Posted on 08/13/2011 6:12:15 AM PDT by marktwain
Investigators said on Thursday that an intruder killed in a home north of Salinas on Wednesday was a Norteño gang member suspected of coming to collect "taxes" on alleged drug sales — and his two accomplices are now being sought on murder charges.
Officers said they believe Salinas East Market gang member Miguel Salvador Medina Jr., 19, and two other men had approached the Bolsa Knolls home armed and ready to demand drugs or cash as a payment that gangs commonly extort from competing dealers.
Deputies said Medina, carrying a MAK-10 or similar rifle, was killed inside a residential garage in the 200 block of Pingree Way owned by electrical contractor Ronald Swim.
Swim's son went to the garage and fired a .45-caliber handgun at Medina, officers said. It was unclear whether words were exchanged or if Medina fired his weapon.
Medina's accomplices fled and were being sought Thursday.
Investigators said they will likely seek felony murder charges against the two assailants.
Under felony murder laws, if a homicide — even one committed in self-defense — occurs during the commission of a felony crime, all perpetrators of the felony can be charged with first-degree murder.
In contrast, the actual shooter in this case appears unlikely to be charged because investigators so far believe he acted in self-defense.
Deputies said that shortly after noon on Wednesday, a family member saw the armed Medina enter the open garage on one of the home's video surveillance monitors, and that Swim's son then went into the garage and shot Medina with a handgun.
Several officers told The Herald that detectives suspect a resident in the house of illegal drug sales and that a number of marijuana plants were found after the shooting. Phone messages left at the number listed for the residence were not returned Thursday.
The residence had been the target of a previous home invasion, officers said, although they did not say what, if anything, was taken.
Deputies said they identified Medina after taking fingerprints.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz said Thursday his office had not yet received a report from the Sheriff's Office about the shooting.
"The initial readout we're getting is that it appears to be self-defense, but of course that can change as they continue their investigation," Spitz said.
Pingree Way, in an unincorporated area just north of Salinas, has been the scene of other violent crimes.
Last December, Eric Camel, Angel Bautista and a toddler were shot in the 300 block of Pingree Way when a 9 mm round was fired into a home.
The gunmen, believed to be three or four men, were seen leaving on Rogge Road in a gold SUV with tinted windows and custom rims.
None of the injuries was life-threatening, the Sheriff's Office said at the time.
Julia Reynolds can be reached at 648-1187 or jreynolds@montereyherald.com.
The weapon is a MAC 10 not a MAK-10 as it is manufactured by Military Armament Corporation and is their Model 10.
And although it has a rifled barrel it is a pistol. Is it is fully automatic the it is a machine pistol.
The reporter probably wrote the piece from a phone interview and knows little or nothing about weapons. Someone from the police or sheriff’s dept. likely sketched the events for the reporter and the articlae written from the notes. BTW, Bushmaster makes some fine .223 pistols.
As a good reference, to put things in perspective, the Norteños are part of the large and multicultural California gang scene, which the Californians have allowed to grow and flourish as a part of their society.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_street_gangs
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.