I've had something of a late start, so it's more of a "Last week in gangs." Nonetheless, there's lots to make note of. Most pressing, according to Saturday's L.A. Times, is news that Jonathan Fajardo, accused of killing Cheryl Green in Harbor Gateway because she was black, has black blood himself! (That's him pictured, at age 10.) Sam Quinones talked to Fajardo's mom, who explains the 204th Street gangmember's heritage:
His mother is Mexican and his father is a Creole whose parents are from Belize. He has three half-sisters and a half-brother who are as dark as his victim, Cheryl Green.
His sister was engaged to a black man with whom Fajardo was on good terms. A cousin is dating a black friend of Green's family.
[...]
"He knows he has black blood," said his mother, Luz Andrade, who like other relatives cannot recall Fajardo making racist remarks. "He's had black people around him all his life."
What a relief. Now, is it just me, or is the coverage of 204th Street becoming a bit much? Or at least lacking proper context, despite the fact that 204th Street was included in the city's list of most dangerous gangs. Outlets all over are now poking holes in the list: Here's Michael Krikorian in the LA Weekly quoting cops who were wondering if the list was more politically driven than anything else. He also talked to some people who should know -- gangmembers themselves:
The list does contain some truly dangerous gangs. But it also leaves out very powerful gangs: the Hoover Street Criminals, East Coast Crips, Bounty Hunters, Florencia 13 and Quarto Flats — the old-time Boyle Heights gang with close ties to Mexican cartels.
"It's a bunch of bullshit," said Antony "Set Trip" Johnson, 17, a gang member with the Five Deuce Hoover, a subset of the notorious Hoover Criminals. "We should be on that list. Fuck it. We the most hated gang in Los Angeles."
The L.A. Times also reports that the city's other gang-related top ten list has had some encouraging results. But is that list also politically motivated? When it comes to gangs, asks the Weekly, is the mayor peddling fear? Or just salting someone's game as a best-selling author? (Pictured at right is recent list capture Kody "Monster" Scott.) Down the 710 in scary Cudahy, challengers to the entreanched political bosses barely lost their bid to reform the small city's government on the Election Day that hardly anyone noticed. Maybe the most useful lesson from recent gang news is this: Bangers, stay off MySpace!
* Previously, "This week in gangs: Does the Mexican Mafia run Cuhady?" and "This week in gangs: The camera is mightier than the sword."