Mother of murdered daughter in Rochester: ‘I think of all those moms who have children’

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The violence is so bad in Rochester that the mayor signed an emergency declaration today which gets access to money and the power to shut down the most violent streets.

But behind all the statistics and passionate speeches, there are the families.

"This is the last picture we took for Christmas," Marilyn Diaz said pulling the picture from the bookshelf in her living room.

In that photo is Diaz’s daughter. 13 years ago, Sandy Salgado was shot and killed by her boyfriend inside their home in Rochester.

Brean: "And that pain is still with you."

Marilyn Diaz: "Every single day."

Diaz reached out to Brean after seeing all the violence in the city this year.

Brean: "When you hear about the violence in the city right now, what do you feel? Who do you think of?"

Marilyn Diaz: "I think of all those moms who have children, all those teenagers who are being killed. All those teenagers have families. They have moms and dads and brothers and sisters. And it affects the whole family."

Salgado was the victim of domestic violence.
When the mayor announced the gun violence emergency he also said the city is seeing more domestic violence now too.

"Women stabbing men. Men stabbing women. Often times men shooting women," Evans said. "That’s another category we’re dealing with. Imagine what that does to children?"

Salgado was found by her children. Diaz took them, moved to Caledonia and raised them here.

Brean: "Why did you leave?"

Diaz: "Because I was tired of all the violence. I was concerned about my grandchildren."