Impacted families who have lost a loved one due to law enforcement gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall on October 22, 2024, for the annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. They stood in unity, demanding justice, accountability, and transparency. These families want those responsible for the deaths of their loved ones to be held accountable. Impacted families from Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and San Diego County were in attendance. They spoke of their loved ones: Hugo Cachua, Francisco Nunez, Alejandro Campos Rios, Eugene Youngblood, Erine Serrano, and Elisa Serna.
Impacted families joined together to celebrate Vianna Granillo’s heavenly birthday and to rally in front of the Las Colinas jail, the place where she died. Vianna was neglected and denied withdrawal medication. Even after she was found with a slight pulse, deputies delayed performing CPR, which led to her death. The San Diego County Sheriff needs to hold all responsible parties, including deputies and medical staff, accountable for Vianna’s death.
The California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) recently held a listening session in San Diego County to gather community feedback on in-custody deaths. The session, led by Allison Ganter, the new Director of In-Custody Death Reviews, took place at the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido. It provided a platform for community members to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions, aiming to ensure transparency and accountability in reviewing deaths within local detention facilities. Yusef Miller, Paloma Serna (mother of Elisa Serna), and other impacted families of Saxon Rodriguez, Vianna Granillo, Lonnie Ruppard, Gilbert Gil, Omar Moreno Arroyo, Matthew Settles, and Brandon Yats from Saving Lives In Custody California were also present at the session. Impacted families who couldn’t attend were acknowledged: Kevin Mills, Raymond Vogelman, Pedro Jr Ornelas, Abdul Kamara, Keith Bach, Ronnie Sandoval, Michael Wilson, William “Hayden” Schuck. Their organization has been actively involved in advocating for justice and reforms of the San Diego County jail. Other impacted families from the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles were recognized too: Richard Matus, Isaiah Hernandez, William Enyart, and Jalani Lovett.