Community Corner

Wife of Lehigh Shooting Victim Worried About Paying the Bills After His Death

The Palo Alto-based group Mothers Against Murder is seeking donations on behalf of Melina Pinon, who suffers from a serious illness and is worried her husband's health insurance will soon be canceled.

A South Bay anti-violence group is seeking donations to help the family of a man who was one of three killed in .

Manuel Pinon, 48, of Newman, was killed along with John Robert Vallejos, 51, and Mark Munoz, 59, both of San Jose, at the Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant at 24001 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino at about 4:15 a.m. last Wednesday. Seven other workers at the cement plant were also injured in the shooting. The alleged shooter, 49-year-old Shareef Allman, also shot a woman during an attempted carjacking hours later. More than 24 hours later, a massive manhunt for Allman ended when .

Pinon supported his wife, Melina Pinon, for the past 27 years, and now Melina is worried about paying the bills in the wake of her husband's death, according to Margaret Petros, executive director of Mothers Against Murder, a Palo Alto-based victim advocate group working with the family. Melina Pinon suffers from a serious illness and is facing steep medical costs along with the mortgage payment on her home in the coming weeks, Petros said.

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Lehigh officials have pledged to cover the funeral costs for Pinon and the other two victims who died in the shooting.

"It's mostly the medical insurance she's worried about and how will she be covered," she said. "(Melina) was under his medical insurance, and doesn't know how much longer it will be before that coverage is canceled."

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A rosary service for Pinon, who also leaves behind four adult sons and daughters, is planned for 6:30 p.m. today at the Oak Hill Funeral Home at 300 Curtner Ave. in San Jose. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the same location.

Donations to help Melina Pinon can be made to Manuel Pinon's Memorial Fund at Bank of the West with the account number 025648840. Donations can also be made in person at any Bank of the West branch or mailed to the Newman branch located at 945 Fresno St., Newman.

- Bay City News Service


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