District Attorney: March 2008 Archives

Due to some technical issues, Thursday's column was much shorter in print and online than I had originally written it. (In other words I wrote long and space was short). You probably notice in reading it that it's pretty much a follow up to Sam Quinones excellent piece in yesterday's LAT.

I've heard that Quinones attended every day of trial and was able to score some interviews that I couldn't get. Most notably no one from the Azusa PD returned calls Wednesday to discuss Ralph Flores, Azusa 13 or the impact and aftermath of the spree of hate crimes that plagued Azusa between 1998 and 2004.

Complete column after the jump...

This comes from the District Attorney's office. What's scary about this press release is how young these suspects are. Here's an excerpt:

LONG BEACH – Two teenage boys were charged as adults today in connection with a gang-related murder last summer.

Deputy District Attorney LaChandra Wilkerson of Hardcore Gang Division said Eric Antonio Benites, 15 (dob 09/29/92), and Jason Trejo, 14 (dob 09/26/93), are due to be arraigned this afternoon at Long Beach Superior Court, Department J.

Benites and Trejo are each charged in case No. NA077735 with one count of murder, four counts of attempted murder and one count of assault with a firearm with special allegations that the offense was committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang and that the defendants were at least 14 years old at the time of the offense. Benites also is charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of possession of live ammunition by a minor.

Benites is accused of killing 16-year-old Florentino Rivera to avenge his younger brother’s murder. Benites’ brother, Jose Cano, 13, was killed June 26, 2007 by rival gang members. Media reports allege that Benites turned on his brother’s gang associates when they failed to retaliate following his murder.