Blinking lights rise to night sky in memory of Deputy Dennis Wallace

On the year anniversary of his death, Stanislaus County sheriff's Deputy Dennis Wallace was celebrated by family, friends, Hughson community members and others on Monday evening.

The remembrance was held at the Deputy Dennis Wallace Soccer Fields at the Hughson Sports & Fitness Complex. It included prayer, song, reflections on Wallace and — to bagpipe accompaniment — the release of lighted, blinking, blue balloons into the night sky.

"It was a tragedy," friend and neighbor George Carr said of the deputy's shooting death while he was checking a stolen van at the Fox Grove fishing access near Hughson on Nov. 13, 2016. "One year ago today, we lost a mentor, we lost a friend."

Suspect David Machado was arrested a few hours later. It was reported a week ago that Machado, whose criminal case remains suspended, is being sent back to a mental health facility after refusing medication at the San Joaquin County Jail.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 6:48 AM with the headline "Blinking lights rise to night sky in memory of Deputy Dennis Wallace."