Moreno Valley Brown Berets de Aztlan

PRESS RELEASE – Brown Berets de Aztlan, Riverside County CA. 1/27/09

On January 21, 2009, Annette Garcia, a mother of 6 and a member of the Brown Berets de Aztlan, was shot and killed by a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy in the presence of her children. Annette was born October 25th 1980, and was raised in Indio, California. She was well known throughout the Riverside County by the thousands of people her life touched, she will be deeply missed.

Annette was holding a knife but posed no imminent threat to anyone. She was shot from a short distance as she was walking away. Her husband and children were detained by the Sheriffs department trying to force a statement from them without the presence of their lawyer. Further details cannot be given until an official statement is released by the witnesses.

This is considered a wrongful death and is being protested by the Brown Berets as another senseless murder by the Riverside County Sheriffs department. The Riverside County sheriffs have had a long history of abuse and officer involved shootings, this being their latest in a series of shootouts that have left many families mourning and asking why.

Annette joined the Brown Berets in 2008 seeking to better her life and serve in her community. The Brown Berets were created in 1967 in response to the widespread police abuse that was affecting the Chicano communities throughout the southwest. Education, ending gang violence, serving the community, and protecting the Chicano community are the main priorities of the Brown Berets. It is ironic how a member of an organization that is committed to fighting police abuse was killed by a police officer.

It has been over 35 years since any of our members have been killed by a police officer. We mourn the murder of such a notable member of our organization and for this cause we are announcing a candlelight vigil to be held on Thursday, January 29th beginning at the Bobby Bonds Park in Riverside, CA.
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