NYGC Gang-Related Article Summaries(National Youth Gang Center)

The proliferation of gang problems in large and small cities, suburbs, and even rural areas over the last two decades led to the development of a comprehensive, coordinated response to America’s gang problem by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The OJJDP response involves five major components, one of which is the implementation and operation of the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC).

Oxnard gang ruling delayed (Oxnard, CA): Calling it a delicate task of balancing public safety with individual rights, a Ventura County judge on Monday delayed ruling on an injunction that would bar Oxnard's Colonia Chiques street gang from congregating in public. After hearing from attorneys on both sides, Superior Court Judge Fred H. Bysshe took the case under submission and said that he would issue a ruling June 1. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: May 25, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-vngang25may25,1,7229671.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Ventura County builds case against gang (Ventura County, CA): Ventura County ranks as the most crime-free urban area in the West, but gang violence has spiraled so sharply upward in the last year that prosecutors want to ban the county's largest street gang from congregating in public. Invoking a strategy common in Los Angeles but unprecedented in Ventura County, prosecutors are set to ask a Superior Court judge Monday to prohibit at least 500 Colonia Chiques gang members from publicly hanging out together within a huge "safety zone" where about half of Oxnard's 186,000 residents live. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: May 23, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ventura/la-me-gang23may23,1,894698.story?coll=la-editions-ventura

Bringing it all back home: There was one distinguishing feature common to many of the 103 charred bodies of the victims of a fire that swept through a wing of an overcrowded prison in San Pedro Sula, in northern Honduras, on May 17th. Most of the bodies were heavily tattooed. The dead were all members of youth gangs, most imprisoned for the mere act of belonging. Source: Economist Date: May 21, 2004 [Link]http://www.ds-osac.org/view.cfm?key=7E4253434A5D&type=2B170C1E0A3A0F162820

Shooting targets kids playing basketball (Palmdale, CA): Sheriff's detectives are searching for three men who opened fire with an assault rifle and a handgun on a group of young people playing basketball, hitting an 18-year-old in the hip and grazing a 10-year-old. The victims at first thought the gunfire was firecrackers, then one saw the muzzle flashes coming from a car, yelled "gun" and they all ran for cover, deputies said. Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles Date: May 19, 2004 [Link]http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%257E20943%257E2156608,00.html?search=filter

Shots fired following altercation (Fremont, CA): A self-professed gang member fired several shots at a moving truck in Centerville on Monday morn-ing, police said, one day after another man was stabbed in front of a nearby church. The truck, a late-1970s yellow Chevrolet truck with a bed full of black garbage bags, has not been found, so it was unknown if anyone was injured, said police Sgt. Sheila Tajima-Shadle. Source: The Argus Date: May 18, 2004 [Link]http://www.theargusonline.com/Stories/0,1413,83%257E1968%257E2155409,00.html?search=filter

Police think man was killed tagging (Los Angeles, CA): Koreatown - Gunmen shot and killed a 30-year-old man in a drive-by shooting early Saturday, according to Los Angeles police officials. Police say the slaying was gang-related. Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles Date: May 16, 2004 [Link]http://www.dailynews.com/

Police say teen admitted shots (Pomona, CA): A police affidavit says a Fontana teenager charged with killing a highway patrolman outside a courthouse last month confessed to stealing a gun from his grandfather and opening fire on the officer in an effort to impress a street gang. Valentino Mitchell Arenas, 16, was arrested April 22 on suspicion of shooting CHP Officer Thomas Steiner to death the day before. Source: Press Enterprise Date: May 16, 2004 [Link]http://www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_arenas16.a0f06.html

Police detail gang's toll on hospital (Ventura County, CA): Colonia Chiques gang members and associates have assaulted a hospital worker, intimidated patients and staff members and are responsible for thousands of dollars worth of vandalism at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, according to court documents filed by police. The pattern of harassment and crime at the city's only hospital was detailed in a civil lawsuit filed last month by Ventura County authorities against the county's largest and most violent gang. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: May 14, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ventura/la-me-oxhosp14may14,1,7937047.story?coll=la-editions-ventura

