BROWNSVILLE — Where the Rubio building once stood, students, city officials and local organizations are doing their best to show that tragedy does not have to define a community’s past.
The Rubio building sat on the corner of East Tyler and 8th Street for 13 years, a grim reminder of the murders that took place behind closed doors.
The structure inherited its namesake from a previous tenant of the building, John Allen Rubio, who killed his common-law wife’s three children — Julissa Quesada, 3, John Esteban Rubio, 14 months, and Mary Jane Rubio, 2 months.
Rubio is on death row and his wife Angela Camacho is serving a life sentence for her participation in the killings.
“When this terrible tragedy occurred, and three beautiful angels were killed, the city purchased the property with the intent of recognizing those kids with some kind of park,” City Manager Charlie Cabler said.
“Three Angels Park” is always what city officials said they would name it, Cabler added.
The future park will consist of a community garden — like the area once had prior to the demolition of the building — and a small play area for families.
The new garden will cover more square footage than it did previously, featuring more garden beds and fruits and vegetables, said Veronica Rosenbaum, executive director of the Brownsville Wellness Coalition.
But before planting can begin, the organization needed help laying the foundation for the community garden. That was why Hanna Early College High School’s JROTC students were there to help on a recent morning.
Junior Ashley Hernandez remembers hearing the story of the Rubio building from her mother when she was younger.
Hernandez’s mother and sister told her they lived nearby before the murders happened.
“These kids could have been sitting next to me in school. They could’ve been someone,” Hernandez said. “I’m glad I could help with people that I love.”
Since the JROTC started helping in the summer, Hernandez has been eager to get back out to the lot to work.
YouthBuild is also pitching in for the construction of the park. Weather permitting, their contribution should be finished by the end of the year.
Janeth Rico, a career specialist at YouthBuild, said the team will be building two pergolas for the play area and a rain garden for the produce.
Rico said it was important the community be able to build something beautiful out of something tragic.
“We are giving back to the youth, and some of our student volunteers live in the area,” Rico said. “They want to leave something behind for their community.”
When the park is complete, Cabler hopes the area will have a different legacy.
“We want to make this a place where people can come and reflect in memory of the fact that we have to be good parents so that when children grow up they can be positive influences in the community,” Cabler said.
