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 Editorials | At Issue | June 2006 
Mother Ends Hunger Strike in Teen's Death
 Anna Cearley - Union-Tribune
| | Sara Elena Ruiz Meza said the nine-day hunger strike she staged after her daughter's unsolved death was "something that I had to do for the love of my daughter and in search of justice." (Nelvin Cepeda/Union-Tribune) |
Tijuana – For nine days, Sara Elena Ruiz Meza held a hunger strike to protest what she and her supporters believed was a failure by authorities to solve her daughter's mysterious death.
They were convinced that state prosecutors were dragging their feet when the name of a suspect had already been widely circulated in Mexican media.
On Wednesday afternoon, after receiving word that state authorities were moving forward with an arrest warrant, a tired but relieved Ruiz left the encampment set up in front of the state government building.
“This was definitely worthwhile, because it was something that I had to do for the love of my daughter and in search of justice,” she said.
Few crimes have gripped this border city as the one committed against Benazir Sara Chavolla Ruiz, 15, a high school student who dreamed of a career in fashion design.
The teenager, who went by the name Sara, was last seen walking home after school Dec. 7, said her father, Manuel Chavolla. An hour later, according to Mexican media reports, she was seen falling or being pushed from a car.
Her hands were bound, and she was hit by oncoming traffic. She died after languishing in a coma for six days.
Though the motive appears to have been sexual assault, her father said, he was informed that his daughter wasn't raped.
In a written announcement issued Wednesday, the state Attorney General's Office said it now has sufficient evidence to issue an arrest warrant in the case. The office wouldn't provide any additional information under a general policy to keep such information confidential until the person is found, spokesman Raul Gutierrez said.
Mexican media, in addition to identifying a suspect in prior weeks, have reported that the man's connections with officials prevented his arrest. State authorities denied that and said they needed time to build a solid case.
Chavolla, 46, said he was told Wednesday that the man whose name has been published in Mexican media reports is identified in the arrest warrant.
“This is a very important step,” Chavolla said. “It's a triumph for the society of Tijuana.”
Since May 30, Ruiz, who goes by her maiden name, had staked out a campsite near the state government building with the help of activist groups and her husband's support. She slept there overnight and survived on liquids.
A stream of visitors, many of them complete strangers, paid respects, dropping off flowers, notes and candles. The case seemed to touch a nerve in a society tired of crime and corruption.
“What gives me the most strength is when people visit and come and talk to me about their own experiences with crime or what has happened to their loved ones,” Ruiz, 39, said earlier this week. “They tell me that I'm doing this for them.”
Carmen Valadez Perez, a member of a women's rights group called Colectiva Feminista Binacional, said the crime also “has become a symbol of the fight here against violence and the mistreatment of women.”
Hundreds of strangers visited Ruiz during her fast, and the family's fight for answers has been supported by numerous community groups.
When Ruiz started her protest, taxi drivers, who also have been victimized by crime, escorted her through the streets to the state government building. They also checked on her during her fast.
Clergy members prayed with her. Her daughter's high school friends made regular appearances in their school uniforms. Associations as varied as an architects group and a factory workers association sent members to meet with Ruiz.
“Many groups told me that they were willing to help me to hold strikes or to block the roads or even the border,” she said.
The family also got support from elected officials who pressed authorities for a resolution this week.
Ruiz, who is resting at home with her family, said she plans to slowly return to a solid diet. It's now up to a judge to determine whether the arrest warrant withstands scrutiny, but family members say they have faith that the case will move forward.
Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; anna.cearley@uniontrib.com |
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