Ten arrested in gang slaying (Garden Grove, CA): Police have arrested 10 people for killing a man in March in what investigators described as the last episode in a series of attacks between rival Asian gangs. Nhan Thanh Chuong, 24, of Santa Ana was killed March 19 along the 10100 block of Crosby Avenue. A second man survived his wounds. Source: Orange County Register Date: May 13, 2004 [Link]http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=94856§ion=BREAKING_NEWS

The innocent pay (Sylmar, CA): Knowing the dangers of living in the northeast San Fernando Valley, Cecilia Cortez took precautions to ensure that her son's 16th birthday party would be safe. No alcohol was served. Plenty of adults served as chaperons, and security guards patted down guests for weapons at the door. But despite the family's efforts, at least a half-dozen suspected gang members forced their way into the Saturday night festivities and started a fight that ended in the shooting deaths of two innocent partygoers. Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles Date: May 11, 2004 [Link]http://www.dailynews.com/

Teen pleads innocent in CHP slaying (Pomona, CA): A 16-year-old boy pleaded innocent Thursday to murdering a California Highway Patrol officer in what authorities called a "random assassination" linked to street gang activity. Valentino Mitchell Arenas III entered the plea through his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kent Thomas. Arenas was arraigned in Superior Court at the Pomona courthouse where authorities allege he fatally shot CHP officer Thomas J. Steiner on April 21. Source: Monterey County Herald Date: May 07, 2004 [Link]http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mcherald/2004/05/07/news/state/8612387.htm

Boy killed (Los Angeles, CA): Authorities searched today for five young men, possibly teenagers, including one who fatally wounded a 14-year-old boy in a gang-related drive-by shooting in front of a South Los Angeles house. The boy was walking with two friends in the 1100 block of West 36th Place when a light-colored late-model sport utility vehicle pulled up next to them shortly before 8 p.m. yesterday, said Sgt. Stephen Faulk of the Los Angeles Police Department's Southwest Station. Source: City New Service Date: May 07, 2004 [Link]http://www.socalnews.com/

Salinas sees typical string of shootings (Salinas, CA): Warmer weather, a seasonal rise in the Salinas population and the cyclical nature of gang violence all likely contributed to this past weekend's surge of bloodshed in the city, gang experts say. On Friday and Saturday night, four shootings occurred in Salinas - at least three of them gang-related and one of them fatal - breaking a four-month lull in gang homicides. Source: The Californian Date: May 05, 2004 [Link]http://www.californianonline.com/news/stories/20040504/localnews/351792.html

Experts tally numbers of area gangs (Newark, CA): There are at least 17 organized gangs in the Tri-City area comprised of nearly 1,800 members, according to figures compiled by the Southern Alameda County Gang Task Force. "Newark and Fremont are very similar in the level of gang activity," said Officer Mike Carroll of the gang task force. "It's steady. It's not as bad as other areas [like Hayward.] ... Union City may be a little higher than Fremont." Source: Tri-Valley Herald Date: May 03, 2004 [Link]http://www.trivalleyherald.com/

Woman shot (Los Angeles, CA): Gang members staged a drive-by shooting on a South Los Angeles street, wounding a 24-year-old woman standing with a number of the attackers' rivals, police said today. The shooting occurred about 10:30 p.m. yesterday in the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard, said Sgt. Al Carbonara of the Los Angeles Police Department's Southwest Station. Source: City News Service Date: April 30, 2004 [Link]http://www.socalnews.com/

Two murder suspects face trial (Lancaster, CA): Two reputed Antelope Valley gang members were ordered Thursday to stand trial for murder in the slaying of a Lancaster parolee, who was shot to death following an argument at his home. Rafael Espinoza, 25, of Palmdale and Richard Garcia III, 24, of Lancaster are charged in the killing of Arthur Raymond Morua, who was shot to death on Feb. 17, 2003, in the 44700 block of Elm Avenue. "They got held to answer on all counts, which was one count of murder along with a gang allegation and a gun charge," Deputy District Attorney Carlos Chung said. Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles Date: April 30, 2004 [Link]http://www.dailynews.com

