On Monday, April 27, 2026, Yeyson Perez Escalante, a 20-year-old man from Tectitán, Guatemala, was killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex in Beaverton. While this might at first sound like yet another tragic story about a homicide in our area, Yeyson’s death carries added significance for us at Bethel because he was a Level 1 student in our ESL program. Yeyson’s teacher described him as a “bright light and important member of our community,” and his fellow students held space in the days following the announcement of his death to share their favorite memories of him and to talk about the impact he had on everyone there.
Yeyson’s sister has started a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising $6,500 to cover funeral costs and the expenses needed to repatriate him to Guatemala, where his father and siblings still live. If you would like to offer support to Yeyson’s family, you can make an online donation here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/en-memoria-de-yeyson-perez-apoyo-para-su-traslado-a-gua