Weekend tribute held for Surrey's Maple Batalia
A tribute was held on the weekend for a girl slain in a North Surrey parkade last September.
Maple Batalia, 19, was gunned down in a parking area near Simon Fraser University last fall.
She had been shortlisted for the Central City Model Search competition, which was postponed after her death.
The finals for the competition were held Saturday, and began with a touching tribute to Maple.
The first 20 minutes of the competition included a moment of silence and a $2,000 donation to a bursary in Maple Batalia’s name.
Her family attended Saturday’s event and was presented with the donation.
“It’s just letting people know she has a voice beyond the grave, beyond the horrible atrocity that occurred, she is still among us,” her sister Roseleen Batalia told CTV BC Saturday. “There’s so many things we can do, but it won’t really bring Maple back, but having the positivity and the support means a lot,” she said.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has seized a white 2011 Dodge Charger that was seen leaving the scene of the murder, and made another appeal for witnesses earlier this month.
Several witnesses seen on a surveillance video at the crime scene have been interviewed, but there have been no arrests.
- with files from CTV News
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