Griselda Blanco, gunned down in Medellin, Colombia Two armed riders pulled up to Blanco as she was leaving a butcher shop in her hometown

Florida Department of Corrections

Griselda Blanco in 2004.

The convicted Colombian drug smuggler known as the “Godmother of Cocaine,” Griselda Blanco, 69, was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding assassin in Medellin, Colombian national police confirmed late Monday, according to the Miami Herald.

Blanco spent nearly 20 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking and three murders before being deported to Colombia in 2004, the Herald reported.

Two armed riders pulled up to Blanco as she was leaving a butcher shop in her hometown, and one shot her twice in the head, the Herald reported, citing a report in El Colombiano newspaper.

Family members said Blanco had cut her ties to organized crime after returning to her country, the BBC reported. Police said they were investigating the motive.

Blanco was one of the first to engage in large-scale smuggling of cocaine into the United States from Colombia and set up many of the routes used by the Medellin cartel after she was sentenced in the United States in 1985, the BBC reported.

Investigators told the Herald that they estimate conservatively that Blanco was behind about 40 slayings. She was convicted in connection with three murders: Arranging the killing of two South Miami drug dealers who had not paid for a delivery, and ordering the assassination of a former enforcer for her organization, an operation that resulted in the death of the target’s 2-year-old son, the Herald reported.

Three of Blanco’s husbands were killed in violence related to drugs, the Herald reported, and one of her sons was named Michael Corleone, a reference to “The Godfather” movies.

Blanco is credited with originating motorcycle assassinations, the Herald reported.

“This is classic live-by-the-sword, die-by-the-sword,” filmmaker Billy Corben, who with Alfred Spellman made two “Cocaine Cowboys” documentaries, told the Herald. “Or in this case, live-by-the-motorcycle-assassin, die-by-the-motorcycle assassin.”

Bikie gang suspects in brawl arrests at Penrith shopping centre

FOUR men with alleged links to outlaw motorcycle gangs were arrested last week after a brawl at a Penrith shopping centre. Police officers from the gangs squad and Penrith local area command had been investigating the brawl, which forced shoppers to flee for their safety about 2.45pm last Monday. Police will allege a man was leaving the shopping centre when he was confronted by a group of nine men and fighting began. A number of people tried to intervene, including an unknown male who was assaulted. All involved in the brawl then left the scene. At 7am last Thursday, police simultaneously raided four homes at St Marys, Emu Plains, South Windsor and Freemans Reach. Three men with alleged links to the Rebels were arrested at St Marys and Emu Plains, while an alleged senior Nomads member was arrested at Freemans Reach. During the search warrants, police seized distinctive gang clothing, quantities of anabolic steroids and prescription drugs and a set of knuckledusters. A man, 29, of Emu Plains, was charged with affray, participate in a criminal group and two counts of possess prescribed restricted substance. A man, 44, of Freemans Reach, was charged with affray, possess prohibited weapon, and two counts of possess prescribed restricted substance. A man, 25, of St Marys, and a 23-year-old New Zealand man were each charged with affray and participate in a criminal group. Penrith crime manager Detective Inspector Grant Healey said further arrests were anticipated.

27 charged in California-Mexico methamphetamine ring

 Local and federal authorities moved Thursday to break up an alleged drug trafficking ring connecting a major Mexican cartel and San Gabriel Valley street gangs, arresting 17 people in a pre-dawn sweep. A federal indictment unsealed Thursday charges 27 defendants with making, possessing and dealing methamphetamine imported by La Familia Michoacana, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels, to two Pomona gangs: Los Amables and Westside Pomona Malditos. Seven law enforcement agencies, including the Pasadena and Pomona police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, were involved in the sweep. Thursday’s crackdown is the culmination of a probe called Operation Crystal Light, a 16-month investigation by the San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Gang Task Force. The investigation was launched after a 2011 kidnapping among suspected gang members in Southern California. Officers said they seized nine weapons, an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine, other drugs, and paraphernalia in Thursday morning raids in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The probe involved about 200 law enforcement officers and several undercover purchases. “The goal of the federal task force is to disrupt the network so it’s disrupted permanently,” Timothy Delaney, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Criminal Division in Los Angeles, said. “Today’s arrests took some very serious players in the methamphetamine world off the streets.” The methamphetamine came into the country in liquid form via airplane, boats and cars, officials said. The drug was recrystallized at an Ontario home before local gangs would sell it and funnel money to the Mexican cartel. Most of the drugs were being sold in Pomona and Ontario, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Shawn Nelson. Dealers were selling multiple pounds a day and making up to $9,000 per pound, Nelson said. He described the arrests as “a good dent” in the Mexican cartel’s local drug network. Three suspects were in custody before the raid and seven remain at large, federal authorities said. The indictment alleges that a La Familia Michoacana associate named Jose Juan Garcia Barron oversaw the transport of the meth between Mexico and Los Angeles County. Delaney said Garcia Barron is among the suspects who have not been apprehended. The 17 arrested Thursday were expected to make their first court appearance Thursday afternoon at U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Police think Ogden drive-bys are tied to gang's power struggle

Police believe drive-by shootings at an Ogden home Tuesday night and Wednesday morning may be related to a violent power struggle within a street gang over control of leadership, drugs and money. Ogden Police Lt. Scott Conley declined to identify the gang, but said members are not affiliated with the Ogden Trece. On Monday, 2nd District Judge Ernie Jones issued a permanent injunction against Trece members, banning them from associating with each other in public and being in the presence of guns, drugs and alcohol. The injunction also places Treces under an 11 p.m. curfew. The drive-by shootings at a home in the 500 block of 28th Street are signs of in-fighting among members of a local gang who are attempting to resolve their differences through escalating violence, Conley said. “They are in the same gang and are arguing back and forth,” he said, noting police have gathered intelligence on the dispute. “We are taking enforcement action to eradicate the problem or get the individuals involved incarcerated.” Six to eight gang members are believed to be involved in the dispute.

The nine people believed injured by stray police gunfire outside the Empire State Building were not the first to learn how dangerous a crowded street can be in a gunfight.

 Civilians occasionally find themselves in harm's way when officers use deadly force, though usually only a handful of times annually. When that happens, a rigid process of investigation is set in motion — and the police department can reasonably expect a lawsuit. The latest episode came when police say a man disgruntled over losing his job a year ago shot a former colleague to death and pointed his weapon at two police officers in the shadow of a major tourist attraction. He apparently wasn't able to fire before police killed him, one firing off seven rounds and the other nine. Bystanders suffered graze wounds, and some were struck by concrete gouged from buildings by the bullets, authorities said. At least one person said he was actually hit by a bullet. Robert Asika, a 23-year-old tour guide who was hit in the right arm, said he was "100 percent positive" he was shot by a police officer. A witness told police that laid-off clothing designer Jeffrey Johnson fired at officers, but ballistics evidence so far contradicts that, authorities said.

Tracking a Rare Tattoo-Related Infection

A Trail of Ink: Tracking a Rare Tattoo-Related Infection

An uncommon skin infection led to a doctor's investigation into tainted tattoo ink. (Monroe County Health Department)

The reddish-purple rash, seemingly woven into the tattoo on a 20-year-old New Yorker's forearm, was strange enough to have doctors scratching their heads.

This trail began when the man received a tattoo in Rochester, N.Y. in October 2011. A short while later, he noticed the raised, bumpy rash. He called his primary care physician.

Doctors initially treated the man's arm with topical steroids, thinking that the rash was allergic-contact dermatitis. But that only made the problem worse.

By the time dermatologist Dr. Mark Goldgeier saw the patient, it was clear that this was no simple allergy.

He performed a skin biopsy so he could take a closer look at the rash under a microscope. What he saw was startling: the sample was riddled with a wormlike bacterium related to tuberculosis.

"I explained [to the patient] that he had TB, and he had a look of horror on his face," Goldgeier said.

For the patient, the finding meant a trip to an infectious disease specialist to start up to a full year of treatment.

Goldgeier, meanwhile, called the Monroe County Health Department.

"As soon as biopsy came back," he said, "I knew something in the process of tattooing was involved -- the ink, the water used for dilution, the syringes, the dressings."

And so began a nationwide medical mystery.

An article published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine describes how this one dermatologist helped connect the dots in an outbreak of tattoo-related atypical skin infections.

Dr. Byron Kennedy, public health specialist at Monroe County Department of Public Health, took over the case from Goldgeier. Kennedy first confirmed the results by repeating a skin biopsy on the patient. Once again, tendrils of mycobacterium chelonae, a type of tuberculosis-related skin bacteria, showed up in the sample.

Mycobacterium chelonae is a rapidly growing bug found in soil, dust, water, animals, hospitals, and contaminated pharmaceuticals. This family of bacteria does not commonly affect healthy individuals, but in patients with suppressed immune systems -- like those with HIV or on chemotherapy -- these bacteria can cause serious disease, often resulting in death.

The finding sent Kennedy and his associates to the tattoo parlor where the patient had been inked. Everything in the clinic was sterile, which made it unlikely that the infection had arisen there. But the tattoo artist, they learned, had been using a new gray premixed ink purchased in Arizona in April 2011; he used the ink between May and December 2011.

The ingredients of the ink -- pigment, witch hazel, glycerin, and distilled water -- seemed innocuous enough. But further examination revealed that the distilled water in the pigment was the likely culprit of the contamination.

The finding raised a number of questions -- not the least of which was how the bottles of premixed ink passed U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged this gap in regulations Wednesday in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.

"Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, tattoo inks are considered to be cosmetics, and the pigments used in the inks are color additives requiring premarket approval," the report says.

Armed gang fight breaks out in Venezuelan prison

Twenty-five people were killed and 43 others hurt in a prison battle in Venezuela as two armed gangs vied for control of a penitentiary near Caracas, authorities said on Monday.

NYPD detective suspended after kidnapping victim found in his garage

17-year veteran of the New York Police Department has been suspended without pay after a kidnapping victim was found tied up in his garage. The New York Post reports Ondre Johnson, a detective with the Brooklyn north gang unit, was being questioned in connection with the incident and was forced to surrender his gun and badge. A source tells the Post the 25-year-old victim was snatched off the street on July 26. The victim's friends then got calls demanding $75,000 for the victim's release. The call was traced to Johnson's home, MyFoxNY.com reports. When authorities arrived Friday afternoon, Johnson answered the door and identified himself as a detective with the NYPD. Investigators then found the victim tied up in the garage. Four men have been charged in the apparent kidnapping scheme, MyFoxNY.com reports. 30-year-old Hakeem Clark, who lives in the same building as Johnson, was charged with kidnapping and weapons possession along with 27-year-old Jason Hutson and 27-year-old James Gayle. 24-year-old Alfredo Haughton was charged with kidnapping.

