SallyAnn Sanchez

About SallyAnn Sanchez

Posts by SallyAnn Sanchez:

My name is Kina Kozlowski and I am the Assistant Event Coordinator for the New Mexico Crusaders for Justice.

My name is Kina and this is my story. I am remarried and have 2 amazing children, my daughter Chrystal who lives in Rio Rancho with my two grand-kids, and my son Nathan who is my angel in heaven. My journey began on April 15, 2023 at about 2:30 am. My son Nathan was at the Comanche Wells apartments where he was shot while outside his vehicle. Nathan was able to get back inside his vehicle where he passed away. He was in his vehicle for 9 hours before some one saw him and called it in. His story was on the news three different times and that is how we found it. It took 4 and a half months to catch the murderer, he was offered a plea deal and is now serving 12 years in prison. Nathan was born on September 7, 1984 in Santa Fe, NM ( the night of Zozobra) and he will forever be 38.

When the detective finally came to my house to inform us of Nathans death, I remember just falling to the floor. My mom was trying to get me to put my head in her lap, but all I could feel was like my heart being ripped out of my chest. I remember asking the detective over and over again if they were sure it was my Nathan. Nathan was my baby boy and my only son, I was lost and knew that my life was forever changed. About 3 months had passed and I was walking around at the Rail Yard looking around when I ran into Sally and Alicia. We talked and I shared my story with them about my son. They invited me to a grief support meeting, after attending my first meeting I knew I had found the place I needed to be. They were able to help me through this horrible life sentence that was handed to me. The New Mexico Crusaders for Justice showed me how to be my sons voice. How to speak to people and go to the Roundhouse every year to fight for laws to hold criminals accountable. I do this with the hopes that one day the Legislators will listen to what we are saying and going through. I do this in hopes that other families do not have to go through what I have gone through.

My name is Lisa Morales, I am the President of the New Mexico Crusaders for Justice Ruidoso Chapter

Lisa Lopez Morales is a mother, small business owner, and justice reform advocate based in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Originally from Selma, California, and raised in West Texas, Lisa has always been grounded in family, faith, and service. After a career in corrections, she and her husband Ben launched a successful upholstery and furniture restoration business and have spent the last 21 years raising their four children in the mountain community they love.

Lisa also serves as a ministry leader at River Crossing Ministries, overseeing programs that support food distribution, transitional housing, and church operations.

In 2021, Lisa’s life was forever changed when her only son, Joseph Ben Morales, was shot and killed at the age of 19. Although the man who committed the crime was arrested and confessed, he was ultimately released without trial due to a procedural error. Since that moment, Lisa has become a courageous voice for families affected by violent crime and injustice.

She leads the Ruidoso chapter of New Mexico Crusaders for Justice, advocating for accountability and reform in New Mexico’s judicial system. Lisa speaks across the state, giving voice to victims, educating communities, and fighting for systemic change—so that her son’s life, and the lives of so many others, will not be forgotten.

Viewpoint from the Co-Founders

57th Legislature Failures - Opinion by Sally Sanchez

This was supposed to be the year that we the citizens of New Mexico would see some real movement with the crime bills that would be presented. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham went around this state and held town hall meetings to hear what it is we need to happen to curb the crime that is happening all around us. Our families showed up to the town hall meeting held here in Albuquerque. We voiced our concerns and we thought they were listening. Some of the legislators also held small town hall forums to hear from the constituents of what they wanted to see happen this year. Once again it all fell on deaf ears.

HB 134, this bill was sponsored by two democrats and two republicans. Finally a bill that was bipartisan, this bill was to address the problems with the juvenile justice code and get it more up to date with the ongoing issues we have in this state with juveniles and the crimes they commit. This bill died in the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee by a 4-2 vote. Four democrats decided this bill was not important enough to the constituents of this state.

HB255, this bill was sponsored by five democrats, not bipartisan at all, three of them representatives and two senators. This bill went to the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee passed with a vote of 4-2 vote. The same four democrats who vetoed HB 134 passed HB 255. The bill then goes to the floor to be voted on and it passed there with a 34-24 vote but also 12 excused votes.

I am a registered democrat and have been all my life. Until my son was murdered in 2020 I didn’t get involved in politics. It didn’t interest me and I also thought that the people up in Santa Fe would do what is best for our state, boy was I ever wrong. I do believe in second chances as some criminals have certain circumstances that led them down this path of crime. If we are going to incarcerate criminals for their crimes then we also need to be willing to rehabilitate them so when they come out of the prison system they can have a fair chance at building a new life for themselves. Most companies will not hire felons, most rental properties will not rent to a felon, so if they have no options or a society to give them a new chance then they have no option but to go back to a life of crime. I also believe that they have to work hard while in the prison system to better themselves if they want society to take a chance on them. I am a hard core believer that once you cross the line and take a person’s’ life that you should spend the rest of your life in a prison cell. You are not redeemable in my eyes. You do not deserve to be out in society and continue to live amongst us. The life of the person you took does not get to come back and continue living, they don’t get a second chance. For our Legislators to pass a bill that would reward criminals for being criminals is just crazy. Juvenile murderers get to be released at age 21 and receive a stipend from my tax dollars to rebuild their life is asinine. I will be contacting our governor and asking her to VETO HB255 or simply not sign it.

These are my thoughts and my views and not all members of the New Mexico Crusaders for Justice feel the same. The great thing about this is the right to disagree with each other but still care about each other.

Signed,

Sally Sanchez