Photo Courtesy: YouTube
Black on Black Crime Inc. organized a march Saturday to thank Cleveland police officers from the Fourth District for the work they have done in the Alianna DeFreeze case.
The 14-year-old girl went missing on her way to school Jan. 26. Cleveland police officers found her body Jan. 29 in an abandoned building in the 9400 block of Fuller Avenue.
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Christopher Whitaker, of South Euclid, has been charged with aggravated murder in Allianna’s death. Whitaker was arraigned early Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court and is being held on $3 million bond.
More than 100 marchers showed up and marched to Fourth District Headquarters. On the way, they chanted “Who are we standing for? Alianna.”
The marchers gathered at the Fourth District headquarters to thank officers who greeted them outside. They shook hands, exchanged hugs. A few even cried together.
The group then marched to the abandoned Fuller Avenue home where Alianna’s body was found. People prayed and left memorials to the young girl on the porch, the stairs and lawn of the home.
March organizer Al Porter is thankful that there’s been an arrest in the case. Alianna’s family was concerned police wouldn’t find out who did it, he said.”There wouldn’t have been any type of closure,” Porter said. “They were concerned the police weren’t taking it seriously and they’re very thankful as well as other families in the community that they were able to act as quickly as they did.”
Police are grateful for all the help the public has given them, Fourth District Commander Brandon Kutz said.