Jamie “Iceman” Stevenson is back on the streets

Jamie “Iceman” Stevenson is back on the streets – less than halfway through his prison sentence for laundering £1million of drugs cash. Scotland’s most powerful mobster has been enjoying meals at expensive restaurants and socialising with pals after being allowed home for a week each month. Stevenson – who was also accused of shooting dead his best friend in an underworld hit – was put behind bars in September 2006 when he was arrested after a four-year surveillance operation by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. He was later sentenced to 12 years and nine months for money laundering. But, we can reveal, he is now allowed out of Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee – just five years and 10 months later. A source said: “He seems determined to show his face all around town to deliver the message that he’s back and, as far as he’s concerned, nothing has changed. “A lot of people are surprised that he’s being allowed out so early. Some are not too pleased about it for a number of reasons.” Stevenson, 47, has been spotted at Bothwell Bar & Brasserie, which is run by his friend Stewart Gilmore. He and his cronies have also dined at upmarket Italian restaurant Il Pavone in Glasgow’s Princes Square shopping centre. And Stevenson has joined friends at various other restaurants and hotels, including Glasgow’s Hilton Garden Inn. A Sunday Mail investigation can today reveal that the Parole Board for Scotland could recommend Stevenson’s total freedom as early as February next year. However, the final decision on his release will rest with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. Yesterday, Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: “I’m surprised to hear this and that anyone in these circumstances should get out of jail before the halfway point of their sentence – far less so when the conviction is of someone involved in organised crime. “The only circumstances where that would be conceivable would be if someone completely changed their lifestyle. But even then that should not be before they’ve served half their sentence. “I’m sure the victims of these crimes – and with drugs there are direct and indirect victims – will also be surprised at this.” To prepare Stevenson for his release, prison bosses have allowed him to stay a full week each month at his modest flat in Burnside, near Glasgow. On Friday, we watched him leaving the property with his wife Caroline and driving off in a silver Audi. A prison service insider said: “The Parole Board expect the prison authorities to have allowed home visits to test suitability for release ahead of the first eligible parole date. In Stevenson’s case, that’s next February. “There are conditions attached which vary but usually include the obvious ones like not mixing with other criminals and staying only at the designated address. “For prisoners sentenced to more than 10 years, the Parole Board make their recommendations to the Justice Secretary, who then decides whether to release on licence. “Stevenson is trying to keep his nose clean to convince the Parole Board that he poses no threat to society. “But, given his high profile and significance, it’s inevitable that the authorities will be careful before making any final decision.” Stevenson headed a global smuggling gang with a multi-million-pound turnover when he was brought down by the SCDEA’s Operation Folklore, which seized £61million of drugs. He faced drug and money laundering charges along with eight other suspects, including his 53-year-old wife. But his lawyers struck a deal with the Crown Office to admit money laundering in exchange for his wife’s freedom and the drugs charges being dropped. Stevenson’s stepson Gerry Carbin Jr, 32, was also jailed – for five years and six months – but was freed in 2010. Stevenson was previously arrested for the murder of Tony McGovern, 35, who was gunned down in Glasgow’s Springburn in 2000. But prosecutors dropped the case through lack of evidence. A gangland source said: “He does not fear any kind of reprisal from Tony’s brothers, nor does he regard any other criminals in Scotland as a threat or even as rivals. He did not fear any other operation in Scotland before he was jailed. Why would he now?” Two years ago, the Sunday Mail exposed a backdoor deal when the Crown handed back Stevenson’s £300,000 watch collection, which had been seized under proceeds of crime of legislation. Last June, he was sent back to high-security Shotts jail in Lanarkshire from an open prison after a major SCDEA drugs probe, Operation Chilon. Detectives believed that the gang they investigated was controlled by Stevenson. Haulage firm boss Charles McAughey’s home was one of 11 targeted in raids. In 2009, we revealed that French police had found 684kg of pure cocaine worth £31million in a lorry owned by McAughey. Chilon resulted in the SCDEA seizing 242kg of cannabis worth £1.21million and the jailing of three men for a combined 15 years.

Four Dead in Gang Related Shooting

Police in Alice are investigating a shooting that occurred near Reynolds Street. According to investigators, it all started on South Nayer Street where police say Isaac Vela was standing on the side of the road waiting for a ride. A vehicle -- with four people inside passed by. One of the passengers, police say, shot Vela in the face. The vehicle fled the scene, but the driver only made it a few blocks before he lost control of the vehicle. It smashed into a nearby school. Three of the four people inside the car died. The other is in the hospital...where investigators will interview him tomorrow. Police say all of the men involved are known gang members.

Tulisa's Friend, 21, Shot Dead In Gangland Hit

Reece James, 21, a close friend of Tulisa Contostavlos has been shot dead in a reported gangland attack. The 21-year-old, who appeared with Tulisa in a video for rapper Nines, was shot in the head in a "pre-planned and targeted" hit, 100 miles from his home in London, reports the UK's Sun newspaper. Police found James' body in Boscombe, Bournemouth, at around 2.30am near where Somali drug gangs are said operate. A 22-year-old man was arrested. Reece was said to have been in the area with some friends for "a couple of months", though had filmed the video earlier this month with Tulisa and rapper Nines on the Church End Estate in Harlesden, North West London. The former N Dubz star caused controversy at the time, making a "C" symbol to the camera - the same sign that is used by Harlesden's notorious Church Road Soldiers gang. Tulisa claimed it was a reference to Camden, where she was born. Twitter tributes began flooding in last night, with one user writing, "RIP Reece James. Thoughts are with him and his family and friends". Local MP Tobias Ellwood described the killing as "a spill over from the drugs turf war in the capital", adding, "This was one London gang chasing down another, carrying out a professional hit and then going back".

Two dead in shooting at Toronto street party, 21 injured

Two people were killed and 21 others injured in what may have been a gang-related shootout at a Toronto street party late on Monday evening, raising fears of violent retaliation in Canada's largest city. In the second high-profile shooting in Toronto in less than two months, a 14-year-old girl and a 23-year-old man were killed. Police said a toddler was grazed by a bullet and is expected to recover, while another victim was in critical condition. "We are very concerned, not only with the quick resolution and solving of this crime, but of the potential for retaliatory violence," Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told a news conference at which he promised to step up police presence in response. He said there was a "strong indication" of gang involvement in the incident. Two people exchanged gunfire at the party, where police had previously responded to noise complaints. One of the injured has been taken into custody as "a person of interest". The shooting took place in suburban Scarborough, about 20km (15 miles) east of downtown. It raised fears about gun violence in a city that takes pride in its relatively low crime rate compared with U.S. urban centers. Canada has very strict laws controlling the use of handguns, and violent crime is usually rare. But barely six weeks ago, two people were killed and six wounded in a gang-related weekend shooting at the downtown Eaton Centre, one of Toronto's top tourist destinations. One eyewitness told CityNews TV that the latest shooting took place at an annual barbecue block party that had been scheduled for Sunday and then moved to Monday after heavy weekend rainstorms. Police said hundreds of people were at the party when the shooting occurred. "I am shocked and disgusted by this senseless act of violence," Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said in a statement. Six weeks ago Ford described the downtown mall shooting where two people died as an isolated incident in "the safest city in the world". "I can assure you, Toronto is not like Detroit," Ford told reporters on Tuesday. The murders were the 27th and 28th this year in Toronto. Detroit, a far smaller U.S. city, had 184 murders by mid-July.

alleged gangster suspected of fatally shooting two women in a Chinatown apartment last month was plucked off a Hong Kong-bound flight at JFK Airport

DANIEL SHAPIRO

HORROR SCENE: Firefighters outside the apartment where two women were shot to death June 29.

 

An alleged gangster suspected of fatally shooting two women in a Chinatown apartment last month was plucked off a Hong Kong-bound flight at JFK Airport yesterday, moments before the jet was to take off, The Post has learned.

The man, whose name was withheld, was led off the Delta flight at 1:45 p.m. by members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and NYPD and PAPD cops.

“He was already in his seat. The doors were closing and the jet was preparing to take off. As soon as this guy saw us, he knew he was had,” said a source.

Police say suspect sought in retaliatory gang shooting in Round Lake Park

Round Lake Park police are searching for a man suspected in what they believe was a gang-related retaliatory shooting. Police Chief George Filenko said a 19-year-old man was shot in his left leg while on a deck behind a home in the 400 block of Highmoor Drive. He said the victim was with at least three other individuals when four or five shots were fired at the group about 9:15 p.m. Monday. Filenko said the victim was reported in stable condition Tuesday at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. It's believed the shooting was in retaliation for the death of a reputed gang member, who was in a sport utility vehicle when he was hit by a landscaping brick hurled at it by a rival in the 400 block of Highmoor on the afternoon of July 17, 2011, Filenko said. He said the two gangs likely were aware of the anniversary date. “It was a matter of time,” Filenko said of the shooting. “We knew it was coming. We didn't know when.” Filenko said the victim from Monday evening's shooting and several witnesses told investigators that a red pickup truck drove around the block several times before the gunshots rang out. He said the suspect exited the vehicle before firing the shots toward the deck. Shortly after the shooting, Filenko said, officers in neighboring Round Lake observed a vehicle matching the description of the pickup truck heading south on Fairfield Road. He said police attempted to stop the truck on Fairfield north of Route 120. After the Round Lake officers spotted the suspect fleeing on foot east into a field, they received assistance from Round Lake Park and Lake County Sheriff's Office canine units. Filenko said police are pursuing leads and are looking for someone whom he called “a person of interest.” Last year, Rogelio Lopez, 18, of Round Lake, was killed when the brick crashed through the SUV's windshield while he was in the front passenger-side seat. Willie Davis Jr., 21, of Round Lake Park, is accused of hurling the brick when he saw a fellow gang member being chased by rivals in the SUV. Davis was charged with first-degree murder. Carlos Luna Jr., 22, of Round Lake Park, was the SUV's driver, authorities said. He was charged with three counts of reckless homicide, five counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing an accident with death and three counts of DUI causing an accident with bodily harm. Authorities said the SUV that Luna piloted hopped a boulder after the brick was thrown into it, then went out of control at more than 55 mph and struck a tree. THIS ARTICLE

Year-long investigation leads to arrest of Livermore man in connection with 2011 gang shooting

second suspect in a 2011 gang shooting has been arrested and charged after an investigation that lasted more than a year, police said. Jesus Ramon Gonzalez, 18, was in Alameda County Juvenile Hall on another offense when police arrested him July 4 in connection with the shooting, Officer Steve Goard said. Gonzalez and 21-year-old Thomas Melching were the chief suspects in a shooting that occurred near Chestnut and North I streets on March 3, 2011. Both victims were treated for their injuries and survived. Melching was arrested in April 2011 and subsequently convicted of assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm. He was sentenced to five years in state prison. Gonzalez was charged with two counts of the same offense by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, Goard said. The investigation into Gonzalez's role was tedious, Goard said. Police used DNA analysis, cell-phone records and received cooperation from witnesses who initially were reluctant to come forward, Goard said. "We worked closely with the District Attorney's office and there were some hurdles," Goard said. "DNA analysis takes forever, and obtaining some of the other records and statements took a very long time." Gonzalez was in juvenile hall after running away from a youth home to which he was sentenced for another offense, Goard said. He will be charged as an adult in the shooting even though he was a minor at the time, Goard said.

