Fred Ortega’s piece on the history and influence of La Eme is now online. Here’s an excerpt from the bottom of the story: The SGVN’s online look at gangs is here.
The (Lola) Llantada case is only the latest example of the influence that the Eme wields in the San Gabriel Valley.
In April 2006, four men were arrested in Pomona in connection with an attempted Mexican Mafia contract killing. Their trial is scheduled for this year.
Last November, reputed Emero Frank “Frankie B” Buelna, 61, was shot to death in a Pomona sports bar. Buelna was reputed to have broad power within the Mexican Mafia, and officials are still investigating the motive behind his killing. The perpetrators are still at large.
And in December, reputed Eme member Eulalio “Lalo” Martinez, 46, was charged with ordering the killing of former gang member Donald “Pato” Schubert in Rosemead in 1998. In that case, prosecutors allege that Martinez runs the Lomas Rosemead street gang from Pelican Bay State Prison, where he has been incarcerated for the past 15 years.
La Eme’s deep roots in the San Gabriel Valley became clearly evident to Steinwand, the sheriff’s homicide investigator, when he moved to the Industry Station from the South Central Los Angeles area early in his career.
“Over there in South Central when there were orders from the Eme to stop drive-bys, guys would go out and do five of them in one night just to spite them,” said Steinwand, who has been a detective for 18 years. “But they have a lot more control on this side of the 710 (Freeway).
“When I came to work at the Industry Station, it was amazing,” he added. “When the Eme said something, (the gangs) listened.”
Some of this information surfaced during the investigation of Robert Whitehead’s killing. Whitehead was killed after confronting taggers near his parents home. Among those suspected in the case was Paul “Malo” Salazar, a graduate of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, who was also a suspected member of Puente Trece.
Salazar was killed at his home during a get-together in July.
Interesting side note, Whitehead’s brother is a Monrovia police officer.
After reading this article & getting a dose of reality, what the hell is going on (?) When did the heads of “those in power” start turning the other way? How else could we have gotten to this point? Taking a simple approach, you start out with a few young thugs and it manifests into this beast? Where was the warden, and what about the guards; did corruptness just trickle down on both sides of the bars? When you raise children, you see them ‘act-out’& when you realize that they are out of hand you step in and turn it around….Was their no ones voice loud enough?
The gangs control the prisons Berta and a whole new mindset is needed to correct that. Wardens and guards are well aware of that fact.
Make prison the worst possible experience of a persons life and maybe some involved in gangs and crime will straighten up.
Unfortunately you have groups like the ACLU, prison rights groups, gang and criminal apologists, (that are even on this board) Amnesty International and a liberal legislative body in this state (to name just a few) that pander to defense lawyer groups that make needed reform impossible. None of them care one bit about victims and those whose lives have been shattered by the acts of these degenerates.
Add to that the racial component that people, like Scott Ochoa, refuse to acknowledge out of fear of sounding racist and you have an impotent group of people in charge.
Prison should be to prisoners like trying to run 24/7 from Leatherface, Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers all at the same time.
It takes a special king of bad guy to make it to state with our liberal courts and cowardly representatives. They deserve a very nasty time there as a reminder to behave when they get out.
That is not happening now.
(I realize I went a bit over the top with my bad guys from movies comments but I think you get my drift.)
Local Boy
We live in a culture that celebrates death and vengeance. I’m not sure there is a single person, legacy or institution to blame, but we can certainly see some of its fruit in our popular forms of film, literature, TV and newspapers. Its no surprise the media makes a killing off of killings.
Murderers are people who have become desensitized to both their and their victim’s humanity.
I think its a mistake to characterize most of these murders as “senseless.” For the most part, they’re driven by a cycle of revenge.
It seems only a robust spiritual/psychological reeducation could convince a person to not seek revenge (and further perpetutate the violence).
I thought corporations controled the jail system.As for “Make prison the worst possible experience of a persons life and maybe some involved in gangs and crime will straighten up.”
