By DAN TELVOCK

Yong Hui Zhang wanted to see the world.

But his chief concern was to help his parents at their China Express restaurant near the bus station in Fredericksburg. Zhang delivered food for the restaurant, working long hours.

He decided to hold off on his travel plans, said his sister Jin Dan Zhang at yesterday's candlelight vigil, held nine days after her brother was abducted and stabbed to death.

"I cannot believe my brother is not here anymore," she cried out.

On July 3, Yong Hui Zhang, 24, was attacked and abducted while making a delivery at 202 Charles St. Police arrested a man and a woman in connection with the incident.

Yesterday, more than 100 people, including a group of Domino's pizza delivery drivers, gathered at the crime scene with small white candles under the setting sun to make a statement about peace and love.

"I really want for his family to know that this is not something we accept in our community," said Mary Pennington, who lives across the street and helped organize the vigil. "This is not something we accept in our country. We can come together."

Yin Zhang, a family friend, said Yong Hui Zhang was a nice and quiet person who worked very hard for his parents.

"I still cannot believe it," she said. "He was never angry. He always smiled. He always worked, worked, worked to help the family."

Ginna Estes, a regular customer of the family's Chinese restaurant, said Zhang didn't speak English very well. When he didn't understand something she said, Zhang would laugh and smile at her, she said.

"He always had this perpetual little smile about him," Estes said.

Mindy Littleton read two prayers, including the Buddhist Metta Prayer meant to help develop love and kindness. The Zhang family is Buddhist.

Next to her on a concrete slab lay a row of flowers and glowing candles. Someone wrote in purple chalk: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" The crime scene is at a blighted apartment complex surrounded by a chain-link fence. The din of barking dogs pierced the moment of silence. The crowd sang "Amazing Grace" and prayed together.

Fredericksburg Police Sgt. James Kuebler said Zhang's murder has wounded the community.

"Our community is just not used to this kind of brutality," he said. "Our community is angry, and our community is hurt. This event is one step in people finding some peace."

Zhang, who was single and the youngest of three siblings, before his murder was planning to fly to China for two weeks, his sister said. Police found his body July 6 in a remote, wooded area of Sussex County.

"He's a sweet person, you know?" his sister said. "I cannot believe I lost my brother."

Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Email: dtelvock@freelancestar.com