Police increase gang patrol

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

In the wake of a gang melee on Santa Barbara’s West side that left 16-year-old Lorenzo Valentin Carachure dead, Santa Barbara Police officials say they have increased their anti-gang enforcement patrols.
Lt. Paul McCaffrey said the purpose of the elevated patrols is to prevent further gang violence and possibly yield some insight into who might be responsible for the stabbing death of Carachure.


Three days after the stabbing occurred on the 700 block of San Pascual Street, Police have not made any arrests.
McCaffrey said gang members are often tight-lipped and known for not cooperating with authorities in such situations, but the police department is confident the case will be solved.
“There’s still leads to pursue,” McCaffrey said. “There’s still things to do, there’s a lot of confidence here in our ability to solve the case. There’s no doubt in our minds the case is solvable.”
Carachure, his 19-year-old cousin and a 17-year-old — all of whom McCaffrey said are either active gang members or gang associates — were attacked by a larger group of people at about 10:41 p.m. on Monday.
McCaffrey said the three victims were chased down one by one and attacked. All three sustained stab wounds, but Carachure’s were fatal.