Victims of crime in Los Angeles County gathered Monday night at an event organized by former L.A. mayoral candidate and businessman Rick Caruso to demand justice for their loved ones and a change in the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.   

Emma Rivas, whose son was murdered in December 2020, said she was traumatized a second time when L.A. County DA George Gascón was elected.   

The Torrance mother said Gascón ordered prosecutors to drop the gun and gang enhancements against her son’s killer.   

“The guy that murdered my kid got 20 years less sentence than he was supposed to,” Rivas said at the event.  

Mary Klein, one of the victims in the Venice Canal sexual attacks, which resulted in the death of the other victim, also spoke, saying crime is out of control in the county and her recent near death by an alleged homeless man should serve as an example.   

“Out of the blue was attacked from behind, knocked over, rendered unconscious, kicked in the head numerous times,” she said of the violent assault she endured.  

These were just a few of the emotional stories shared at the event Monday night by survivors of violent crime in L.A. County, all of whom feel that the district attorney’s office needs a new tough-on-crime approach.   

Longtime victims advocate and founder of Justice for Children Lawanda Hawkins, whose own son was murdered, spoke as well.   

“I’m here to address the urgent need for change in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office,” she said, “and to speak out against the harmful policies of the district attorney’s current office.”  

Nathan Hochman, former United States Assistant Attorney General and the candidate running against Gascón for L.A. County DA in the November election, was also on hand and called Gascón’s policies a failed social experiment.   

“We’ve not run that social experiment for three and a half years and now we have the evidence to show that it has failed,” Hochman said.  

Caruso took to the stage to thank those who spoke for sharing their stories and to throw his considerable support behind Hochman for district attorney.   

“We’re here in great respect of your courage, of your generosity to share your stories to better L.A. County and get this man elected,” he said.   

In a statement from his campaign, Gascón responded:  

“Mr. Hochman is clearly still struggling to attract the type of Democratic support that L.A. voters trust. From Mr. Caruso to Steve Cooley, his Rolodex seems mostly composed of longtime Republicans looking to stay relevant after losing their most recent elections.”