STOCKTON — It was the last chance for friends and family to say goodbye to a young lady gone too soon.
Fourteen-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez Estrada died last month after being thrown from a car.
The crash was livestreamed by her older sister Obdulia, who police say was driving distracted and drunk.
“I would go to her house every day,” said Evelin Betancourt, who grew up with Jacqueline.
She sobbed through the entire funeral at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Stockton Tuesday morning.
Memories overwhelmed her.
“Her vibe and her spirit and everything made me smile. I was never sad around her. She made my days better,” Betancourt said.
Father Alvaro Delgado told the crowd it’s OK to feel the pain of losing Jacqueline. But he asked family and friends to also pray for Obdulia, that she too may also find peace.
The girls’ father, Nicandro Sanchez, says that’s the only way he can get through the tragedy of losing two children — one dead, the other in jail.
“Everything that’s going to happen, that’s the way it’s going to be. I know, because I trust in God,” Sanchez said.
Family and friends say, no matter what happens, even during and after Obdulia’s court appearances, Jacqueline will never be forgotten.
“To never forget her. She’s never going to be forgotten. She’s an amazing person,” Betancourt said.