SAN ANTONIO – We hear of violent crimes taking place almost every day, and with each crime there is a victim. But what happens to the crime scene after investigators complete their investigation? Who cleans it up?
People say time heals all wounds. For Ida Gonzalez, that couldn't be farther from the truth.
"He wasn't supposed to be taken away over a crummy TV (and) VCR," Gonzalez said of her son. "Why didn't they leave him alone? If they would have taken the belongings and just left him alive it would have been worth it."
Gonzalez's son, Ruben Anthony Romero, was murdered in their family home 17 years ago. She, like many other victims' relatives, was left to clean up.
"There was fingerprint powder all over it, walking into the house noticing there was nothing put around it," she said. "There was a tape that the San Antonio Police Department put. There was no boarding of the house. My husband and a family friend had to do it."
"A lot of people think that -- mistakenly, think that a police officer will take care of the cleanup, but they don't," Audrey Trinidad, owner of Biotechs, said.
If the crime takes place on private property, the owner is responsible.
"My job is so much more important than just the cleanup of that scene," Trinidad said. "It's about taking care of that family and letting them know, I am here to help you."
Biotechs is a biohazard remediation company with technicians, most of whom are police officers, firefighters and EMTs. They have the tools and skills to handle the cleanup of a delicate scene But most importantly, they go in so you don't have to.
I don't want their last memory to be of what they have seen," Trinidad said. "I want it to be of a happy time with their loved one. No family should be faced with the cleanup of another family member. It's just too traumatic for them."
Not only are the services available to victims of violent crimes, but most expenses are covered through homeowners or auto insurance.
For those who are uninsured, you may receive up to $750 to pay for these types of services through the Texas Victims of Crime Compensation Act.