Wouldnt that just make things worse.We are trying to better things not have a bunch of hatred filled zombiez walk out of jail.We need more education less mtv……
Robin, I have to agree with Local Boy here. State prison is not as bad as the county jails. The inmates that are waiting for transfer cannot wait to get to state because they have it much easy and it’s nicer there. Wouldn’t it be a better incentive not to go back if they didn’t like it there? I understand where you’re coming from with the “hatred filled zombies”, but as it stands now they are just learning how to work the system and actually increase their gang involvement while in jail or prison. The problem we have here in America today is when any system has a problem we correct it and then bend over backwards to make sure everyone has their rights. In the process we make it too easy to abuse the system and pretty soon we have a whole different problem.
Sorry, I think that a good deal of those returned to sociey are Zombiez. They conformed to the jail environment in order to survive and probably learned a few more angles on how to beat the system….*of course I’m not suggesting that it is that way for all…but the numbers speak for themselves. . I ABSOLUTELY am drawn to what “local boy” states. We’ve cowardly allowed the thugs rights to be more powerful than that of the victims, especially when groups are pulled in (as noted) ACLU…and such. We did that with our school system when we put the teachers in fear of almost any action they took towards a student and then we wonder why the sytem has failed. Jail time should be a MISERABLE EXPERIENCE and if you’re in there more than once that should clearly indicate what the chances are for rehabilitation.
Believe me…I have always supported the NAACP, ACLU, JDL..you name it as long as the representation had a purpose. Now a days..it’s like a ‘candy’ bar that you take a bite out of indiscriminately. Change takes change….
I’m not at all surprised that Monrovia residents on this board seem to advocate policies that would place brown and black youth in prison, with fewer rights and longer terms. The fact that some here think there are people who “want to be in prison” so that they can visit their, “homeboys” demonstrates a laughable lack of knowledge. Surely, people in prison want to be with people they know (so as to make the time fly more quickly and safely)but to paint prison as a resort is something only a person who has never had their personal freedom revoked would say. It smacks of idiocy.
You also have to wonder what to make of people who have contempt for social justice groups like ACLU (and here, Berta lumps the NAACP and JDL with them) who have a history of fighting for those who havent been afforded their civil rights.
In order to stay sane while reading comments on this board, I have to remind myself that most commentors are an ideological and ethnic minority in the SGV…and I shouldn’t take their views as representative of the whole.
Interesting comments again. I have one for usagain. You said:”It seems only a robust spiritual/psychological reeducation could convince a person to not seek revenge (and further perpetutate the violence).”
What about those that done’t want to change? Behaviors and thought processes can change only if the person wants to make one. What about the person who believes they are right no matter what and laugh at incarceration? We see plenty of those too and what do you propose be done with that group?
That is the group that needs to be addressed as those that want to change do so. No one disputes that those that want to change can with some help. They aren’t the perpetual problem though.
It’s all part of big government. If there was no crime, there would be no need to tax people, no need for politicians, no need for police, no need for prisons, no need for many things our tax money is spent on. We have the greatest military in the world. Can anyone tell me why we have not eradicated all the criminal minds that abound around. There should be no need to wait for criminal actions caught red handed, then processed through our failed system. Have military control of our streets. Thoroughly saturate our cities with heavy-duty law enforcers who will not ask questions. Have expert judge, jury and executioner-types out there to dole out some justice. Anyone and everyone who is law abiding would have nothing to fear. Anyone commiting a crime would be shot on scene, no questions asked. You tell me how many would continue their criminal activities after seeing some of the first dumbs one six feet under? This is only a dream, but I know it would work.
Frazgo,
I’m not entirely clear on this, but I think that the gang members who carry out violent retaliatory attacks are OFTEN related (close frienship) to the person who was initially attacked/killed.
In those situations, the best we can hope for is some psychological/spiritual intervention. I don’t know that there is a sure-fire deterent to crimes of passion. It seems to me local religious leaders should shoulder this responsibility by making their messages more forcefully and visibly.
