Inside look at female San Francisco police homicide detective

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- For decades, women have been working their way up the ranks at police departments across the country, but the numbers are low in the homicide department.

Watching TV, you would think there was a woman homicide detective in every department in America, but just 15 percent of homicide detectives nationwide are female.

San Francisco homicide inspector Holly Pera is one of them. There were just 20 women in the department when she joined the force in 1980. In 1998, she became the first female homicide detective in the department's 150 year history.

"It was an interesting day, because i just wanted to fit in, just wanted to go in there and do my job, but there was a lot of attention drawn to the fact that I was there," Pera said.

Now, there are more than 300 women in the city's police department, but just two work in homicide.

"We had at one point up to six or seven women, many of the women would come and go," Pera said.

Pera worked with a male partner most of her career.

"There were some people who would just seek him out because he's the male and I think that they just think that he will get it done," Pera said.

But she says many people reached out to her because she is a woman.

"There were other people though that would seek me out, for other reasons, they would seek me out if they really needed the emotional support," Pera said.

One case in particular still haunts her. Evelyn Hernanadez, 24, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in 2002.

"She had a little boy, as well who was 5-years-old and she had gotten herself involved with a married man," Pera said.

Hernandez's torso was discovered floating in the Bay a month later and the 5-year-old has never been found.

"I will never forget that case, yeah, that case it still does trouble me," Pera said.

Pera retired in 2012, but still works part time on cold cases. One of those cases is of Mei Leung, 9, who was found sexually assaulted, stabbed and strangled in the basement of the Tenderloin residential hotel. She lived there with her family.

DNA evidence uncovered by investigators found her killer.

"I will never forget the day that, that report came back from the state with a hit and the name was Richard Ramirez," Pera said.

Ramirez was better known as 'The Night Stalker' and sentenced to death row for 13 murders. Pera and her partner closed the case.

There are shelves of cases that remain unsolved. Pera hopes more women will consider a career in homicide. Maybe one of those women who watch all those female homicide detectives on TV.

"It is the most fascinating job, but it is also not anywhere near as glamorous as maybe she thinks it is from watching TV. It's just not, it is very tedious," Pera said.

Fortunately, there is someone with years of experience to lead the way.