'Light up any room': Elsie Garlock remembered by dance community
MESA, Ariz. - We're learning more about a little girl killed in a head-on crash with her father in Mesa on Feb. 3.
What we know:
Mesa Police say Damarya Zyberi, 29, was speeding in a stolen truck and hit the family's car head-on near Val Vista Drive and Southern Avenue around 8 a.m.
Troy Garlock, 42, a father of nine children, died in the crash. His eight-year-old daughter, Elsie, also didn't survive the crash.
His six-year-old daughter, Mabel, made it out alive.
The suspect, Zyberi, died in the crash.
Read more: 3 killed, including child, in stolen truck crash at Mesa intersection, police say
The backstory:
At such a young age, Elsie found her passion.
She loved dancing, but her dance community loved her even more. They say she was a star on stage.
"She would light up any room, any stage you went into, and she just had this spark in her eye," said Chris Zuehlke, owner of Candance Studios.
The studio is in shock after hearing Elsie and her dad were involved in a deadly crash not far from the studio where she learned how to dance.
Elsie Garlock
"She was just a wild spirit, you know, just so full of life. One of our best performers hands down," said Kassidi Sasser, Candance Studios company director.
Elsie took pride in dance. She spent long hours in the studio perfecting her craft.
"She just had this attitude of, I can do anything, you do it, and you give it to her, and she did. She calmed down, and she started honing in, in her performances and everything … she just skyrocketed so quick," Zuehlke said.
Her talent and determination paid off when she placed at nationals last year.
"Elsie really had drive and Mabel was just wanting to follow in her sister's footsteps," Sasser said.
3 killed, including child, in stolen truck crash at Mesa intersection: police
Three people, including a child, are dead following a crash involving a stolen vehicle at Val Vista Drive and Southern Avenue, police said.
‘Stuffed animal dog that was lying in the road'
"Just watching it all unfold, it was heartbreaking," said a bystander named Jessica Byrne.
A day after the crash, a small memorial grows in Troy's and Elsie's memories. It was started by strangers, but made with love.
"I saw the severity of the Nissan that Troy and Elsie were in. What got me was the stuffed animal dog that was lying in the road. I wanted to grab it and hold onto it and see if I could get it to the family, but you couldn't cross over the caution tape, so I picked out a dog that reminded me. It's not the same, but my son went through his own stuffed animals and grabbed one too," Byrne said.
The Garlock family posted an update on its GoFundMe page saying Mabel is out of surgery and recovering with many broken bones.
What you can do:
More than $80,000 has been raised as of Tuesday night.
If you'd like to donate to the family's GoFundMe, click here.