Romeoville mom is ready to speak up

Alicia Guerrero will speak publicly about the murder of her teen daughter for the first time on Oct. 4 at Joliet Central High School, during the 22nd annual Will County Take Back the Night event.

Amirrah Abou-Youssef, committee member for the event and the program director for Guardian Angel Community Service’s Groundwork domestic violence program, felt the time was right to invite her.

“Ever since she lost her daughter Briana she’s been very involved with domestic violence through Take Back the Night,” Abou-Youssef said. "She comes every year and she’ll wear her daughter’s name during the memorial ceremony this year. She was just interviewed for the true crime series, and so we thought, ‘Maybe this is the year she’ll be willing to tell her story.’”

According to previous Herald-News stories, in 2014, Erick Maya, 28, shot and killed Briana Valle, Guerrero’s daughter. He also shot Guerrero. Maya was sentenced to 122 years in prison.

Abou-Youssef said Guerrero’s speech will address the topic of teen dating violence, too. She said she admired Guerrero for speaking up.

“She just one of the kindest, most courageous, most humble people on the face of this earth,” Abou-Youssef said. “She’s really just wonderful.”

After opening remarks, and before Guerrero’s speech, Mike and Kathy Trizna, owners of Chicago Street Bar & Grill in Joliet, will be honored by the Take Back the Night committee for hosting the Will County circuit clerk’s annual fundraiser for the event.

“Something special we do every year is read the names of women and children we’ve lost to domestic violence in the last 10 years in our county,” Abou-Youssef said. “And we get that list from the coroner’s office, so it’s official. We really encourage family members to come out that night to hear their family member's name and to take part in the ceremony by wearing the family member's name and standing when the name is called.”

Afterwards, attendees, many carrying posters, will walk around the school in a march that is not silent, she said.

“We’re loud,” Abou-Youssef said. “Because we want to let our entire community know that domestic violence isn’t welcome in Will County and that we’re supporting survivors and letting them know they have people supporting them, and that everyone who wasn’t at our event should have been there that night.”

Guerrero said she is taking her cues from past Take Back the Night speakers as to the details she’ll share at the event. She’ll discuss her experiences and about the importance of speaking up if one is being abused or know someone being abused.

She’ll talk about Briana.

“She was very quiet, but once you got to know her, she was very comfortable with you,” Guerrero said. “She was a funny and beautiful person inside and out. She had a kind heart. Before she judged the cover of the person, she would get to know them first. She was a very sweet, kind person, very loving and understanding.”

Guerrero was stunned when Briana ran away at age 13, without warning, with only a note left on her mom’s bed.

“She just pretty much said she loved us and thanked us for all we did for her, but that she didn’t feel she could be herself, and that she was going to go with a friend and they would take care of her and that she was going to be OK,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero said she logged into her daughter’s Facebook for clues as to her whereabouts. At the time, the family was living in Chicago. Through reading conversations between Maya and Briana, Guerrero deduced Briana was living in Cicero and eventually brought her home.

Through counseling and a family move to Romeoville, Guerrero said, Briana was able to put her relationship with Maya behind her, although it took some time. But he would not leave Briana alone and threatened her, which eventually led to Briana’s murder.

“I want teens to know their worth, and that they have time to learn about life,” Guerrero said. “Just focus on yourself and focus on school, because when you’re a child you’re not ready for a big commitment.”

Guerrero said teens like feeling that they belong to someone, but it's not worth the price of the other person “telling you how to dress or who you can talk to.” Love is when the other person “accepts you no matter what,” she added.

She wants parents to notice their children and take time to listen to them. And she wants the community to know something very important about domestic violence.

“It can happen to anyone,” Guerrero said.

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IF YOU GO

WHAT: Take Back the Night

WHEN: 5 p.m. Oct. 4

WHERE: Joliet Central High School student center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Joliet

INFORMATION: Visit willtbtn.com