"I want him to be remembered, the hero that he was."
One year after her 6-year-old boy Dominick died protecting his sister from an attacker, Debbie Burgos carries with her mementos of her son and the final act that possibly saved his older sister's life.
"I'm grateful for what my son did for my family, for myself also because I could have worked into that terribleness," Debbie Burgos said.
Dominick died as he fought off an intruder who investigators say was attacking Dominick's sister inside their Camden, N.J. home on the girl's 13th birthday.
County prosecutors say the little boy tried to protect his sister from Osvaldo Rivera who was trying to sexually assault her. Rivera reportedly told investigators he was smoking a combination of marijuana and PCP, known as "Wet" just before the killing. Investigators say Rivera, now 32, slashed the throats of both children after breaking into their Ware Street home in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2012.
Friends and family held a memorial mass for Dominick today at 10 a.m., exactly one year since his death. The mass took place at St. Cecilia's Church at 4824 Camden Ave. in Pennsauken, N.J. They then participated in a memorial walk at 11:30 a.m. at 7th and Ware Streets in Camden.
Dominick's family continues to deal with the aftermath of the violent attack.
"No mother should go through a pain like this," Burgos said.
The Burgos family has moved from the home where the attack occurred but they haven't forgotten what they lost there. Burgos says she hopes to keep Dominick's memory alive.
"Just like he's kept alive in our home I want to world to keep him alive also," Burgos said.
The attack left Dominick's sister hospitalized for about a month. Her family says she has physically recovered and even returned to school last year but Burgos tells NBC10's Katy Zachry that her daughter is still dealing with a lot emotionally.
The family is still awaiting Rivera's trial.
Photo Credit: Family Photo