Healing After Gang Violence: In Conversation with Mia Arredondo and Edwin Cruz

Healing After Gang Violence: In Conversation with Mia Arredondo and Edwin Cruz

Mia Arredondo (pictured, on left) lost her older brother to gang violence when she was 12 years old. Edwin Cruz (pictured, on right) was sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) at 17 for a gang-related crime that resulted in someone's death, and served 17 years before being resentenced and released in 2024. Together they'll talk about the impact of gang violence, what accountability can look like, and how each of them arrived at their own understanding of justice. They're part of Survivor Action for Equity (SAFE), a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and who believe that a life without parole sentence handed down to someone barely out of their teens deserves a second look. Audience questions are welcome.

Survivor Action For Equity (SAFE) is a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and who believe that a life without parole sentence handed down to someone barely out of their teens deserves a second look. Audience questions are welcome.

SAFE welcomes new members who have lost loved ones to homicide. Learn more at SurvivorAction.org. If you're not a survivor but would like to support this work, reach out to learn how.

Mia Arredondo is a survivor and community leader who has dedicated more than 25 years to serving the San Fernando Valley. At just 12 years old, Mia experienced the devastating loss of her older brother to gun violence, a tragedy that forever changed the course of her life. Rather than allowing that loss to define her, she transformed her grief into a lifelong commitment to preventing violence, supporting families, and creating opportunities for young people to thrive. As the Community Violence Intervention Program Manager at Champions in Service, she leads efforts across the San Fernando Valley to interrupt cycles of violence and support young people seeking a different path.

Edwin Cruz is a dedicated professional whose life's work is focused on service, rehabilitation, and community advocacy. Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17, he faced the prospect of dying in prison. Through the rehabilitation programs available to him, Edwin came to understand the impact of his crimes and the harm caused by the gang lifestyle, and developed remorse. He later benefited from a new law creating the possibility of parole for people who were children at the time of their crime and was released in 2024 after 17 years of incarceration. He has since channeled that experience into a powerful career, using his expertise in peer support and trauma-informed care to help justice and system-impacted individuals heal and reintegrate. Edwin holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Cal State LA; he is a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist with a justice-involved focus, a Certified Anger Management Specialist, a Victim Offender Dialogue Facilitator, and a graduate of Loyola's Law School Independent Forensic Gang Expert College.

Thanks to Pfau Library, Project Rebound, and the Information Technology Services team for making this event possible! Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link). Thanks to Project Rebound and the CSUSB Pfau Library for their support of this event! Thanks to Thinh Ly, Parker Brooks, and the Information Technology Services team!