Law enforcement and other supporters turned out in force on Friday, Jan. 31, to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the new San Pedro headquarters for Justice for Murdered Children.
For the woman who founded the group, born out of so much pain, securing a building was a gift from God.
“I’m only human and I’m only a mama,” said founder LaWanda Hawkins.
Hawkins launched the nonprofit after her 19-year-old son was killed in December 1995 on waterfront property in San Pedro. The case was never solved.
The pain and the heartache, she said, will be with her for the rest of her life.
But that grief also gave birth to an organization that has since advocated for parents whose children have died from criminal violence, and continues catching the attention and support of law enforcement officials — who this week pledged a renewed dedication and awareness of the cause.
The new headquarters, 1722 S. Gaffey St., combined with what Hawkins and supporters say is much more awareness and support among law enforcement, represents a turning point for families who have too often dealt with unresolved questions.
“This is a unified front,” said newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who was among the speakers during Friday’s event.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, a longtime supporter of Justice for Murdered Children, said the group “reminds us to never, never forget.”
Hawkins and her husband moved from Chicago to San Pedro in 1986, looking to raise their son, Reggie Reese, near the water. He was fatally shot on port property near Knoll Hill, she said.
“You never give up that one day they’re going to figure it out” and solve the case, Hawkins said during a phone interview earlier in the week. But no resolution came and Hawkins soon devoted her efforts to starting Justice for Murdered Children.
The group has sponsored gatherings and food drives, and other events over the years to raise awareness of families who must carry a lifelong burden.
The group had a rental space in Ports O’ Call Village in San Pedro some years ago, but that vanished when the attraction was demolished to make way for a new waterfront.
Now, the new building will provide meeting, counseling and activity space.
And, Hawkins and others said they hope, even more public awareness.
“It’s home, that describes it best,” Cynthia Bejar, a board member whose 16-year-old son was murdered, said about the new headquarters.
Justice for Murdered Children, said Los Angeles police Chief Jim McDonnell, has given “families a voice, families who wake up every day under a weight they shouldn’t have to bear.”
And the cause, he added, makes sure they won’t have to bear it alone.
Law enforcement has become more aware of the nonprofit through the years, McDonnell later said.
Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker, a San Pedro resident who has been long familiar with the group and its work, also spoke during Friday’s event.
“I wish this was an organization that didn’t have to exist,” he said. “I wish for no new members.”
Hawkins, singling out special appreciation for the organization’s board of directors and the families who make up the some 1,700 members, said the group of incoming law enforcement officials gives her renewed hope that their cause will be more in the forefront — and that the crimes will be treated more seriously.
She also referred to Hochman, Luna and McDonnell as the “Big Three.”
“This wasn’t going on in 1995,” Hawkins said. “We didn’t have this connection.”