South LA protest pays tribute to Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis

February 27, 2014 By Leave a Comment


A scene from the protest | Isaac Moody

A scene from the protest | Isaac Moody

The Stop Mass Incarceration Network staged a protest in South Los Angeles yesterday in remembrance of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, both African-American 17-year-olds from Florida who were killed in 2012. At the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue, community members rallied to draw attention to the criminalization of youth of color as well as the pipeline that can lead to incarceration. The rally was accompanied with massive posters of the boys’ photos along with bold statements like “We are all Trayvon” and “The whole damn system is guilty.”

“There’s a green light to shoot and murder, to criminalize and incarcerate Black and Latino youth in this society, that’s gotta stop,” said one protester. Click play to hear more of the charged voices and opinions from the event.

Filed Under: Crime, Criminal Justice, Politics, Public Safety Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Should prostitution be legalized?

February 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment


LAPD Prostitution Task Force in effect at 29th/Hobart and 30th/Hobart | Courtesy STOP PROSTITUTION @‏29thAndWestern

LAPD Prostitution Task Force in effect at 29th and 30th streets at Hobart | Courtesy STOP PROSTITUTION @‏29thAndWestern

The United Nations recently stated that legalizing prostitution could be the key to controlling what happens in the business while also helping to decrease sex trafficking. Is this a feasible strategy? Annenberg Radio News spoke to several experts and observers to hear their perspectives.

Here in Los Angeles, Van Nuys recently took the spotlight when councilwoman Nury Martinez announced a plan to crackdown on prostitution on Lankershim and Sepulveda boulevards by adding extra police patrols and implementing a program to steer prostitutes away from a criminal lifestyle.

South Los Angeles continues to contend with prostitution as well. In 2011, the most recent year with available data, LAPD’s Southwest stations made 300 prostitution-related arrests, a 39 percent increase from the previous year. About 40 percent of the total arrests were near 29th Street and Western Avenue. South L.A. locals such as the couple behind the Twitter account “Stop Prostitution” have struggled to shed light on this issue and engage police assistance.

Learn more in a story from Annenberg Radio News:

See previously from Intersections:

South LA couple battles ongoing prostitution

South LA neighborhood meets about prostitution problem

South LA neighborhood moves to action against prostitution

How young girls are enslaved in the sex trafficking trade

South LA neighborhood fed up with prostitution

Filed Under: Crime, Politics, Public Safety Tagged With: , , , ,

South LA woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder

January 6, 2014 By 1 Comment


Patricia Cormack's residence in South L.A.'s Hyde Park. | Google Maps

Patricia Cormack’s residence in South L.A.’s Hyde Park. | Google Maps

A 55-year-old woman described by neighbors as a friendly church-goer who had taken care of foster children pleaded not guilty Friday to the attempted murder of her boyfriend and his brother at her home in South L.A.’s Hyde Park.

Patricia Cormack is being held on ­­­­­­­­­$4 million bail, said a district attorney spokeswoman, and will appear next in court on Jan. 24.

The pre-dawn shooting on Dec. 30 left Derek Everett and Darryl Ward hospitalized with multiple wounds, police said. The criminal complaint filed by the DA describes the weapon as a handgun.

Officers found the men, both in their fifties, asking for help shortly after 5:30 a.m., said Detective Ernie Mendoza. Police detained Cormack the same morning and searched her home before arresting her on $500,000 bail. Detectives haven’t revealed the suspected motive for the shooting.

Neighbors on a quiet block of 74th St. with well-kept single-family homes said they were surprised to find police cars, ambulances and helicopters rushing to their block that morning.

Megan Faux, who has lived across the street from where the shooting occurred since 2000, said Cormack regularly attended services on Sundays and bible study on Wednesdays at the City of Refuge church in Gardena. Faux also said Cormack had taken care of girls in foster care.

One neighbor on the block said Cormack was a “pleasant lady” who would greet her on the street. Another said she often saw Cormack walking a small, fluffy white dog.

Cormack’s next-door neighbor awoke Monday morning to the barking of his Rottweiler-German shepherd and saw police arrive to assist the wounded men.

“The first guy came out, put his hands up, saying, ‘She shot me,’” he recalled. The second followed, then Cormack emerged without resisting arrest, he said.

The brothers lived at the residence and had helped take care of Cormack’s mother before she died a couple of months ago, said the neighbor, who requested anonymity. The family owned the house for at least 30 years, he said, as long as his own family had lived on the block. Lately, Cormack had talked about wanting to move out.

