NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN) — Inside the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, new resources are available to children who have faced trauma.
"It is common for us to respond to those types of offenses," said Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Detective, Lluvia Garcia.
In 2021 alone, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office investigated 13 sex offenses involving minors and two cases of child abuse.
"When something like this happens, it affects not only the victim but the entire family," said Garcia.
That's where the new Nogales Family Safety Center comes in. It's an extension of the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center in Tucson.
"We can serve all child victims who have gone through some kind of traumatic experience," said Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center Mobile Program Director, Noemi Elizalde.
The Nogales Family Safety Center is staffed with a team of advocates trained to work with children and their families. The center will also offer forensic exams through a partnership with Mercy Care. This type of service previously required travel to Tucson.
"It allows for them to be seen sooner and get the help they need quicker. It also helps for law enforcement to have that information if it is a crime that's being investigated by them," said Mercy Care Program Manager, Amber Divens.
Eventually, the program hopes to expand to other rural Southern Arizona communities and help even more people.
"They're not alone through this process. There are people who care and who are able to get them through the healing process," said Elizalde.
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Megan Meier is a reporter for KGUN 9. Megan graduated from Arizona State Universityʼs Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications in May 2018. While pursuing her degree in broadcast journalism, Megan interned at the City of Phoenix. Share your story ideas and important issues with Megan by emailing megan.meier@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
