Victim Synopses
Some Victims We Have Assisted

A young man in his 20's was shot to death in front of his home which he shared with his mother. He had been repairing his nephew's bicycle when he saw a man beating a woman in a nearby car. He intervened to protect her and the car drove away quickly. The male driver returned a short while later and shot him as he continued to repair the bike. The perpetrator then fled the scene. The devastated family was having a difficult time paying for his funeral arrangements. Normally in a case like this, the California Victims Compensation Program would cover the funeral expenses, but in this particular case they would not. Unfortunately, the young man was on parole and the State's policy is not to assist anyone on parole. So, despite his innocence and despite the fact that by acting as a Good Samaritan he prevented a brutal beating of a young woman, he paid the ultimate price and his family could not afford to bury him. The Crime Victims Fund assisted the family with $500 toward his burial expenses.

A U.S. Marine returned from Iraq to his wife and family in Florida. A week after he arrived, his wife was involved in a terrible car accident that eventually took her life. On her death bed she requested that he scatter her ashes in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego where she'd been born and raised. He received a hardship discharge from the military, and seeking closure, he made the trip to San Diego by bus. Within an hour of his arrival, he became the victim of a Gaslamp robbery. Two men grabbed his bag that contained his cash, his ID and the urn with her ashes. He attempted to chase them, but he was weighed down by the duffel bag on his back. He was completely devastated. After spending a night on the streets, all he wanted was to return home to his family in Florida. The Crime Victims Fund purchased his bus ticket home and gave him a check to purchase non-perishable food items for the three-day trip home.

A 19 year-old boy was fatally shot in the head by gang members while running for his life through a North County neighborhood. In their pursuit of the young man, the gang members shot randomly with no concern for other innocent people. One of their bullets went through the walls of an apartment and shattered the leg of a 26 year-old mother of three as she was preparing her family's dinner. Doctors reconstructed her leg from the knee down but her prognosis for a full recovery is doubtful. Soon afterwards, gang members began leaving notes on the cars of the neighborhood stating that they would continue to fight their "war" regardless of the lives and safety of the people in the neighborhood. The family decided to relocate from this high crime area. The husband had lost considerable time from work dealing with the family crisis. The Crime Victims Fund assisted the family with $300 towards the deposit on a new apartment.

A seventeen year old boy was brutally assaulted by gang members as he waited for his dad to pick him up after work at a local fast food restaurant. The uniform shirt he was wearing was the color of an opposing gang, so they battered him breaking his jaw. He needed a liquid nutritional supplement because his mouth was wired closed. His father, who was the sole support for a family of six, had paid for the boy's pain medication but was unable to afford Ensure. The Fund helped purchase the liquid supplement for the boy.

Two teenage boys had been sexually molested by a neighbor. After the oldest boy attempted suicide, the mother quit her job to attend full-time to the family crisis by taking the boys to counseling and other therapy appointments. The family was in need of assistance and The Fund was able to provide food assistance for the family.

A young widowed mother was at a party with her two young children ages nine and five. They were innocent by-standers when an angry man entered the party, confronted his estranged wife and shot and killed her and then himself. One of the bullets that killed the woman went through her body and lodged itself in the innocent nine year-old girl. The child survived but has had to undergo extensive physical and psychological therapy to recover from the trauma of the event. The child's mother has had to take considerable time away from her job to attend to the child's condition. The Crime Victims Fund assisted the family with gas cards for the woman to get the child to therapy, and other family needs.

A young woman and her husband had an argument and he announced he was leaving her and was taking the family car. She ran outside to get the baby's car seat from the vehicle, but as she approached the car he ran her over breaking both of her legs. She is currently in a wheelchair and unable to work or care for the child. She has moved in with family and her parents are caring for her and the baby. The Crime Victims Fund assisted with a shower chair for bathing and assisted with back rent.

A homeless man was the victim of a hit and run while riding his bicycle. He needed emergency surgery and upon release from the hospital he was offered shelter at the Alpha Project ($75/week) to aid him in his recovery. The Fund was able to pay this fee for the man's recovery period.

Angry at her ex boyfriend, a woman used her car to pin him against another car. The victim was rushed to the hospital and received emergency care for his two severely damaged legs. Once discharged from the hospital, he suffered complications that eventually hindered his ability to work. His employer laid him off, but without a job, he was unable to meet his financial obligations. The Fund assisted with rent and food for him and his grandmother with whom he lives and helps support.

