A group of residents from the Li'l Abner Mobile Home Park protested Wednesday night in front of the Sweetwater City Hall over the arrest of Vivian Hernández, a 61-year-old Cuban who was violently taken into custody after she went to complain about the start of demolitions.
Vivian went to the administrative office of the mobile home park to complain about the dust generated by the demolitions, but her protest ended in arrest.
A shocking video showed the moment when the Cuban woman—whom her neighbors describe as polite, of good character, and a peaceful person—was thrown to the ground by an officer to restrain and handcuff her.
"I'm not doing anything, you're using force against me for no reason," Hernández can be heard saying from the ground in the footage shared by several local news outlets.
Vivian Hernández now faces accusations of inappropriate conduct for trespassing on private property and resisting an officer, charges that her attorney describes as unjust, as the resident's visit had been scheduled by the administration of the mobile home park.
"It's not fair for the police to come and run over a woman who is a peacemaker and to see how they mistreated her," said a tearful neighbor of Hispanic origin in statements to Univision, who attended the protest.
"It could be the mother of any of us living here. There are many ways to do things. They don't have to use violence," said a Cuban interviewee.
"They mistreated her, they violated her, it's not fair," expressed a third resident.
A statement issued by the office of Sweetwater Mayor José "Pepe" Díaz indicated that the arrest was due to an altercation.
Alvaro Zabaleta, the head of communications for the city police, explained to the press that they need to review all the videos to understand what really happened and whether there was excessive use of force during the operation.
The lack of information regarding their legal status has heightened concerns among the more than 900 families facing imminent evictions.
The permanent closure of the Li'l Abner mobile home park is scheduled for May 19, 2025, following the sale of the land. While some families are starting to look for housing alternatives, others are facing a grim outlook.
The landowner has offered a compensation package of $14,000 to those who vacate their homes before January 31st.
However, many believe that this amount is insufficient to cover relocation costs, especially in a real estate market that is experiencing constant price increases.
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