somavia and officer Maribel Gutierrez.
“Do we run across the street to beat the car?” Gutierrez asked.
“No!” the children chorused.
“Some of us older kids walk to school with our little brothers and sisters. That’s a big responsibility. Do we leave them behind?”
“No!”
Gutierrez told kids to map out safe routes to school with their parents. Somavia added: Walk your bike through each crosswalk, and try to walk in groups.
“The bigger you are,” she said, “the easier you’ll be to see.”
The room seemed cheerful. When Gutierrez mentioned Halloween, advising kids to bring a flashlight or wear reflective clothing that night, a buzz was in the air: candy, costumes, the normal fall festivity.
But before the room emptied, Carrillo held up a clear plastic jar, containing a handful of dollar bills, and a small basket, with Julio’s school photo.
“How can you help?” he asked the students. “If you want to share part of your allowance, we’ll have this in the office.”
The basket, he said, was for cards and pictures for the family.
The trauma is beginning to pass at Rod Kelley Elementary School, but the tragedy won’t be forgotten.