Violence spurs police crackdown on gangs (Fresno, CA): Fresno police are preparing to crack down on gangs after a recent surge of violence in which two men with gang connections were gunned down at an apartment complex. The two men, ages 26 and 30, were not active in a gang but associated with gang members. Family members believe there was an order put out to kill them after they refused to cover for gang members who were arrested on gun charges. The men are two of the 19 people killed in Fresno homicides this year. In 2003, there were 36 homicides. Eight of the 36 were gang-related, an officer said. A captain with the California Highway Patrol estimated there are 6,000 gang members in Fresno and another 6,000 throughout the rest of the county. The city is also seeking a civil injunction to prevent gang members from congregating in a neighborhood, on street corners, or in a car. Source: Fresno Bee Date: April 27, 2004 [Link]http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/8493162p-9337187c.html

An hour makes a big difference in a graffiti bust (Tustin, CA): In Tustin, police arrested an 18-year-old on vandalism charges. The suspect, who turned 18 an hour before being arrested, faces three felony charges including vandalism, being a member of a criminal street gang, and violating probation from a juvenile court sentence over previous vandalism charges. Had he been caught before midnight, when he was still 17, it is possible police would have let him go under the supervision of his parents. Police believe he is responsible for graffiti in several locations. Source: Orange County Register Date: April 19, 2004 [Link]http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=91070

Three held in robbery attempt (Fresno, CA): Police arrested three men, ages 19, 23, and 26, on suspicion of armed robbery, attempted carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, and involvement in a criminal street gang. The three men are accused of attempting to carjack a vehicle from a man in an apartment complex's carport. The car owner refused to give the men his car keys and was struck by a gun, an officer said. The man was treated and released from an area hospital. Two other victims reported that the three suspects held them at gunpoint in the carport and searched them for money. Source: Fresno Bee Date: March 28, 2004 [Link]http://www.fresnobee.com/front/

Fatal attack is gang-related (Garden Grove, CA): A 24-year-old man was killed in a shooting that police believe may be the work of rival gangs and retaliatory in nature. The victim was driving when someone fired a shot in the driver's side window, police said. The shooting appears to be in retaliation to a rival gang that had opened fire earlier on a crowd outside a Garden Grove cafe. In that incident, a man opened fire after an argument, injuring three people. Detectives later arrested a 22-year-old man, who is suspected of being the shooter in the cafe incident. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 25, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

Officials seek injunction against Oxnard gang (Oxnard, CA): The Ventura County district attorney and Oxnard police are seeking a permanent injunction against the Colonia Chiques gang. "The Colonia Chiques is the largest and most violent criminal street gang in Ventura County," the district attorney said. The court order would be a shield for the community from ongoing violence, a tool for police to make more arrests, and a warning to gang members that "law-abiding residents are taking back the streets," he also added. The gang, which has terrorized the city for more than three decades, has a reported 1,000 members. If approved, the injunction will restrict the activities of gang members within a specified area, prohibiting them from congregating in public, flashing gang signs, violating a 10 p.m. curfew, and wearing gang attire, including Dallas Cowboys shirts, jackets, and bandannas. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 25, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

San Diego shooting (San Diego, CA): A man was wounded in an apparent gang-related shooting in Logan Heights, police said. The victim and a friend had parked their car when two men pulled up next to them in another car. The passenger in the other car got out, pointed a handgun, and fired several shots at the victim, striking him twice. The assailants fled the scene. The victim did not suffer any life-threatening wounds. The shooting is under investigation. Source: City News Service Date: March 24, 2004

Injunction (Los Angeles, CA): Officials in Los Angeles announced an effort to put a stop to the Mara Salvatrucha gang. "Today's gang injunction is another tool the department can use to provide relief from gang violence and assist us in reaching our crime reduction goals," a city attorney said. Upon approval, the injunction would restrict gang members from participating in gang-related activities inside "safety zones" in two areas west of downtown Los Angeles. The zones, which together encompass the largest geographic area of any of the 20 gang injunctions filed by the city attorney's office, are patrolled by officers in the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart, Hollywood, Northeast, and Wilshire divisions. The restrictions would prohibit gang members from publicly associating with other members, loitering, intimidating community members, and collecting extortion money, "rent," or "taxes" from residents and business owners trying to avoid harassment. Many of the original gang members have ties to gangs in El Salvador and use sophisticated and brutal guerrilla warfare tactics when dealing with the police, officials said. Los Angeles is home to 800 known gangs and more than 56,000 gang members, police said. Source: City News Service Date: March 24, 2004

