The Assassination of Deputy Abel Escalante

LA Weekly ^ | Oct. 14, 2009 | Christine Pelisek

[AtlasStalled]

The Avenues gang and Mexican Mafia may have assassinated Los Angeles County Deputy Abel Escalante as "payback for the spectacular LAPD shootout on Drew Street in June 2008 that forced the closure of local streets, caused the evacuation of two nearby public schools — and left AK-47–wielding menace Danny 'Clever' Leon bloodied and dead in the street":

Deputy Escalante had nothing to do with LAPD’s killing of Leon last year. The 27-year-old officer most likely heard about it on the news, like everyone else. But, federal prosecutors believe, Escalante died for it. Seeking revenge, the dead man’s friends months later went looking for a cop who would be an easy target at his home. Escalante was killed because he was convenient. The scenario suggests a new level of chaos in the area’s streets. As LAPD Captain Bill Murphy, of the Northeast Division, says, "It's a different breed of gangs. Not a lot are out there, shooting at and killing cops. That's when it gets way out of control."

[AuntB]

The point I’m trying to make is Mexico will not extradite a murderer to the US IF we charge the death penalty. We more often than not waive it, and even Bush has come to Mexican Murderers defense against the death penalty.

[snip]None of those extradited faces the death penalty, but they could receive life prison sentences if convicted. Mexico does not have capital punishment and will not extradite people unless U.S. prosecutors agree not to seek the death penalty.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jan/24/1n24extra232054-ex-cartel-members-appear-sd-court/

[Zhang Fei]

The point I’m trying to make is Mexico will not extradite a murderer to the US IF we charge the death penalty. We more often than not waive it, and even Bush has come to Mexican Murderers defense against the death penalty.

I hear where you're coming from. The reality, though, is (based on the abolitionist article) we do put Mexican citizens captured domestically on Death Row, and that California has almost 60% of all Mexican Death Row inmates in the entire US of A. So it's clear that while some are getting away with their capital crimes by fleeing to Mexico, not everyone is. Mexico's problem is compounded by prison breaks - 22 of which had occurred for 2009 by the end of May. (In Mexico, escaping from prison is not a crime, and no time is added on for prison breaks if the prisoners are recaptured).

[Zhang Fei]

Salinas is now a war zone and everyone admits it. How did it get that way? Simple - a corrupt and violent subculture moved in and became dominant because no one would do anything and if they did, protests & riots & lawsuits were staged to stop them.

The crime-free Salinas of yore is obviously history. But, on the brighter side, the violence appears to have flattened out. Here are the numbers from City Data:

Crime in Salinas by Year

Type	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Murders	12	18	15	20	19	17	7	7	14
per 100,000	9.7	14.2	9.7	12.8	12.6	11.4	4.7	4.7	9.6
Rapes	60	62	56	59	57	69	43	45	51
per 100,000	48.7	49.1	36.4	37.7	37.9	46.1	28.8	30.5	35.1
Robberies	346	448	399	367	399	452	335	383	378
per 100,000	280.8	354.7	259.3	234.3	265.5	302.3	224.6	259.2	260.2
Assaults	737	734	799	692	725	678	645	683	711
per 100,000	598.0	581.1	519.3	441.9	482.4	453.4	432.4	462.3	489.5
Burglaries	729	808	843	757	837	918	935	907	1,205
per 100,000	591.5	639.7	547.9	483.4	556.9	613.9	626.8	613.9	829.6
Thefts	3,764	3,760	4,102	4,013	5,163	4,549	4,339	3,718	3,332
per 100,000	3054.3	2976.7	2665.9	2562.4	3435.0	3041.9	2908.8	2516.4	2294.0
Auto thefts	650	627	765	926	1,415	1,297	1,504	1,398	2,341
per 100,000	527.4	496.4	497.2	591.3	941.4	867.3	1008.3	946.2	1611.7
Arson	31	63	53	58	51	37	35	29	37
per 100,000	25.2	49.9	34.4	37.0	33.9	24.7	23.5	19.6	25.5
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 320.9)	468.0	493.9	415.0	398.0	483.4	475.0	427.2	423.4	502.1

[Regulator]

Note that this stops in 2007.

The fun has been increasing of late. Morning news showing streets literally with blood running on them...and our dear, dear CongressNitWit, Sammy "I luv the UN" Farr blubbering that "it takes a village" to stop this carnage (he actually said that).

Personally, I think we should just send in the 1st Marine Division and retake the town for the United States.

[Zhang Fei]

The fun has been increasing of late. Morning news showing streets literally with blood running on them.

24 dead so far this year, compared to 25 in all of 2008. Quite a swing up from 14 in 2007.

[calex59]

"If we just go out and start taking out gang members, we become just like them."

No. The taking of lives in defense of society, in defense of our homes, wives and daughters is legitimate.

The gangs have no legitimacy outside of the warped minds of the members and enablers.

In the 1930s they shot down people like Dillenger, Baby face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde and others on sight. There was no warning, no negotiations, just shooting them down in the streets like the dogs they were. They didn't have no knock warrants, they didn't break into the wrong homes and shoot people's dogs and kill innocents. The caught the people they were after out in the open and simply shot them. Bank robbery and the indiscriminate killing of innocent bystanders by the robbers in the 1930s came to a screeching halt after that. They were still faced with Prohibition but legalizing booze took care of that.

Two ways to stop this sh** in the states(not just in CA). One: Name the worse gangs and put them on a list. Outlaw them and say that their members will be shot on sight, and then do it. Use roving police patrols to accomplish this. Two: Legalize most drugs, including MJ and cocaine, this will take the money out of it for the gangs and end this crap in a hurry.

Using both these methods quickly and mercilessly would stop this crap right now.

[21twelve]

In Northern Minnesota you can legally hunt feral dogs. Even house dogs with collars that only run with the pack once in awhile. Just sayin.