Grandmother killed by taggers
Matthew Hicks holds a thirty-year-old picture of his mother Maria
Hicks, 57, and his sister Melinda Wall, Monday, August 13, 2007 in
Pico Rivera. Hicks died Monday after being shot in her Pico Rivera
neighborhood Friday night after catching a male adult in the act of
tagging a wall. Hicks was shot by a back up vehicle after attempting
to follow the tagger with her car. (SGVN Staff Photo by Sarah
Reingewirtz/SWCITY)
Reporter Ruby Gonzales has the story of a Pico Rivera grandmother who was gunned down by graffiti taggers. . .
...The victim, Maria Hicks, 57, of Pico Rivera was shot Friday evening just before 10 p.m.
This from Ruby's story:
"It's a high price to pay," said her brother, Ruben Quintero, 58, of Pico Rivera. "The family is devastated. My heart has been obliterated."
He said shock is not a strong enough word to describe what happened. He had a message for the shooters.
"Think about what you are doing. If they know in fact who they murdered, maybe they'll have some sense there is a limit to criminality. They took away a person who was positive and giving," Quintero said.
He said his sister was generous, saintly but had a no-tolerance philosophy for things like graffiti. The wall at San Gabriel River Parkway and Woodford Street was frequently tagged, residents and city officials said.
Comments
I live in the Rosemead area and I happen to see a lot of the "Lomas" tagging only to see it crossed out the next day by "Sangra" and it's getting worse every day. It's a constant activity, that I don't even walk around the neighborhood like I use to. I don't even let my kids out and if we go for a walk we go to another city.
Last week, I was turning down a nearby street and was stuck at the light. I looked to my left and there was a tagger in the midst of writing "Lomas" and the back up vehicle had its' lowbeams on, and noticed that I noticed them. I had no opportunity but to turn, and they just stared at me to intimidate me as I turned.
I'm so sorry for this woman and her family who is only trying to better her neighborhood. God Bless Her.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 14, 2007 1:53 PM
My wife's family lived a block away from where this tragedy happened in Pico. We moved to Arizona in 2006 because there was to much gang violence in north Pico. The Brown Authority gang in that area was fighting with Pico Viejo for territory . I got robbed at gun point in front of her house the day before Christmas just one block from where this grandmother got shot. They tried to car jack me but I left the keys in the house. Cops told me they were probably trying to find a car to do a drive by to get even for a shooting of their guys a few days before. For a second I thought I was going to die. I am a honest, working, family guy with no gang ties who was getting ready to celebrate my first Christmas with my baby girl and wife. These gang members have no regard for the citizens who value life. I never will forget what happened to me and hope and pray for the family of this tragedy.
I grew up in San Gabriel and know all to well about Sangra. U Could not go to Smith park to swim or play basketball because gang activity there. I remember they robbed my friend for his Nike shoes! My advice for people living in these areas is to move away. As hard as it sounds just try, because the gangs violence will never end.
Where I live now in AZ has had 1 homicide (it was domestic incident ) in 2007 and prior to that had not had one in 3 years plus has no gangs. All the violence in Arizona is mostly concentrated to downtown Phoenix region and Mesa. The police here do a great job preventing crime. The suburbs are pretty safe unlike those in San Gabriel Valley. Every city in the SGV has multiple gangs, from Alhambra/Padadena/west cov./B.P/Arcadia/Pomona..u name it.
It is amazing to be able to play with your kids in the park with out having to worry about anything. Or to go for a walk in the evening and not have to worry about every car that passes by. To drive around the neighborhoods and not see tagging. The only downside is it is hot in the summer.
I wish you all in SGV good luck and god bless
Posted by: anonymous | December 22, 2007 1:07 AM