Boy arrested in Salinas shooting (Salinas, CA): A 16-year-old Salinas boy arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide is being held in connection with a gang-related shooting. The shooting occurred when a group of six teenagers were confronted by three other teenagers. The two groups exchanged words, and then the gunman fired several rounds. Source: Monterey County Herald Date: March 23, 2004 [Link]http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/8255161.htm

Man, 25, fatally shot by intruders at party (Los Angeles, CA): A 25-year-old man was fatally shot at a party when three uninvited guests started a fight, and two of them opened fire, police said. Officers believe the shooting was gang-related because some of the 40 party guests had gang affiliations. Police had not arrested any suspects. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 22, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/archives

Shooting on Highway 99 (Sacramento, CA): Police are investigating a suspected drive-by shooting on Highway 99 that sent an 18-year-old woman to the hospital. According to police, the woman was in the back of a car, traveling with two friends when another car pulled alongside them. A man pointed a gun at their car and fired three rounds, hitting the victim. No arrests have been made. Source: Sacramento Bee Date: March 22, 2004 [Link]http://www.sacbee.com/content/community_news/sacramento/story/8609430p-9537634c.html

Gang influx in Antelope Valley (Lancaster, CA): Officials in Lancaster are concerned with the recent increase of gang members fleeing from Los Angeles to Antelope Valley. The influx came after Los Angeles officials announced a new emphasis on gang crime; shortly thereafter, gang activity increased in Antelope Valley. Homicides soared last year to a record 43, of which about half were gang-related, compared to 26 the year before. Detectives estimate more than 5,000 gang members and associates have been identified as living in Antelope Valley. Some say the influx may have been attributed to recent cutbacks in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department because of county budget cuts in 2002, which eliminated special community-oriented policing units and crime-prevention teams that focused on unincorporated communities. "Before we lost all of those deputies, they (gangsters) were fleeing from here and going down below. We were the ones doing the pushing but now that has turned around. They are now being pushed up here," a sheriff's official said. In February, three men believed to be members of a long-established East Los Angeles street gang were identified as suspects in the slaying of a parolee at his downtown Lancaster home. Members of the same gang have been linked to at least three drive-by shootings and two carjackings since 2002 in Lancaster. Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles Date: March 21, 2004 [Link]http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%257E20943%257E2031192,00.html?search=filter

Gang confrontation leads to gunfire (Salinas, CA): A gang-related confrontation between two groups of teenagers resulted in gunfire near an apartment complex in Salinas, police said. A group of six teenagers exchanged words with three other teens standing in the driveway of the complex. One of the six teenagers then opened fire on the other group, who fled into the complex, police said. No one was injured, and no arrests have been made. Source: The Californian Date: March 20, 2004 [Link]http://www.californianonline.com/index.html

Man killed in East Palo Alto shooting (Palo Alto, CA): A 28-year-old man was killed, and a 41-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by shooting in East Palo Alto. According to authorities, three men drove up in a car and fired rounds from a gun into two cars parked side by side on a street. Though authorities have yet to determine the motive, they believe the incident could be gang-related. Source: San Jose Mercury News Date: March 20, 2004 [Link]http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/mercurynews/living/health/8235295.htm

Police crack down on gang activity (Los Angeles, CA): Police are cracking down on gangs in the East and South Los Angeles area with officers to zero in on street thugs. Officers in the Hollenbeck, Newton, 77th, Southwest, and Southeast bureaus will be diverted from some duties to target gang areas, officials said. Crime analysts will also track gang-related crime in those divisions. The 90-day pilot effort could be expanded to other high gang areas of Los Angeles, including parts of the San Fernando Valley. Source: Monterey County Herald Date: March 20, 2004 [Link]http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mcherald/

Shootings in Mesa Margarita not random acts (Oceanside, CA): Oceanside police are increasing their patrols after multiple gang-related shootings involving Hispanic, Samoan, and black gangs from the Mesa Margarita area. On Sunday, in two non-related shootings, a 23-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening wounds after being shot at a 7-Eleven store, and a 41-year-old woman was wounded after shots were fired into a garage. On Tuesday, another 23-year-old man was wounded after exchanging words with a passerby. In a separate incident, shots were fired into a house, but no one was injured. In the last reported shooting, a gunman walked up to a partially open garage door and fired several rounds. No one was injured. "These are not random acts," an officer said. The shooters are targeting specific individuals and residences, he said. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 18, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040318/news_1mc18gangs.html

