Great article reporting on our event on Sunday. It was a tremendous success!
Nevaeh group offers event on child safety
Caution urged for Halloween; tips still sought
Shane Hinojosa, left, father of murder victim Nevaeh Buchanan, participates in a march in Nevaeh's memory Sunday in Monroe. At right is Mr. Hinojosa's cousin, Eric Eastes of Monroe.
By JC REINDL
BLADE STAFF WRITER
MONROE - The horrific story of 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan earlier this year sent shivers down the spines of parents.
One minute Nevaeh was playing and riding her scooter in the parking lot of an apartment complex where she lived with mother and grandmother. Moments later she had disappeared. And for 11 days, no one knew what happened.
Then, on June 4, her body was discovered encased in concrete in a shallow grave along the River Raisin. Investigators fear she may have been buried alive.
The message ever since from guardians to their children has been clear: Watch out for strangers. Those instructions may work well for 364 days of the year, but as Risa Thompson of the group
Justice for Nevaeh explained yesterday, Halloween presents a conundrum for families as their youngsters head out under cover of night to knock on many strangers' doors.
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VIEW: The disappearance of Neveah (photos, stories and video)
"We teach our kids the stranger-danger thing, and then we go out for Halloween," she said.
For tips on how to keep trick-or-treating safe and fun, more than 50 parents and children attended a Halloween safety event yesterday afternoon at Riverside
Early Learning Center organized by Justice for Nevaeh members.
Those in attendance also paid respect to the memory of Nevaeh and expressed support for the girl's family members, who have yet to see her killer identified or arrested.
A Nevaeh Buchanan Task Force is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the girl's abduction and murder.
"It's hard not knowing who did this and that they're still out there," said Nevaeh's father, Shane Hinojosa of West Toledo, who came out yesterday with his newborn daughter, Natalie, and 2-year-old son and 6-year-old stepson.
Mr. Hinojosa said he can see Nevaeh in his daughter, who was born Sept. 23 and shares similar features including the color of her hair, eyes, and eyebrows. Although five months have passed since Nevaeh disappeared, he remains confident authorities will catch her killer.
"They'll get caught sooner or later - it just takes time I guess," he said.
Also present was Nevaeh's grandmother, Sherry Buchanan, who lived with the girl and said that the emotional wounds have yet to heal. If she catches a glimpse of even a photo of a young girl that looks like Nevaeh, she said she has to look away.
"The only thing that keeps me going is those good people here at Riverside, the people where I work at Food Town, and my son," she said. "My sister is hurting so bad she can't stand it. She cries every time she turns around."
The afternoon opened with a prayer led by Sam Luke, a pastor at Stewart Road Christian Ministries, where Nevaeh's funeral was held in June.
"Let's pray that the persons or person guilty of this horrible atrocity will either be caught or turn themselves in," the pastor said. "We will never forget Nevaeh, and we will never forget what she represents for us."
He continued, "This is a case that's near and dear to our heart - we love our children and we want them to be safe."
Parents and children then marched around the parking lot raising signs with reward posters on one side and "Justice for Nevaeh" and "Safety first starts at home" messages on the other.
Britney Crawford of Monroe said she has been extra vigilant about the safety of her three children, ages 8, 10, and 13, since the news broke about Nevaeh. She was particularly unnerved that Nevaeh's killer remains at large.
"As a parent, I can't imagine losing a child like that," Mrs. Crawford said. "They found her body less than two miles from our house, and that's very scary."
Nevaeh's uncle Mike Buchanan also marched outside the school.
"We as a family really, really hurt," said Mr. Buchanan, who isn't sure whether the killer's arrest can bring closure. He still has many questions that need answered.
"With me it's always 'why?' Why did this happen? Was it just a random thing or did you target my niece for a reason?" he said.
Those with any information about Nevaeh's case are asked to call the Nevaeh Buchanan Task Force at 734-457-6713.
Contact JC Reindl at:
jreindl@theblade.comhttp://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091026/NEWS16/910260334/-1/NEWS24