Widow of sergeant killed in Thousand Oaks shooting thankful for community's support
Gretchen Wenner
The widow of slain Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus was honored Sunday during a relatively new annual event dedicated to first responders.
Sunday's was the second such event hosted by Easton Diamond Sports LLC at its Thousand Oaks headquarters on Willow Lane. The company, which makes baseball and softball equipment, moved here from Van Nuys in fall 2016.
Since then, Ventura County has experienced a series of devastating events. The Thomas Fire broke out in December 2017. Then, on Nov. 7 last year, a mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks claimed the lives of 12 victims, including Helus' line-of-duty death. The next day, the Woolsey and Hill fires erupted.
On Sunday, Easton opened its grounds to local fire, police and paramedic crews and their families, with live music, barbecued tri-tip and access to its facilities.
It also announced the creation of a children's sports scholarship program in honor of Helus and presented memorial baseball bats to his widow, Karen Helus, and to the sheriff's department.
"I'm so honored for him," Karen Helus said after the brief presentation, where she had been joined by Sheriff Bill Ayub, Rep. Julia Brownley, state Sen. Henry Stern and Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks.
Her husband, Helus said, was a Dodgers fan who loved everything baseball.
"He would have been so honored to be here," she said. "I think he's smiling down."
Karen Helus received one of the three custom bats. The Thousand Oaks Police Department where Helus was stationed will get the second, and the third will stay at Easton's corporate offices.
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The maple bats, finished in white, feature a 24-karat gold inlay of the sheriff's badge, Helus' name and call tag, a pin with the relevant letters of Helus' name bolded to spell "HERO," and a police mourning flag. A phrase inscribed below his name notes his end-of-watch date.
Karen Helus described it as "absolutely beautiful."
The bat is going to go in "Ron's room," she said, referring to a guest room that has since been set up for him.
"We've made it his room," she said. "It's a little special place to go to remember him."
She added: "It's just comforting to me to be in there."
Cmdr. Tim Hagel, who serves as police chief in Thousand Oaks, which contracts with the sheriff's department for police services, said the bat was designed to be displayed at the station "in perpetuity."
"It's going to be right in the lobby," he said, where the community can see it and where officers will walk by it every day.
"It means a lot," he said. "It chokes me up talking about it."
Dan Jelinek, a senior vice president with Easton, thanked first responders for their efforts during what had been "a crazy year," he said.
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The company also set out to specifically memorialize Ron Helus with the scholarship program, he said.
"We wanted to do something that would honor him indefinitely," Jelinek said.
Helus said the family is carrying on after her husband's death.
"We're taking it day by day," she said.
The community and the sheriff's department have provided "so much support," she added.
"We just have so much love there... and it's just so beautiful to see that in this community," she said. "Out of a really bad tragedy came some amazing things, so we're thankful."
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