Familia’s NYPD image.
A Bronx mom of three and an NYPD officer made the final word sacrifice for town she protected and beloved a lot. However now, her oldest daughter says town and state are forgetting her story — and she or he is constant her combat to alter that.
Genesis Villella, 28, misses her mom, Det. Miosotis Familia, day by day. The ache has persevered ever for the reason that 12-year veteran officer was shot and killed execution-style as she labored a command submit within the Bronx on July 5, 2017. A single guardian, 48-year-old Familia left behind Villella, in addition to twins, Peter and Delilah, aged 12, on the time of her loss of life.
Whereas Villella stepped in to look after her siblings, even formally adopting them, she was not entitled to her mom’s pension or loss of life advantages — which solely spouses and oldsters of slain officers can obtain for all times, per state legislation.
Whereas there’s a invoice making headway within the state legislature, town council, Villella mentioned, has blocked it.
“It’s like they are killing my mom again,” she mentioned.
Familia was working inside a marked cell command heart within the Bronx when a deranged, gun-wielding, cop-hating felony named Alexander Bonds shot her within the head, killing her nearly immediately
Fellow officers, together with Familia’s associate, tracked Bonds down, and shot him lifeless on the scene. In line with an article on NBC New York, Bonds was a convicted felon who couldn’t legally buy a gun.
Villella’s father had died years earlier as a passenger on board American Airways Flight 587 that crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, on Nov. 12, 2001.
Genesis Villella stands subsequent to a photograph of her mother, slain NYPD Det. Miosotis Familia. MTA Police not too long ago named a Okay-9 officer after the fallen cop.
In the meantime, with out assist from prolonged household, Villella raised her youthful siblings and even stop school to step in because the household’s head of family on the younger age of 20.
At present, she is constant the years-long combat for her mom’s loss of life advantages from her pension plan. state Senator Gustavo Rivera and Meeting Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, each representing the Bronx, are the sponsors of Villella’s invoice in Albany—and so they have been supportive all the way in which, she mentioned.
“I have the support and a clear path in Albany. I have the full support of the senate and the assembly,” Villella defined. “They have been ready to pass my bill since it was first introduced in 2022.”
She mentioned the NYC Council is a unique story. Excluding Council Member Amanda Farias of the Bronx, who has championed Villella’s invoice, the council has not been supplied with “home rule” to cross the invoice.
“They want me to go away and they want me to stop fighting for my bill,” she mentioned. “I feel like they don’t care about my mom’s sacrifice.”
Within the meantime, a Metropolis Council spokesperson mentioned members are working to advance a legislation quickly to assist Detective Familia’s household and others who would possibly ever discover themselves in an identical scenario.
“The family of NYPD Detective Miosotis Familia should not have to fight for the benefits they deserve from the sacrifice of her public service to the city,” the spokesperson mentioned. “Speaker Adams and council leaders are working collaboratively with state lawmakers and other stakeholders to advance a law in the coming weeks that resolves this issue for Detective Familia’s family and prevents any other family from facing similar hardship.”
NYPD Det. Miosotis Familia along with her daughter, Genesis Villella at age 8.Picture courtesy Genesis Villella
Rivera informed New York News he and his crew are “determined to support” Villella in Albany.
“We continue to work diligently to guarantee that the child or children of city municipal workers who die in the line of duty can claim the same lifetime accidental death benefit that would otherwise go to a surviving spouse,” he mentioned. “The tragic murder of NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia exposed this glaring gap in support for her children after they lost her.”
