TAMPA, Fla. — Sparkle Negron never imagined that the inside of a courtroom would become a constant presence in her life. Since the murder of her son, Justin, in 2022, Negron has attended nearly 30 court hearings, including a motion hearing this Monday.
“The most difficult part is walking into the courtroom, where, in many cases, I have to confront the person who took my son's life. And I'd have to walk through his crowd of family and support,” Negron shared. “We are new to the area and have little family support here. Navigating this experience alone would have made it even harder.”
Negron has had a victim advocate there the entire way, whom she calls a “godsend.”
WATCH Hillsborough State Attorney's office unveils new online toolkit for victims
“To do this without someone by my side, as often and consistently as possible, would not have been possible,” she added. Her victim advocate assists not only with navigating the court system but also provides emotional support.
“It’s been everything from drying my tears to lending that extra voice of comfort throughout this process,” Negron explained.
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez wants other counties to examine the work they're doing here.
“There is no time that isn’t raw. We’re here to help them navigate the system and the legal process,” Lopez stated. “This is a road that they’ve never been down and never thought they would have to traverse. We want to provide them with resources.”
In Hillsborough County, there are nearly 30 victim advocates available 24/7 to support crime victims.
In conjunction with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, the State Attorney’s Office is launching a new online toolkit designed to provide critical resources to families in need.
“Everyone has the most powerful tool these days, and that’s a phone. Families can access the internet 24/7 to see the resources available through the State Attorney’s office," she said.
Negron has found all that the program has to offer immensely helpful.
She says she's utilized resources to help pay for the funeral, counseling help, and more.
“I had no idea these resources were available,” she remarked. “No one is ever prepared to be a victim. Now that I’m here, I truly appreciate the support that is within my reach.”
The State Attorney's Office is also hosting its Second Annual Victim Resource Fair.
"This is an opportunity to have over a dozen of our community partners come and to let victims, next of kin, crime victims, know what resources are out there in the community," said Lopez.
Lopez says the resource has been vital to families.
"We did the first one last year. We didn't really know what to expect, and we had a wonderful turnout. And we had moms show up, and there are some moms on stories that you all have covered, and they showed up, and they had the opportunity to meet with each other, moms who are walking the same road that you know that they never anticipated walking, but also getting to know our community partners," she added.
That's happening Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Tampa Vaughn Center.
"If there had just been a trooper up there, maybe this whole thing could have been avoided."
A judge in Florida is sharing the story of his son's death in hopes of helping the Florida Highway Patrol trooper shortage.
