"Nut" From Main Street Gunned Down Monday Morning

"Nut", a member of the Main Street Crips who was shot and killed Monday morning shortly after 9 a.m., was praised by local residents with so many glowing superlatives I had to stop twice and ask "We still talking about Nut here, right?"

Nut's name was Tijuan Folks, and he was 29. I didn't know Nut, but half dozen people praised him as a friend and neighbor. What will come out later from the authorities point of view, who knows. LAPD detectives on scene when I arrived didn't have anything to say, though one confirmed Folks was from Main Street.

The photo below is Folks trying to look hard, a friend said, But, he was, according to several other friends, "a good, All-American family man, who was positive. Humble. Generous. Would give his last to a neighbor or friend. Prolly even to a stranger."

Folks was struck as he either sat or stood near a burgundy sedan this morning. The shooting death heightened fears the ongoing street war between the Main Street Crips and Hoover Street Criminals would intensify. (See links below) In March, shootings connected to the two large gangs left at least two dead and several wounded. Douglas Wooley, 28 was shot a block away from where Nut died today.  Near 82nd and Hoover Street, three hours after Wooley died, Christopher Wayne Richardson, 22, was shot. He died of his wounds two weeks later.

Back on 98th Street, a woman who has lived on the block for 24 years was stunned by Nut's death.

"I am scared to let my kids play outside," said Vera Brooks, who agreed that when outsiders hear of "98th and Main Street" they assume there are killing here weekly. "The thing is, this is the first killing on my block that I know about, at least, in 24 years."

Her daughter, Shera Hill, stood and stared at the burgundy car were her friend died. "Nut was a good guy. Very polite, Never bother anyone. And always, always stylish. If he had on a turquoise shirt, he'd have on turquoise pants.  If he had on blue shirt, he'd have on blue shoes.  Yeah, Nut was put together."

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/3/7/71qr762ua9cb0gbv3auv67id1gwk4t

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/3/11/lapd-tactics-working-no-hoover-vs-main-street-paybacks

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/3/20/hoover-street-shooting-victim-dies

lridngto victim was anEarthling.

you woulld have thought his road to sainthood is all but assured. 

Li'l Scooby from Rollin 60s Shot and Killed; 2 More Killed Nearby

UPDATE : Friday night around 8 p.m. two black males were shot to death while sitting in a car near Florence Avenue and Cimarron Street. Appears NOT to be related to the story below. 

March, 28, 2014 - A long-time member of the Rollin 60s Crips was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in Hyde Park.  Damon Leroy Jones, 37, whose street name was Li'l Scooby, was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead after being transported to California Hospital. 

Li'l Scooby, one of 28 Rollin 60s singled out by the City Attorney's office in a 2003 injunction against the Hyde Park-based gang. was wheelchair-bound, the result of being wounded nearly 10 years ago.  That wheelchair didn't stop his thug life. His chair was often equipped with an AK47, a Rollin 60 source said. 

Another street source indicated Scooby's death may have been part of a long-standing internal conflict among the Rollin 60s, one of the largest streets gangs in California

"One of the homies put him in that wheelchair and one of the homies put him in the grave.", said the man from Hyde Park.

Jones’ first arrest was for vandalism on March, 15, 1990 at the age of 14. In 1994, as an adult, he was convicted of robbery with a gun.  In 2002, he was  convicted for being gang member in possession of a gun.

In a 2003 report on the "Rolling 60s", then-LAPD gang officer Jeffrey Martin stated that he rarely saw Jones “in the ‘hood because he was in and out of county jail and prison" so often. 

Also in the report, Officer Martin described an interview where Jones “stated  that there were only a few like him out in the streets that are ‘pushing the line’ and demanding that the gang be run the right way.”

Thursday on 11th Avenue, someone apparently thought Li'l Scooby had gone the wrong way. 

Son, 27, Arrested in Stabbing Death of Mother, 55, in Sylmar

March 26, 2014  - A 27-year-old man has been arrested for the murder of his 55-year-old mother who was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon at her home in Sylmar. 

The son, Freddy Sanchez, was covered with blood when he was taken into custody by police officers from the LAPD' s Mission Division. His mother, Matilda  Sanchez, was found lying dead on her living room floor with multiple stab wounds. Nearby, police said they found a "large bloody butcher knife."

""It's especially tragic to deal with a scene where someone kills one's parent," said Lt. Paul Vernon. commanding officer of the Mission Detective Division who added that police officers have responded to the home recently after reports of the son kicking doors and starting fires.

Freddy Sanchez, who had shared joint custody of his 8-year-old daughter, was booked for California Penal Code 187 (murder) and is being held on $1 million bail

Eight Trey Hoover Dies 2 Weeks After Being Shot

A 22-year-old Los Angeles man from Eight Trey Hoovers who was shot two weeks ago on 82nd Street near Hoover Street has died..  

