Widows Of NYPD Detectives Killed In The Line In 2014 Have Moved Forward With Foundations To Help Others
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sunday marked six years since the murders of NYPD detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. Their widows have since bravely channeled their pain into positive causes.
CBS2's Lisa Rozner caught up with them on Sunday.
The laugh of 3-year-old Angelina Liu is a blessing for mom, Sanny Liu.
"Looking at her, I feel that I have a stronger bond with my husband," Sanny said. "She smiles like him. She acts like him. The most, her caring personality."
Sanny gave birth to Angelina in 2017 with preserved sperm from her late husband -- NYPD Det. Wenjian Liu.
Six years ago -- Dec. 20, 2014 -- he was assassinated while sitting in a patrol car in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn with fellow Det. Ramos.
Police said the murderer was motivated by hatred for police, after the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
"It's always like it happened yesterday," Sanny Liu said.
FLASHBACK: NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu's Widow & New Mom: 'I Will Show My Daughter That Her Father Was A Hero'
But she says every Dec. 20 she feels less sadness because of Angelina and decorates the Christmas tree for her.
Sanny has dedicated an entire room to Det. Liu for Angelina to learn more about her father.
She also adopted a comfort dog named Liu and started a foundation in her husband's honor to train rescue dogs to help other line-of-duty families.
"I know how it feels that your loved one leaves the house in the morning and they're not coming back," Sanny Liu said.
FLASHBACK: Cardinal Dolan Mourns Slain NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos, Wenjian Liu
Maritza Ramos, the widow of Det. Ramos, knows that pain, too. She started the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation. On Saturday, toys were given out to students from four schools in Bed-Stuy, as opposed to just one in past years.
"To be here today in honor of him is an extreme blessing for me," Maritza Ramos said.
She said it's important for children to see police officers in a positive light from a young age.
Sanny Liu said if Angelina wants to follow in her father's footsteps, she would be proud.
For more information on the Detective WenJian Liu Foundation and to donate, CLICK HERE. To learn more about the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation, CLICK HERE.
MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK:
