On Friday, the graduation of 56 cadets from the Los Angeles Sheriff Academy took place, thus beginning their careers as officers, but this ceremony was very different from that of previous years, since some of the graduates are survivors of an accident. which left dozens injured in November last year.
This is class number 464 at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy.
The training and efforts of the 56 graduates were recognized this morning by Sheriff Robert Luna.
The majority, 49 of them, are with the department, the rest with other police departments.
At the end of the ceremony, loved ones awaited the graduates with flowers, balloons, hugs and advice.
“I always tell (his son) to take care of him, respect his uniform and don’t forget who God is, because he always, even if he is in danger, God will always take care of him,” said Maria Zendejas. , mother of Óscar Mora, graduate.
“The whole family is super proud of her, she worked hard for a long time to get where she is now, so we’re all very happy,” said Alberto Cortez Hernández, cousin of Yadira Hernández, a recent graduate.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of a crash that injured more than 20 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department cadets.
But this ceremony was different, since 25 of these graduates share a painful experience, they survived being struck by a vehicle traveling against the traffic on November 16, while training in the streets of Whittier.
The accident suffered by some of these cadets, we are told, had a profound effect on each of them, making them stronger.
“He’s like, ‘Mom, you know what happened with that, we got closer, we’re a tight-knit sheriff’s department,'” Zendejas said.
In these moments of immense pride and happiness, the injured cadets who were not present were also recalled, one of them Alex Martínez, 27, is still in hospital in critical condition and awaiting of a lung transplant. But he was also recognized, and his sister and father received his certificate and badge which officially makes him a member of the sheriff’s department.