Los Angeles, CA–Today the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to approve a motion for an equity analysis on violence against Black women & girls in L.A. The motion was introduced by Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson & Curren Price in January, following the murder of 16-year-old Tioni Theus in South Central.
Her body was discarded along the on-ramp of the 110 freeway on Manchester Blvd, causing community outrage that led to major discussions surrounding the coverage and investigations of Black women and girls who go missing in Los Angeles.
There is currently a $110,000 reward for information in her case.
Read More: Teen Found Dead on Freeway Speaks To Black Girl Vulnerability in South Central
“It’s been 136 days since the lifeless body of Tioni Theus was left discarded on the side of the 110 Freeway, but for the Theus family it has been an eternal nightmare they will never wake up from,” says Council-member Price. “The cries of the community have called us to be the voice for a child who had her life stolen away in the most horrific way possible.
I am pleased to see all of the collective forces in government standing united in the name of Tioni Theus and all of the other unnamed Black girls who have fallen victim to senseless acts of violence,” Price continued.
The equity analysis will cover several key points including:
- Violence and crime facing Black women and girls in the City of Los Angeles
- The rate at which homicides and violent crimes against them are solved
- How missing persons cases involving Black women and girls are handled
- Policy recommendations for providing equity and justice for these victims and their families.
The report will be published through the office of L.A’s Civil Rights Department, with the assistance of the LAPD.
“Black women and girls face some of the highest rates of violence of anyone in our community, and they are suffering in silence,” said LA Civil Rights Executive Director Capri Maddox. “These women deserve justice and they deserve to have their stories told. We are grateful to Council-member Price and Council-member Harris-Dawson for championing this issue, and look forward to providing an equity analysis on the injustice facing Black women and girls.”
Read More: Killings in LA spotlight a crisis: ‘Black women are being murdered and no one is paying attention’
The family of Mikeona Johnson continue to call for justice and demanding LAPD re-open the investigation into her case. The 23-year-old mother and student went missing Sep. 9, 2020 and was found deceased in her own car a week later.
Detectives told Johnson’s family they have closed the investigation into her case, although, her cause of death has not been determined. Johnson’s family searched for her in Los Angeles, putting up missing persons fliers, as well as using social media in their search efforts.
They canvassed the same area she was found and they say her car was not in that location initially.
“The people living in the neighborhoods I represent know and feel the rates of crimes against Black mothers, sisters, and daughters,” said Council-member Harris-Dawson. “We see it firsthand. This motion is an attempt to make other people quantify the stories and experiences we live. My hope is that once people understand the depth of this problem then we can start moving toward justice, including justice for Tioni Theus and her family.”
