Esperanza

Esperanza Sandoval apparently rolled her car in the early morning hours on August 5th in 2005. When the State Patrol found her she was bleeding profusely from her head and breathing erratically. She didn’t survive.

She was twenty one.

Her descanso is elaborate, easily visible from the road. Clearly her family misses her and spent a long time building her memorial.

In addition to the expected stuffed animal there are several religious icons and a copy of the Beatitudes.

There is even a fence around the memorial. I’m not sure what the family is hoping to protect — descansos are pretty common in New Mexico, and it would take a cold heart to steal from one — but I’m sure they have their reasons.