New London ― Tammy De La Cruz of Groton, co-founder of drug and alcohol addiction nonprofit Community Speaks Out, has seen a lot of heartbreak in her life.

In 2016, her son, Joey Gingerella, intervening to help a woman, tried to stop a fight. Dante Hughes shot and killed Gingerella for doing this and is now serving a 45-year prison sentence.

De La Cruz spoke about her son to a crowd of about 60 friends and family members as they gathered inside the Garde Arts Center Thursday for the Safe Futures annual candlelight vigil, held to remember those killed in domestic violence-related homicides.

The vigil honored 15 domestic violence victims who have lost their lives in New London County since 2013, according to Safe Futures CEO Katherine Verano.

“You recognize my son every year ― the sacrifices he made ― and that means so much to me. It saddens me every year to come up and see a new person,” De La Cruz said to the crowd.

New to the list of those who died in domestic violence cases are D’Nazia Uzzle, 17, of New London and Jashira Pagan, 30, of Norwich.

“Jashira, 2022, was one of my son’s girlfriends in high school,” De La Cruz said. “The newest, this beautiful young woman, lived right on our street.”

Uzzle, a senior at New London High School, was found dead at the 392 Jefferson Ave. home of Erica Cherry in April. Her “sudden death during a physical altercation with neck compression and blunt injuries,” was ruled a homicide by The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

N’Shon Cherry, Uzzle’s former boyfriend, and Erica were arrested Sept. 28 and charged with accessory to first-degree manslaughter, accessory to first-degree strangulation, first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault and cruelty to persons.

N’Shon Cherry has pleaded not guilty. Erica Cherry has not yet entered a plea. They are both free on bond and scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Dec. 4.

“I didn’t want to say this out loud but the day that I went by her house and I saw all the cars, I fell to my knees ‘cause I knew ― that it was bad and that it probably was somebody young,” De La Cruz said, tears now streaming down her face for the 17-year-old.

After the vigil, Charles Uzzle, D’Nazia’s father, said he was thankful to the city, and for Safe Futures for honoring his daughter.

“This is daily fight,” Uzzle said. “Our whole lives have changed. It was better to be around, definitely, people of the same likeness going through the same thing. Because nobody can really relate to what we’re going through.”

The other recent victim, Pagan, died in Norwich in November 2022, of a gunshot wound to the face. The morning of her death, Vullnetar Balidemaj received two phone calls from his brother Atlantikh, in which he asked Vullnetar to come pick him up at Pagan’s apartment building, then telling him “I don’t want to be here. It’s a very bad situation,” police said.

Atlantikh Balidemaj faces charges of murder, carrying a pistol without a permit and illegal discharge of a firearm for his alleged role in Pagan’s death. He is slated to appear in New London Superior court on Nov. 16.

The friends or family members of each victim came up to illuminate the battery-powered candles that stood behind photos or name cards of each victim.

Other victims mourned included Shelby Dodson, 23, who died in New London last year. Her husband, George Dodson, 23, was charged with her July 2022 murder and attempted murder of his child, after police said he bludgeoned his wife and set fire to their home with their 13-month-old still inside.

Dodson is being held in lieu of $3 million and his case is pending in New London Superior Court.

Also remembered Thursday were Antonio Chajon, Dianna Hodgdon, Delma Murphy, Margarette Mady, Joey Gingerella, Robert Parise, Corina Rodriguez, Brandia Irvin, Jason Beck, Patricia Sullivan, Maddyson Thibbualt, Arisleidy Batista, and “all the unnamed victims.”

To get help, visit safe futures website, https://safefuturesct.org/, or call their 24/7 confidential hotline at (860)701-6001.

d.drainville@theday.com