"I saw him two to three hours before the accident," Ronnie Zepeda, who has lived across the street from Lerma for 40 years, explained. "Him and his little boy, they were here. The little boy was running around."
On Wednesday, four days after the tragic helicopter crash, Zepeda can't believe his longtime neighbor is gone.
"I'd watch his house when he's on vacation, and he'd watch mine," Zepeda said.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Child among victims killed when helicopter crashed into radio tower in Second Ward, police say
Child among 4 killed in helicopter crash in Second Ward, officials say
Zepeda says Lerma's youngest son had wanted to go on a helicopter ride. So he took the little boy, and the boy's mom on a tour operated by National Helicopter Solutions. The three, along with the pilot, took off from Ellington Airfield. But just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, the helicopter hit the Second Ward transmission tower. All people were killed.
"We all react to tragedy differently," Garrett Kauffman, who met Lerma at Home Depot more than a decade ago, said. "At my age, every day is precious. I can't imagine what they're going through. So he will be missed. Dearly missed."
Kauffman remodels homes, and Lerma built custom cabinets. Kauffman remembers Lerma's superior carpentry skills, but more than anything, he remembers his interactions with his three sons. Lerma has two adult sons, including one who is working with his father in the carpentry business. His third son, the youngest, was the one who died in the helicopter crash.
"He was just a treasure. In our business, in the construction business, you have acquaintances, but very few friends. He'd do anything for me. I'd do anything for him," he said.
SEE ALSO: NTSB returns to crash site where touring helicopter crashed into transmission tower
NTSB investigators are continuing their work on the ground. The agency told ABC13 there would be no more public statements until the initial report, which is set to be issued within 30 days of the initial crash. Meanwhile, mourners continue to make their way to the Second Ward crash site throughout the day. Flowers and stuffed animals were slowly piling up at a nearby tree until security patched a hole in the fence.
Lerma's neighborhood was quiet. His Hummer was parked out front, with a Halloween skeleton suit in the backseat, as if ready to take the kids on a joyride for the holiday.
"He was a very fine gentleman," Zepeda said. "He was a very good human being. Exceptional neighbor. We loved him. We loved him very much."
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