Title: Two badges
First published: 1997
Description: With this autobiography, Mona Ruiz and co-author Geoff Boucher spin a tale of one woman's private war to escape the tentacles of the street gangs that have carved her barrio into turfs where one misstep leads to violence.

This page-turner charts the map of Ruiz's journey toward self-identity, tracing the tortuous path of her life - a life in which Ruiz assumed contradicting roles: gang chola, high school drop-out, disowned daughter, battered wife, welfare mother, student, policewoman and finally success story. At each step in the journey, Ruiz faced violence, ridicule and skepticism. She nevertheless prevailed in exchanging her badge of social defiance for one of protection of her community.
Subjects: Biography, Hispanic American women, Policewomen, Law enforcement, Gangs, Mexican American families, Social life and customs, Fiction, New York Times reviewed
Places: Santa Ana, California
People: Mona Ruiz