Updates on weekend Harbor Area killings
Harbor Division homicide detectives are handling a couple of weekend killings.
Just talked to Jim Perkins, who heads the unit:
Just talked to Jim Perkins, who heads the unit:
We possibly will get an update later today on the shooting near the Village Pub at 25th Street and Western Avenue.
Francisco Esparza, 25, of San Pedro died in that one, which occurred at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Two men in a vehicle shot him. Esparza is a gang member.
Police tell me the problem began with some women fighting. Somehow it ended with Esparza dead.
The people involved had been at the bar, but the problems began outside.
In the other killing, a woman found shot in the head in an alley near the 1600 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Harbor City has been identified.
She's Shanta Lucero, 22, of Long Beach.
Police don't know much more than that, but figured out she wasn't killed there. Whoever shot her, did it somewhere else, and dumped her body in the alley. She was discovered about 12:05 a.m. Sunday.
Detectives are trying to determine where the crime occurred.
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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YOU KNOW ESPARZA WAS MORE THEN A GANG MEMBER. HE WAS A FATHER OF 3 BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRLS THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HIMSELF WERE RAISING!! HE WAS A FATHER, A SON, A BROTHER, AND A WONDERFUL FRIEND!! WHAT HAPPENED SATURDAY WAS A HUGE TRAGEDY. SOMETHING THAT HE DIDNT DESERVE!! HE WAS A HARD WORKER THAT HAD BIG DREAMS FOR HIS FAMILY AND WAS WORKING HARD TO BETTER THEMSELVES!! YOUR COMMENT REALLY ANGERED ME BECAUSE REGUARDLESS OF SOMEONES PAST, NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE LIKE THAT!
INSTAED OF SAYING HE WAS A GANG MEMEBER YOU SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN HE WAS A SINGLE FATHER
A GREAT ONE AT THAT, A HARD WORKER WHO WORKED ON THE REFINERIES EVERYDAY TO BETTER HIS FAMILY, A LOYAL FRIEND WHO ALWAYS HAD A SMILE ON HIS FACE. HE WILL BE MISSED BY ALOT OF PEOPLE FROM SAN PEDRO TO LAKEWOOD ALL THE WAY TO ORANGE COUNTY.
I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
larry,
you reported that "two men in a vehicle shot him." but you later reported that the man suspected of shooting Esparza turned himself in.
can you clarify/explain the discrepancy?
thank you Benavidez Family,well said,but there`more.Pancho was also loved by his many,cousins,aunts and uncles,nieces/nephews who will miss him very much.francisco was a fully registered member of the Muscogee Creek nation,a true native american ,who wore his long braided hair proudly.looking at him there was no question of his heritage,his people have lost another proud warrior.this coming from his "uncle Pete" who already misses him like as if he was his very own son.the Blands all loved him ,and always enjoyed his presence.we appriciate this space to voice our feelings.
actually I can't. I don't know if there's another suspect they plan to arrest.
Mr.Altman,
It's in my opinion that your 18 years of experience has some what made you a cold person. So what if Esparza was a gang member, (he was murdered) there is no excuse for that. Maybe you can use Mr Esparza's death as one of your " I remember when" stories to your colleagues! Oh i don't think ill mix in any Laker's basketball talk today!!
Mr.Altman,
It's in my opinion that your 18 years of experience has some what made you a cold person. So what if Esparza was a gang member, (he was murdered) there is no excuse for that. Maybe you can use Mr Esparza's death as one of your " I remember when" stories to your colleagues! Oh i don't think ill mix in any Laker's basketball talk today!!
Come on people. Calm yourselves just a bit. Larry does his job of acknowledging the happenings in our communities. He reports the facts as he knows them. If he has something wrong, help him out. Your family member will be missed, his children will have to be helped to remember their daddy, and hopefully justice will be served. Think about it...don't be mad at the wrong people. Time heals and when you all feel just a little bit less pain, turn your anger into something positive. Tell his story to the people who count in YOUR life. It matters to you that he was a good father, that he was making a better life for himself and his children, and it really matters to you that he died so young and so tragically. We get it. But do you? Do you really know what this means? People are not only stereotyped by their looks and their past, but they are killed for it. You can either be angry and join all of the other raving lunatics or you can miss your loved one and become a better person in his honor and in his memory.