I agree with Frazgo that hardened criminals with no desire to change should be incarcerated for a period that fits the crime. I just disagree that this describes even a small minority of so-called, ‘gang members.’
Again, in order to discuss gang policy, it will require making distinctions between the types and degree of gang invovlment.
A lock em up, throw away the key approach doesnt allow for these types of distinctions.
Even messages on this board hint of approaches that will violate civil liberties…stop everybody who looks like thugs, raid a house if young, black and brown men are gathered outside of it, etc.
I wonder if Silicon Valley PD has a white-collar crime unit that busts up assemblies of more than 4 pin stripe suits?
I will put up my expertise in this field against anyone on this board. I don’t know everything that goes on in the mind of every gang member but I do know some things that are absolutes.
I know that “many” gangsters have no fear of prison or prison life regardless of the claim of the above poster. I’ve talked to enough gangsters to know they understand it’s an occupational hazzard and they accept it. This is especially true if it’s a county lid or short term state prison time. Where Usagain states…”I’m not entirely clear on this…”, I am. I don’t think he’s really clear on anything he writes, just another looking to blame anyone else but the bad guys. Excuses, excuses and more excuses is all I see.
I also know that gangs often use younger members to carry out many crimes in hopes of shorter sentences when caught. This is a fact known to law enforcement and to young gang members as well.
I know gangs are filled with cowards and the laziest of people. Being a loved uncle or brother or cousin isn’t hard for anyone to accomplish, even a gang member. It takes a special kind of low life though to be thought of as so great with his family and friends but than go out and execute a young girl. These type of people are simply evil.
When I listen to the reprehensible comments of those who attempt to downplay the actions of gang members by trying to sound smart with lines like in the last paragraph above, it points out just how weak their arguements are. Maybe he should research the last time a bunch of white collar criminals did a drive by. I’m sure there are tons of these types of crimes but the media is hiding them because the suspects aren’t black or brown. Because it’s all about race with the poster the above comments in my opinion are simply, again, racist in content. Others may disagree and isn’t that what makes America great?
In the above two posts notice that the poster says a lot by using so many words but saying really nothing. All they are doing is giving reasons for criminal behavior.
The poster tries to excuse retalitory acts of violence by speaking of these unrepetant felons actions as often committed by those “related (close frienship) to the person who was initially attacked/killed.”
Should that matter? Of course not, but as usual this posters whole goal is to excuse the inexcuseable and race is, of course, again the factor he uses. To equate a cold blooded, thought out and planned murder with a crime of passion borders on the land of simple minded silliness. There are so different and so many miles apart it is incredible one would try to make the connection.
That someone could seriously post such trash and take so lightly the deaths of so many young black and brown people with such a cavalier attitude as displayed with his Silicon Valley remarks is assinine and shows a lack of caring at all in regards to the problem.
Of course I could be wrong and all that’s really needed is more counselling sessions, sing alongs and of course less white people which is really the root of all of socital ills.
Local Boy
I want to make clear that my comments are directed at usagain. Sorry if that hasn’t been made clear.
When he say things like this…
“I think its a mistake to characterize most of these murders as “senseless.” For the most part, they’re driven by a cycle of revenge.
So revenge is OK and makes “sense” to you, since you feel these killings aren’t senseless, even as any one of them fuels further retalitory killings of black and brown young men and women in a never ending cycle of violence? You’re ok with that? Let’s not send these guys to jail for too long, that would be wrong but killing people based on revenge makes sense?
When you say things like this…
“I’m not at all surprised that Monrovia residents on this board seem to advocate policies that would place brown and black youth in prison, with fewer rights and longer terms.”
You’ve said you don’t live in Monrovia so why are you not surprised about what you feel the residents are advocating? What do you know about the residents of Monrovia? I don’t see anyone advocating anything based on race, at least the people who post with their heads on straight.
Better yet please point out the post by people, like me, who disagree with you on just about everything that shows we only want “black and brown youth in prison”. Or fewer rights and longer prison terms for only youths of color.
