A community mourns and warns

Deirdre Newman

Andre Felipe De Oliveira Braga had warm brown eyes and a smile that

“lifted a thousand lives,” according to the cards and pictures

attached to a tree near where he was killed early Friday morning.

A shrine to Braga and John Garazulis, who was severely injured

when they were hit by a Mitsubishi Eclipse, has sprung up on both

sides of the intersection of Raymond Avenue and 17th Street, in front

of the Pierce Street Annex bar.

The two men were crossing to the north side of 17th Street in

front of the bar when they were allegedly hit by Pawel Stanislaw

Wiater. Garazulis, a Westminster resident, remains in critical

condition at Western Medical Center, said Lt. John FitzPatrick,

although the center still has no record of him being there.

Wiater was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the

influence and vehicular manslaughter. He has three previous traffic

violations. In February, in Costa Mesa, he was cited for speeding and

not having proof of insurance; in September he was cited for speeding

in Mission Viejo; and in July he was cited for unsafe passing on the

right shoulder, said Carol Rodriguez of the Harbor Justice Center in

Newport Beach.

On the east side of the intersection of Raymond Avenue and 17th

Street, a tree trunk is covered with pictures and posters dedicated

to Braga, 31, a Laguna Beach resident.

At the foot of the tree lay four candles and a variety of floral

arrangements, including white and yellow daisies.

Across the street, on a light pole, are dedications to both Braga

and Garazulis. For Garazulis, 25, there is an orange poster board

with cut-out Styrofoam letters in different colors that says “We love

U John.” Notes to Garazulis and the signature of people’s names dot

the poster board with messages like “We believe in you! You gotta

pull through!”

For Braga, there is a note from strangers that reads, “We didn’t

know you. I’m sure you’re great. Enjoy your new friends and family in

heaven.” More candles and flower arrangements surround the light pole

and a white poster board carries the poignant warning, “Please don’t

drink and drive.”

On Monday afternoon, a bicyclist riding by stopped to right a

glass vase that had tipped over by the light pole.

“It’s very, very said,” said Fred, who did not give his last name.