Community Hasn't Forgotten Riverside Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio

RIVERSIDE, CA — The memory of Riverside Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio lives on more than a decade after he was killed in the line of duty. Two women are hoping a simple act will spark the community's collective remembrance — and maybe even bring a bit of joy.

Earlier this month, Lynn Venegas and Elsa Pastrano visited Ryan Bonaminio Park in Riverside. The facility, dedicated to Bonaminio in 2013, has a rock garden — but it was missing something.

"When [we] checked it out ..., there were no painted rocks," Pastrano said. "At that moment, I started to make plans to fill it. I work for the Public Defenders Office and asked my co-workers to see who wanted to participate with me in this project."

Venegas and Pastrano provided the art supplies and rocks to get things going. On a recent visit to the park, the two women placed about a dozen colorfully finished pieces in the rock garden with the hope that other members of the public will add to it.

The women didn't know Bonaminio, although they shared mutual friends, Pastrano explained.

A Facebook page established In Loving Memory of Officer Ryan Bonaminio is a reminder that not a day goes by in which all who loved him don't miss and think about him. He left a mark on their hearts. He is their hero.

In that vein, Pastrano shared, "I hope this [rock garden] will somehow have a positive impact on a person's day."

Bonaminio was slain by a convicted felon in Riverside on Nov. 7, 2010. The killer was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death without the chance of parole.

At the time of his killing, Bonaminio was just 28. He had served in the police department for four years and he was a military veteran.

It's the lawman's life and service to community that Venegas and Pastrano hope others celebrate when they visit the rock garden to drop off their own artful creations in memory of Bonaminio.

In a 2015 interview with The Press-Enterprise, Bonaminio's parents, Joe and Gerri, expressed appreciation for the public's remembrance of their son.

“There are a lot of people who have not forgotten [Ryan], and that shows what kind of community this is,” Joe told the newspaper.

“He made an impact on people, more than you realize," Gerri said. "It’s so nice to hear. It keeps you going.”

Ryan Bonaminio Park is located at 5000 Tequesquite Avenue in Riverside.