Years after the tragic death of a young family member a local family is now realizing the young child may not be that far away after all after a recent picture at a car race showed am image of the deceased child in the car.
 Submitted Photo In this photo taken by a professional photographer last month at the Tucson Raceway Park the image of a little girl mysteriously appeared in the picture as the car was at the starting line waiting to take off. Family members are convinced the image is that of little Ashley Verdugo who was tragically killed in January of 2004. |
Villalobos was found guilty on first count of first degree murder and child abuse charges. He is currently on death row at the Arizona State Prison in Florence.
The victims mother Linda Verdugo pled guilty to one count of child abuse for failure to protect her daughter. She is scheduled to be released from prison some time in the next few months.
When Ashley was alive she was part of the Verdugo family racing team that races a 1955 Chevy at various car races around the state.
After her death Richard Verdugo Sr. the former owner of the car, encountered health problems and stopped racing. A short time later he gave the car to his son Richard Jr. who began fixing it up for a race in Tucson.
Richard arranged to have Ashley’s god father Ricky Garcia drive the car in its first race since Ashley’s death. The race took place last month at the Tucson Raceway Park.
As each car pulls up to the starting line a professional photographer takes four shots with a camera in hopes of selling them to the drivers.
Verdugo family members say only one of the four shots came out and in that one image is an image of a young child with her fingers in her ears.
“She used to do that when she was alive,” Richard said. “That’s Ashley in that image.”
Verdugo says no kids are allowed in the car or on the starting line. As Garcia pulled up to the line to race Verdugo says he asked Ashley to watch over Ricky and help him have a good race. Ironically the 1955 Chevy won its race cruising the quarter mile track in a time of 10.03 seconds.
“The picture is not fixed,” Richard says. “Racing fans there at the track could not believe it when they saw the picture. … They sold a lot of copies.”
“Her death hit us real hard,” Angelica said. “This is proof that she’s still with us. ... She used to put her fingers in her ears like she’s doing in the picture when she was alive.”
Angelica admits she had been skeptical about ghosts until this happened.
“This is something you see on television and you don’t believe it until it happens to you,” Richard Jr. said.
Looking back on her life family members recall various stories about how Ashley would pretend she was driving the car or when they were ready to leave for a race in Tucson and the young child was no where to be found. Family members searched for her until one person decided to look inside the racing trailer and there was Ashley hiding fearing she was going to be left behind.
Richard Jr.’s wife Angelica says when her father in law would go out to work on the car Ashley would always want to be there helping.
Even after her death the Verdugo family has had some unusual experiences. They brought Ashley’s casket back to Douglas from Phoenix in a dualley used to haul the car and one night while transporting the vehicle to Tucson family members report hearing bells coming from the car.
Richard Jr. said he had considered selling the car but after the recent experience there is no way he is going to part with this car.
“It’s a part of our family and like Ashley it will stay with us forever,” he said.
Comments
meta wrote on Jun 10, 2009 10:18 PM:
LCB wrote on Jun 9, 2009 9:34 PM:
tikismama wrote on Jun 8, 2009 2:08 PM:
Lucy wrote on Jun 5, 2009 9:37 AM:
M wrote on Jun 4, 2009 1:58 PM:
Jerry wrote on Jun 2, 2009 5:14 PM:
douglas resident wrote on Jun 1, 2009 1:49 AM:
wondering wrote on May 31, 2009 8:28 PM:
Cynthia wrote on May 29, 2009 5:30 PM:
Mike wrote on May 29, 2009 4:13 PM:
coasttocoastam.com
Coast to Coast may may mention this on the radio program too. "
m wrote on May 27, 2009 4:51 PM:
we only get newspaper once a week and every time it is worse. Richard jr's wifes is ANGELICA and not LUCY!! "