Protest held as family of missing student demands answers from police, local politicians - El Camino College The Union
“[I’ve] done it through the book, I’ve given them time, I’ve been patient, but when is it enough? My son is out there, alive or dead, and no one, it seems that no one is doing anything to bring him back home,” Yajaira Hernández said.
A single officer dressed in black peaked from the top of the steps at City Hall, quietly watching the peaceful protest and avoiding attention. When Yajaira Hernández passed the microphone over to her sister, Stephanie Mendoza, Mendoza quickly turned to address the officer.
“I know you hear me, and I have nothing personal with you but we are different, and I know that your people can do more than what we could do,” Mendoza said. “I see you, that’s what you people do, you hide behind a brick wall. You guys hide behind a building, you guys hide behind your badge. That makes you feel powerful, right?”
The peaceful protest remained active for several hours but did not receive any answers from LAPD despite a few people observing the protest from inside the building. Yajaira Hernández said she’s been inside LAPD Headquarters many times as the Robbery-Homicide Unit is located there.
The Union called LAPD Media Relations five times and emailed them once over the span of a week, but they failed to comment.
“It’s been way too long. We need answers, we want answers. We want you to come out, we want you to let us know that you’re hearing us not just ignoring us, we are people, we are the people of this place,” Mendoza said. “We need help, we need to stop being ignored and pushed away.”
The Hernández family maintain their wish to work with LAPD but are frustrated at how Juan Carlos Hernández’s case has been handled by the department and city officials.
Despite the Los Angeles City Council establishing a $50,000 reward fund for anyone with credible information leading to Juan Carlos Hernández’s location, the family questions city officials’ motives.
“All [politicians] want is fame, all they want is to take a picture giving a box of food to a family,” Yajaira Hernández said. “[To] hell with that. I’m the community. I’m the people. I live here, I pay taxes, I give back to my community, where the hell are they? Where the hell is every single politician?”
The Hernández family pleas for people to continue the search and continue pressing LAPD and city officials through emails, phone calls and any other means they can find.
Yajaira Hernández said she plans on returning to LAPD Headquarters to peacefully protest as often as she can, even if it’s just her.
“We should not wait until he’s found dead, we should not wait until we can’t bring him back and then all we’re gonna get is ‘we’re sorry ma’am for your loss.’ No, to hell with that, they can do more now, and I want them to do more now,” she said.
