It’s been 10 years since the man who tried to stop a woman from being assaulted on State Street was shot dead by a Los Angeles gangbanger, but Jovani Tovar’s memory is still a bright light for his friends and family. This Saturday, December 3, at Blush Restaurant and Tonic Nightclub, Tovar will be remembered and his short life will be celebrated in a fundraiser for the memorial fund that was established in his name as part of the Santa Barbara City College Hotel, Restaurant, and Culinary program.
To get a sense of what he was like in life and how his death has affected a vast circle of friends, we asked a few questions of Asaf Dimant, Tovar’s good friend who is now the co-owner of Blush and Tonic, and Julie Skon, Tovar’s girlfriend at the time of his death.
Tell us a little more about your friend Jovani Tovar.