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Resident urges Berks County to improve outreach after unsolved homicide leaves family without support
Summary
A resident urged the Berks County commissioners to address language barriers that have kept Spanish-speaking victims from receiving services and urged tracking of PCCD-funded support; the chair said the county will seek information from the district attorney and court administration.
A resident told the Berks County Board of Commissioners on March 22 that a mother in Reading has been left without support seven years after her son, Daniel de la Rosa Hernandez, was killed.
"She's still waiting, waiting for answers, waiting for justice," the resident said, testifying that the mother had never been connected to Community Violence Intervention Services or assistance from the PCCD fund.
The comment detailed how language barriers and a lack of outreach had prevented the mother from finding resources. The resident said that the child's father received support after paying for the funeral, but the mother did not, and urged the county to make outreach to non-English-speaking families a priority.
The complaint included a call to track PCCD funding to ensure families who receive services are recorded and followed up with. The resident said she met the mother at Visions Federal Credit Union, where the mother took out a loan to bury her child and was still paying years later.
The chair acknowledged the limits of the commissioners' authority over criminal justice matters but offered to pursue answers. "While the county commissioners don't have direct authority over this, if you can provide information, I would like to reach out to two individuals," the chair said, naming District Attorney John Adams and Brendan Harker, head of court administration, and asking the commenter to provide documents to the chief clerk for follow-up.
The board's response did not commit the county to a specific program change but signaled willingness to assist by connecting with court officials and to accept documentation for follow-up. The chair also noted Reading's heavy Latino population and said the county would help get information to appropriate offices.
The comment concluded with a request for answers and the commission thanked the resident for bringing the matter to the public forum. The board adjourned shortly afterward.
Next steps: the chair asked the commenter to provide available information to the chief clerk so the commissioners could contact the district attorney and court administration and seek further information on case follow-up and victim services.