Man stabbed in fight outside apartment (San Diego, CA): A 19-year-old man was stabbed in a fight after he and his friends drove up to an apartment in Mount Hope, police said. As the man and his three friends got out of their car, three or four men approached them making comments related to a street gang. The two groups began fighting, and the 19-year-old was stabbed. The wound did not appear to be life-threatening. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 17, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040317/news_7m17stabbed.html

Three men injured in two shootings (San Diego, CA): In San Diego, three young men were injured in two separate gang-related shootings, which occurred 15 minutes apart, police said. In the first shooting, two 18-year-old men were standing at an intersection in the Mountain View area when a car pulled up next to them and someone yelled out a gang name. Several shots were fired in their direction, striking one man three times and grazing the other man. The second shooting occurred when a 22-year-old man was crossing a street in Mount Hope. A car pulled up next to him, and someone yelled out a gang name. Several shots were fired at the man, striking him once, police said. The victims' injuries were not considered life-threatening. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 15, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040315/news_1m15crime.html

Deputies crack down on gang crime (Sacramento, CA): Sacramento authorities are cracking down on what has become a violent and gang-ridden beginning to 2004. Since January, there have been 19 homicides, following 38 in all of 2003. Recently, more than 40 officers were tasked with patrolling south Sacramento, an area with an unusual spike in shootings and attacks, looking for anything related to drug sales, illegal weapons, and gang activity. One night of patrolling brought several arrests, including a 27-year-old Norteno member who tried to avoid officers after they spotted him riding a bicycle without a headlight on a dark street. He was arrested on two warrants totaling $20,000. A 24-year-old Norteno member was arrested after officers pulled up to an illegally parked car with three occupants. Upon searching the car, an officer found crack cocaine paraphernalia in the man's pockets. The man also admitted to having a warrant out for his arrest for violating parole. A total of 22 arrests were made that night, with two more just after midnight. Most involved gun and drug charges. Source: Sacramento Bee Date: March 14, 2004 [Link]http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/crime/story/8518812p-9447558c.html

Shooting at Cypress club leaves one dead (Cypress, CA): In Cypress, one woman was killed, and four people were wounded in a gang-related shooting at the Fifth Wave Cafe, police said. The club, which is frequented by many Korean Americans, had about 200 people there when the shooting occurred inside. The killers fled in a car and were believed to be members of Los Angeles County gangs, police said. Police are looking for three suspects. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 14, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/archives

Two arrested in shooting (Fresno, CA): Police arrested two men, ages 19 and 30, in a drive-by shooting in southeast Fresno. Two men in an SUV pulled into an apartment complex, one of the men opened fire on a group of men there, and fled, police said. No one was hit by the gunfire. According to police, the vehicle was spotted a short time later, and the two men were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements. Source: Fresno Bee Date: March 14, 2004 [Link]http://www.fresnobee.com

Two slain, two hurt in shooting at midtown club (Sacramento, CA): Police are investigating a gang-related shooting outside a Sacramento nightclub that left two men dead and two men injured. Authorities said the violence occurred as two groups of men traded angry words over a "disrespect issue," and shots were fired. No arrests have been made. Source: Sacramento Bee Date: March 14, 2004 [Link]http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/8518765p-9447571c.html

Gunman opens fire in tattoo parlor (North Hills, CA): Police are searching for a man who opened fire in a tattoo parlor, wounding three people. The gunman walked into the shop, opened fire, then fled in a car, police said. The shooting is believed to be gang-related. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 13, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

Suspects of gang-related shooting arrested (Pasadena, CA): In East Valinda, a man and woman, both 26, were arrested by deputies in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man on his front lawn. Gang experts at the sheriff's Industry Station say the shooting is gang-related because the individuals involved are known gang members. Source: Pasadena Star-News Date: March 13, 2004 [Link]http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206%257E22097%257E2015083,00.html

