BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER
Two days after a gang brawl on the 700 block of San Pascual St. left 16-year-old Lorenzo Valentin Carachure dead, Santa Barbara Police officials say they have not made any arrests.
In order to stomp out any further violence from retaliation efforts, Lt. Paul McCaffrey said anti gang enforcement patrols have been beefed up.
“In addition to working this case we are certainly making it a priority to prevent any escalation or retaliation,” McCaffrey said. “We’re making that a high priority for the police department.”
When police responded to the West side neighborhood at 10:41 p.m. on Monday, they found Carachure, who had suffered life-threateneing stab wounds and two other victims, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old who were also stabbed.
Lt. Paul McCaffrey said their were several people in the area when police responded, but no solid leads have been discovered.
This doesn’t surprise McCaffrey, who said when dealing with gang related crimes, few people cooperate.
“[There is a] difficulty of working with gang members, who have historically been very uncooperative whether or not it’s been their friend who’s been killed,” McCaffrey said.
He said all three victims were either active gang members or are gang associates.
McCaffrey said the group that jumped the three victims are more than likely locals.
McCaffrey said he hopes the victim’s family and the community will step forward to assist in solving the murder.
When asked how the family could assist, McCaffrey said police believe friends of the Carachure “have information they’re not coming forward with.”
“They may express their condolences and say it’s terrible,” McCaffrey said of some of Carachure’s acquaintances. “They’re saying that out of one side of the mouth and out the the other side of the mouth they’re putting their allegiance to gang culture above that.”
Carachure is the second young Santa Barbara boy to be killed during gang fights in the past four months.
The first was 15-year-old Luis Angel Linares, who was stabbed to death in broad daylight during a gang melee on State and Carrillo Streets on March 14.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
No arrests in gang death
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1 comment:
This is another very very sad tradgedy in the Santa Barbara area, but moreover it is devastating to the family and friends who have lost a son, brother, grandson, and friend. Please, Daily Sound staff, remember that this 16 year old teenager who has passed away was a human being who had a life beyond the violence of his environment. If you are really going to be the voice of the people then please remember to always see people as people, and report on everything that matters about them. In Lorenzo's case, I know his life has an important story to tell, so please don't get stuck painting him as merely a player of "gang violence"... I look forward to seeing more stories that reveal something important about Lorenzo, and also that Santa Barbara actually cares about all of the 16 year olds that live here. Thank you.
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