A Sacramento nonprofit hosted a town hall to support domestic violence survivors and discuss prevention following two recent deadly cases in the county.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. —
A Sacramento nonprofit hosted a town hall to support survivors of domestic violence and discuss prevention efforts after two recent deadly cases in Sacramento County.
The event, organized by Empact, focused on turning grief into action, with discussions on preventing domestic violence, strengthening laws, and holding agencies accountable for victim safety.
“There’s a point that we’ve got to do something about it, and we all have to stand on knowing that we’re not by ourselves,” said Monica Bustoz, a domestic violence survivor.
Empact, a nonprofit dedicated to victim advocacy, crisis response, and legislative work, hosted the event. Founder Leia Schenk said the gathering was a response to increasing domestic violence incidents.
“With the uptick of women that are losing their lives due to domestic violence incidents with intimate partner relationships, it was really something that has been asked of us for months now,” Schenk said. “It was an overwhelming request that we get together and figure out what we can do next.”
Bustoz shared her own experience as a survivor.
“I’ve been very fearful for so long and to the point that I even ran out of the area just to hide from it,” she said.
The town hall followed two recent domestic violence cases in Sacramento County that ended in tragedy. Thirty-eight-year-old Shalini Thakur was killed outside a Panera by a man who had stalked her for about a year. Just two and a half weeks later, 29-year-old Samantha Cromwell was killed at her son’s birthday party at Urban Air. Her family said the suspect was her husband.
“I have had women that were coming up to me at the funeral of Shalini, saying, ‘I’m living her life. I have the same life, you know…What? What can I do?’ They don’t want to be the next woman laying in a casket,” Schenk said.
Schenk emphasized the importance of taking action.
“People are outraged for a second, and then it goes away and then we just wait for the next casualty to happen,” she said. “We have to be outraged enough to do something about it and really, that’s the biggest message today is what are the next actionable item steps?”
For those experiencing domestic violence, Schenk offered advice.
“Some instances they would call 911 if it’s a, you know, an immediate emergency and there’s weapons involved and things like that, but ultimately it’s documentation,” she said.
Bustoz encouraged survivors to seek help.
“Speak. Don’t stay quiet. Like they said, look for help. Get the help you need. Don’t stop […] keep going until you find that person that does help you,” she said.
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