I want longer terms and fewer rights for all gangsters and violent felons and unlike you don’t differentiate or quibble based on their color or social standing.
You’re so stuck on color you make excuses for the violence that is tearing families and towns apart.
In my opinion your post are shameful and racist and anyone here who agrees with anything you post should have their head examined.
This isn’t a La Raza meeting any more than it’s a Nation of Islam meeting or Stormfront meeting. It’s people of all colors trying to figure out ways to combat the violence that is swallowing whole areas of the state.
I think that in this area most people recognize that it’s a brown and black issue regarding criminals, especially gang members, of those races. Nobody is indicting a whole race and if they are nobody should take them seriously.
I doubt anyone who truly cares about what is going on would want less time for any white or asian suspect tied to the same types of crimes. If you were truthful for just one second you’d see that’s not what’ taking place here.
To put out that type of blame on people is not only wrong, but labeling a whole city as racist based on no evidence anything racist in their feelings exist.
Very pitiful you have to resort to such tactics.
Local Boy
I agree, most gang members have no fear of prison, and though when they get out they say they noever want to go back, but most of the time they do. I am ashamed to admit I have 2 gang members in my family, (Both in prison) when they got out the last time they said everything and anything for us to believe them, take them in, give them money. They could not comform to society. Neither of them. They sat around the house and waited for the day a Homey came knocking with an opportunity. (they are young) Well that day came, and they both go caught. Petty crimes, yes, but I am glad they didn’t commit a major crime like murder. One took the wrap for another guy because of the shorter sentance. I know they will no learn their life lessons in jail. I can only hope that when they get out they will move far away, grow up and become positive role models. I am dreaming, but is it possible, yes it is. But in the mean time, they have no contact with my children and I tell my kids the truth of where they are so that they will not walk the same path.
Back to usagain, again, I agree (again) with local boy. You seem to be the racist here. Who said we should give longer prison terms to any particular group or race? I said we needed to make jail and/or prison a place no one wanted to go back to. That meant for EVERYONE. You like to make it look like we’re all uninformed and ignorant and “simplistic.” I grew up far from here in a bad neighborhood full of bad WHITE people. Lots of them went to jail for drugs and gang type activity, and I wanted them to stay there forever. I’m not stupid, blind or innocent of the ways of the world, and I don’t have a laughable lack of knowledge about this subject. You apparently need to reopen your eyes to what’s going on in 2008, because you’re being obtuse. The ACLU is the biggest joke in the world. We have a welfare system where we’ve got 3rd generations of families living on welfare and they don’t see any way out of it. That is not just here in California either. It’s across the country. That’s our fault as a society for continuing to believe in organizations like the ACLU and NAACP and not making the appropriate changes to the system so that these families can grow and become self sufficient. Again, this is not a racial issue. It cuts across all lines, but you have to look at the entire country. Being financially self-sufficient is just another way out of the gang life-style. Being able to look at the future without dread or fear is a powerful feeling. If we really care about people’s rights, we should be looking at the whole package not just part of it.
When talking about the “made” Mexican mafia gang members these are the chosen few because they have repeatedly demonstrated they can be extremely violent without any remorse or hesitation. We should have a quick death penalty for the Mexican mafia members already in jail who are still ordering executions on the street. There are many Mexican Mafia members in prison who still exercise control over their street soldiers, sureno gang members. There have been many Mexican Mafia gang members who have indicted and prosecuted for crimes while in prison. This is not a group of people who you are going to reform. The hard-core gang leaders think nothing of using an eager and stupid young wanna-be gang recruit to carry out a drive-by or other crimes.
This Latino gang problem has been growing or years, and our non existent immigration controls have only made this problem worse. Los Angeles Sheriff Baca estimates that 25% of his jail inmates are illegal aliens.
You have to educate and keep kids out of gangs at a young age. Is there a race conspiracy against blacks and Latinos, Im not sure about that. But in the world there has always been classism, the rich get richer and poor get poorer. Im sure if we spent more money on schools and after school programs for young kids, and keep them away from older gang members, we would have fewer gang members. But unfortunately too many kids grow-up in bad homes, bad parents, bad neighborhoods were the gang influence is every where.