Police still seeking clues in teen's shooting death (Anaheim, CA): In Anaheim, police are investigating a gang-related shooting that left an 18-year-old woman dead. Police believe the woman was a bystander in the shooting, which was believed to be prompted by gang rivalry. The woman was shot by a gunman while talking to a group of friends, which included some suspected gang members. Source: Orange County Register Date: March 12, 2004 [Link]http://www.ocregister.com/archive/

Teen held on suspicion of attempted homicide (Salinas, CA): A 17-year-old Salinas boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide during a gang-related shooting, police said. The teen shot at a 16-year-old boy, who was holding his niece in the parking lot of an apartment complex when the shots were fired. The victim was hit three times, but the wounds were not life-threatening, police said. The suspect was taken to Juvenile Hall. Source: Monterey County Herald Date: March 12, 2004 [Link]http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/

Teen hospitalized after stabbing (San Diego, CA): A 17-year-old boy was stabbed several times during a fight at a house in Grant Hill, police said. Police were looking for two men and a woman who left in a van after the fight. The victim is a gang member, but it was unclear if his gang affiliation had anything to do with the attack. The teen's condition was unavailable. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 11, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/

Man slain outside Oxnard store (Oxnard, CA): A 28-year-old man was fatally shot in a gang-related attack outside an Oxnard liquor store, police said. According to a store employee, the victim walked out of the store and was shot several times. Two cars were seen leaving the scene. The killing is the fifth homicide in Oxnard this year. Source: Ventura County Star Date: March 11, 2004 [Link]http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/news/article/0,1375,VCS_121_2718732,00.html

Teen to be tried as adult in fatal stabbing at park (Chula Vista, CA): A 16-year-old boy, who police say is a gang member, will be tried as an adult in the stabbing death of an 18-year-old man, a judge ruled. The victim and two friends were going to Eucalyptus Park to play with a paintball gun when they saw the suspect and his friends spray-painting graffiti near a baseball field. One of the suspect's friends, age 20, walked up to them and asked the victim's friend, "Where are you from?" After the friend said he did not belong to a gang, he was struck in the face, police said. The victim and his friends ran away and called for help outside an apartment. The victim had suffered stab wounds and died before the police and paramedics arrived. Police found graffiti identifying individual gang members at the park. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 10, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040310-9999-6m10paint.html

Clubbing death is city's first homicide (Santa Rosa, CA): In Santa Rosa, an 18-year-old man was clubbed to death in an incident that appeared to be gang-related, police said. The man was killed after he approached an unidentified pedestrian and displayed a handgun, an officer said. The pedestrian repeatedly clubbed the man and fled. The suspect is still at large. Source: The San Francisco Chronicle Date: March 09, 2004 [Link]http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/09/BAG3R5GPM91.DTL

Men approach, shoot teenager (Salinas, CA): A 16-year-old boy walking in an apartment complex was shot several times in Salinas. According to police, the boy was approached by three to four men who asked questions about his gang affiliation and shot him. His wounds are considered non-life-threatening. No arrests have been made. Source: Monterey County Herald Date: March 09, 2004 [Link]http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/8141364.htm

Partygoer killed in suspected drive-by (Anaheim, CA): An 18-year-old Anaheim woman was killed in an apparent gang-related drive-by shooting at a party. The woman, who police said was not a gang member, was pronounced dead at the scene. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 09, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

43 gang members arrested (Fresno, CA): A surge in gang violence in southwest Fresno led police to the arrest of 43 suspected gang members. Gangs were suspected in four drive-by shootings in the area in the first two weeks in February. Police confiscated guns and arrested suspected gang members in connection with parole violations, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and other crimes. "Since that time, we haven't had any reported shootings of that kind, and we're hoping that the effort sends a message to gang members not just in southwest, but in any part of the city, that we're going to respond immediately and we're going to make sure that we're not going to tolerate that sort of activity," an officer said. Source: Fresno Bee Date: March 08, 2004 [Link]http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-sl-opinion-stories/story/8247412p-9093029c.html

Teen killed in possible drive-by gang shooting (Sacramento, CA): An 18-year-old was killed and two others were taken to area hospitals after an apparent drive-by shooting. Shots were fired from a passing vehicle, authorities said. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department is investigating the possibility of gang connections. Source: Sacramento Bee Date: March 08, 2004 [Link]http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/crime/story/8451659p-9380783c.html

