Anti-Crime Event Draws Hundreds

In Pico Rivera they spoke of healing and moving forward.

In Los Angeles, they marched through the streets in the Rampart area and gathered in a show of solidarity in front of the police station that has become the focal point for the biggest scandal in the Los Angeles Police Department’s history.

Ordinary citizens, elected officials and police officers took to the streets Tuesday night--by scores in some cities, by the hundreds in others--as part of the seventh annual National Night Out Against Crime.

In ceremonies by turns somber and festive, they spoke of coming together to take back their communities, of taking a stand against violence.

Dressed in black and wearing dark glasses, Sylvia Flores, 39, spoke publicly for the first time since her husband, Richard, and three of her children were stabbed to death in their Pico Rivera home July 21.

Sitting in a wheelchair and clutching the hands of her two surviving daughters, Flores, who was seriously wounded in the attack and was released from the hospital Tuesday, thanked God, her physician and the community for their support.

“I appreciate all of the fund-raising held for my family to deal with the tragedy that has occurred,” she told a gathering of about 300 people outside Pico Rivera City Hall. “I will continue to be an active member of our community and will care deeply always for this community.”

Six days after the attack, Flores’ 16-year-old adopted daughter, Monica Diaz, and Monica’s boyfriend, Michael Naranjo, 17, were arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder for the crimes that left deep psychological wounds on the community of 65,000.

California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who introduced Flores, said he was “raised by a tough woman.”

“But it’s still surprising that a woman would come through this tragedy, just get out of the hospital today and feel compelled to come and greet you,” he said of Flores.

He referred to the attack on the Flores family as an “unspeakable tragedy” and a “senseless loss.”

“Tonight across the country, people are gathering in their respective communities,” he said. “We all must take a stand against senseless violence wherever it occurs.”

As somber as the evening was, children at the gathering had their faces painted or took rides on a giant slide, and their parents danced to an eclectic mix of music and dined on savory barbecue.

Many in the crowd talked about moving forward and learning and growing from the Flores family. Toward the evening’s end, participants lit candles and held a prayer vigil.

In Pico-Union, several hundred people marched from their neighborhoods. One marcher shouted, “No more drugs.” Another carried a sign reading: “We support the rank-and-file.”

At the head of one group coming from MacArthur Park, 20 young skateboarders weaved along the sidewalk and “ollied” off curbs.

“We’re here so the police recognize us, to show we’re not just a bunch of troublemakers,” said David Clark, 14. Clark said officers sometimes unfairly hassle skaters and connect them with gang members.

But like others in the crowd, he had mixed feelings about police, saying some have been generous in helping the teenagers find a spot for a local skate park.

He and his friends came out Tuesday evening also to protest the gang members and others who steal their skateboards, he said.

“It’s a tough neighborhood,” said Raul Cienfuegos, 17. “What we’re trying to stop is jacking on the streets.”

Children and adults lined up eagerly for hot dogs and listened to bands and speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa.

Bernice Smith, a recovering drug addict, said she strolled out in the warm evening to show there was something more than crime and blight in her community.

“There’s a lot of positive in the neighborhood,” she said.