Oxnard police investigate two shootings that leave one person dead

Police were investigating two shootings Monday night in Oxnard that left one man dead and another in critical condition. The shootings occurred about 8:50 p.m. about 250 feet apart in the 2500 block of Greenbrook Drive and the 1800 block of O'Neill Place, Oxnard police said. Authorities think the same shooters were involved in both incidents. Police responded to reports of gunshots and found Oxnard resident Jose Gonzales, 19, dead and a 22-year-old man with gunshot wounds to his body, authorities said. The 22-year-old was taken to a hospital for emergency surgery, police said. He was in critical condition Tuesday. An autopsy found Gonzales died of a gunshot wound to the head, said Shasta Gereau, a senior deputy Ventura County medical examiner. Police suspect several people attacked the victims. No arrests had been made yet. Investigators think the incident was gang-related and police were trying to discover who had gang ties and what the motive was, authorities said. Anyone with information may call Oxnard police at 385-7650 or Detective Roger Garcia at 385-7688. Those wishing to stay anonymous may call the violent crimes hotline at 983-7070. The killing was Oxnard's fifth homicide this year and the third in two months. Two men were killed in separate incidents in June. The latest homicide occurred a day after Oxnard police and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced that 81 names had been removed from court-ordered injunctions designed to help Oxnard fight gangs. The people no longer were considered to be members of the Colonia Chiques or Southside Chiques because they had not been in contact with police. They could have gone to prison, moved away, died or ended their involvement in gang activity, authorities said.

Two arrested in Plymouth shooting that left 3 dead, including Scranton Prep student

15-year-old Scranton Preparatory School student was among those brutally shot dead by two teenage brothers in Plymouth Saturday night, eliminated so as to not leave witnesses to a drug deal gone bad, police said. Shawn James Hamilton, 18, and Sawud Davis, 16, face three counts of criminal homicide in the deaths of 15-year-old Lisa Abaunza of Duryea and Bradley James Swartwood, 21, and Nicolas Robert Maldonado, 17, both of 401 First St., Plymouth, where the shooting occurred. Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Davis are charged with attempted homicide in the critical wounding of Nicolas’s brother Danny Maldonado II, 19, who also lived at 401 First St. Lisa had just finished her freshman year at Scranton Prep. According to arrest papers, police arrived at the three-story building at First and Orchard streets in Plymouth at 7:43 p.m. Saturday. A witness said he heard shots and saw two men run from one of the apartments. Inside, a scene of carnage greeted officers Jeffrey Fox and Anthony Gorey. One man lay in a puddle of blood in the kitchen. In the living room, a girl was facedown on a mattress on the floor, a pillow and the wall stained with blood. In the bedroom was another man with a gunshot wound to the head. Yet another victim lay beneath a window air conditioning unit — but this one was still alive. Medics tended to him at the scene and rushed him to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for further treatment. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, acting Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman pronounced Nicolas, Lisa and Mr. Swartwood dead from gunshot wounds. Danny Maldonado remained hospitalized Sunday in critical condition. Brandon Ginthner told investigators he dropped off Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Davis, Mr. Swartwood and one of the Maldonado brothers at the Plymouth apartment some time between 7 and 8 p.m. on Saturday. Mr. Hamilton told state police he had arranged with Mr. Swartwood, who he knew as “Wuz,” and Nicolas, who he knew as “Cannon,” to buy marijuana and sell them heroin. Mr. Hamilton said he paid Mr. Swartwood $250 for half an ounce of marijuana on the way to Plymouth. In the apartment, Mr. Davis pulled out bundles of heroin to show Mr. Swartwood. But when Nicolas reached toward the drug, Mr. Davis took a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol from his waistband and shot him, Mr. Hamilton told police. Mr. Hamilton said he didn’t want to be involved, but Mr. Davis replied that he couldn’t leave any witnesses. Mr. Hamilton told police he walked into the kitchen and heard eight or 10 gunshots in quick succession. Mr. Davis grabbed some marijuana from a table, handed it to Mr. Hamilton and the brothers left the apartment together. When Mr. Ginthner picked up Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Davis shortly afterwards, he took them to the Wyoming Valley Mall where the two brothers bought new clothing and sneakers to replace theirs. The brothers, originally from North Dover Street in Philadelphia, were staying in an apartment rented by Benyell Richardson at Rear 178 E. Ridge St. in Nanticoke. After stopping at their apartment where Mr. Hamilton stashed his apparently blood-soiled sneakers and hoodie, Mr. Ginthner drove him and Mr. Davis to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp., where their cousin, 22-year-old Kenyatta Hughston, remained in what Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said is “seriously critical” condition on Sunday. Mr. Hughston was shot twice in the head while walking on Jay Street, Wilkes-Barre, around 12:35 p.m. Friday. The incident is still under investigation, but police believe Mr. Hughston knew the person who turned the gun on him. Police haven’t found a tie to the Plymouth shootings. “There isn’t evidence in our hands that we can say the two are connected at this point in time,” Ms. Salavantis said. “But obviously there are questions out there: one occurred maybe 24 hours before the other. We are doing everything in our power to make sure we find out what happened in Wilkes-Barre as well.” When police executed a search warrant at the Nanticoke apartment, they found the pistol used in the shootings on a mini-refrigerator next to Mr. Hamilton’s bed. They also found two pairs of bloodstained sneakers. Police arrested Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Davis in Nanticoke on Sunday and they were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker. “Why wasn’t it like this when I got shot in Nanticoke?” Mr. Hamilton wondered aloud as Judge Whittaker, Ms. Salavantis and other law enforcement officials conferred behind closed doors. Mr. Hamilton referred to an Aug. 27, 2010 incident in which he was shot in the lower leg after a scuffle for a gun with Michael Rentko. The two had been arguing over an alleged plot to rob Mr. Hamilton, identified by police at the time as a heroin dealer. Mr. Davis, who is being charged as an adult, is in a juvenile detention center, state police said. His older brother is in Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail. Ms. Salavantis said during a press conference after the arraignment on Sunday her condolences go out to the families of the victims. “Obviously they’re all victims in this situation. Yes, they may have gone into a drug deal, but they still were individuals who should never have been murdered,” Ms. Salavantis said. “This is very emotional,” she added. “… You think of these individuals, these kids whose lives are over now, and you really can’t say anything more.” The preliminary hearing for Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Davis is scheduled for 10 a.m. July 18 in front of Judge Whittaker. State police at Wyoming and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s office were assisted by police from Plymouth, Nanticoke, Courtdale and Edwardsville. “Everybody worked around the clock, put a lot of time and energy into this, to see that we caught the suspects in the shooting,” Ms. Salavantis said. “Because it’s still an ongoing investigation, we may find out more.”

Suspect in Good Samaritan shooting faces more than 300 years in prison

One of the men who pleaded guilty to the 2010 shooting of a "Good Samaritan" who rushed to the aid of a pregnant woman being robbed at gunpoint will find out Tuesday how long he will spend in prison. Jonathan Murray, 22, pleaded guilty in April to charges of criminal street gang activity and three counts of armed robbery. This is the first time criminal street gang activity has been adjudicated in Baton Rouge. The law states the sentence on a criminal street gang activity conviction must run consecutive to other sentences. That means the sentence runs separately from the sentence on any other charges, instead of at the same time. He faces 11 to 346 years in prison for admitting he was involved in the Tigerland shooting that left Charlie Cangelosi badly wounded. Murray is one of three people arrested in connection with the shooting. Prosecutors said Murray was not the shooter. It is believed he drove Read 

Gang Members Accused of Killing Disabled Man Face Murder Charges

 Two reputed gang members accused of killing a developmentally disabled man in Lincoln Acres last year strictly for the thrill of it are scheduled to appear in court in Chula Vista Monday for a preliminary hearing being held to determine if they will have to stand trial for murder. Humberto Emanuel Galvez, 19, and Juan Ignacio Gomez, 21, are charged with murder in the slaying of 21-year-old Jordan Hickey on April 29, 2011. The defendants also face allegations of gun use and gang involvement, according to Deputy District Attorney David Grapilon. Sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of gunfire found Hickey mortally wounded near his bicycle on a sidewalk alongside Grove Street, a few blocks from his home in National City. He died at the scene. “These two defendants were driving around, essentially looking for someone to shoot,” Grapilon said at the defendants’ arraignment earlier this year. “They’d armed themselves with a shotgun.” Galvez and Gomez happened to pull alongside Hickey, who they didn’t appear to know, the prosecutor said. He said they fired “for the thrill of it.” Authorities have not revealed what led them to the defendants, who were arrested in March. A judge will decide at the end of the preliminary hearing whether there is enough evidence to order the defendants to stand trial. If convicted, Galvez and Gomez each face 64 years to life in prison.