Gunman opens fire at school (Los Angeles, CA): A 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were wounded during a shooting in front of Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School. Police believe that the boy was the intended victim and may have been in a gang-related dispute with the shooter. According to police, four to six shots were fired on a group of 20 students as they were arriving at the school. After the shooting, the gunman left in a waiting car. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 06, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

Four Asians arrested in street gang probe (San Diego, CA): Federal agents arrested four immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines as part of a crackdown on Asian gangs called Operation Bamboo Serpent. The four have convictions for burglary, drugs, and firearms violations. Three of the four are linked to the Asian Boy Soldiers gang. Officials say more arrests are expected. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: March 05, 2004 [Link]http://www.latimes.com/

Civil injunction issued against Oceanside gang (Vista, CA): A judge approved a long list of restrictions against 25 members of an Oceanside street gang intended to keep them from intimidating residents within a specified area. The order makes it a misdemeanor for anyone named in the suit to associate with another known gang member, wear gang-related clothing, or display gang hand signs within the designated area. Violators could be punished with jail terms, fines, or both. Other prohibitions in the order include carrying weapons, selling drugs, painting graffiti, fighting, trespassing, littering, and harassing anyone within a determined safety zone. This is the second civil injunction the District Attorney's Office has filed against the gang. The first came in 1997 against 28 known gang members. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune Date: March 03, 2004 [Link]http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040303/news_1mi3ogang.html

Purpose The purpose of the NYGC is to expand and maintain the body of critical knowledge about youth gangs and effective responses to them. The Center assists state and local jurisdictions in the collection, analysis, and exchange of information on gang-related demographics, legislation, literature, research, and promising program strategies, and coordinates activities of the OJJDP Youth Gang Consortium—a group of federal agencies, gang program representatives, and other service providers. It also provides technical assistance to two OJJDP Programs: Rural Gang Initiative and Gang-Free Schools and Communities Initiative.

This is a compilation of information from The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) relating to gang activity in California from March 03, 2004 to May 25, 2004.

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), a Florida-based nonprofit research and training organization, specializes in law enforcement, juvenile justice, and criminal justice issues.

IIR provides local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with assistance needed to implement changes that promote greater governmental effectiveness.

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I am posting it so anyone who wishes to stay up todate on gang related activity in their state has an idea how to research for themselves.

This type of information is very handy when you are at a municipal meeting or just having a talk with your elected officials.

Statistical Data Collection and Analysis on Gangs

Compilation of Gang-Related Legislation

Review of Gang Literature

Identification of PromisingGang Program Strategies

Coordination of Activities of the Youth Gang Consortium

Provision of Technical Assistance

NYGC researchers estimate that more than 24,500 gangs were active in the United States in 2000,

The overall estimate of gang members across the United States has exceeded 750,000 in all survey years.

In 1999, respondents reported that 47 percent of gang members were Hispanic, 31 percent African American, 13 percent white, 7 percent Asian, and 2 percent “other.” The distribution of race/ethnicity of gang members varied little across measurement years.

To find the data for your state, click here and look on the right hand side of the page about 4" from the top.

After you read through this, you should have some very good questions for your local officials about their goal to remove all firearms from LEGAL and law abiding California citizens.

__________________________________________________________THIS INFORMATION IS NOT FOR PRIVATE USE

The gangs coming in from Mexico is one reason the "open borders" isn't going to bring in a lot of "hispanic" votes because gangs from Mexico is one thing everyone near the border knows about --- and does not like.

It might seem a little ironic --- but an "anglo" kid is less likely to be jumped by these gangs than a "hispanic" kid. It's funny because the cholos from Mexico try to get trouble started with the hispanic American kids but will leave the non-hispanics alone.

They actually had to warn kids a few years back if they were walking down the street and someone asked "Que barrio?", not to answer anything but to move away quickly. Any answer would get them beat up and/or knifed.

What happens is the middle class Americans including the hispanics pack up and leave and more and more you're left with just the people from Mexico. When things explode in Mexico it's going to all come spilling over and at least a good portion of the USA will be involved in the next Mexican Revolution. It won't be like the last time when there was a pretty clear border. At least the region they are claiming as theirs in the reconquista will be involved.

When you look at what is taking place in cities like Ciudad Juarez, you wonder how far off the next bad uprising will be.

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