San Francisco names street after Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. as 2006 killing remains unsolved
On the corner of Baker and Grove Streets in San Francisco, Paulette Brown staples a crime bulletin with a photo of her son, Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. on it.
"I miss you so much, son. Mommy is still fighting for you," she said, looking at his photo.
Her son Aubrey was murdered at this intersection on August 14, 2006, when he was 17 years old. The case remains an unsolved homicide.
"He didn't deserve to die," she said.
For years, Brown has hoped people would see his photo and would speak up.
"I do think that people still know what happened to my child," she said.
Soon, there will be a permanent marker here to honor Aubrey's life and legacy.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to name the 1500 Block of Grove Street, "Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. Street."
"My hope is that someone will see it and remember what happened that day and come forth," Brown told CBS News Bay Area. "I do believe that they probably drive by sometimes."
Of course, the move doesn't give her closure. However, it provides her with an important feeling.
"I feel heard more, now, than I ever did. I feel like my efforts are being heard," she said.
Over the course of Brown's nearly 20-year quest for justice, she has seen city leaders change and police chiefs come and go. She holds a public vigil every year to bring the community together and keep the case alive, but also, to help give other mothers who've lost children to gun violence a sense of strength to keep going.
"My son still lives in me. They took his body, but they didn't take his spirit. It lives in me," she said. "I pray that other mothers will get the courage to do what I'm doing."
Brown is grateful to city leaders who helped make the commemorative street name designation in his honor a reality.
"Even though he's not here I want to keep his legacy alive," she said.
She'll continue to hold onto hope that whoever took her son will be brought to justice.
"I don't want an eye for an eye. I don't want them to die. I don't want no electric chair. I just want justice. I want them to be accountable for what they've done," she said. "I know you go to bed at night, wondering what you've done, how you've murdered people, and how you've made a rippling effect on mothers like myself."
A mother's mission moving forward – and nothing will stop her momentum.
"The love for your child will take you so far," she said. "I am his voice. I have to continue seeking justice for him."
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for Aubrey's murder is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department's Homicide Detail. People can also call SFPD's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text-a-tip to TIP411, beginning the text with SFPD.
