The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office distributed about $90,000 to 18 community service organizations on Tuesday in a Tree of Angels ceremony honoring the victims and families of heinous fatalities.
Until a few years ago the funds were distributed to the victims themselves but it became evident the effort was inadequate to the task, Liliana Mendez, director of the DA’s Crime Victims Unit, said.
In 2019, after the building where John Allen Rubio’s child victims died was demolished and turned into the Tres Angeles Park in their memory, the DA’s office started the Tree of Angles ceremony as a way to honor all victims of horrific crimes and their families, Mendez said.
District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said the funds distributed originated in his office’s pre-trial diversion program in which qualifying criminal defendants are allowed to buy out their community service obligation, which can number into the hundreds of hours.
Mendez had hoped the sister of a young murder victim from 25 years ago would speak at the event to help illustrate how permanently the lives of crime victims are scarred.
At the last minute she declined, which Saenz and Mendez said they could understand given the permanent nature of her loss.
“The interesting part about it and the reason I really wanted her to talk is her sister was murdered 25 years ago, and she was my classmate,” Mendez said.
“The sister reached out to our office, maybe three months ago, wanted information on the parole because if I’m not mistaken the murderer received a death sentence, but he was 17 at the time he committed the murder, so I guess it was some sort of a pardon, because he was put into some sort of a life sentence,” she said.
Mendez said she took it upon herself to share that they were classmates, “and she’s like really? That’s just crazy how 25 years ago you were a classmate of a victim and now you are the coordinator, and I said that’s just what victim services is, and unfortunately she wasn’t able to share her story because 25 years and it’s still very difficult for her.”
“Even though both of the defendants were found guilty and they’re serving life sentences, that’s still not justice for the family of a 15 year old because we were both 15 at the time. So this is what victim services is, this is what we do on a daily basis. Do victims ever get fully restored? Probably not.”
Many of the agencies chosen to receive funds provide services to women and children. Saenz said that is because they are often victims of violent crime.
Among the agencies was the Advocacy Centers of Cameron and Willacy County — Monica’s House and Maggie’s House, which serve and advocate for child abuse victims through prevention, intervention, and treatment.
Martha Martinez represented the agency. She started with the organization 25 years ago as an interviewer and a month ago took over as executive director. Monica’s House in Brownsville and Maggie’s House in San Benito specialize in conducting videotaped forensic interviews of children between 2 and 17 who have been physically or sexually abused, or have witnessed violent crime.
Another was the Children’s Bereavement Center, which has offices in Harlingen and McAllen. A representative said it has gone from one licensed counselor in 2017 to seven today, 20 interns and 45 volunteers. The center provides grief counseling to children and young adults who have lost a loved one.
In all, 18 community organizations received checks of $5,000, among them Blue Sunday, a child abuse prevention program in Harlingen, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Fresnos and San Benito and CASA, the organization of Court Appointed Special Advocates for children navigating the legal system.
Children’s Hope Residential Services, an organization that seeks to connect foster children with forever families, received funds. Its representative said December is the most trying time for such children.
Heroes on the Water, an organization that sponsors kayak fishing and other services for veterans. received funds. It has chapters in all four Rio Grande Valley counties.
To see more, view Brownsville Herald photojournalist Denise Cathey’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Cameron County District Attorney’s annual “Tree of Angels” Ceremony