Cormack’s two-bedroom white stucco house with a Mediterranean red tile roof showed no sign of a scuffle on Monday afternoon, at least from outside. A green watering hose was curled on the trimmed lawn. A silver Mercedes with a crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror was parked in the driveway behind what appeared to be an old, rust-colored Dodge bearing a blue-and-yellow California license plate. Children’s playthings, including a Disney-themed toy car in hot pink, were scattered near the arched entryway.

In 1994 Cormack pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to sell, according to county records. The charges were dismissed four years later after she completed a court-ordered program and probation. If convicted for attempted murder, Cormack could face a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

Reach the author at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @dainabethcita.

Filed Under: Crime, Criminal Justice, Hyde Park

County warns against New Year’s Eve celebratory gunfire

December 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment


A sign at the Central Sheriff Station in Lynwood warns against illegal gunfire. | Daina Beth Solomon

A sign at the Century Sheriff’s Station in Lynwood warns against illegal gunfire. | Daina Beth Solomon

Every New Year’s Eve, “pops” and “bangs” resonate throughout the Los Angeles area — some from fireworks, and others from bullets blasting into the air.

But the celebratory gunfire has caused serious and sometimes fatal injuries to innocent bystanders, and L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies are planning to step up patrols this year to try to stop the practice and catch offenders.

“Shooting guns to celebrate the New Year is reckless, dangerous, and can be deadly,” Sheriff Lee Baca said Tuesday at a press conference in Lynwood.

Shooting into the air can be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or a felony, with punishment ranging from one year in jail with a $1,000 fine to three years in prison with a $10,000 fine. When shots result in death, the shooter can be prosecuted for murder.

On New Year’s Eve 2012, the Sheriff’s Department received 93 reports of gunfire. Two people were wounded, and two properties damaged. Baca said he estimated that 400 other incidents went unreported.

The Sheriff’s Department and the L.A. Police Department are urging residents to call 911 at the sound of gunfire – even if it could just be fireworks.

“Certain people don’t call, and if they don’t, we have no way of knowing,” said Baca.

Police say bullets can plummet to earth at 300 to 700 feet per second from a height of up to two miles – collecting enough force to penetrate the skull. Eighty percent of injuries from such gunfire wound the head, shoulders or feet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shooting on holidays may appeal to revelers because guns are readily available while fireworks are not, said gunshot wound expert Marie Russell, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. (Fireworks that explode in the air are illegal in L.A. County without a permit.)

Arresting offenders is tricky because many shooters dash inside their homes after pulling the trigger, said Baca.

Since 2001, the department has used a ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System at the Century Sheriff’s Station in Lynwood to help law enforcement officers pinpoint the location of gunfire. Its acoustic technology can detect and locate shots within a zone of two square miles — like an “automatic 911,” said sheriff’s Capt. Ernest Chavez.

But even with technology’s help, Baca said, “We’re not catching it all.”

South Los Angeles typically has the heaviest concentration of celebratory gunfire in the county, he said, followed by parts of the Eastside.

Cities across the nation contend with fatal celebratory gunfire on major holidays, with children and women as frequent victims.

The last death by celebratory gunfire in L.A. happened on the Fourth of the July in 1999. Brian Perez, age 9, was playing in the yard at a family barbecue when he was struck by an errant bullet.

In Orange County, 9-year-old Xavier Morales died from a gunshot wound in 2002. A bullet that had been fired into the air on July Fourth in Buena Park tore through his lungs and severed the aorta.

In Maryland on New Year’s Eve in 2012, a 10-year-old was hit by a bullet while watching midnight fireworks. She died the next day. Last summer in Virginia, a 7-year-old boy died when a handgun was fired in the air at an Independence Day celebration.

Bullets can also find their way inside homes. In Detroit on New Year’s Eve 1997, a slug killed a woman who was sitting in her dining room. This year, a Detroit shooting range will offer free entry from morning until 1 a.m. to try to keep gunfire off the streets.

Filed Under: Crime, Public Safety Tagged With: , , ,

First person: Caught in chaos at LAX shooting

December 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Editor’s note: Intersections Reporter Corps member Shanice Joseph was at LAX the day Paul Ciancia, 23, opened fire in a shooting rampage that killed a TSA agent. Ciancia recently pled not guilty to 11 federal charges, and is slated for a Feb. 11 trial in Los Angeles.

Terminal 3 at LAX. Flickr/Mike Ambs

Terminal 3 at LAX. Flickr/Mike Ambs

The Los Angeles International Airport was the last place I wanted to be on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013.

It wasn’t like I was boarding a plane for a fabulous and much-needed vacation to the beaches of Jamaica. I was there at 11 a.m. to attend yet another long training for my new job.