But this is not the case for most gang members in the Monrovia and Duarte area. They live in areas a lot nicer than I did, and I still managed to avoid gangs and receive a college education.
Local Boy, you offer little more than authoritarian bluster. Your hundred years on the police force has sadly reinforced the notion that since you wear the badge, you are right. You’ve repeatedly mischaracterized my position by suggesting I advocate or attempt to justify gang-murders. That’s silly.
I attempted to point out the complexities involved in retaliatory attacks. In some sense, these are not ‘random’ and ‘senseless’–of course, in a larger sense, they are. I cant say I’m surprised you didnt pick up on the point. There are hundreds of Latino gangs fueled by generations of retaliatory attacks. I wondered how we might combat this, as we can identify at least some its causes. LBOY, is this too hard for you to follow?
My point about Silicon Valley, I’ll grant, wasn’t as clear as it could’ve been. I was pointing out the error in identifying criminal behavior in virtue of wardrobe…simply because some pin striped corporate executives have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from its employees doesnt mean other pin striped folks should be held under suspicion. Similarly, young,short hair, denim jeans and sneaker wearing males should not all be counted suspects. Sadly, this often the case.
To my larger point re: white, far-right, conservatives…YOU ARE THE MINORITY…maybe not in Monrovia…yet…but I don’t see how this fact should strike some as so disturbing?
Black and brown men fill the prisons at a disproportianate rate. To believe some on this message board, its because black and brown kids have worse parents. The answer, of course, is much more complicated. But the world of law enforcement doesnt allow for such complications. They are forced to make fast decisions for the sake of the “common good”. Sadly, this means trampling the civil rights of the people who pay their mortgage.
I’ve commented on what you have written usagain, or is somebody else posting under your name? They are your words I’m addressing, maybe you should consider what you’re spouting off about before hitting the post button.
Here you are again trying to explain that what you posted isn’t what you meant. You’re like a cat trying to cover it’s crap. You can’t hide what you’ve said though it’s on the board for everyone to see.
I’m not right due to what I’ve ever done for a living. I’m right because I’ve been looking at this issue for decades, have lived it and seen the failures of people like you who try to explain away crime based on theories that just don’t hold water. My idea is to give “severe” punishment a real chance. Tell me something you like that has been shown to work. Remember now, crime started dropping when 3 Strikes went into effect. I’m sure that bothers you though, too many black and brownn criminals clogging up the jails, getting rid of whites is another matter though right?
You’re simply an educated (somewhat) racist that thinks whatever education you have gives you the ability to post in a manner that people like me ‘just don’t get” or “the issues are just to complicated for us to understand”. We just to dumb to get it.
You are pompus and arrogant and seem to thing you’re the only one that has a clue. What your posts show is in fact that you are clueless on this issue.
You see usagain, I’m college educated myself. Besides that I’ve talked to literally thousands of people over the last 30 years who have either been involved in gangs, been relatives of gang members or been victimized by them.
With my own life experience I can be confident that the positions I hold are based on what needs to be done to rectfy this problem because I’ve not only seen what doesn’t work, but have been told by the people I mentioned above what doesn’t work. What expertise do you have to challenge that? Even gang members families have said the same on this thread, who are you to argue with them?
You also assume way to much about me. I’m not some far rigt wing nut, but I’m also not an excuse making racist like you. Except for law enforcement issues I tend to be libertarian.
The reasons that more black and brown young men fill are prisons at a disproportinate rate are because they commit a disproportinate amount of crime as compared to their percentage of the population. The reasons for that are not for the police to worry about. Their task is to maintain order and arrest those responsible for criminal conduct.
The DA’s office is taked with the prosecution of those arrested and the penal system with their incarceration.
Police actually do much more these days in attempting to attack the root causes of crime because of the miserale failure of parents, legislators, family members, educators and the clergy to do it.
