Around a dozen people gathered outside of Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility on Mother's Day to hold a vigil for the mothers who are in jail and for those who have died while in custody. People held signs, chanted and prayed during the hour’s long vigil.
"We always like to remind the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the county that we are still fighting for justice," Paloma Serna said.
Paloma Serna, mother of Elisa Serna is spending another Mother’s Day without her daughter.
“I hate holidays. Especially on Mother's Day and you know on my daughter's birthday. These are reminders that I do have another child but where is she? Where is she?” Paloma said.
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Elisa Serna, 24, died Nov. 11, 2019, in a jail cell at Las Colinas five days after she was booked into the jail.
“The video and other evidence in this case is disturbing and the actions of some staff on that day do not reflect the values of the Sheriff’s Department. Since becoming Sheriff last year, I have made substantial changes improving the conditions in our county's jails. Those changes are ongoing, and I am committed to seeing them through,” San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez said in a statement to NBC 7 on April 17, 2024.
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A state audit in 2022 found jail administration under former Sheriff Bill Gore had not adequately prevented or responded to in-custody deaths. So far in 2024, there have been five in-custody deaths, according to San Diego Sheriff’s Department records, the most recent one happened one week ago.
The Serna family filed a civil wrongful death case against San Diego County. For now, the trial is scheduled for August 2024.