I woke up early that day and quickly remembered why I needed a job in the first place: I needed money for the bus. I managed to collect $1.20 — 30 cents short — and hoped for a nice bus driver who would let it slide.

As I left, my grandmother asked where I was headed. When I said “LAX,” her usual smile thinned into an unhappy straight line. She is going through chemotherapy and has to see a doctor five days a week for 18 weeks. Since I’ve been busy with job training, I have yet to escort her. I can’t afford to miss my training and lose my job with G2 Secure Staff, a contracted company for American Airlines. As a “cabin agent” I’m responsible for basic cleaning — closing windows, organizing magazines, dusting off seats, picking up trash and sweeping.

My grandmother understands the predicament. She is pleased I found a job. But most importantly, she wants me to continue with college. One of her dreams is to see me graduate, and disappointing my grandmother is not an option. How can I balance work and school?

On the bus to LAX, I considered the bright side. No, I didn’t have a dime to my name, but I did get a nice bus driver, and for once I would arrive early. I had been looking for a job for some time now, and was lucky to find one that fits my schedule at Long Beach City College.

But I was still preoccupied. Although I would love to focus solely on school, my family and I need the money the new job would provide. Somehow, I would have to balance working full time with being a full time student.

While I racked my brain, a guy sat next to me in a uniform similar to mine — probably a coworker. I wanted to ask him about the job and the company, but he was busy on the phone, talking so loud I heard him over my earphones.

“Wow, really?” he said. “So I guess I don’t have to go to work today.”

Why? That just seemed so odd.

The LAX police department. | Flickr/

The LAX police department. | Flickr/yekefan1

I soon found out for myself. Around 10 a.m. my aunt texted me about a “shooting in progress at LAX.” I found it hard to believe, knowing that LAX is one of the safest places in Southern California. It wasn’t until I looked out the window and saw LAPD, LAXPD and FBI cars speeding by that I thought something must be terribly wrong.

Sure enough, as soon as I arrived at the LAX City Bus Center I got a call stating that job training was cancelled.

I stood beneath five whirring helicopters, surrounded by chaos and confusion. I was scared. I sat down to try to figure out what happened.

Supposedly, a 23-year-old man had opened fire in Terminal 3, killing a TSA agent, wounding several others and causing the widespread panic that I was witnessing.

For 17 years I have lived in Watts. The neighborhood is supposed to be one of the most dangerous in California, but it never fails: I see some of the craziest things once I leave Watts.

I wanted to cry because I have a low tolerance for more chaos than what is already on my plate. But on the bright side, I was okay. I felt confused but I was sympathetic for the victims, especially the family of the slain TSA agent.

Back on the bus headed home, I mulled over my morning.

On the way to LAX I was upset because my life appeared to be circling down the toilet. On my way back, I was relieved that I had survived a shooting rampage. I had seen a chaotic situation spiral out of control in a way that even LAX couldn’t control. And I realized the truth in what my mom had told me: “You’ll never experience a dull moment working there.”

I still had no answers about balancing work and school. But the LAX shooting reminded me that life throws us curveballs in the most unlikely of times and places. I would reschedule the job training, I would take care of my grandmother, and I would scrape up spare change for the bus. I would keep at school, and I would come back to LAX.

Filed Under: Featured Story, Public Safety, Watts

Suspect named in South LA 99 Cent store clerk murder

November 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment


The Los Angeles Police Department’s 77th Street Homicide Division has named 31-year-old Eric Atkinson as the suspect in the robbery and murder of discount store clerk  Martha Sanchez, according to a press release issued by Ninth District Councilman Curren Price’s office.

Sanchez was working as a store clerk at a local Happy Bargain 99 Cents Store on the 7400 block of South Broadway around at 8:50 p.m. on Sept.17 when the robbery and shooting happened. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crime, South Central LA, Vernon-Central Tagged With: , , , , , ,

South LA neighborhood in the aftermath of the Martha Sanchez shooting

November 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Photo courtesy: Sinduja Rangarajan

Photo Credit: Sinduja Rangarajan

Brenda Ramirez and her husband had finished work and were driving home when they saw police and a crowd gathered around a South Los Angeles discount store a block away from their upholstery shop.

Enrique Espino, a high school student, was sitting on his couch watching TV when he heard his neighbors run out of their homes. Eva Alvarez, who was working in her bail bond store, saw an ambulance on her store’s surveillance camera and sprinted towards the shop across the street.

Their neighbor, Martha Sanchez, had been shot. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crime, Criminal Justice, Featured Story, Florence-Firestone, Neighborhood, Public Safety, South Central LA Tagged With: , , ,

Arrests made in South LA Craigslist murder

November 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment


A Samsung Craigslist listing turns deadly | Photo Credit: Creative Commons

A Samsung Craigslist listing turns deadly | Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Sandra Balbuena was doing homework at her school in Irvine when she got the phone call.