Your simplistic rhetoric isn’t anything more than the sad tired crap I could read in any number of papers or magazine articles by the elitist who expound on issues from safe places, never actually having worked first hand on the issue.
You once again end with a head in the sand statement showing your arrogance.
You don’t know what the world of law enforcement allows for. You have shown in fact that you know nothing about law enforcement.
To think, as you do, that it’s sad we, those trained and battled tested (unlike you) have to make fast decisions that are just way to complicated for us and automatically results in a trampling of civil rights “of the people who pay their mortgage” leaves me to believe you’re just another simple minded cop hater and nothing more.
Your own words indict you again. All I had to do was respond to them.
Now show all this talent you have for knowing all the answers and go into law enforcement and show everyone how it’s done…OK? Than let me know when you’re sending the check for my house payment, I deserve it.
Local Boy
Very interesting comments from all.
I would be interested in hearing again from the person who has family members in jail.
In your opinion, why do you think they ended up in jail? You mentioned that you are honest with your kids, what do they really think about their family members in jail?
I’ve learned from the paper’s articles and post’s that the Aryan’s have a connection with the Mexican Mafia, that I didn’t know before. Is that relationship all about money/drugs? If you can’t be them join them?
Maybe someone can expand on this relationship for me.
Members of the mafia are ordering hits on people from inside jail and getting convicted of it while in jail, what extra punishment is applied in a case like that. No internet usage?
Maybe someone can tell me how useful injunctions really are?
Some cities use them, some don’t. Why? Why not?
Someone’s brother-in-law used to work for a prison in GA, and it was mentioned that there are many guards that are afraid of the prisoners,so they take bribes from them,the prisoners rule the prisons. Is that what it’s like in CA?
It’s seems to be a vicious cycle perpetuated by Greed.
Money from organized crime to politicians who control law enforcement, to gang prevention programs that are run by active gang members, drug dealers, or money launderers for the politicians.
Local Judges that are related to political family’s have a hand in controlling law enforcement.
D.A.’s that are connected with organized crime.
Local to federal government officials with obvious connections to people involved in organized crime.
I would love for someone to break it down for me, or do an article on what prison is really supposed to be like, and the difference between County and State prison stays.
Does everyone have access to the internet,TV,phone? How is that monitored? Is it monitored? Does everybody have gym access? Does everyone have a job duty assigned to them? Do they get paid? Why?, If so how much?
Is there any difference between visitations?
What about the conjugal visits? What type of criminals are allowed to get them?
What is the penalty for rape in prison?
How many go in straight and come out Bi/Gay?
It would be interesting to find out how many members of these civil rights organizations have been a victim of a crime, or had a family member sexually or physically abused, assaulted,robbed,rapped, stalked,attempt on their life, or even murdered.
Why do the civil rights attorneys think prisoners deserve equality after being convicted by a jury?
I was driving around Monrovia and Duarte Tuesday evening; there are police from many other cities patrolling Monrovia and Duarte. I also saw many vehicles stopped and drivers arrested within a few blocks and just a few minutes apart, there appears to be undercover gang cops and federal agents also working with local area police. The amount of police on the streets is unbelievable; I have never seen so many police in one area. I am not sure if the police decided to make Tuesday ‘heavy hammer night’, but this type of police patrol is definitely unprecedented in this area. Im not sure how long this type of police presence can be maintained, but I will say the police are making there presence known and felt by anybody walking or driving thru the area.
Hey FX…the intense patrols all over the area in where I normally have to be Colorado to the Freeway and Shamrock to Myrtle have been packed like that for over a week. It is not uncommon to drive from Clifton to the Y and back without seeing several cars patrolling and at least 1 or 2 with people stopped and sitting on the curb.
I am glad to see this intensity, just wish it was in place prior to some kids losing their lives or being left crippled. Not an MPD issue, a city budgeting and control issue in my not so humble opinion based on people I have spoken too over the last few weeks.
Tu ma animal