Murder case of San Francisco shot 19 years ago still cold
Cold case: Aubrey Abrakasa's family still without justice
17-year-old Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. was shot and killed in San Francisco in 2006 when he warned his friends to run from a gang.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - San Francisco police and community members came together Thursday to shine a light on a nearly 20-year-old cold case.
Aubrey Abrakasa Jr., 17, was shot and killed in San Francisco in 2006. Police are still looking for his killer.
No justice, 19 years later
What we know:
That teenager would be 36 years old now, and his family still doesn’t have justice.
Every August, Paulette Brown comes to the corner of Grove and Baker streets, where her son lost his life, to commemorate the anniversary of his death.
It’s become a yearly tradition for city leaders, police officers and family members to gather in his memory.
"It’s like yesterday to me. This pain will never go away," Brown said.
Victim was shot 12 times in the back
The backstory:
On Aug. 14, 2006, police said Abrakasa was shot by gang members, even though he wasn’t in a gang, after he warned his friends to run.
Police said he was shot in the back 12 times, but the shooter was never found.
"They know who they are," Brown said. "I don’t know how you can sleep at night knowing you took a life."
Pain into policy
What's next:
Since her son’s passing, Brown has channeled her pain into a passion for advocacy.
She has worked with city leaders to change policies, including an ordinance passed in June that expands qualifications for tipsters to earn rewards for information leading to arrests.
"What this is about is empowering the chief of police to use the homicide reward fund to do justice for families that have waited too long for justice to be done," said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who co-authored the legislation.
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"If this legislation helps, maybe we can get some of these cases solved," Brown said, referring to the countless mothers whose children never came home.
Last December, the city renamed the street corner after the teen, in a show of commitment to honoring Abrakasa.
Brown said she won’t stop until she gets justice for her son.
"I’m never going to stop. I’m never going to give up. This grief is turning into action," Brown said.
What's next:
Police are offering $250,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information on the Abrakasa case is asked to contact the police department's homicide unit or call the department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444.