FBI seeks public's help to find wanted member of Yonkers' Strip Boyz gang

The FBI is asking the public for help in finding a member of the Strip Boyz street gang known as "Flint Money." Melvin A. Dias is wanted for his alleged involvement in the distribution of crack cocaine and marijuana, the FBI said today. He was indicted June 20 along with other members of the violent street gang that operated in and around the Schlobohm Housing project. Teams of FBI agents and Yonkers police swept through Yonkers early Tuesday, apprehending 13 Strip Boyz, Yonkers police said. Six were already in custody and three were at large at that time. Dias is considered armed and dangerous, the FBI said. He is charged with narcotics conspiracy. Dias is known to have multiple tattoos including: "CCE" on his neck; "Ki Lee Sinia Dias" under his left ear; "Self" on the top of his right hand; and "Made" on the top of his left hand. He is known to frequent Yonkers, Pittsburgh, and McKees Rocks, Whitehall, and South Park near Pittburgh. Police described the Strip Boyz as a violent Yonkers street gang that controlled the crack, heroin, marijuana and PCP drug trade in the Schlobohm housing complex and surrounding areas. Twenty members of the Strip Boyz, including the alleged leaders and chief enforcers, Mark David, aka "Tone," and Leanell Hines, aka "Kip," were charged in an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in White Plains. Two associates of the Strip Boyz were named in two separate indictments. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Dias was indicted, but not captured. The indictments came after a year-long joint investigation by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and Yonkers police into the Strip Boyz. The FBI asks anyone with information about Dias to contact the local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.

Gang-related deaths are on the rise in Denver

Six young men. That's how many have lost their lives in gang-related murders this year between January and May, according to the Denver Police Department. Though there's been much speculation that 21-year-old Rollin Oliver, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Denver police officer Celena Hollis on June 24, was a gang member, the police department and Mayor Michael Hancock have been hesitant to confirm that. Related Content Rollin Oliver: First-degree murder/extreme indifference charge in Celena Hollis murder (12) July 3, 2012 Justin O'Donnell slaying: Denzel Richardson, Marquise Davis charged with murder one (3, 4) June 6, 2012 Justin O'Donnell murder: Denver police justify leaving body uncovered for hours (3, 4) May 29, 2012 Rollin Oliver, busted in Denver cop Celena Hollis's murder, reportedly a gang member (12) June 26, 2012 Reader: Celena Hollis murder can't be blamed on the police June 28, 2012 More About Isaiah GarciaDenver Police DepartmentJames DishmonMurder and HomicideGangs Like this Story? Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox. Here's a rundown of the six confirmed gang-related murders of 2012: On Valentine's Day, 19-year-old Serril Allen was shot in the chest in northeast Park Hill, near East 36th Avenue and Hudson Street. He was taken to Denver Health, where he died shortly thereafter. The police have not arrested anyone for the murder, though Chief of Police Robert White said at a recent community meeting in Five Points that the police "have good information on the majority of gang-related homicides." On March 19, 18-year-old De'Quan Walker-Smith was gunned down near Manual High School in the Whittier neighborhood. At a vigil for the dead teen, his family lamented gang activity in the area. Two people, 20-year-old Mannie Legrand and 18-year-old Quinasia Russell, have been arrested in connection with the murder. A few days later, on March 23, another 18-year-old, Isaiah Garcia, answered his apartment door in Sun Valley just after 1:30 a.m. and was fatally shot in the neck in front of his friends, family and girlfriend, with whom he had a young son. Garcia's family told the media he was just out of jail on a juvenile probation violation and ready to change his ways. The police have not arrested anyone for Garcia's murder. On May 9, four people were shot in Montbello. Three were injured, but 24-year-old James Dishmon died as a result. He was shot near East 55th Avenue and Wheeling Street, while the others were shot near East 51st Avenue and Uvalda Street. The police have not made an arrest in connection with Dishmon's murder. And on the afternoon of May 25, four men were shot in broad daylight near the corner of East Bruce Randolph Avenue and York Street. Two of them — 21-year-old Justin O'Donnell and 30-year-old Deon Rudd — were pronounced dead at the scene. Marquise Davis, 23, and Denzel Richardson, 20, have been arrested and charged with murder

Teen Gang Banger Donald Ray Dokins Arrested for Shooting of 2-Year-old Angel Cortez Nava

The Los Angeles Police have made an arrest in the gang related slaying of a 14-month-old boy near the South LA neighborhood of Watts last month. Donald Ray Dokins, an alleged member of the Fudgetown Mafia Crips, stands accused of firing the shot that took young Angel Cortez Nava’s life on June 4th, according to the LA Times. Police believe that Dokins fired on Angel’s father, Mauro Cortez, because the leader Cortez was wearing a purple shirt. Purple is the color of Fudgetown Mafia’s rival gang, the Barrio Grape Street. The two gangs have been warring in the area of the shooting for almost six months. Dokins is only 15 years old. He is a known associate of the T. Funk Ridas clique within the Fudgetown Mafia Crips and is a suspect in several other murders.

Longtime gangster and founder of the Independent Soldiers Randy Naicker was shot to death in Port Moody Monday.

 

Randy Naicker (right) with Hell’s Angel Larry Amero.

Photograph by: Handout photo , Vancouver Sun files

 

 

Naicker, a convicted kidnapper once targeted by killers at his Vancouver halfway house, was gunned down at about 4:45 p.m. near St. Johns and Queens streets.

Police confirmed Tuesday morning that Naicker was the victim of the fatal shooting.

Vancouver police have been called in to investigate the death, Port Moody's second gangland shooting in a month. Port Moody Police have an agreement with the larger VPD to conduct murder probes.

Witnesses described seeing a masked gunman shoot Naicker several times, then get into a vehicle and leave the scene - a parking area off a laneway and outside a Star-bucks restaurant.

VPD Const. Lindsey Houghton said the incident appeared to be "a targeted gang-related shooting."

"Members of the Port Moody Police and Coquitlam RCMP rushed to the chaotic scene where there had been dozens of people put in harm's way while in nearby businesses and commuting home in rush hour," Houghton said, asking anyone with information about the slaying to call 604-717-2500.

Starbucks Canada said staff members affected by the shooting are able to access counseling services.

The store opened as usual Tuesday morning.

Naicker, 35, had received death threats over the years. Within the last few months, he had been warned by the Gang Task Force that there were people who wanted him dead, according to sources.

While out on day parole in September 2009, Naicker was targeted by killers at his half-way house near Cambie Street and West 21st Avenue.

A worker at the residence had mistakenly written in a log-book that Naicker had gone out to the corner store. In fact, another house resident, Raj Soomel, had strolled down Cambie Street and was gunned down on his way back.

Police later revealed that Soomel had been killed in error by someone looking for Naicker, who had only been out of jail for five days.

Naicker's parole was revoked after Soomel's slaying, but he repeatedly told the Parole Board of Canada he did not believe he was in danger, or that he was the target of the 2009 plot.

"I just haven't had those kinds of headaches where some-one wants to assassinate you," Naicker told board members in a December 2009 hearing attended by The Sun. "The way that it happened, it seemed like it was a targeted incident."

The Sun has learned that the 2009 attack is believed to have been plotted by the United Nations gang against Naicker because two of Naicker's under-lings assaulted a UN member in prison.

Naicker told the parole board he was not a gangster, though some of his old friends were. He admitted he founded the Independent Soldiers, but claimed it was only a clothing line and that he was a businessman.

And Naicker told the parole board that The Sun had caused all his problems by running a photograph of himself and full-patch Hells Angel Larry Amero at a Kelowna party. Both sported their respective gang tattoos on their chest.

Amero was seriously wounded in the Kelowna shooting last August in which Jonathan Bacon was killed. Since then, police have warned of increasing tensions between two rival groups - one dubbed the Dhak-Duhre-UN group and the other some Hells Angels, the Independent Soldiers and Bacon's Red Scorpions.

Less than a month ago, Gurbinder (Bin) Toor, a Duhre associate, was shot to death outside the Port Moody Recreation Centre.

Naicker had known the Bacons for years. While out on bail for his 2005 gang kid-napping charges, Naicker was caught by police with Jamie Bacon and others associated with both gangs at Abbotsford's Castle Fun Park.

Naicker was believed to be living in Burnaby, although he owned a Surrey condo purchased for almost $500,000 while he was still in prison.

He was convicted of the 2005 kidnapping and unlawful confinement in Surrey of a gangster after $400,000 worth of pot went missing and two gang-land associates were murdered. He was sentenced to five years.

At the time of his statutory release a year ago, the parole board imposed special conditions because of the belief he was a marked man. Naicker had to tell his parole supervisor of anyone living with him so that person could be fully informed of the "harmful potential associated with being in close proximity to you."

2 killed in possible gang shooting in LA

Los Angeles police say two people were shot and killed in the Arlington Heights neighborhood in what is believed to be a gang shooting. Spokesman Bruce Borihahn says it's unclear if the two killed were targets or innocent bystanders when shots rang out at about noon on Wednesday. Borihahn says the shooter walked by the victims and fired numerous times at the two male victims near the intersection of West Pico and 6th Avenue. Borihahn says a suspect and weapon are in custody. Borihahn says the incident appears to be gang-related but remains under investigation.

Convicted killer in Bolsa Restaurant gang slaying to apply for mistrial after confession comes to light

