As a Latina, I become more and more disheartened every time I read about crimes within the Latino community, the most recent crime being the murder of 28 year old Anthony Ibarra.
According to the Santa Maria Police Department, a total of ten people have been arrested in connection with his murder.
It took ten people to murder and cover up this vicious crime.
According to the Santa Maria Police Department, a total of ten people have been arrested in connection with his murder.
It took ten people to murder and cover up this vicious crime.
Prosecutors are saying that this was a gang-related, torture killing and that there's a good possibility that drugs, as in selling, buying and taking, are involved.
Eight people, whose chosen lifestyle leads either to death or imprisonment, are all alleged gang members and have been charged with first-degree murder, numerous special allegations, including kidnapping, lying in wait, torture and gang enhancements. Several of them also face allegations that they have numerous prior felony convictions.
They are:
I find it tragic that the gang life was their choice of career. Who knows what they could have accomplished had they set their sights on educating themselves for their future and their future children.
The remaining two suspects are charged with being accessories after the fact for allegedly hiding at least one of the murder suspects, and with committing crimes for the benefit of a street gang.
They are:
The investigation began on Sunday March 17th, when police say Ibarra was tortured and killed at 1142 West Donovan. According to the search warrant, a witness walked into the home on Monday March 18th and saw a body of a Hispanic male lying naked on the carpet and the victim's face appeared beaten and neck appeared cut open. The next day, Tuesday March 19th, Ibarra's body was found in the back of a U-Haul truck in Orcutt.
It must be noted that some of the suspects arrested and charged in this murder were released from prison under AB 109.
AB 109 is California's controversial state prison re-alignment program that eases prison overcrowding by removing non-violent, so-called low level offenders and moving them to county jails or placing them on parole or probation.
Santa Maria Chief of Police Ralph Martin says he has seen a spike in certain crimes since AB 109 became law.
Apparently the County Probation Departments have developed programs to reduce the recidivism or re-offending rate of AB 109'ers.
Too bad it's not working since statistics are showing that those being released early on parole or probation are re-offending.
Eight people, whose chosen lifestyle leads either to death or imprisonment, are all alleged gang members and have been charged with first-degree murder, numerous special allegations, including kidnapping, lying in wait, torture and gang enhancements. Several of them also face allegations that they have numerous prior felony convictions.
They are:
Robert Stan Sosa, 19They could face the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole if convicted. Five of them are under the age of 30, with two being under age 20. How pitifully young to be in a "going nowhere good" situation.
Verenisa Castillo Aviles, 19
Anthony Jesus Solis, 28
Jason Michael Castillo, 29
Manuel Santos Santos, 33
*Ramon David Maldonado, 37
*Reyes Gonzales Jr., 42
David Murillo Maldonado Jr., 55
I find it tragic that the gang life was their choice of career. Who knows what they could have accomplished had they set their sights on educating themselves for their future and their future children.
The remaining two suspects are charged with being accessories after the fact for allegedly hiding at least one of the murder suspects, and with committing crimes for the benefit of a street gang.
They are:
*Carmen Danielle Cardenas, 28Do any of these people have children that will now grow up without mothers or fathers? If so, it's even more tragic.
*Pedro Torres Jr., 54
The investigation began on Sunday March 17th, when police say Ibarra was tortured and killed at 1142 West Donovan. According to the search warrant, a witness walked into the home on Monday March 18th and saw a body of a Hispanic male lying naked on the carpet and the victim's face appeared beaten and neck appeared cut open. The next day, Tuesday March 19th, Ibarra's body was found in the back of a U-Haul truck in Orcutt.
It must be noted that some of the suspects arrested and charged in this murder were released from prison under AB 109.
AB 109 is California's controversial state prison re-alignment program that eases prison overcrowding by removing non-violent, so-called low level offenders and moving them to county jails or placing them on parole or probation.
Santa Maria Chief of Police Ralph Martin says he has seen a spike in certain crimes since AB 109 became law.
Apparently the County Probation Departments have developed programs to reduce the recidivism or re-offending rate of AB 109'ers.
Too bad it's not working since statistics are showing that those being released early on parole or probation are re-offending.
When should the education towards leading a productive life begin? In grade school? Let's go a step further, should sex education in high school not only include pregnancy prevention but parenting classes for the students, to get them to understand that babies are not accessories?
