The Committee to Recall Rebeca Armendariz would like to thank the community of Gilroy for its support of the recent recall effort.
On Oct. 31, 2021, at a party held at the home of City Councilmember Rebeca Armendariz, shots were fired that resulted in the immediate death of 18-year-old Michael Zuniga Macias and injured three other teens. One of those teens, 19-year-old Jesse Sanchez, died of his injuries on May 22, 2022.
In April 2022 the results of an independent investigation conducted by Bridgett Hanson, LLC, clearly detailed the level of involvement that Ms. Armendariz had in the planning and execution of the party. Not only did she assist in the planning and execution of the party, but she was also present and on-site during the duration of the party.
Shortly after the report was made public, our recall effort was started. Volunteers from the community rallied together to gather more than the required 6,217 signatures needed to be certified by the Registrar of Voters. However, the intent of the recall organizers was never to have this go to a special election, but rather, to show Ms. Armendariz that the community of Gilroy wants better representation. By her participation and lack of shutting down the party when it got out of hand, perhaps preventing the deaths of these two teenagers, Ms. Armendariz clearly demonstrated her lack of good judgment. In addition, given that the report consistently maintained that Ms. Armendariz lacked credibility when she finally participated in answering questions, she obviously lacks the integrity the Gilroy community looks for in our elected officials.
The purpose of the recall was to provide the community of Gilroy the opportunity to publicly let Ms. Armendariz know we want her to step down. This remained a moral and ethical issue as evidenced by the fact that the recall was widely supported regardless of political affiliation or race and proved to be a community unifying effort. While we were not certified by the Registrar of Voters, we feel that we were successful in proving to Ms. Armendariz that the community wants her to step down.
Two families have been shattered by the loss of these young teenage men. Friends and family of Michael and Jesse continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones—and especially so during this holiday season when families gather together to celebrate. We showed our support to these families with this recall effort. We stand with them and not with Ms. Armendariz.
Ms. Armendariz has failed the community of Gilroy. She maintains that she has no responsibility for the tragic deaths of these two teenagers. By not stepping down, she is proving that she is a self-servant rather than a public servant.
Kelly Ramirez
Committee to Recall Rebeca Armendariz
