[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SAFE WALK HOME NORTHSIDE

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the skies of Houston, Texas were 
filled with ominous clouds on May 17, 2016. The school bell rang, 
dismissing students from John Marshall Middle School. Josue Flores 
usually would have headed home, but instead he stayed after hours, 
participating in a science club celebration. After all, Josue wanted to 
be a doctor, science was his passion. As the celebration wound down, 
Josue headed home, making the trek along the streets on the North side 
of Houston. Little did he know that it would be the last time he ever 
walked home. A criminal approached the young boy, stopping him in his 
tracks. The evil murderer proceeded to stab him over and over and over 
again--twenty times in all. Josue's senseless and brutal death shocked 
the entire community. The clouds pressed down heavier, the death of an 
innocent child weighing on everyone's mind. No child should be in 
danger by simply walking home from school.
  In the weeks following Josue's death, his community took action--the 
senseless violence must end. Soon, the ``Safe Walk Home Northside'' 
program was organized by Stella Mireles-Walters. A group of 100 
volunteers stepped forward, determined to keep our children safe. A 
Safe Walk Home Northside aims for every resident or person in the area 
to keep an eye out for the children as they walk to and from school. It 
is because of their dedication and effort, that parents, local store 
employees, and many others have started to assist in guarding the 
streets during school hours. As a former judge in Houston, I have 
always been impressed the way neighbors take care of neighbors in 
Houston. The Safe Walk Home program has already begun making an impact 
and changes are evident in the community. Recently, Houstonian Cecilia 
Ruiz, helped law enforcement stop a kidnapper, intent on kidnapping a 
young teenage girl. Ruiz witnessed the young girl being forced into a 
vehicle as she walked down the sidewalk to school. A mother herself, 
Ruiz's instincts kicked in. She sprang into action: Ruiz and her 
daughter didn't just call 911, they stopped the perpetrator, bringing 
the young girl safe into their arms.
  Mr. Speaker, any good southerner knows that one of the biggest 
mistakes you can make is to underestimate a Texas woman. But 
apparently, the dastardly criminal hadn't quite learned his lesson yet. 
As the villain fled the scene of the crime, the mother-daughter duo 
made chase, tracking the vehicle through a high-speed pursuit and 
recording the license plates. It wasn't until the vehicle fell into a 
ditch and the police arrived, that she felt her good Samaritan duties 
were fulfilled. I repeat Mr. Speaker, never underestimate a Texas 
woman.
  Today, there is one less missing person's face haunting the dreams of 
Houston Police Department's finest, all because Cecila Ruiz took 
action; one more perpetrator behind bars. Programs like a Safe Walk 
Home Northside are building our communities and ensuring that stories 
like Josue Flores never happen again.
  And that's just the way it is.

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