2 months ago
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HANFORD, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Grieving, protesting mothers gathered extracurricular the Kings County Superior Court connected Monday, calling for changes to California laws successful the aftermath of their sons' deaths.
Each of their sons was killed, allegedly astatine the hands of teenagers. Now, these mothers accidental they privation to spot stricter sentencing guidelines for minors who are recovered blameworthy of committing convulsive crimes.
“They perpetrate big crimes. They person big evil successful their heart,” Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker said. “They are blase killers and they should beryllium prosecuted arsenic adults.”
The protestation brought unneurotic mothers from Reedley, Madera, Fresno and Corcoran, galore of them speaking publically for the archetypal time.
“This idiosyncratic not lone took my son’s life,” said Susan Grote, whose lad Matthew Bond was killed on with different household members. “He took his woman of 24 years, his father, and his grandfather.”
Samantha Bautista, the parent of 13-year-old Jacob Muñoz, said she was marking 1 twelvemonth since her lad was fatally stabbed.
“It’s hard to speech astir him,” she said. “I conscionable don’t recognize however these killers person much rights than the victims. These kids person a 2nd life, and my lad doesn’t adjacent get an opportunity. I person to spot him successful a dream.”
The question of mothers started with Julia Sanchez.
Her son, 17-year-old Lorenzo Sanchez, was stabbed successful the backmost successful precocious April. That symptom pushed her to talk out—and present different mothers person joined her.
“It’s conscionable not my lad that was murdered,” Sanchez said. “It was besides these mothers who mislaid their sons, and there’s a batch much mothers retired there.”
The protestation coincided with a tribunal proceeding for the teen accused of sidesplitting Lorenzo. But Sanchez says their combat for justness won’t halt astatine the courthouse.
“Our adjacent measurement volition beryllium to spell to the lawmakers successful Sacramento,” she said. “We really printed 10,000 signatures and it’s inactive growing. We privation it to turn more.”
Stephanie Tellez, whose lad Anthony Calderon was killed, echoed the telephone for change.
“It seems that the convulsive crimes are being committed by minors, and we’re not getting the sentencing and justness that we need,” Tellez said. “They're alert that they're committing these crimes. They’re alert they’re getting airy sentences. And we’re seeing much of it.”
For these mothers, it’s astir much than punishment. They accidental it’s astir closure, accountability, and preventing different families from experiencing the aforesaid pain.
“’Till my dying day,” said Grote. “I volition question justness for my household and for each these families that are present today.”
