Community members gathered on Menahan Street earlier this week to mourn the death of Sade Sanchez. They held photos of her, set up a makeshift shrine in front of her home with candles, flowers and huge silver balloons that spelled out her name.
Sanchez, 24, was walking with her mother in the neighborhood on Sunday, October 7 when she was shot several times by her ex-boyfriend.
She left behind two sons, aged 3 and 6.
“He was a savage, he didn’t love nobody,” said Sanchez’s mother, Cynthia Santos during the vigil. “I couldn’t save her.”
Sanchez’s ex-boyfriend had been harassing her for months after she ended their relationship. She had even filed “at least three domestic-incident reports against the suspect prior to the deadly incident,” according to a report in Brooklyn Paper. He turned himself in at the local precinct on Monday morning.
Organizers with Make the Road New York came, holding signs in support of domestic violence victims and calling for justice. Councilwoman Nydia Velázquez said that she’d try to look into why more wasn’t done to protect Sanchez from her abuser.
Assemblywoman Maritza Davila reminded everyone of resources that were available in the neighborhood.
“I’m a victim of violence myself,” she told everyone.
Davila also spoke out about violence in the community and explained that it takes a collective effort to stamp out abuse and to protect victims. Community Board member Roberto Camacho also addressed the crowd, telling young men that violence towards a partner isn’t acceptable.
“No is no,” he yelled, his voice cracking. “If someone says no, leave them alone… go somewhere else.”
Any community member who would like to help Sade Sanchez’s family can do so by donating at this Go Fund Me campaign.
If you or a someone you know may be in an abusive relationship, reach out to local organizations like North Brooklyn Coalition.
If you or someone you know may have faced sexual abuse, reach out to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, aka RAINN.
Photos by Angely Mercado