Calgary man convicted in the gang-related triple homicide at Bolsa Restaurant on New Year’s Day 2009 will make a formal application for a mistrial, based on a confession by a key witness just disclosed recently. Andrea Urquhart, acting as agent for Real Christian Honorio on Friday, told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Bryan Mahoney that co-counsel Tonii Roulston and Greg Dunn have reviewed the new evidence and will make the application to trial Justice Glen Poelman, likely in August. “We were provided with disclosure from the Crown last week and Ms. Roulston and Mr. Dunn will be making the application for mistrial. “We will be making the application in front of Justice Poelman.” Crown prosecutor Rajbir Dhillon said “that is fine with the Crown.” At issue is the statement “M.M.” made last July 12 to a Mountie near Unity, Sask., in which he confessed to all three slayings. M.M., who was given immunity from prosecution for his testimony as long as he was not one of the shooters, told the RCMP officer he went into the restaurant on Jan. 1, 2009, and fatally shot FK gang member Sanjeev Mann, 23, FK associate Aaron Bendle, 21, and bystander Keni S’ua, 43. However, he testified at two trials, including Honorio’s trial, that he kidnapped Bendle to get to Mann but did not enter the Vietnamese eatery. He claimed he was the driver of a getaway car. Roulston and Dunn were given copies of the transcript of the M.M. statement on May 28, three days after it was received by Dhillon and co-Crown Susan Karpa, then last week received the audio-videotaped statement and reviewed it. The lawyers who represent Real Christian Honorio, 28, on Friday were granted a delay by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Glen Poelman after they presented a partial transcript of M.M.’s audio-videotaped admissions. Dhillon told Poelman on what was to be the ay of sentencing for Honorio that he and Karpa were unaware of the existence of the statement until a Crown prosecutor in Saskatchewan found it while reviewing the file into M.M.’s arrest last summer. He said they were advised and immediately sought disclosure. M.M. told RCMP Const. Eric MacDonald during the interview following the traffic stop, “I was the one that committed it. I run into Bolsa with a f---in’ nine millimetre, a .357, as well as a .45,” M.M. told the Mountie. “I shot (bystander) Keni S’ua, I shot . . . Sanjeev Mann, as well as I shot Aaron Bendle. I murdered them. Nathan Zuccherato did not. Michael Roberto did not. Nicholas Hovanesian did not. Nor did Charleman. I did. I killed them. I murdered them in cold blood.” Shell casings from all three calibres of weapons M.M. mentioned were found at the scene, according to evidence at trial. When MacDonald seemingly ignored M.M. during his arrest and asked him if he wanted to call a lawyer, M.M. challenged the officer and said: “No, I don’t care . . . nope. I want you to live with it. I want you to be the one that says I was the one that let three murderers go.” When the officer again ignored his comments, M.M. repeatedly reiterated that he killed them, including fatally shooting Mann in front of his girlfriend . . . by “myself.” M.M., who admitted at Honorio’s trial that he did enough to be convicted of three counts of first-degree murder because he was involved in kidnapping Bendle the night before the slayings and was a getaway driver outside the restaurant, had denied he was ever inside. Honorio was convicted March 29 by a jury of first-degree murder in the deaths of Bendle and Mann and second-degree murder in the death of S’ua, 43. He faces automatic life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Honorio, a member of the 403 Soldiers gang, was the third gang member convicted by a jury regarding the bloody incident at the restaurant in Macleod Mall at Macleod Trail and 94th Avenue S.E. It shocked the entire city as it came during a bitter gang war that claimed at least 25 lives over five years. Zuccherato, 25, and Roberto, 28, both members of the FOB street gang, bitter rival of the FKs, were found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder last October and sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 25 years. The lawyers said new evidence could affect appeals filed by Zuccherato and Roberto and a potential appeal by Honorio, if he is not granted a mistrial. A fourth man, Nicholas Hovanesian, recently pleaded guilty to kidnapping Bendle and being an accessory after the fact to murder. He has yet to be sentenced.

Charges filed in fatal Murray shooting

28-year-old Magna man has been charged with the shooting death of a man in Murray that was apparently gang-related. Jonas Rodriguez Perez was charged last week in 3rd District Court with first-degree murder for the slaying of Alvert John Mike, 21. Join the Discussion Post a Comment According to charging documents, Perez began fighting with Mike at a party near 6600 South 630 West in the early morning hours of May 19. The party included a group of Sureños gang members. Mike, who arrived as part of a group of Norteños gang members, began throwing gang signs and arguing with Perez, a known Sureños associate, according to charges. When the conflict escalated, Perez chased Mike down the street and shot him, fleeing the scene before police arrived, charges state. Perez, who was arrested in Magna later that day, also is charged with second-degree felony counts of discharge of a firearm and possession of a dangerous weapon. A scheduling hearing is set for July 2 before Judge Robin Reese. Immigration and Customs Enforcement state that Perez was deported in 2010 and is currently in the country illegally. Utah court records show two past traffic citations and a 2010 fugitive warrant alleging Perez was wanted in San Diego for a drunk-driving case involving injury. Porfirio Perez Saligan, 23, allegedly told detectives he was the getaway driver for Perez after the shooting. He has been charged with second-degree felony obstruction of justice

Conclusions in Trial to 37 Zetas Captured in Guatemala

The Public Ministry is starting to give its conclusions here in the trial to 37 accused people of belonging to Mexican criminal group Los Zetas, captured in Guatemala.   According to the information, the Public Ministry will make the summary on more than 250 pieces of evidence given in the process in course in a high court. The accused are indistinctly imputed the kidnapping, murder, attacks against the forces of security, illegal behavior of firearms and ammunition, illicit association, illegal trade, traffic and storage of drugs, among others. The list is long, among them the capture and murder of a prosecutor´s assistant whose dismembered body later appeared in the centre of Cobán, head city of the northern department of Alta Verapaz. Members of that group are accused of having ambushed and shot four policemen in San Pedro Pinula, in the centre-east demarcation of Jalapa.

Murdered Bronx gang member Abdul Garcia Jr. was on streets since 12, tried to go legit, his companion insists

Abdul “Showtime” Garcia, Jr., was found June 4 at Hoe and Aldus Aves. with five bullets in him. Cops said he was a Bloods gang member. A red bandanna adorned the sidewalk memorial to him. Police say Garcia had a long criminal record, was a suspect in a recent shooting that paralyzed a man, and died with a gun in his back pocket. But his common-law wife painted a different portrait. The softspoken, petite 23-year-old woman said he was a doting father to their 4-year-old son and to her 6-year-old boy. Garcia’s companion, who asked that her name be withheld, said she met him in 2006. She said that he left his parents’ home after an arrest, possibly for fighting, that sent him to a youth detention center for as long as three years. When he was released he roamed from house to house, then moved into the shelter where she was staying. “He started living there with me and my mom, and he started taking care of my son that was a month and a half, that wasn't even his,” she said. He was known as Showtime because he was so entertaining. Asked about his gang involvement, she said, “I don’t want to speak about it. But he was a good person...” She said he was always looking for legitimate work. He swept subway station floors, worked in construction, moved stock at the area’s produce markets, and handed out promotional flyers for a dental clinic. But back pain from scoliosis caused him to quit or lose jobs. He got his GED and recently took a test to enroll at Boricua College, she said. Garcia had 33 arrests on his record and 15 convictions, including five for felonies. His companion said that most of those were related to his marijuana use. “He liked to smoke,” she said. “So what? It’s not killing anybody.” Police said Garcia was arrested last year on the upper East side, in possession of a loaded gun and a skimask. He was charged in the May 11 double-shooting at 1000 Hoe Ave., just yards from where he died. Garcia’s companion says police released him because a video showed a larger man doing the shooting. Police said they had a witness who recanted. “To me, it’s just a lie,” the wife said. She says Garcia was in Monticello when the May 11 shooting took place. On June 4, Garcia went out to get soda and juice. “Ten minutes later somebody knocked on the door crying and they said, ‘Show is on the floor.’” She ran out to find him face down in the street under a blanket. “I started yelling at everybody, asking them what happened, what happened, what happened, and nobody would say nothing,” she said. “Everybody was just looking at me, like sad and everything.” She said Garcia wanted to go somewhere quiet, like NewJersey. “He just didn’t want to be around all of this no more. He just wanted to be a family.”

Fatal shooting possibly to bolster San Bernardino gang

Anthony Phillips, 26, of San Bernardino, is accused of fatally shooting Maurice Major, 29, of Riverside, at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of North Sierra Way. Phillips was arrested the next day. He is charged with one count of murder, and prosecutors have added a gang enhancement for Phillips' alleged involvement in a San Bernardino gang. Phillips, who was in San Bernardino Superior Court on Thursday, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. During the hearing in front of Judge James Dorr, a detective and an officer from the San Bernardino Police Department were called as witnesses. They testified about the shooting and gangs in the area. Phillips, also known as Ant, is affiliated with the Delmann Heights Bloods, said Officer Jonathan Plummer, a gang investigator with the San Bernardino Police Department. "(The shooting) enhances the gang by sending a message to rival gang members and to the community - that Delmann Heights is very violent," Plummer said. The officer testified about Phillips' reported noteworthy tattoos, including "DH" under his eyes, "Bloods" on his body, "San Murderdino" on his abs and "Delmann Heights" on both arms. Witnesses told police that Major was also a gang member, Detective Albert Tello testified. Advertisement His street name was West and he was affiliated with the West Covina Neighbor Hood Crips out of Los Angeles County. Recently, Los Angeles County gangs have come into the Inland Empire to sell drugs, Plummer said. Delmann Heights, which has more than 150 documented members, claims the boundaries of California Street to the west, Medical Center Drive to the east, Cajon Boulevard to the north and Highland Avenue to the south, according to police. Following a recent gang injunction in Delmann Heights, several DH members have migrated over to the 1200 block of Sierra to sell narcotics, Plummer said. Major's girlfriend told police that on the night of the shooting they were at a party outside a San Bernardino apartment complex, Tello testified. She told police that 20 to 30 people were there, including Phillips. The two men were familiar with each other, she told police, and at one point Phillips approached Major and asked to speak with him, Tello testified. The two walked away, Tello said, and while they were talking they got into an argument. Phillips then allegedly shot the victim several times in the chest, the girlfriend told police. "After he shot the victim, the suspect ran from the complex, put the gun away and ran toward Fame Liquor," on Base Line, Tello relayed on the witness stand. Major was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Deputy District Attorney David Tulcan said prosecutors are still investigating whether Major had a gun on him that night. Authorities did find a clear, plastic bag with several pieces of suspected rock cocaine on the victim, police said. Testimony in the preliminary hearing will continue on Monday, where a judge is expected to set trial dates. May was a deadly month for the city. There were 12 reported homicides - five in one week. The spate of May violence prompted memories of the 1990s, when gang violence peaked in the area. The number of people killed in the city this year is up to 23

ranking member of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods street gang was sentenced to 63 months in prison Wednesday

A Jersey City man who is a ranking member of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods street gang was sentenced to 63 months in prison Wednesday for his role in the gang’s criminal enterprises, officials said. Tequan Ryals, 34, had pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler, who imposed the sentence in Newark federal court Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. Ryals, with fellow gang members, conspired to distribute quantities of heroin in Jersey City between December 2008 and February 2009, according to court documents and statements. Ryals also made two drug sales monitored by law enforcement in December 2008, officials said. Ryals, who was involved in the daily activities of the Fruit Town Brims from 2004 until his arrest, acted as a middleman drug distributor, officials said. Ryals was supplied “bricks” of heroin by an associate of the set and he resold them to gang members, officials said. The indictment unsealed in January 2011 charged Ryals and 14 other defendants with racketeering conspiracy and other offenses including acts pertaining to murder, murder conspiracy, aggravated assaults, a kidnapping, firearms offenses and various drug distribution conspiracies, officials said. The gang members charged in the indictment ran the gang’s activities in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson and other locations, officials said. In November, Ryals completed a state prison term for drug crimes, corrections records say. Last week, 30-year federal prison terms were meted out to Emmanuel Jones, 28, of Jersey City, and Torien Brooks, 31, of Paterson, both members of the Fruit Town and Brick City Brims set of the Bloods, officials said. Jones and Brooks were charged in the July 2004 murder of 17-year-old Michael Taylor of Jersey City, who was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity during gang retaliation, officials said. Fishman credited a number of law enforcement agencies for the investigation leading to Ryals’ conviction, including the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, and Jersey City Police Department.

