Mother seeks answers after daughter, 20, murdered in LA sex work hub known as 'the Blade'
LOS ANGELES — As a self-described survivor of human trafficking who runs an organization dedicated to helping others affected by the crime, Debra Rush said she's heard the same story many times: A troubled young person flees home and ends up being forced into sex work and targeted with violence on the streets of Los Angeles.
Only Rush is now coping with a different version of the familiar tragedy — one where her own daughter is the victim.
Kendra Rush, 20, was shot to death nearly two weeks ago in a stretch of South L.A. known as a hub of the city's sex trade.
Police say Kendra was standing near the corner of Figueroa and West 70th streets when someone walked up and shot her in the head just after 4 a.m. on March 21. Bystander footage posted online showed a woman watching as paramedics performed CPR on the 20-year-old, a look of grave concern on the woman's face. Kendra was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her slaying occurred against a backdrop of broader debate over how to protect workers from violence, which has revealed . Some proponents of decriminalization
