Sandra Toscano Huerta

Sandra was born in Mexico and migrated to the United States as a young child. She grew up in Southern California and is the middle child of a family of 11. She and her husband, worked hard to raise their children well. They have four children and two grandchildren. Sandra has extensive experience in marketing and graphic design. She is fluent in Spanish and uses her bilingual skills in both her professional life and within non-profit organizations whenever the need arises. Tragedy devastated her and her family with the homicide of her 21-year old son; which took place in April of 2004, by her sister’s boyfriend, a 2-strike felon and gang member. Adding to their horrific loss, the killer was a fugitive for ten taunting months and when he was finally arrested and tried by a jury, the tragedy mounted by a shocking acquittal. Sandra found herself in a tormented state for months, until confronted with a choice that had to be made in order to survive her son’s death and once again be the mom she needed to be for her surviving children. Shortly after the acquittal; her family moved across the country in fear of their own safety. Through the frustrating and painful experience during the criminal trial, she found herself compelled to help other victims needing a linguistic resource, and determined to help make a difference, she now works as an independent interpreter. She is a Victims' Advocate for North Carolina Gang Investigators' Association (NCGIA) and volunteers with local grief support groups. Through public speaking and with efforts to provide hope and encouragement to bereaved individuals suffering the death of a loved one, Sandra endeavors to bring awareness about the aftermath of violent crimes. In addition, she believes it’s important to be proactive and work to gain ground in the areas of gang and domestic violence prevention.

Articles:

Grieving Especially Tough During Easter Season

While most of us prepare for the Easter season, some people are struggling to survive the death of a loved one. I dedicate the entire month to everyone suffering with grief and sorrow. I too am grief-stricken and I too find April to be a difficult month, especially this year. This month marks the 10th anniversary of my son Sergio’s homicide and while time flies by, for me, it also stands still every time I think of him, every time I miss him. It has been said time and again, that time heals all wounds. Ten years ago, I wanted […]

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Can the Cycle of Domestic Violence be Broken?

If you or someone you know suffered domestic violence, ask yourself: Have I imitated violence in my home? And will my children do the same when they have their own homes? Have we mimicked violence or victimization from others and will our children do the same? It is up us to analyze our own situations and make tough but healthy decisions in order to break free from hostile living conditions. Have we been imprisoned by dominant forces and have we surrendered our instinct for survival? God created each of us with our own blueprint and with a specific purpose. We […]

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After Losing a Child to Violence

There is hope despite injustice for victims of crime. If you or someone you know experienced the loss of a child, then you can relate to this article. I never imagined that I would experience the devastation of losing a child at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. We sacrificed and worked hard to keep our family safe, but still homicide hit our home. Progressively violent behavior can turn regular people into murderers. We often minimize violence because we want to believe that the offender standing before us would not be capable of murder, or perhaps we prefer not to […]

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In Solidarity with the Boston Survivors

None of us are exempt from potential tragedy and no matter how close a relationship we have with our loved ones, or even with God, it does not keep us from experiencing tragedy from time to time. Nothing guarantees that we’ll be protected from harm. We see that in the news every day. Whether by accident, deliberate acts of violence like the Boston Marathon ombings, or suicide, as was the case with Pastor Rick Warren’s 27-year-old son who committed suicide a couple of weeks ago. Death is the hardest thing we will ever have to face…but we don’t have to […]

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