The victim, Christopher Wayne Richardson, was standing with friends on March 6 at 1 p.m. in the 800 block of West. 82nd Street when attackers drove up in a silver sedan and opened fire. The victim dashed away, but at the assailants continued shooting, striking Richardson, aka Tiny Trey Soulja  He was transported to California Hospital in critical condition, but finally succumbed to his injuries yesterday, Wednesday, March 19.

"Christopher loved life and he loved helping people." said Kevin "Twin" Orange, a highly-respected gang intervention worker who hired Richardson for a summer job at Algin Sutton Recreation Center. "He was someone who made sure other people had food and other things before he did. That's probably what happened to him. He told everyone to run that day and he was the last one to take off and he got the bullet. " 

The shooting is believed to be part of the conflict between the Main Street Crips and the Hoover Street Criminals. Only hours before Richardson was shot on Hoover Street, Douglas Henry Wooley, 27, was killed at 97th and Main Street.  Wooley was not a member of the Main Street Crips, but family members are. 

An intense LAPD patrol presence, combined with near-around-the-clock detective work aided by gang interventionists has so far quelled further payback shootings. The community and police are hoping the death of Robinson will not spark renewed violence. 

Road Rage Suspected in 210 Freeway Shooting Death of Man, 35

A man apparently coming home from work Friday morning was shot to death on the 210 Freeway in Sylmar in what is being called an tragic incident of "road rage".

Sergio Sanchez, 35, was driving westbound on the 210 when he was shot at least twice from the driver's side of his Mitsubishi sending him over an embankment then onto the Roxford Street off-ramp, the LAPD said.

"We believe the victim was on his way home after work when he was shot," said LAPD homicide detective Juan Santa." He had no gang ties and no criminal history."

Anyone with information on the shooting can call Det. Santa,  or Det. Gretchen Schultz  at (818) 838-9810

Peacemaker's Son Killed In Watts Near Grape Street

Quentel Gordon, 24, the son of a late, influential and beloved community activist, was shot to death Wednesday night as he stood near 95th Street and Hickory Street in Watts.

Gordon was struck in the torso by a drive-by shooter shortly after 9 p.m. then transported to St Francis Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. 

His father was Donald Ray Gordon, aka "Playmate", a Grape Street Crip-turned- peacemaker, one of several men from Jordan Downs who helped create the 1992 peace treaty between the gangs of the housing projects in Watts. Playmate, who had been shot several times during the projects' street battles, died of an illness a few years back.

Another peace activist blamed the death of the younger Gordon on "just being on that block" which is just one block north from Jordan Downs and one block east of Grape Street. 

"Playmate's son was a very good spirited kid and very well liked in the community," said Daude Sherrills, another community activist from Jordan Downs crucial to the peace treaty with Nickerson Gardens and Imperial Courts. "Qunetel wasn't out to plot on anyone. But, just being on that block, just  being a young man dressed in hip-hop style with some tattoos, that made him target." 

Being out of town, that's all the information available to Krikorian Writes as of now. Anyone with a remembrance of Gordon can leave a message below after clicking the kinda-hard-to-read "comment" link below.  

Also consider reading this story about DK, aka Flipside

http://www.krikorianwrites.com/blog/2013/9/24/rapper-flipside-from-watts-killed

: http://www.krikorianwrites.com/blog/2013/9/24/watts-tense-after-2-killings-3-arrested-from-grape-st

and this  http://www.krikorianwrites.com/blog/2015/9/29/watts-sad-weary-and-tense-after-nickerson-gardens-and-grape-street-homicides

 

Qunetel Gordon

LAPD Tactics Working; No Hoover vs. Main Street Paybacks

An intense Los Angeles Police Department presence on the streets of two very active gang neighborhoods has so far helped prevent payback shootings after an outbreak of violence last week between the Hoover Street Criminals and the Main Street Crips left a man dead and several wounded.

Since the shootings, several people have been arrested and more than a half-dozen guns confiscated including an assault rifle and a shotgun seized Tuesday morning near 84th and Hoover. Saturday, a daytime raid at a Hoover gathering netted six arrests and four guns, authorities said.  

But, police commanders said it wasn't just the sheer numbers of officers out on the streets that has so far quelled the bloodshed, but rather how the LAPD is going about dealing with the situation. 

"We are using a three-prong approach to this problem; detectives, patrol officers and gang interventionists," said Capt. Phil Tingirides, commanding officer of the Southeast Division where the homicide of Douglas Wooley, 27, occurred Thursday morning.  Tingirides credited gang interventionists with helping squash rumors that traditionally run wild after street shootings and, in doing so, calming some very tense neighborhoods.

Perhaps even more importantly is the dramatically different way the LAPD now interacts with the community compared to, say, 10, 20 years ago. 

"We have created a lot more relations with the community that we didn't have before," said Tingirides.  "A lot of people have good relationships with specific officers and detectives and they give them tips. They help eliminate a lot of the guess work and we can focus on putting pressure on the right people."

At South Bureau's Criminal Gang Homicide Division, commanding officer  Lt. Jeff Nolte agreed the biggest change in LAPD tactics is simply the relationship with the residents of the communities they serve.  

