'Steve Harvey Show' Actor Shot To Death (Merlin Santana )

channeloklahoma ^

[chance33_98]

'Steve Harvey Show' Actor Shot To Death
Santana Played Romeo On Show

POSTED: 8:33 a.m. EST November 11, 2002 UPDATED: 11:54 a.m. EST November 11, 2002

The man who played Romeo Santana -- a showboat student on "The Steve Harvey Show"-- was shot to death over the weekend.

Police say Merlin Santana was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car early Saturday morning in South Central Los Angeles when at least one person came up and fired.

The driver wasn't hurt. He drove off and flagged down police. Paramedics responded but Santana was dead at the scene.

Santana was 26.

His performances won him nominations for the NAACP Image Awards and the ALMA Awards -- which honor Hispanic performers.

One of Santana's earliest roles was that of Stanley -- a young suitor of Rudy Huxtable on the hit television series "The Cosby Show."

Santana also had guest appearances on several television shows, including "Major Dad," "Moesha" and "Sister, Sister."

[tippytoes]

Was this the boy that Rudy called "Bud"? He was such a cutie.

[B-Chan]

Ennis Cosby didn't die in Compton. He was shot to death by the side of the road, on the off-ramp from the 410 North to Mulholland Drive -- at the top of the hill, within an easy walk of the exclusive University of Judaism. Mullholland Drive and its environs are about as far from "the 'hood" as it is possible to be in L.A. in terms of street crime -- lotsa of million-dollar-plus houses, swimming pools, and spectacular views.

I lived in Sherman Oaks for five years and never experienced any trouble (except for the earthquake). But there are plenty of places in L.A. that are just as dangerous as Compton. I'd guess that more people get robbed at Hollywood and Highland (i.e. in front of the Chinese Theater) every year than get robbed in most small towns over the same number of months. Tourists are easy to spot -- just look for pasty white corn-fed people wearing khaki shorts, Ohio State sweatshirts, and sandals (with socks) while gawking at the "sights" with their mouths hanging open, fat wallets and fanny packs bulging out on every side and $500 camcorders dangling loosely from their sweaty hands. If you are dressed or acting in a manner that makes you stick out like a flashing neon sign that blinks VICTIM, you are a target no matter what neighborhood you're in.

Therefore, the rule of thumb is to stay within your own ethnic enclave as much as possible and you'll be okay. For us -- non-Hispanic whites -- that meant Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and Burbank in the Valley, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Fairfax, and Silverlake in the city, and Irvine and points south in O.C. North of us, Panorama City, Van Nuys and Reseda were OK by daylight, but at night there are drugs and gangsters everywhere, so that was a no-go area; ditto Hollywood, WeHo, Culver City, and points south.

It's a rough town. That stereotype California lifestyle from the movies only exists if you've got the bucks to escape to the hills, the palisades, or the periphery. If you're poor or middle-class, living with crime is just another fact of life in La-La Land.

I live in Texas now, by the way. Things may have gotten better (or worse) in L.A. since I last lived in California (1998). My impressions are drawn from the the Riot-Earthquake-OJ (1993-1998) period, so please take them for what they're worth

[luckodeirish]

So where is Jessie Jackson and Maxine Waters, why are they not screaming about the murder of this young black man?

[montag813]

His performances won him nominations for the NAACP Image Awards and the ALMA Awards -- which honor Hispanic performers

Wow, what prestigious awards! < /sarcasm>

I see that they even have affirmative action in acting awards, so when you're not good enough for the real awards you can always win SOMETHING to help your self-esteem as an oppressed minority.

[xJones]

Just out of disgust.

It most be wonderful to be standing on that mountaintop.

In the meantime, we lesser ones need to look back to MLK's statement about "not the color of someone's skin, but the content of their character". Otherwise, it's each one for their own, and we can tribalize Americans. Let's see, there's the Hispanic vote, the Asian vote, the Black vote, the White vote. the Native American Indian vote, the Gays, ....get real, we have to determine what America stands for, and the "my group is the best" business will destroy us all.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Sad news. He seemed like a nice young man. We always enjoyed his role on the Cosby show.

Equally sad,.. are some of the racist assumptions on this thread.

People just "ASS'ume" things before they KNOW the facts.