This post is coming from someone who lost a close family member 3 years ago TODAY in an unprovoked act of violence. Rest in peace Miguel...and know that I am a more tolerant person in your honor. I miss you and I love you.
PONCHO WAS MY BROTHER AND I CAN TELL YOU HE WAS NO LONGER LIVING THE GANG LIFE HE WORKED 12 HOUR DAYS 6DAYS A WEEK,AND THIS NIGHT HE WAS MURDERED IT WAS HIS DAY OFF AND HE WAS CELEBRATING A PAY RAISE HE JUST RECEIVED.HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THIS...MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU WILL GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT!
we are all going through a hard time pancho was the best daddy to our girls and worked so hard.i still can't let it go this is a ugly dream my girls and i are realy taking this hard also his mom.we will make sure this guy will pay four my girls daddy we cant tell pancho how much we love him no more. we cant hug him no more we cant even see him its hard 4 us.all make sure this guy never see's the streets agin im not a hatefull person i know its all in gods hands all i can do know is pray.in god i trust
Whether he was still living the gang life or not, everyone knows that it's not easy to escape that stigma.
Regardless of his status, he didn't deserve to die.
those gang members go to all the local bars and mess with innocent ppl that or jus havn a good time
larry altma is ugly
Thanks Tyrone, I'll pass that along to Larry Altma
Larry Altman
WHAT ABOUT? THE LAME ASS PUNK THAT WONT TAKE A ASS WHIPING LIKE A MAN AND TAKE A LIFE OF A FATHER OF 3. HEY WE ALL KNOW STUFF HAPPENDS AT BARS FIGHTS BLACK EYES ALL THAT STUFF. TAKE IT LIKE A MAN AND LIVE 2 SEE UR KIDS THE NEXT DAY.BUT THIS COWARD WAS A PUNK AND TOOK A LOVED ONES LIFE. AND ALL U CAN SAY IS THAT PANCHO WAS A GANG MEMBER. HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR PANCHO A WORKING FATHER OF 3. ITS JUST A BIG LOST ON BOTH SIDES. WE LOST A HARD WORKING FATHER. AND THEY LOST A LAME COWARD THATS BRINGS GUNS 2 A BAR FIGHT. RIP PANCHO U R MISSED BYE ALOT OF PEOPLE
I agree with your comment. Regardless of his reputation or life style, he didn't deserve to die. Do we have an update on the case?
All I have to say is I love you Pancho!!!. fuck all thez white people that say we are gangsta.my love goes out to all your family and your lil girls also Carmina.I miss you G!!!see you when I get there.much love and respect!!!
Poncho was a buster..he knew his time was coming..he wasn't working hit but the p dogg
PANCHO DESERVES MORE THAN SOME LOSER TRYING TO GET HIS 2 SECONDS....HE WAS A GREAT MAN...A GREAT FRIEND AND HAD SUCH A GREAT HEART.HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND WHEN HE SMILED YOU WANTED TO SMILE WITH HIM...HE HAD A GREAT HUG AND WAS THE BEST DADDY TO HIS 3 GIRLS,HE WAS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY...EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE AND GOD GAVE IT TO HIM.HE WAS A GOOD MAN.HE MIGHT OF LIVED A ROUGH CHILDHOOD..BUT GOD BLESSED HIS HEART AND OPENED UP HIS EYES TO A BIGGER AND BETTER LIFE OF SALVATION...ALWAYS REMEMBER DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER.HE SUPPORTED HIS GIRLS AND DID EVERYTHING FOR THEM.HE WAS A HARD WORKING MAN.
ITS BEEN A YEAR SINCE HE WAS TOOKEN AWAY FROM US AND THE FEELING IS STILL PROFOUND AND UNBARABLE...ON BEHALF OF MYSELF HIS THREE DAUGHTERS MOTHER AND FATHER WE LOVE AND MISS YOU SO MUCH YOUR FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS
NOT A DAY GOES BYE THAT YOUR NOT ON OUR MINDS
LOVE YOU FOREVER
VANESSA,VIVIAN,VALERIE,VIRGINIA,CONNIE,JOE