They huddled on the sidewalk near the busy intersection. Some spilled into the street. Some sniffled, some cried, all looked toward the memorial forming on the hillside.

Candles, flowers and photographs adorned the intersection of Barstow Road and Grace Street Monday evening as friends and family gathered to remember Jose Raymundo Novoa, 28. He was shot and killed by a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy at that intersection Sunday night during a struggle that ensued after a traffic stop.

"It didn't have to come down to this," Diana Bradley, Novoa's fiancee said.

An ambulance transported Novoa to Barstow Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:43 p.m. Bradley, who arrived on the scene after the shots had been fired at around 8:30 p.m., said it took crews nearly an hour to load Novoa into the ambulance.

Sgt. Andy Espinoza Sr. of the Barstow Police Department said the deputy, whose name is being withheld by the sheriff's department, stopped the vehicle after it ran a stop sign. According to the police report, Novoa was a passenger in the vehicle, and as a result of the traffic stop, the deputy went to place Novoa under arrest. The report stated that Novoa began resisting the deputy during the arrest.
"That resistance escalated into an all out struggle and fight," Espinoza said.

Espinoza said that during the struggle, Novoa tried to grab the deputy's gun. According to Jodi Miller, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department, the deputy feared for his safety, drew his weapon and shot Novoa.

The deputy was not injured, Espinoza said. The driver of the vehicle and another occupant were questioned by police and released later Sunday night. The police are still investigating the shooting. To avoid avoid a conflict of interest, an autopsy will be done by the Riverside County Coroner's office, not the San Bernardino office.

As people close to Novoa gathered on Monday at the scene of the shooting, they shared fond memories of a man who was always there for others. Bernadette Montoya, a friend of Novoa's, said he had a diverse group of friends that spanned age and race and looked forward to spending time with his two children, 8-year-old Raymundo and 10-year-old Rosa.

"He was a good person. He touched all of our lives," Montoya said. "He lived by the motto, 'I don't go by what I hear, I go by what I see.' "

Others remembered how Novoa liked to joke around and loved clowns. In the past, Novoa had been arrested for drugs and vehicle thefts, but friends said he changed his life and had started a new direction. Montoya said he talked about getting a better job and maybe moving out of Barstow.

"He always wanted to better his life and knew how to become who he knew he was," she said. "He wanted to make a better life for him and his family."

The sheriff's department is assisting the police department with the investigation. Anyone with information can call the Barstow police department at 256-2211. To remain anonymous, call WE TIP at 1-800-78-CRIME.