Prayers for Stanley and his family and friends.

[rdb3]

Help me out here. Are you disagreeing, agreeing, what? I'm having a problem following your logic here.

No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

[Otta B Sleepin]

Was this the boy that Rudy called "Bud"?

No, it wasn't "Bud", whose name on the show was actually Kenny. The character of Stanley joined the cast several seasons later.

[FeliciaCat]

Murder. South Central.

Yep.

[Otta B Sleepin]

Ennis Cosby didn't die in Compton. He was shot to death by the side of the road, on the off-ramp from the 410 North to Mulholland Drive

I thought I remembered it was an upscale neighborhood of some kind. Thanks for the additional facts.

[Doctor Raoul]

Ennis Cosby was shot by a Russian immigrant/illegal right? Guy was cold hearted the way he went about it as I recall.

[Doctor Raoul]

When you lived in Sherman Oaks, did you ever meet the Baker family, in particular, Tiffany Baker?

[Smogger]

Watts is in Los Angeles. The Watts District. South Central is the South Central District. There is Mid Cities, Hollywood, etc. Those are all City of LA.

Compton is a completely seperate city.

[Smogger]

Wow, what prestigious awards! < /sarcasm>

I see that they even have affirmative action in acting awards, so when you're not good enough for the real awards you can always win SOMETHING to help your self-esteem as an oppressed minority.

Gee! I didn't know you were the arbiter of "real" awards. So tell me Leonard Maltin are the Golden Globes "real" awards? What about the Sundance awards? The MTV awards? I wasn't aware that there was only one set of "real" awards out there. Everyone who has ever received an award should consult with montag813 to make sure their award is authentic and of "value."

[mafree]

I didn't know this actor but his death is a shame. Heard on another site that a woman was arrested in connection with this murder. God rest his soul.

[chance33_98]

just look for pasty white corn-fed people wearing khaki shorts, Ohio State sweatshirts, and sandals (with socks) while gawking at the "sights" with their mouths hanging open, fat wallets and fanny packs bulging out on every side and $500 camcorders dangling loosely from their sweaty hands.

Glad to see some fellow Buckeyes (Ranked #1 in BCS, somehow) are out there enjoying themsevles...

[montag813]

Gee! I didn't know you were the arbiter of "real" awards. So tell me Leonard Maltin are the Golden Globes "real" awards? What about the Sundance awards? The MTV awards? I wasn't aware that there was only one set of "real" awards out there. Everyone who has ever received an award should consult with montag813 to make sure their award is authentic and of "value."

You only hammered home my point with your response. Every one of the awards you mentioned do not restrict nominees to racial or ethnic categories. Did you somehow miss this distinction?

[Smogger]

You only hammered home my point with your response. Every one of the awards you mentioned do not restrict nominees to racial or ethnic categories. Did you somehow miss this distinction?

No I miss your point. There are millions of awards and almost all of them restrict nominees in some form or another. Some are only for women, some are only for men, blacks, Indians, little kids, college students, Jews, whatever.

Your only point was denigrate the accomplishments of a dead man who was murdered.

[demosthenes the elder]

I am wondering at the assumptions some on this thread have made. The simple fact of being in an area known to have a rough reputation at a late hour does not equate automatically with criminal intent or activity. I myself keep odd hours, and have since my mid-teens. I myself have been known to drive and walk through rough neighborhoods at all hours. Yet I myself am in no way connected to the drug trade or any other form of illicit activity.
Why assume this actor was?
He could have been out clubbing - hardly an unusual Friday night activity in most American metro areas.
He could have been out visiting friends who keep late hours, also not unusual.
He could have been out profiling to enhance his street-creds - a necessary activity for many celebs who depend upon popularity among black fans.
He and the driver might simply have been cruising - not at all unusual for late-teen/mid-twenties males of any race.
Why then this sudden leap to condemnation, based on evidence so slight and circumstantial that it is evidence of nothing at all?
It looks like racial bias. Is it?

[No Left Turn]

I would be villified by my fellow FREEpers as a drug user/dealer before the casket was lowered.

No. You may be villified by the one person that made the comment. You just broadbrushed Freepers, while complaining that people in SC LA were unfairly maligned by a single incident.