On the evening of June 3, students and families alike gathered to celebrate the graduation of Black Rock High School’s Class of 2025. One member of that class not in attendance was Joshua Barreras, who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in January 2024.
Despite his absence, the school made certain that his presence and academic achievements were not forgotten. Principal Jennifer Seacat honored Barreras in her remarks to the audience, and the school marked his place with an empty chair decorated with a cap and gown.
Barreras’ grandmother Sherry Moreno was in the audience at the commencement ceremony, along with a group of family and friends.
Sherry: “When it came time to call in the kids’ names, they called his. Of course, we all had our pictures with us of Josh, and we got up and were yelling and waving our pictures. It was beautiful; it was such a nice way to honor him. I was so proud.”
Moreno stated she was grateful to the school for providing her with Barreras’ diploma and for the moment of celebration for her family.
On the evening of January 26, 2024, sixteen-year-old Joshua Barreras was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Twentynine Palms Highway and Avalon Avenue. Sheriff’s deputies found the teenager lying unresponsive in the center median of the highway, and he was pronounced deceased at the Hi-Desert Medical Center later that night.
