Belmont Rallies For Family Of Man Killed In Crash

BELMONT, MA — Belmont is coming together in the wake of a fatal crash to support the family of the victim, Henry Tapia.

The community has a vigil and fundraisers planned to not only honor Tapia's memory but take a stand against racial violence. On Tuesday, Tapia was hit by a pickup truck during a confrontation on Upland Road.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced on Wednesday that the man who fatally hit Tapia with his car is accused of shouting racist slurs at him right before. Tapia was a Black and Latino man.

A vigil is planned for 4 p.m. on Thursday at Cushing Square. The focus for the vigil will be to honor Tapia and "to condemn the hate crime that has caused this tragic loss as well as to show sympathy for the family," according to a Facebook post circulating in Belmont groups.

The Belmont group, Community Organized for Solidarity, is collecting donations for Tapia's family and a GoFundMe page has already raised over $30,000 for Tapia's family. The GoFundMe page was started by Danny Garcia according to the page biography. Garcia wrote in the bio that he is part of the "BostonTekken/New England Tekken gaming community, comprising of 400+ people, which Henry Tapia "TheBadGuy" was a significant part of."

Garcia wrote fondly of Tapia as a "gentle giant" and the total opposite of his screenname, "TheBadGuy."

"As a friend, I've watched Henny grow into an amazing individual. He tried hard everyday to be the best role model for his children. He had aspirations of buying his first home with his partner Courtney, and worked diligently towards this goal.This devastating event, the loss of our friend Henny, is one we will never forget. It will continue to haunt me and everyone who loved Henny, forever. Life will NEVER be the same without TheBadGuY," the description reads.

Tapia was a father of three children.