Mob snitch who botched three hits ratted out Colombo gangster in murder trial

A mob snitch who couldn’t shoot straight easily pointed the finger at a reputed Colombo gangster on trial for murder. Dino Basciano took the witness stand in Brooklyn Federal Court to testify that he heard Frank (BF) Guerra was part of a hit team that successfully whacked Joseph Scopo in 1993. Basciano, 56, wasn’t much of a hit man himself, botching at least three rubout attempts. In one case, he shot Patricia Capozzalo, the sister of Peter (Fat Pete) Chiodo, telling defense lawyer Gerald McMahon, “I knew I didn’t kill her. She was still screaming when we left.”

Slain teen Ramarly Graham's twin brothers convicted of heading gang

The twin half brothers of Ramarley Graham, the Bronx teen fatally shot by a police officer in February, were convicted Tuesday for gun possenion and being part of a Harlem street gang. Hodean and Kadean Graham were sentenced to eight years in jail for heading a crew known as "One-Twenty-Nine" and "Goodfellas/The New Dons" between 2007 and 2011 in the area around W. 129th Street, between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. The 20-year-old brothers were cleared of attempted murder. "This violent street gang was as young as it was dangerous, its members having been involved in multiple shootings over a four-year period," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said in a statement. Fifteen members of the gang were convicted on charges of drug dealing and weapons possession. Last week, police officer Richard Haste, 31, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter for shooting Ramarley Graham in the Bronx while officers were investigating a drug deal. As officers made the bust, they were radioed that Graham was armed, when he in fact was not. Graham was shot was trying to flush a bag of marijuana down a toilet. Haste's attorney said in court that the officer was conviced the teen was carrying a weapon.

Fears for Chicago teens as fatal shootings in city outnumber US troops killed in Afghanistan

A funeral director in Chicago has revealed how young people in the city do not expect to live late into adult life, as the number of fatal shootings continues to surge.

The worrying revelation by Spencer Leak, Sr. came as it emerged that more people have been shot dead on the streets of Chicago this year than U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan.

'These kids don’t expect to live a full life,' said Leak, who carries out more than 125 funerals a year for homicide victims, many of whom are young adults and teenagers.

Fearful: Chicago funeral director Spencer Leak, Sr. (left) said he buries 125 homicide victims - including teenagers - every year. Pastor Corey Brooks (right) is working with youths to improve their futures

Deadly: At least 240 people have been shot dead in Chicago since January compared to the 144 U.S. troops killed while on duty in Afghanistan in the same time period

'You get about a thousand other kids who come to these funerals,' he told NBC. 'They see how it's celebrated and they think this is how I’ll be celebrated when I get shot.'

Since the start of the year, 144 U.S. soldiers have been killed on duty in Afghanistan, while at least 240 people have been shot dead in Chicago.

 

More...

• Stunning singer who defied Taliban and divorced husband after finding out he had second wife is shot dead as she leaves beauty salon
• Mother-of-three dragged to her death by driver of SUV in front of daughter, 8, after argument over $130 bill
• Pictured: Father who beheaded his daughter in rage over her relationships as he remains unrepentant over attack

 

Over the course of the war since 2001, around 2,000 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan compared to the 5,000 gunfire victims in the Illinois city.

Last weekend seven people were killed and 35 injured, while the weekend before eight were killed and 46 sustained injuries.

Young victims: Six-year-old Aliyah Shell (left), was shot dead on her porch in March this year. Joseph Briggs, 16, (right) was also killed outside his home earlier this month when gang gunfire broke out

 

Latest victim: Tiffany Edwards, 25, was shot dead in a friend's van as they left a gas station last weekend

Overall, homicides have increased by 35 per cent compared to last year, while crime across the nation has decreased for the fifth year in a row, according to data from the FBI.

One recent victim was six-year-old Aliyah Shell who suffered multiple gunshot wounds as she sat on the porch of her family's house in Little Village.

BY NUMBERS: CHICAGO SHOOTINGS

240 People shot dead in Chicago this year

144 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this year

5,000 People shot dead in Chicago since 2001

2,000 Troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001

7 People shot dead in Chicago last weekend

35 People injured in shootings in Chicago last weekend

35 Percentage increase in homicides in Chicago since last year

4 Times more the number of homicides in Chicago compared to New York

A pickup truck had pulled up outside the house and opened fire on the girl, her mother, younger sister and a man. Police found the truck and arrested the two men inside, known gang members.

Chicago's murder rate is currently four times that of New York's and double that in Los Angeles.

'It’s a sad indictment on us,' Leak told NBC. 'I’m talking to at least two-to-three mothers a week whose kids were killed in the streets of Chicago, and I’m just one funeral director.'

He added that young people need to be encouraged to attend church. 'We’ve got to preach to kids and try to show them what they’re doing is wrong,' he said.

Pastor Corey Brooks, who is working to educate youths about their options for the future, added: 'It’s more than just a gang situation. It’s much bigger than that.

'You have one of the most economically hit areas, in unemployment. You have a bunch of different social ills, no spirituality whatsoever. And violence is the result.'

In mourning: Leak said he carries out scores of funerals each year, like that pictured, for young people and teenagers who are the victims of fatal shootings

 

Plans: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (with Helen Hallom whose nephew was shot dead) announced plans to crack down on crime, including targeting liquor stores where gangs hang out

He said members of his New Beginnings church walk through the streets in Woodlawn, Chicago every Friday and Saturday night and there have been no shootings since.

'We need all hands on deck. We need all of the compassionate people we can get to get their hands on this issue,' he said.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel three weeks ago announced plans for combating street violence, including targeting liquour and convenience stores used by gang members as hangouts.

'Whether you are a problem business, a violent street corner, or a known drug market, we will go after you,' Emanuel said on May 31, after a weekend of 10 homicides in the city.

Little Italy shooting victim had long association with bikers, police say

The day after a brazen daytime shooting in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood, a single bouquet of flowers lay outside the Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe in memory of the 35-year-old victim who died at the scene. The shooting during a Euro 2012 soccer match appeared to be targeted, and sources say the slain man once belonged to an outlaw motorcycle gang, prompting police to investigate possible mob links. A second victim was wounded in the attack.

Murdered Strand Gang henchman Joseph Thompson was a prime suspect into the unsolved killing of a rival gang leader

MURDERED Strand Gang henchman Joseph Thompson was a prime suspect in the unsolved killing of a rival gang leader. The 31-year-old was among five arrested by police over the murder of Croxteth Crew leader Danny McDonald, who was gunned down in Norris Green’s Royal Oak pub on New Year’s Day in 2004. He was blasted four times with a powerful handgun as he drank with other Crew members. But despite intense investigations, no one was ever brought to justice over the killing and Thompson was eventually released without charge.  Whether Thompson pulled the trigger or not, the killing sparked a bloody feud between the two gangs, at times transforming L11 into a war zone. Violence culminated in a revenge attack that saw the Strand Gang’s Liam ‘Smigger’ Smith – a close friend of Thompson – shot as he left Altcourse prison in 2006. In the wake of the murder, Thompson, then of Cottesbrook Road, landed himself in court for wearing “inflammatory” clothes which glorified Smith as a True Nogsy Soldier. Police described it as a “show of force” and one witness said it acted as the “mark of territory” of gang members. Thompson was also given a three-year Asbo after the court heard of the misery endured by Norris Green residents at his hands. He was barred from mixing with 34 members of the Strand Gang. In recent years, Thompson rose to the top of the Strand Gang hierarchy and pushed younger members to act as runarounds. “He was an intimidating man, he would force people out of their houses. People had to move to get away from him,” a source close to the gang told the ECHO. “All of the younger members would have had to swear loyalty to him.”

Fifteen members of the brutal Los Zetas drug cartel

Fifteen members of the brutal Los Zetas drug cartel — co-leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales — have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Austin on money laundering conspiracy charges. The 25-page indictment was handed up May 30 and unsealed this afternoon. It accuses the men of funneling the proceeds from drug sales into the United States, where it was used to invest in quarter horses. “The money laundering network of this conspiracy reached from the United States/Mexico border to numerous locations in and near Austin, Texas and elsewhere,” the indictment said. It is unclear how many of the 15 members have been arrested. An initial appearance for one — Eusevio Maldonado Huitron — was scheduled for 2 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Austin. U.S. Alleges The indictment said that Miguel Trevino, also known as “40,” has coordinated the Los Zetas operations in Mexico, including coordinating cocaine and marijuana shipments from South America into the United States. “He was actively involved in the management of the quarter horse activities, including directing funds to pay for the purchase, breeding, training and racing of the quarter horses,” the indictment said. Also indicted were Trevino’s brothers, Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, also known as 42, and Jose Trevino Morales, who the indictment said were involved in quarter horse activities for Los Zetas. Oscar Trevino worked for the gang in Mexico, while Jose Trevino coordinated the activities in the United States, the indictment said. Along with his wife, Zulema Trevino, Jose Trevino operated the gang’s quarter horse activities through various “front companies” operating in Lexington, Okla., the indictment said. The indictment said that through a variety of business entities the members bought and sold horses and paid each other to give the impression that money deposited in their bank accounts had been legitimately earned.

