THE HOTWASH WITH CJ PRESENTS: Catherine Alaniz-Simonds and Kristie "O"

The Hotwash with CJ

Catherine Alaniz-Simonds is the widow of Spec. Andy Alaniz. Her husband was killed on Feb. 27, 1991, as Desert Storm was coming to an end. He was pictured in the body bag in the iconic picture of the war. She was expecting their first child, which she gave birth to three months later. She named her “Andee” after her father. After losing her husband, Catherine and Andee returned to their hometown in Norman, OK. Four years later, her father, US Customs Agent Claude A. Medearis, was murdered in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Following his death, Catherine re-established the Oklahoma chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors where she served as President for six years, assisting families and law enforcement during line of duty deaths. In May 2015, Catherine was invited to Pennsylvania where she was able to meet many of the men that served alongside her husband in Desert Storm. She was a guest speaker at a ceremony that brought about much healing to all involved. She is now in the process of writing a book and plans to travel sharing her message of faith, hope, forgiveness and survival. Kristie O was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. She started her law enforcement career at the age of 19 as a Deputy with the Sacramento Sherriff’s Department. From 1998 through 2004 she worked in the jail, undercover buy/bust, prostitution stings and in the Mounted Unit with horses. In 2004 she took a lateral transfer to another agency where she still works. She has competed as an equestrian and has worked with horses since the 6th grade when she started working on a ranch. She began riding in rodeos, team penning and doing cattle roundups/brandings. She trains in 3 Gun competition, due to an on the job injury though she has had to take a break from training. Kristie is set to become a force to be reckoned with in the industry after her recovery.