Friends stunned by teen's death

ANAHEIM Friends and co- workers of Emilio Sandoval were shocked not only that he died, but that the good-natured former Katella High School football player was in a stolen car when it happ"I think they were in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Bond Ren, 19, who played football with Sandoval and had known him since they were in elementary school. Sandoval and Raul Rodriguez, 21, were killed Thursday morning when the stolen truck Rodriguez was driving crashed on State College Boulevard. Also injured in the crash were Sandoval's friends John Bowers, 19, and Manny Germinaro. Marco Gonzalez, 17, was treated and released shortly after the pre-dawn crash. A half-dozen former football players gathered at UCI Medical Center Friday afternoon where Bowers was listed in fair condition with bruises to his heart and lung. Germinaro was in fair condition with a broken arm. Only family members were allowed to visit. Bowers' family declined to talk to the press. Sandoval graduated in 1990 and was attending Fullerton College. "They weren't risk takers," said Mark Manley, who also played ball with Sandoval. "I'm more mad than sad. The way he died drunk driving in a stolen vehicle. I don't think he knew it was s" Rafael Becerra was another friend who worked with Sandoval at Albertson's on State College Boulevard and also played football with him. Sandoval, Bowers, Germinaro and Becerra all lived within a mile of each other and spent a lot of time together. "The way it happened didn't follow at all," Becerra said. Though he didn't know Rodriquez well, Becerra said, "From what I heard, he was a bunch of trouble." The young men's favorite activity was staging the "mud bowl" every time it rained. They would get together for a wild game of very sloppy football. Becerra said one day he broke free during a play and Sandoval yelled, "Get that wetback," and Becerra slipped and fell laughing in the mud. All the young men spoke highly of the three friends. " I never met him in a bad mood. Emilio was always happy," Ren said. They said Germinaro could have the whole team in stitches, but was known as "Rose Bowl" because he always played as if it were the Rose Bowl. Bowers also was known for playing hard. "Seeing any combination of those guys could cheer you up," Manley said. "They were full." Don Roberts, manager of the store, had the unpleasant task of calling the family after he found out Sandoval had been killed. Sandoval worked day shift the day before the accident and was scheduled to be at work at 10 a.m. Thursday. "It's not like him to be late so we knew something was wrong," Roberts said.