Vigil Remembers Victims of Deadly Venice Hit-and-Run Incident

A vigil to remember the victims of Saturday's hit-and-run incident on the Venice Beach boardwalk drew a crowd Monday evening just a few feet from where the rampage began.

The hit-and-run incident killed Italian honeymooner Alice Gruppioni and injured 16 others, according to police.

At Monday's vigil, which was organized by the neighboring Candle Cafe, attendees observed a moment of silence after listening to speeches from local community leaders.

Many carried flowers and candle lanterns as they paid their respects at a makeshift memorial near the site where Gruppioni was killed. The vigil was a somber moment in an otherwise fun-filled and popular tourist destination in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, some members of the woman's family arrived in the Southland Sunday, apparently with plans to return to Italy with the woman's body as early as Tuesday.

Katia Gruppioni, an aunt of the victim, told NBC4 in a text message that Gruppioni "was robbed of her life while living her dream visit to
California with her husband. This was a tremendous injustice. Alice was a
remarkable young lady making her personal dreams come true.''

Gruppioni's husband, Christian Casadei, fought back tears as he spoke to
ABC7 about his new wife's death.

"There isn't word(s) to explain what happened and what I feel,'' he said.

- City News Service also contributed to this report.

FULL COVERAGE: Relative: Venice Beach Victim Was 'Remarkable'