A cab driver in El Cajon picked up two passengers who immediately began arguing in the back seat. The argument escalated and as the man began hitting the woman, the driver pulled over to help her. The male passenger pulled a knife and stabbed the cabbie in the upper chest inflicting a life-threatening wound. Unable to work for several months, and living on the generosity of family and friends who were no longer able to support him, he was about to be evicted. He has applied to the California Victim Compensation program, but the bureaucracy of that program can take many months to kick in. He was in need of emergency food and housing assistance, and The Crime Victims Fund offered support.

A military wife with two mentally delayed children has been a long-time victim of domestic abuse. She finally reported the crime and now has a Restraining Order against the man. He is in custody awaiting prosecution. He is active military and gets direct deposit of his paycheck, so while he is in jail, he had his mother withdraw all money from the account leaving his wife and children with $5 for food. The grandmother feels justified doing what she did because she feels her son did not deserve to be arrested just for battering his wife. The Fund assisted the family with food.

A seven year old girl was molested by a man who the family considered a close and trusted friend. He frequently babysat her and her two other siblings while the mother ran errands and attended to other business. When the molestation was brought to light, the suspect admitted to the crime and pled guilty. The mother moved as soon as possible, but the young girl, who is in intensive therapy and is having a very difficult time being in the company of adult males, does not like seeing the couch where the abuse occurred. The Fund assisted the family with the purchase of another couch for the home.

Two teenaged boys had been tortured by their father for the majority of their lives. The father is a career military man and the family had moved frequently. Both boys were told that if they ever reported the abuse, he would kill them. They never wore short pants for fear of detection of the abuse. They have physical and emotional scars that may never heal. The father re-married and the new wife never did anything to prevent the abuse or to protect the two boys. Both the father and step-mother are currently being prosecuted by the Navy and the boys have been sent to the East Coast to live with their biological mother who has five children of her own. The Fund assisted the boy's new family with clothing for the boys who arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

A single mother of two had been asked by her former boyfriend to let him to stay in her home because he had been kicked out of his mother's house for drug abuse. She refused, but he forced entry into her home and became violent. He threw a bottle at her causing an injury that forced her to miss several days of work. He was arrested, but she was fired from her job because of her frequent absences due to her relationship with him. The Fund assisted the family with food as she searched for new employment.

Two teenage boys had been sexually molested by a neighbor. After the oldest boy attempted suicide, the mother quit her job to attend full-time to the family crisis by taking the boys to counseling and other therapy appointments. The family was in need of assistance and The Fund was able to provide food assistance for the family.

A woman who was caring for her next door neighbor's dog was murdered by an illegal transient while she was in the neighbor's house feeding the dog. The suspect then stole her car and was later apprehended trying to abscond across the border. Her husband found her body and tried futilely to revive his wife. He went into a severe depression and has been unable to work. He lost his job and has used up all available savings. He was in danger of losing his home and The Fund assisted with a significant portion of his rent.

A woman was badly battered by her live-in boyfriend. Her daughter witnessed the boyfriend beating her mother while holding a knife and making threats on her mother's life. When the girl attempted to call police, the man threatened to kill her too. The woman had been financially dependent on him, but decided to leave the home with her daughter. While waiting for welfare and other services to be instated, they needed emergency housing. The Fund paid for a hotel for a week.

A 16-year old girl disclosed that her stepfather had molested her since the age of 11. Fearing that her younger sister who was about to turn 11 would endure the same fate, she told her mother. Her mother came forward with the case and the stepfather was arrested and removed from the home. In addition to the emotional upheaval, the situation placed an enormous strain on the family's finances. The Fund assisted the family in moving to smaller, less expensive housing.

A mother of six children aged 7 - 14 was severely beaten by her boyfriend and was hospitalized and treated for her injuries. She left her home for the safety of the family, but because she had not given sufficient notice to the landlord, she lost her $1,200 security deposit. She also had to give up her job because the batterer knew where she worked. To further complicate matters, her left arm is in a sling and she drives a car with a manual transmission. The California Victim Compensation Program will eventually reimburse her for her moving expenses, but her immediate need was for food to feed her family. The Fund offered her $200 for food.

A middle-aged man was found by two passers-by lying in a pool of blood next to the curb. He had no idea what had happened because he had been attacked from behind. With stab wounds to his back and arms, he is in critical condition with a lacerated kidney, a severed artery in his arm and other internal problems. He was the primary bread-winner for his family and The Fund assisted the family with rent for the coming month.

A young man was hit by a drunk driver while in a crosswalk with his bicycle. The driver did not stop, but with the help of witnesses, he was later apprehended. The victim was not severely hurt, but his bicycle and helmet were totally destroyed. He is the oldest of five children from a very poor family and the bike was the only means of transportation to his job that helped support the family. The Fund assisted with funds for a replacement bicycle.