The most visible genocide in history continues as Israel drops bomb after bomb on Palestinian families while they starve in refugee camps, schools, homes, and hospitals. The Lancet, one of the highest-impact academic journals in the world, estimates Israel has killed more than 186,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Carpet bombings, deliberate starvation campaigns, and snipering of children have compelled Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the ICJ to accuse Israel of committing genocide.

Today, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. Since 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 460 aid workers, 1,000 medical staff, and 232 journalists. And thousands of Palestinians face torture and sexual abuse in prisons where systemic assaults by soldiers are well-doucmented, just as they were decades earlier.

With $4 billion of U.S. taxpayer dollars sent to Israel in March 2025 and another $8 billion approved by the Trump admin, America continues to support and perpetuate this genocide. Even at U.S.-backed food distribution sites, Israeli forces are shooting starving Palestinians waiting for aid: A UN report from June 2025 finds Israel has killed 400 people at these aid sites alone since May 27.

To further limit aid in Gaza, Israel also banned UNRWA, a UN agency, on January 30, 2025. UNRWA was created to support Palestinians who were forcibly removed from their homeland by the creation of Israel. Despite Israel’s ban, UNRWA is continuing its humanitarian work as much as possible. Please consider giving, especially in light of Trump’s desire to ethnically cleanse Gaza.

Whitney Bennett: A Teenage Survivor of Richard Ramirez

 

Serial killer Richard Ramirez in court in 1985.

Serial killer Richard Ramirez makes a court appearance in Los Angeles in 1985. (Source)

February 4, 2021 ~ By Shari Rose

Richard Ramirez nearly killed Whitney Bennett, but she survived and testified against him

From April 1984 to August 1985, Richard Ramirez killed more than a dozen people and severely injured even more in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ramirez was dubbed the Night Stalker by the media, though he was also known as the Valley Intruder for his practice of breaking into homes. One of his victims, teenager Whitney Bennett, survived his vicious attack and formed a bond with a Los Angeles detective’s family.

Ramirez Attacks Whitney Bennett In Her Home

After visiting with some friends during the evening, 16-year-old Whitney Bennet fell asleep in her bedroom in her family’s home. During the night, serial killer Richard Ramirez opened her unlocked bedroom window, carrying a tire iron.

Crime scene of Whitney Bennett's bedroom after attack.

The bloody scene of Whitney Bennett’s bedroom after Ramirez attacked her with a tire iron. (Source)

Ramirez repeatedly beat the sleeping teenager in the head with the weapon. He then went to the kitchen to find a knife. However, Ramirez couldn’t find one, and instead tried to strangle Bennett with a telephone cord. But as sparks flew from the cord, Ramirez believed this was a sign of divine intervention. He dropped the cord and fled as Bennett began coughing and breathing.  

As Whitney Bennett yelled for her parents, they found her badly beaten and bleeding. Ramirez had left behind the tire iron and a clear bloody footprint in her bedroom. Bennett needed nearly 500 stitches to her head, as well as some cosmetic surgery, but she fully recovered from her injuries.

During Ramirez’s trial three years later, Bennett testified about her attack, though some details remained fuzzy from her head injuries. Richard Ramirez was found guilty of all charges, including 13 murders and 11 sexual assaults. He died from cancer while on death row on June 7, 2013.

Whitney Bennett Now

One of the Los Angeles detectives instrumental in bringing Ramirez to justice was named Frank Salerno. After spending more than 30 years on the force, his squad threw him a retirement party in August 1993. It included hundreds of people, such as friends and family from past cases, including Whitney Bennett, now a young woman in her 20s.

Frank Salerno detective in LA.

Frank Salerno, detective with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. (Source: LASD)

Whitney Bennett met the detective’s son, Mike Salerno, during this party. The pair exchanged numbers, began dating, and eventually married. 

More stories: A Hitman Came for Susan Kuhnhausen. He Didn’t Survive.

More stories: Enietra Washington: Only Confirmed Survivor Of The Grim Sleeper

More stories: How Mary Vincent Survived Lawrence Singleton’s Attack

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Shari Rose

Shari Rose

Owner of Blurred Bylines 💖💜💙

I created Blurred Bylines in an effort to bring stories from marginalized perspectives into the national conversation. As a former copy editor at the largest newspapers in Arizona and Colorado, I’ve seen first-hand the potential of accurate and accessible information to change minds and affect national policy. 

My stories focus on individuals fighting for justice and their own rights as Americans, survivors of violent crime who rebuilt their lives after tragedy, shifting political trends that seek to strip the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups of their freedoms, and forgotten figures in U.S. history whose fights for equality persist today.

Through writing these articles, I stumbled upon the power of search engine optimization (SEO) to attract interested audiences to my writing. In addition to the ad-free and paywall-free stories I write at Blurred Bylines, I also perform SEO services for businesses, nonprofits, and fellow freelancers around the country so they can grow their organizations through search engines. 

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1 Comment
  1. Julissa une

    That was back in 93 that Whitney married Salerno son, but where is she now?

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