MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Community members gathered Wednesday for a candlelight vigil for Patton Village Police Sgt. Stacey Baumgartner.
“We want to honor everyone that has been affected by this tragedy. Not only do we have our police officer, but we have the Hilario family that has lost a child, and also we would like to pay tribute to the offender's family, to the Nee family, because we have children who now have no father basically and a wife, and he has a family, too,” Patton Village Mayor Leah Tarrant said.
Investigators said Baumgartner was chasing Garrett Nee on Sunday night when Nee ran a red light and the driver of an SUV hit Baumgartner's patrol car. The officer and 11-year-old Adan Hilario, who was riding in the SUV, died.
Baumgartner leaves behind a wife, a 20-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.
“It's tough when you lose someone you work with, but we have a big family in law enforcement and we always come together and show support,” Montgomery County Sheriff's Cpl. Duane LeBeau said.
Visitation for Baumgartner is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kingwood Funeral Home. His funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday at the Woodlands Church.