‘Till my dying day’: Valley moms rally in Hanford for justice reform

HANFORD, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Grieving, protesting mothers gathered outside the Kings County Superior Court on Monday, calling for changes to California laws in the wake of their sons’ deaths.

Each of their sons was killed, allegedly at the hands of teenagers. Now, these mothers say they want to see stricter sentencing guidelines for minors who are found guilty of committing violent crimes.

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“They commit adult crimes. They have adult evil in their heart,” Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker said. “They are sophisticated killers and they should be prosecuted as adults.”

The protest brought together mothers from Reedley, Madera, Fresno and Corcoran, many of them speaking publicly for the first time.

“This individual not only took my son’s life,” said Susan Grote, whose son Matthew Bond was killed along with other family members. “He took his wife of 24 years, his father, and his grandfather.”

Samantha Bautista, the mother of 13-year-old Jacob Muñoz, said she was marking one year since her son was fatally stabbed.

“It’s hard to talk about him,” she said. “I just don’t understand how these killers have more rights than the victims. These kids have a second life, and my son doesn’t even get an opportunity. I have to see him in a dream.”

The movement of mothers started with Julia Sanchez.

Her son, 17-year-old Lorenzo Sanchez, was stabbed in the back in late April. That pain pushed her to speak out—and now other mothers have joined her.

“It’s just not my son that was murdered,” Sanchez said. “It was also these mothers who lost their sons, and there’s a lot more mothers out there.”

The protest coincided with a court hearing for the teen accused of killing Lorenzo. But Sanchez says their fight for justice won’t stop at the courthouse.

“Our next step will be to go to the lawmakers in Sacramento,” she said. “We actually printed 10,000 signatures and it’s still growing. We want it to grow more.”

Stephanie Tellez, whose son Anthony Calderon was killed, echoed the call for change.

“It seems that the violent crimes are being committed by minors, and we’re not getting the sentencing and justice that we need,” Tellez said. “They’re aware that they’re committing these crimes. They’re aware they’re getting light sentences. And we’re seeing more of it.”

For these mothers, it’s about more than punishment. They say it’s about closure, accountability, and preventing other families from experiencing the same pain.

“’Till my dying day,” said Grote. “I will seek justice for my family and for all these families that are here today.”