She could tell right away by her aunt’s tone that something was wrong.

“Where’s my dad? Where’s my dad?” Sandra asked repeatedly.

“Mija, you need to calm down,” said Sandra’s aunt, Ana Guerrero, over the phone. “Your daddy was shot.”

At a police press conference on Oct. 28 announcing the arrest of two suspects, Sandra Balbuena, a 19-year-old UC Irvine student, described the painful moment when she learned that her father and brother had been shot.

Markell Thomas, 18, and Ryan Roth, 17, have been charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery and gang affiliations, according to LAPD.

On Oct. 19, Sandra’s father and brother responded to a Craigslist advertisement for a $300 Samsung Galaxy cellphone in the 9200 block of South Gramercy Place in South Los Angeles, said police.

They had no idea it was a trap.

Rene Balbuena, 41, and his 15-year-old son, Steven, texted the men who had posted the Craigslist ad and sat waiting in their car around 7:30 p.m. that Saturday, said Detective Chris Barling at the press conference Monday.

Thomas and Roth approached the car and demanded their property, according to police. Thomas allegedly entered the rear passenger door and pointed his gun at the 15-year-old boy.

Balbuena proceeded to exit the vehicle and was fatally shot three times in his torso by Roth, said police. His son suffered a bullet graze wound.

Sandra said she was the first family member to show up at the hospital after the attack. When she saw her brother in a neck-brace underneath blood-soaked sheets, she realized things were much worse than she had anticipated.

“Steven was worried,” Sandra said, recalling those first moments at the hospital. “He’s like, ‘I’m okay, I’m okay. I didn’t even notice I got shot, but I’m really worried about dad.’”

She choked up then, recounting the difficult experience of breaking the news to her little brother.

Their father was dead.

Thomas is believed to have been involved with at least seven other robberies between Aug. 2 and Oct. 7 involving similar Craigslist postings about a Samsung phone throughout the Baldwin Hills area, according to Barling. Both suspects are being charged as adults.

Family members have been streaming in and out of Balbuena’s South Gate home since the murder took place.

Neighbors of the close-knit community all expressed sadness about what happened and said that Balbuena was a good father.

“He was responsible,” said Juan Martinez, Balbuena’s next-door neighbor. “He was always working and always taking care of his kids.”

Although the arrests brought some consolation to Balbuena’s family, the Balbuenas made clear that legal action wouldn’t lessen the pain of their loss.

“My dad was my best friend,” said Sandra. “He was everything to me and nothing’s going to bring him back.”


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This story was originally published on Neon Tommy. Follow Guest Contributor Anna Sterling on Twitter.

Filed Under: Crime, Gramercy Park Tagged With: , ,

My Neighborhood: Martin Luther King & Western

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Participants in Reporter Corps, a USC Annenberg program to train young adults from South LA to report on their own communities, created audiovisual introductions to their neighborhoods this summer. Mario Narciso speaks with his neighbors about parks, safety, and community. 

IMG_3105-333x250Mario Narciso 18, Foshay High School graduate, University of California at Riverside incoming freshman, speaks Spanish and Zapotec  

I am from a large, proud family from Oaxaca, Mexico. In their town most speak an indigenous language, Zapotec, as well as some Spanish. In 1989 my parents left Mexico in search of work and moved to South L.A., where I was born. As a participant in Reporter Corps I am interested in focusing on two issues: special education and perceptions of Latino and black youth. I was in special ed for three years and if my father had not helped me leave, I may have been stuck in it. I would also like to also show the positive and the untold stories of the “wild jungles” of L.A. Attending Reporter Corps will allow me to gain more experience in journalism and to help me understand about my major when I attend UC Riverside.

Filed Under: Community, Crime, King Estates, Neighborhood, Public Safety, Reporter Corps, Uncategorized

USC students protest campus lockdown

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment


USCCampusFencesAfter a campus shooting during a student-run Halloween party one year ago, USC began tightening its nightly security measures — causing some students to question the university’s intentions. Since last January, campus access from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. has been limited to students, faculty, staff and registered guests.

USC has installed fences both permanent and temporary to enforce the new rules. To student Makiah Green from USC’s Change Movement, the fences symbolize racial and economic divides on and around USC. She began a petition last week to urge President C.L. “Max” Nikias to find different ways to keep the campus safe.

What side of the fence are you on? Listen to the opinions of Green and other students in an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

Filed Under: Community, Crime, Public Safety, USC
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