2 Suspected members of Mexican cartel arrested in Guatemala

Two Guatemalans suspected of belonging to Mexico's Los Zetas drug cartel were arrested in a town in northern Guatemala, President Otto Perez Molina said. The suspects "are hitmen and members of the operations group of Los Zetas," which has a presence in northern Guatemala, the president said. Edwin Otoniel Sis and Abel de Jesus Bolvito were arrested at a soccer field Sunday afternoon in Salama, a city about 180 kilometers ( miles) north of Guatemala City, by National Civilian Police, or PNC, officers. De Jesus participated in the May 14, 2011, massacre of 27 peasants at a ranch in Guatemala's Peten province, which borders Mexico and Belize, Perez Molina said, citing investigators. "Abel de Jesus is accused of having participated in the massacre at the Los Cocos ranch," where peasants were shot and beheaded by suspected Zetas gunmen seeking to punish the property's owner, the president said. Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, known as "El Lazca," deserted from the Mexican army in 1999 and formed Los Zetas with three other soldiers, all members of an elite special operations unit, becoming the armed wing of the Gulf drug cartel. After several years on the payroll of the Gulf cartel, Los Zetas, considered Mexico's most violent criminal organization, went into the drug business on their own account and now control several lucrative territories. Los Zetas has been blamed for several massacres in recent years. The cartel was accused of being behind the Aug. 23, 2010, massacre of 72 migrants, the majority of them from Latin America, at a ranch outside San Fernando, a city in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Zetas gunmen set fire to the Casino Royale in Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, on Aug. 25, 2011, killing 52 gamblers and employees trapped inside, most of whom died of smoke inhalation. Los Zetas, which began moving into Guatemala in mid-2007, has been battling local gangs for control of the illegal drug trade. The Mexican cartel, according to Guatemalan officials, is the most dangerous criminal organization operating in the Central American country

Kin Of Mexican Drug Cartel Boss Held In US

U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday that they had arrested the brother of a suspected Mexican drug cartel boss after busting a major money-laundering operation involving horse-racing ventures. According to officials, law-enforcement officers arrested Jose Trevino Morales and six others in raids carried out in Oklahama and New Mexico. Morales is the brother of Miguel Angel Trevino, the suspected leader of Mexico's infamous Zetas drug cartel. Trevino is yet to be nabbed despite continued efforts by the Mexican government. Morales is accused of using champion race horse ranches in New Mexico and Oklahoma to launder millions of dollars in drug money for the Zetas. Officials say he used drug money to buy, train, breed and race American horses. Morales and 13 others were indicted later on Tuesday for money-laundering charges by U.S. authorities. Following the development, US Embassy in Mexico issued a security alert to all American citizens in that country on Tuesday afternoon as a precautionary measure against possible reprisal attacks by the drug cartel. The dreaded Zetas drug cartel was formed by former Mexican special forces soldiers. The Zetas initially served as hit-men and armed enforcers for the powerful Gulf cartel. They later split from their employers and extended their activities to include drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion. The group has been engaged in fierce turf-wars with the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels for control of the lucrative drug smuggling routes into the U.S. The Mexican government claims that the ongoing inter-cartel turf-wars are responsible for the bulk of drug-related killings in the country. According to the Mexican government, more than 45,000 people have died in drug-related violence in the country since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug gangs after taking office in December 2006.

Suspects in Veto Street NW assault, robbery have admitted to crime, court records show

Four of five suspects in last week's brutal Veto Street NW home invasion, robbery and sexual assault have admitted to the crime, police said in court records. "Investigators spoke with four of the suspects, who all admitted to the home invasion/armed robbery," a Grand Rapids police officer wrote in an affidavit for an arrest warrant against the suspects. "The four suspects implicated their co-defendants as the ones who committed the multiple sexual assaults," the officer wrote. Dorian Jones, 20; Rederick Melton, 20; and Brandon Towns, 25, all were arraigned Friday on multiple counts of sex assault and armed robbery, as well as one count of entering a home without permission. A 14-year-old boy is at the Kent County juvenile detention center, so far held on charges unrelated to the June 4 home invasion. But police say he is a suspect in the case. Another man, 19-year-old James Hodges, was the subject of a manhunt until he turned himself in to police Friday afternoon. He is expected to be arraigned today on multiple felonies. Grand Rapids police say a group of mostly college students held a party Sunday night at 646 Veto Street NW. During the evening, some or all of the suspects attended the party. At 4 a.m., after the party was over and the students were asleep, they returned and entered the home through an unlocked door. Some of the people staying at the home were pistol-whipped and tied up. A woman was raped. The assailants took items such as cell phones, wallets, laptops and a television. In the probable cause affidavit, the officer wrote that police responded to the home about 5:30 a.m. "Four on-scene victims reported they were asleep when five black males, dressed in all black, entered their house and assaulted them with their fists and guns," he wrote. "All victims had visible injuries about their face and heads," he wrote.

shooting a cop dead is now legal in the state of Indiana.

Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, has authorized changes to a 2006 legislation that legalizes the use of deadly force on a public servant — including an officer of the law — in cases of “unlawful intrusion.” Proponents of both the Second and Fourth Amendments — those that allow for the ownership of firearms and the security against unlawful searches, respectively — are celebrating the update by saying it ensures that residents are protected from authorities that abuse the powers of the badge. Others, however, fear that the alleged threat of a police state emergence will be replaced by an all-out warzone in Indiana. Under the latest changes of the so-called Castle Doctrine, state lawmakers agree “people have a right to defend themselves and third parties from physical harm and crime.” Rather than excluding officers of the law, however, any public servant is now subject to be met with deadly force if they unlawfully enter private property without clear justification. “In enacting this section, the general assembly finds and declares that it is the policy of this state to recognize the unique character of a citizen's home and to ensure that a citizen feels secure in his or her own home against unlawful intrusion by another individual or a public servant,” reads the legislation. Although critics have been quick to condemn the law for opening the door for assaults on police officers, supporters say that it is necessary to implement the ideals brought by America’s forefathers. Especially, argue some, since the Indiana Supreme Court almost eliminated the Fourth Amendment entirely last year. During the 2011 case of Barnes v. State of Indiana, the court ruled that a man who assaulted an officer dispatched to his house had broken the law before there was “no right to reasonably resist unlawful entry by police officers.” In turn, the National Rifle Association lobbied for an amendment to the Castle Doctrine to ensure that residents were protected from officers that abuse the law to grant themselves entry into private space. “There are bad legislators,” the law’s author, State Senator R. Michael Young (R) tells Bloomberg News. “There are bad clergy, bad doctors, bad teachers, and it’s these officers that we’re concerned about that when they act outside their scope and duty that the individual ought to have a right to protect themselves.” Governor Daniels agrees with the senator in a statement offered through his office, and notes that the law is only being established to cover rare incidents of police abuse that can escape the system without reprimand for officers or other persons that break the law to gain entry. “In the real world, there will almost never be a situation in which these extremely narrow conditions are met,” Daniels says. “This law is not an invitation to use violence or force against law enforcement officers.” Officers in Indiana aren’t necessarily on the same page, though. “If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he’s going to say, ‘Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,’” Sergeant Joseph Hubbard tells Bloomberg. “Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law.” “It’s just a recipe for disaster,” Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police President Tim Downs adds. “It just puts a bounty on our heads.”

Reputed Bloods gang member charged with Bound Brook murder asks to move trial

A reputed Bloods gang member charged with fatally shooting a Teaneck man near the Bound Brook train station last year has asked a Superior Court judge to hold his trial somewhere else. James Ford, representing himself in a Somerville courtroom today, said he’s concerned by the publicity of the case and by what he called a violation of his due process rights. "It’s clear I won’t receive true justice here," he told Judge Julie Marino. Ford, 36, of Phillipsburg, and his 22-year-old half-brother, Elijah, of Freemansburg, Pa., allegedly gunned down Damian Williams, 24, and wounded South Bound Brook teenager Kendell Harrell during an apparent gang meeting on March, 19, 2011. Ford has maintained his rights were violated, saying crucial details regarding Williams’ background were kept from the grand jury last May and led to "trumped-up charges." Both brothers are trying to have their indictments dismissed. Offering glimpses of what may have happened the night of the shooting, Ford today recalled how threats on his life and his family forced him to go to the meeting, and that he and his brother were armed because they were entering a dangerous situation. He said Williams was the leader of the gang members and a confidential informant for authorities, and that Williams called the meeting to entrap Ford. The entrapment claims, however, were met with confusion by Marino and the prosecution. "That really, logically, makes absolutely no sense," Assistant Prosecutor W. Brian Stack said. Stack also disputed the argument by Elijah Ford’s attorney, Steven Lember, that the state couldn’t prove his client was anything more than an accomplice. According to Stack, the evidence — such as witness statements that the brothers fired weapons simultaneously — was enough to say he had a bigger role in the crime. Marino said she would decide on the dismissals and change in venue later. She expressed concerns about James Ford’s claim that he and his brother were placed in a holding cell with witnesses in the case. She asked Stack to address the situation with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the county jail. "That does sound like a recipe for disaster to me," she said. Jail Warden Charles O’Neill and Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano declined to comment. A trial date has not been set.

Gang members indicted for murder in Dodge City

Federal prosecutors in Kansas unsealed charges Friday against 23 members of a Dodge City, Kan., street gang, including counts alleging racketeering and murder. Members of the Nortenos allegedly killed Israel Peralta and wounded another man near a Dodge City trailer park in June 2009, said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “They engaged in drug trafficking, robbery and even murder for the purpose of expanding their power, wealth and influence,” Grissom said. The indictment culminated a two-year investigation of the Nortenos by Dodge City police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and other law enforcement agencies. The racketeering portion of the indictment includes numerous allegations of violent crimes, including murder, attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges also contend that the Nortenos robbed Guatemalan immigrants who worked in nearby beef packing plants, finding them easy targets because the victims often did not use banks and tried to avoid contact with law enforcement. Dodge City Police Chief Craig Mellecker said increased gang violence prompted authorities to open the investigation. The federal indictment included counts against Jason Najera, 28, who is alleged to have been the leader of the Nortenos. Those facing murder allegations include Pedro Garcia, 25, Gonzalo Ramirez, 26, Russell Worthey, 23, and Anthony Wright, 26. “Gangs of armed men will not be permitted to prey on the weak or to exchange fire while the rest of us scramble for cover,” Grissom said.

Greenville Gang Member Arrested For Shooting

A gang member in Greenville is behind bars today, accused of shooting a fellow gang member one week ago. Greenville police say Rontrell Hooks was arrested Wednesday night. Police officer Drueschler located Hooks on Frontgate Dr. around 10:40 p.m. Police say Hooks ran but was captured after a brief foot chase. Hooks is now charged with Assault With a Deadly Weapon With Intent to Kill for the shooting of Jamar Clark on River Bluff Drive on the afternoon of May 3. Both Clark and Hooks are members of the Bloods street gang, police say. Hooks was also charged with one count each of Resist, Obstruct & Delay, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Hooks was jailed under a $200,000 secured bond.

