Even on her first day as an intern in the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office, the local criminal justice system was already intensely personal for Citlalli Vazquez.
That morning, she awoke to find her car windows shattered from a drive-by shooting outside her parents’ home in Cambodia Town. After quickly filing a police report, Vazquez headed to work, where she was assigned to observe a courtroom with her fellow interns. Inside, by chance, Vazquez found herself watching a case involving two of her friends from middle school. One was facing an attempted murder charge for shooting at the other over a relationship dispute.
“It was really intense, but also sad,” Vazquez, now 25, said. “Sad to see that people who had similar backgrounds as me were in different places.”
Later that day, Vazquez had a conversation with Pastor Gregory Sanders, who has long been an advisor for the City Prosecutor’s Office.
Over the five years since that meeting, Sanders has helped her grapple with the difficulties of making a difference in her community through the proper channels.