Fundraiser Held For Slain 13-Year-Old Rosemont Girl

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - As detectives continue to search for the person responsible for brutally killing a 13-year-old Rosemont girl, her family, friends and even total strangers are raising money for her funeral.

It's been eight days since the body of Jessica Funk-Haslam was found beaten, choked, stabbed and dumped in a baseball dugout at Rosemont Community Park.

Wednesday night, there was a heartwarming turnout after such a horrific crime. A dinner was held at Celia's Mexican Restaurant for a desperate family who can't afford to bury their daughter.

"I am so very happy that everybody in the community has come together for her," said her mother, Tara Funk-Haslam.

Rodrigo Zamora owns Celia's, where they were giving 30 percent of sales to Jessica's family.

"We were in shock something like that could happen blocks away from here," he said.

Volunteers have already brought in $2,000 from jar donations.

"Complete strangers have so much empathy. They drop a hundred dollar bill in," said Tracy Ramirez, who helped organizer Wednesday's fundraiser.

It's a horrible tragedy that's binding the Rosemont community, grieving together and also still living in fear together.

"The more people who come together, the better we're going to be able to find out who did this," Tara said.

The killer is still on the loose. So far, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department has made no arrests or identified any suspects.

Richard Madrigal is a retired homicide commander for the sheriff's department. Wednesday, he was just on hand to help raise money, one of many to assist one family enduring unimaginable pain.

"They are looking for that key tip," he said of investigators working the case.

Still, Wednesday's show of support lifted people's spirits.

"It makes me feel great that the community can get together like that," said Allen Porter, Jessica's father.

"I want to thank everybody, everybody out there that's helping to do this," Tara said.

Jessica's supporters said they needed $3,000 for her funeral, and after Wednesday night, they said they'd received $3,200.