Illinois Harley-Davidson holds memorial ride, fundraiser for fallen CPD Officer Luis Huesca

Sunday, June 23, 2024
PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) -- Sounds of engines revving filled the air as an army of motorcyclists banded together at Illinois Harley-Davidson for an important ride on Sunday.

"I just want to show people, show the community that there's people out there who care," said JD Williams with Illinois Harley-Davidson.



Organizers held a memorial ride and fundraiser for fallen Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca.

"It's just so tragic what happened to him, and we need to support our police always," said biker Linda Oberhaus.



Carlos Sanchez helped organize the event.

"Seventy-five percent of the people in this crowd right now are police officers, and they ride just as well as we do," Sanchez said.

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With a Chicago Police Department their kickstands up, the bikers rode from Countryside to Palos Heights.

They stopped by Gage Park, where Huesca lost his life outside his home in April. He was carjacked and killed while returning home from his shift, still dressed in uniform.



"The pain never goes away, and it never will," Williams said.

"How young he was, and that they carjacked a police car and shot him in his uniform. There's no respect for the world today, and it's very sad and it makes me very sad," Oberhaus said.

Huesca's family stood at the end of their trip, where organizers hand-delivered the donations raised to his mother, Edith Huesca.

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"We want her to feel that her son was wanted, and he was doing something worthwhile," Sanchez said.



"Thank you very much to the bikers community, and all the people who organized this event to honor him, my son, my loving son's memory. Thank you so much," Huesca's mother said.

Edith said she is so proud of her son and proud that the world also recognizes how special of a man he was.
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