BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Just over a month after 8-year-old Xxavien Hernandez was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver, his family says the pain continues to weigh heavily on their lives.
A memorial along East California Avenue and Haley Street marks the spot where Hernandez was hit while getting lunch with his father on Nov. 3. Photos, flowers and candles line the sidewalk — a place his mother, Stephanie Soerjono, says has become sacred for relatives seeking closeness to her son.
“My baby was so little, and he’s already gone,” she said. “I’m never going to get another birthday or another Christmas, and this is what I have. This is it.”
Soerjono said that heartbreak deepened recently when she arrived to find the memorial disturbed — picture frames broken, items knocked over and decorations smashed.
“It’s hard enough, and then to come here and find his things like that,” she said. “It’s just horrible.”
The crash has fueled calls for change across Kern County. Soerjono is among more than 9,000 residents who have signed an online petition demanding tougher sentencing for DUI offenders.
She added a QR code linking to the petition on signage at the memorial, hoping visitors will reflect on her son’s death and support reform.
“I’m hoping that anybody that stops here and sees my son’s things takes a moment to read that so they can see what this is about and what kind of change the world needs,” she said. “It’s all over, not just here in Kern County.”
With Christmas approaching, Hernandez’s family has begun decorating the site in his honor. Soerjono said her son always wanted a traditional holiday — something she is now fulfilling for him.
“He always wanted to do a traditional Christmas,” she said. “I’ve never done that for him, so I wanted to do that.”
The driver accused in the crash, Andres Serna, faces felony homicide charges. He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 8 for a pre-preliminary hearing.
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