SAN ANTONIO -- Dozens of mourners gathered to pray and remember two children Wednesday night who allegedly were killed by their mother, Valerie Lopez.

A candlelight vigil was held at the South Side home where 18-month-old Sariyah Garcia and 6-month-old Sebastian Lopez were found buried in plastic bags.

The mourners said they can't help weeping for the children who they believe suffered the little time they were alive.

The children's family also came to honor the infants they loved and lost.

"I just don't see how people can do that to children," said Sylvia garcia, the children's great-grandmother. "Please don't condemn this house. There were two baby angels coming out of there."

Robert Mendoza, who attended the vigil with his wife, said he was close friends with Jerry Salazar, Lopez's boyfriend. Salazar is charged with injury to a child.

Mendoza said he wished he could have saved the kids he often played with, but he said he had no way of knowing they were in danger.

"I knew he was mean with the kids, but they wouldn't show anything around us," he said.

Mendoza said he once questioned Salazar about the whereabouts of the children.

"One day they were gone, and I said, 'your kids?' and he said, 'they were with his grandparents,' Mendoza said. "I thought at least she did something with them instead of (letting them suffer) here."

Some attendees of LULAC and Familias Unidas said they want the governor to shut down Child Protective Services because they said it's not doing its job to protect children.

Roxanne Olvera, the children's aunt, said she appreciated the people who came to honor the children.

"It means a lot to me still because there's people coming out here and supporting us," Olvera said.

Olveras said the family hopes to bury the children soon but are waiting for the medical examiner to release their bodies.

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