COSTA MESA POLICE CHIEF When former Costa...

COSTA MESA

POLICE CHIEF

When former Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden got to Southcoast

Early Childhood Learning Center on May 3, 2001, officers were interviewing Steven Allen Abrams, who was still seated behind the

wheel of the car he had driven through the preschool’s playground.

He saw 4-year-old Sierra Soto pinned under the Cadillac.

“At first I thought it was a terrible accident,” Snowden said.

“When I heard it wasn’t, I was angry, I was sad -- all of those

feelings rolled into one.”

Snowden also had the difficult task of breaking the news of a

daughter’s death to her mother. Sierra’s mother, Cindy Soto Beckett,

was sobbing when Snowden met her and took her into one of the

classrooms.

“She was crying on my shoulder,” he said, choking up. “She asked

me if anything had happened to her daughter and I couldn’t lie to

her. I told her what had happened to Sierra.”

Abrams’ intention, to deliberately murder innocent children,

angered him, Snowden said.

“The evil intent of this man and the innocence of the victims made

me mad,” he said. “Moments before it happened, the children were

playing. In an instant they’re pinned under the vehicle of some

insane idiot? It’s ridiculous.”

Snowden said he doesn’t remember how long he stayed at the

playground that evening.

“I didn’t think about leaving,” he said. “I was there to offer

support to anyone who needed it.”

The incident took a toll, emotionally, on him and everyone else

who was there that night, Snowden said.

“Many of them were young and had kids that age,” he said.

“Everyone could relate to it and couldn’t help but wonder what if it

had been their child.”