A distinct laugh can be heard from any room in the police department even if a door is closed. Detective Rios is always saying funny things to make us laugh. She frequently refers to herself as the “Department cheerleader.” Uplifting others is so important, but especially during recent times. Detective Rios has a contagious energy. When she feels discouraged, others feel it. She is a person others gravitate to when they need to smile.
Resilience could be her middle name. As a child, she was sexually assaulted by a family acquaintance. She is thankful her mother stood up for her by going to the police department to hold the abuser accountable. Ironically, she was interviewed in the same room she would later interview sexual assault suspects herself as a Detective.
It is impossible for her to forget what her own interview felt like. Her mother was strong. Numerous mothers fail to protect their children by blaming their own child for the sexual assault, further traumatizing the children. Detective Rios is relentless when it comes to protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
Although tragic, this has fueled her career in law enforcement to stay focused on helping survivors through their darkest of days. Detective Rios not only investigates sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking cases, she empowers survivors by being trauma informed.
Detective Rios reflects on her own life in order to best serve students, staff, and faculty. Her high school years were not enjoyable. She longed to be part of a sports team and go to dances. Due to her childhood religion, she wasn’t allowed to participate. It was confusing for her because she was others doing so without any judgement or backlash. She went on a noise complaint as a patrol officer in Merced. It was for loud music coming from a Winter formal. Watching the high schoolers dance made her regret not having the same experience.
She got married shortly after high school. Her husband battled depression. Detective Rios found him in their garage after he took his life through suicide. She was only 21 at the time and picked up the phone to call 9-1-1. The dispatcher’s calming voice helped her complete life saving efforts. From that moment forward she knew she wanted to join the public safety profession. Helping others during the worst day of their life has always been a major commitment she makes.
Detective Rios joined the police academy when her sons were only one and two years old. She cannot recall how she survived the pressure and challenges. After becoming a deputy, she heard misogynistic comments from several she initially looked up to in law enforcement. She realized she needed to develop thick skin to remain in the profession. A horrible fight fueled her passion to become as fit as possible to protect herself physically. The combination of being doubted as a woman and the need to stay alive during violent encounters led her to an obsession of working out.
She understands how obsessive thoughts about body image, strength, and judgments can negative impact other’s mental health. Detective Rios is a mentor for those struggling with body dysmorphia. Her greatest talent of helping others to see their worth is a blessing at UC Merced. Watching her speak to students about hope and boost up their self esteem is remarkable. She encourages women to attend one of the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) courses so they can listen to their intuition and physically defend themselves if necessary.
Detective Rios speaks her mind even if her voice shakes. She is constantly reminding others they were given a voice for a reason, to use it. Her wish is for all children to know they have the ability to say, “No.” Parents teach their children to comply with adults. Abusers take advantage of children. As an adult, we can drain our own energy by saying yes to things we are not okay with doing. Detective Rios wants students to start setting boundaries to protect their mental health as soon as possible. Every student has their own struggles on setting boundaries.
Shopping at thrift stores in Merced for clothing as a child drives her to always work hard. She internalized the embarrassment she felt when wearing clothes that didn’t “fit in.” Detective Rios has learned although those things don’t matter as an adult, it hurts when you are finding your own self esteem. One of the highlights of her career was “Shop with a Cop” because she helped Merced youth shop for clothes that made them feel confident.
Service is in her DNA. Putting together a blanket drive for the elderly residents at convalescent homes made her happy. Detective Rios is a caretaker, nurturer, and ball of energy at our department. This spreads to the greater campus community in ways we cannot capture statistically. She also gave Cardi-B a run for her money in the UCMPD lip sync video on Youtube!
