Street in San Francisco renamed after Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. 18 years after his killing
Hundreds of people gathered in the 1500 block of Grove Street in San Francisco on Wednesday in a mood both solemn and celebratory as the street was renamed for Aubrey Abrakasa Jr., a 17-year-old boy who was killed there 18 years ago.
Mayor London Breed, Police Chief Bill Scott, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, mayor-elect Daniel Lurie and other city leaders joined friends and family of the teenager as his name was unveiled on a new street sign.
"We haven't forgotten about your case," Scott said as he gave Abrakasa's mother, Paulette Brown, a dozen white roses. "Never give up on your son."
On Aug. 14, 2006, Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. was fatally shot in broad daylight at the intersection of Grove and Baker streets, according to San Francisco police.
His death remains unsolved despite his mother's relentless efforts to maintain law enforcement and public interest in the case.
There were smiles and tears as relatives and acquaintances thanked the city for recognizing Abrakasa and shared their memories of him.
"I'm not going to stop," Brown said. "As a mother, I still grieve. It's been 18 years now. This is a little gift, a Christmas gift, a Thanksgiving gift, all of that in one bundle. My son loved Christmas."
Preston, who represents the neighborhood where Abrakasa was killed, helped spearhead efforts to rename the block in his honor.
"This is the least that I can do, that we can do as a city, given everything that you've done and been through," Preston said to Brown. "You have been fighting for over a decade to make sure that Aubrey, the memory of Aubrey, is not forgotten."
Bilal Mahmood, who defeated Preston in the November election, also came to pay his respects. He praised Brown for her tireless search for justice and being able to bring so many city officials and community members together.
"You see what Paulette has done here today," he said. "We have people who don't normally meet in the same room, from City Hall to the community. We have police commissioners, to the sheriff's office, all people here to come together because of the actions that you've taken."
Two perhaps unlikely to come together were Breed, who is departing the mayor's office, and Lurie, her successor.
Brown encouraged Breed and Lurie to stand side by side, which turned into a photo op that attendees were eager to capture.
Lurie thanked Brown for inviting him to the ceremony and reassured her of his intentions to be an involved leader for District 5 and the city's Black community.
"This is my first time meeting you in person," Lurie said to Brown. "I'm going to get to know you, get to know the community."
"I appreciate you all having me here," he said. "I'm going to look to you for guidance and counsel, I promise."
City officials and Abrakasa's loved ones placed their hands on the string attached toa black sheet covering the new street sign. They counted down from 10 and pulled on the string.
Laughter erupted as the string broke. A city worker came to the rescue and pulled the cover off. A shiny white rectangle with black letters, "Aubrey Abrakasa, Jr. Street," was revealed to the delight of the crowd.
"What we know is that sign is going nowhere," Preston said. "Every kid who comes to Pacific Primary School across the street, every person who lives on this block or in this neighborhood, and every person who comes to visit, they're going to look up and see Aubrey Abrakasa Jr. Street and remember the name of Aubrey forever."
