SAN ANTONIO — Just a little more than a week ago, 46-year-old Jessica Witzel was found dead on a sidewalk, north of Downtown.
Witzel's family says she was homeless and suffering from schizophrenia and they had been fighting for more than 2 years trying to get her the help she needed.
On Saturday, the family, along with friends and community advocates, held a vigil to celebrate, honor and mourn her, it was also a call for change.
The vigil was held at the intersection of Culebra and Fredericksburg Road, the spot where Witzel's body was found dead on the sidewalk on Aug. 22.
“Nobody wants their family member to die on the sidewalk alone, hot and thirsty. It's torture,” said Jemmy Maloney, Jessica's Sister.
Jessica's mother says in the past few years, her schizophrenia worsened.
“She'd be down in the squares downtown where the tourists are just talking crazy. When we finally found her in April, she said that she was waiting for her other family, she doesn't have another family, so there's lots of lots of delusional behaviors,” said Jill Maloney.
Witzel's mother says they tried for years to get her help.
“We're calling every agency, every release, all the time. Mental health people, mental health warrants. We have two and a half years of totally documented. Please help us get this girl off the streets,” said Jill Maloney.
Just three days before Witzel died, the family says they were granted guardianship and were waiting for police to pick her up.
“I'm devastated. I'm so heartbroken, because finally after two and a half years, we had her. We almost had her the day she died. Somebody called me and said they saw her near Blanco Road, and I called the police immediately, but she was actually already dead over here,” said Jill Maloney.
Now, the family wants to make sure no other family has to go through what they are going through, they joined community advocates calling for change.
“First is a total absence of resources for unhoused folks with serious mental illness, second is institutional disorganization and in difference, and third is the public health emergency of climate change and the reality that it’s hitting the most vulnerable first and worst,” said Marisol Cortez, Community Advocate.
Advocates are also demanding the city use millions of dollars proposed for homeless encampment sweeps, to invest in abandoned downtown buildings for shelters. They also want more training for police dealing with homeless, and more cooling and warming shelters open 24 hours a day in downtown and surrounding areas.
Jemmy says they tried to get Jessica help, but were told Jessica had to want the help.
"My sister didn't understand that she needed help. What do you do with somebody that doesn't understand that they're going to die on a sidewalk?” said Jemmy Maloney.
Jessica's family asks that in lieu of flowers, please donate to groups doing the deepest, fiercest work to meet the needs of unhoused friends and neighbors:
Yanawana Herbolarios (free mobile street clinic that serves unhoused. Cash App: $Yerbolarios)
Mootual Aid (Cash App: $mootualaid)
San Antonio Collective Care (Cash App: $sanantonioDSA, label it “mutual aid”)
Eastside Heat Team (call/text 210-463-5194)
Monster Moms (https://givebutter.com/MonsterMoms)
Catholic Worker House (https://www.sa-catholicworker.org/donate)