Lorain police keep heat on gang members

Although it’s only been two weeks since police started sweeping gang members off the streets, several people in the city are seeing a change in the city. “I think we noticed the difference,” Lt. Mark Carpentiere said. “There’s been no shootings or any other gang related violence. It’s been quiet as far as that’s concerned.” Police have in custody 18 of the 22 targeted members of a gang called MOB for Member of Bloods or Money over Bitches. Police Chief Cel Rivera said there has been a palpable lack of violence since the first round of arrests on May 4 got 11 men and a 16-year-old boy who are suspected gang members and would like to see it stay that way. Police believe the gang is responsible for nine of the last 12 murders in the city in the past four years and a slew of other violent crimes including home invasions, shootings, intimidation and drug trafficking. Rivera has received several letters and comments from people thanking police for this operation. He said officers have also said they feel that it’s been safer on the streets for them. Ward 4 Councilman Bret Schuster praises the Lorain Police Department for keeping the city safe. “I can’t say enough about the effort put forth by all the members of the police department who were involved in making the arrests. They haven’t completed the job yet, but it’s going to have a big impact on the city of Lorain,” he said. He added that several constituents have expressed that they are pleased with the work the police has done. The seven-month operation began when police turned to the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium to learn about new techniques to fight crime. NOVCC introduced them to new software, Analyst’s Notebook, which the Lorain Police Department purchased for the operation. Police enter data names and dates into a computer. The program identifies relationships, where the violent crimes were taking place, who was arrested and who was accused. The names that popped up as the most active criminals were among the 22 that were targeted.

Bust of gang offers hope for Dodge City immigrants

The scars on Jose Aguilar’s hands are pretty standard stuff for a man who’s made a rough living carving up cattle. He dismisses them as “nada” — nothing. It’s the mark on his scalp, where he was clubbed with a tire iron, that leaves a lasting mark on his psyche. Aguilar is like so many immigrant workers in town who provide easy prey for American born-and-bred Latino gang bangers. He’s in the country illegally. He speaks virtually no English. He is, he says, essentially illiterate even in Spanish. Many of his fellow Guatemalan expatriate slaughterhouse workers don’t use banks, consequently carrying and stashing cash — drawing robbers like ants to a picnic. They’re also smaller than just about everybody else in Dodge City. And they tend not to call the cops. So the thugs who busted into his home a few years ago could reasonably think they could bully him as they pleased. “They can do what they want to us,” said Aguilar, who’s scheduled for deportation this summer. That may be changing. The message from the Dodge City police chief that even immigrants in the country illegally should call for help — “we want to protect them from crime, and that’s it” — seems to be getting through. And earlier this month 23 members of the Nortenos gang in Dodge City were swept up in a federal racketeering indictment with allegations ranging from robbery to murder. The resulting arrests have carved the heart out of what has been a harrying presence in the poorest neighborhoods on the east and south sides of town. For years the gang had posed a menace in Dodge City: red-clad young men dealing methamphetamine and robbing the transient immigrants who flock to jobs in western Kansas slaughterhouses. It’s tempting to look at what’s been happening in Dodge City in recent years as Latino-on-Latino crime. Indeed, some of what was spelled out in the racketeering indictment stems from gang tit-for-tat, beatings that begat payback stabbings that spawned drive-by shootings between rival outfits. Yet what sustained the only occasionally employed gang members, police and prosecutors say, was ruthless extortion of immigrants, people who came to western Kansas — some legally, some not — to eke out a modest living in the stench and tedium of beef packing plants. One 30-year-old man supports his small family — and sends hundreds of dollars each month back to relatives in Guatemala — carving the bones out of chuck roast at the National Beef Packing Co. plant in Dodge City. He remains, he says, constantly aware of young men with the cholo look of tough guys. “I don’t go out at night. I don’t walk places,” said the man, who spoke through a translator and asked not to be named because he’s in the country illegally. “I avoid people I don’t know.” Too many of his friends have been robbed coming from check-cashing shops or had their doors kicked in by robbers in gang colors. Gang presence Police say gangs first gained a toehold in Dodge City in the early 1990s. Then, as now, the members were teenagers and young men who adopted the name and aesthetic of the Nortenos —a gang born in California prisons. Nortenos, Spanish for northerners, named themselves such because they came mostly from northern reaches of the state. Surenos, or southerners, are their chief Latino rivals. Police say the connection between the large California gangs and those in Dodge City is the loosest of affiliations. The Dodge City guys, they say, mostly copied what they could learn about the Californians. The Dodge City Police Department sees the local gang bangers as a bunch of knuckleheads, albeit dangerous knuckleheads willing to threaten cops and not much concerned about the peril they pose to people sometimes caught in the Nortenos-Surenos crossfire. Cops describe the membership as guys who rarely take legitimate jobs, who both sell and use meth. Despite their robberies and burglaries, they seem always to be in need of more cash. And nearly always, particularly on the Thursdays when packing house workers get paid, that needed cash is never too far away. “The Guatemalans who come here are hard-working people,” said Sister Angela Erevia, the director of Hispanic ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City. “They’re also very docile.” So it became all too commonplace for young workers leaving a convenience store to be beaten by far bigger, often armed, gang members for the money they’d just pocketed after cashing their paychecks. Just as common were night-time break-ins, where typically four to six men, often masking their faces with bandanas, would kick in the doors of the rental homes of Guatemalans. “Happened all the time,” said Dodge City Police Lt. Colleen Brooks. “These guys would pistol whip anybody.” Afterward, threatened with murder and fearful that contact with any authorities might invite deportation, immigrants have often kept such attacks to themselves, Brooks said. Donald Stull has been studying the crossroads of immigration and meat packing for years. The University of Kansas anthropologist describes desperate workers taking jobs that few American-born folks are willing to tackle. The packing houses are basically disassembly plants that reduce giant herds of cattle into sirloins and hamburger at an incredible clip. (The Cargill plant in Dodge City, for instance, employs about 2,700 people slaughtering 6,000 animals a day.) The immigrant workers may be reluctant to use banks because they never have, he said. And they can be reluctant to seek help from police for cultural reasons even if they’re in the country legally. “White Americans tend to think the policeman is generally your friend,” Stull said. “It very easily might not have been that way if you grew up in Guatemala, where he wasn’t necessarily there to help you.” Dodge City Police Chief Craig Mellecker said his department went to local churches for help. (Services at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday afternoons are conducted in the Guatemalan dialect of Quiché for parishioners who speak neither English nor Spanish.) The department gave tips on how to identify gangs from their tattoos and the way they dress and gave advice on using banks. “Mostly, we wanted to get across the message that we didn’t care about their (immigration) status,” Mellecker said. Meantime, the Police Department started working with agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about three years ago. The ATF was interested in the illegal use and sale of guns. Gang members are accused of selling guns stolen in burglaries on a black market. That opened up an opportunity for federal involvement, resulting in federal racketeering charges. Building a case Investigators slowly began piecing together a case that would put the Nortenos in reach of the federal courts and their famously tough sentencing standards. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said the case posed a chance to rid Dodge City’s streets of its latter day gunslingers. It could be hard at times getting victims to cooperate because so many feared that stepping forward would either put them at risk of gang retaliation or expose anyone in a household whose immigration status was dicey. “We didn’t care about that,” Grissom said. “The bullets don’t separate who’s documented and who’s not.” It led to a case that Grissom took to a grand jury this spring and that produced an indictment returned in mid-April. The charges remained under court seal for almost four weeks until all but one of the defendants was arrested. The 38-count indictment named the reputed leader of the local Nortenos, 28-year-old Jason Najera, and a cast of characters with nicknames such as Wee Wee, Pistol Pete, Cheese, Beaver, Shrek and Bugsy. They formed two local chapters of the Nortenos, the larger Diablo Viejos (old devils) and mostly older gang members that go by LCC (an acronym for a vulgarism). Just one of the nearly two dozen men charged in the case was identified as an illegal immigrant. The grand jury contended the Nortenos aimed at “keeping victims in fear of the enterprise and in fear of its members and associates through actual violence and threats of violence.” To that end, according to the charges, gang leaders demanded potential members commit at least two acts of drug peddling, robbery or murder to earn a place in the Nortenos. Doing so, the charges allege, established their standing within what amounted to a miniature crime syndicate as defined by the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO. Crimes alleged in the indictment date back to 2008 and stretch to this February. They include multiple conspiracies to commit murder, including in the killing of Israel Peralta and the wounding of another man outside a Dodge City trailer park. Police believe that incident stemmed from Nortenos mistaking a beer-drinking group of men for their rivals, the Surenos. Some of the other crimes stem from what authorities view as gang-on-gang violence. Most of the victims, however, were meat cutters, targeted by the gang for their vulnerability, authorities say. The cinching of the indictment elated the Dodge City cops, who quickly mobilized teams to round up the defendants. Over the last two decades, the city has seen gang crime rise and fade, often peaking before a big bust, then peaking again when key players walk out of jail. This, though, is hoped to be different. RICO convictions could lead to prison sentences that convert young suspects into middle-aged convicts. Rounding up 23 gang members in Dodge City, said U.S. Attorney Grissom, is akin to arresting 200 in Kansas City. The city is ringed by grain elevators that supply sustenance to surrounding feedlots where the cattle are fattened before slaughter. Its main drag is Wyatt Earp Boulevard, now filled with chain restaurants and motels. Dodge City is home to about 27,000 people on the eastern edge of the Great Plains. Its industry is anchored by two large packing plants. They’ve helped keep unemployment below 5 percent. Unlike much of western Kansas, Dodge City has been growing steadily in the 21st century on the same cattle trade that founded the community in the 19th century. The difference now is that immigrant packing house workers continue to shift its demographics. In 2000, the city was about 43 percent Latino. Today that number is more than 57 percent. Now Dodge is bracing for what the racketeering case could bring. The disappearance of significant numbers of Nortenos in the past has led to a bolder Sureno gang, and vice versa. But local authorities hope the racketeering case sends an intimidating message to gang members that the possibility of stiff prison terms makes the thug life unattractive. At the same time, there’s hope that it adds to gradual gains in the willingness of immigrant packing house workers to come forward about beatings and robberies. “I don’t want this place to be like some border town where everybody’s always living in fear,” said Rebecca Escalante, the owner of Becky’s Bail Bonds and Income Tax Service. “Maybe this will help.” Yet the gains are tentative. To so many of the immigrants there’s a sameness to American law enforcement types. For those in Kansas illegally, there’s always the worry of raids of undocumented workers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. “We could be back,” said Brooks of the Dodge City police force, “to them being scared of all of us.”