"The reason why it's been effective now is these guys, the patrol officers have been trained how to deal with the community," said Nolte, adding that 20 years ago it was "all about suppression, but now we know we can't just arrest our way out of the problem."

"You can drive up and down the streets, and that might deter gang members, but that's not going to go toward solving the problem. We are doing an education and prevention piece. We might be stopping a lot of people, but we are talking to them, not just arresting them."

Nolte also credited the detectives of Criminal Gang Homicide Division. 

"We have detectives like Sal [LaBarbera], Chris [Barling], and Rick [Gordon] who really care about the community and know its history and patrol is picking up on that," said Nolte. "They are trying to fix the larger problem, not just go a weekend without violence. "

Though there have been more officers loaned from other divisions to Southeast and 77th divisions, two deadliest in the LAPD,  Nolte said, "It's just not simply a matter of more cops. It's more cops getting out and engaging the community. Education and prevention.  That's what's been driving down the crime." 

But,, the most stunning change since the wild days of the 1980s and '90s is previously absolutely-unheard-of- notion among gang members that the police actually give a damn about who shot them.

"One of the things that causes the gang mentality reaction is the feeling that the police don't care," said Capt. Tingirides  "They think 'They are not going to do anything about my family member getting killed.' So, the only way for them to get justice is to take care of it themselves. But, now there is a different mentality emerging and that is maybe we do care. And you know what?  We do."

Street memorial for Douglas Wooley who was shot to death on March 6 at 97th and Main Street. Wooley, a sickle-cell anemia sufferer, was listening to music with earphones when he was gunned to the ground.

Hoover Street vs. Main Street Shootings Recall 'Bad Old Days'

An intense outbreak of gang violence has residents of two Southside neighborhoods flashing back to the dreaded 1980s after a swarm of shootings between the Hoover Street Criminals and the Main Street Crips left one dead and at least two people wounded.  

"It's getting like the '80s again," said a man Friday afternoon as he walked past a "Murder Memorial" set  up at 97th and Main streets. "The bad old days are coming back. It had slowed up, but now the kids born in those crazy years are starting to act like their parents."

Thursday morning, 28-year-old Douglas Wooley was shot and killed at that corner shortly after 10 a.m. as he was walking. Police and local residents say Wooley was not a member of the Main Street Crips, long a force in this neighborhood, but that members of his family are. "He never bothered anyone," was the most common comment about Wooley. 

Sandwiching his death were two shootings on Hoover Street that left two males wounded, one critically. Four men along Hoover Street near 83rd echoed the concerned man on Main Street, dreading a return to the violent days of the 80s and 90s. "It's getting really hot again," one said.  

Thursday and Friday the LAPD was out in force and vowed an increased presence in the area for as long as it takes to quell the violence. "Unlike the projects, the two areas are very large, but we are in suppression mode," said Capt. Phil Tingirides, commander of the Southeast Division who is helping coordinate the efforts with 77th Street Division and Criminal Gang Homicide Division. "We have a high visibility. and the detectives are working the cases hard. Plus, we're working closely with [gang] interventionists."  

(Warning :The following story comes from a man who was legally drunk and freely admitted it. ). 

Hours before Douglas Wooley was killed, he called 911 out of concern for a drunk neighbor who was intoxicated to the point where he collapsed  "I got drunk, a little too drunk, and people were concerned, but I guess he was the only one concerned enough to call the paramedics," said a man who goes by La Vigga, a 60-year-old local aritst. "They came and left. But, when I really woke up from my drunken stupor, he was dead."

The Beautiful Farewell of Sam Benton, The "I'm Blessed Man"

I have attended more than 100 funerals, but save services for my closest family, I have never been more moved at one than I was today for the funeral of a 62-year-old homeless man who was stabbed to death two weeks ago near Nickerson Gardens.

I called him the "I'm Blessed Man" here when I wrote of his  ignominious St. Valentine's Day death on 112th Street and Evers around 6:30 p.m., his body found laying face down, half on the sidewalk, half on a brown lawn next to a chain link fence and a plant. That's what he would say, "I'm blessed",  whenever a lady - the lady who found him laid out - would ask him how he was doing. I was struck how no one I talked to the next day in the projects, the tightest-knit community in town, knew who this guy was. So I vowed to find out.

He was Samuel Lee Benton, Jr., born Nov 4, 1951 and raised in Compton, on Piru Street. He graduated from Centennial High School and enlisted and served in the United States Marine Corps as a medic in Vietnam.  He was well-read, a jack-of-all-trades, a single man eager to help his family and friends. He was a car salesman at Sopp Chevrolet in Bell. But, after he lost that job, he started to skid. He lived in the small homeless encampment near the 105 Freeway and Central Avenue where he panhandled the off-ramps .He was a crack smoker.

And as addled by drugs as he was, Sam would tell anyone who bothered to ask how he was that he was "blessed."

"When i read what you wrote about Sam always saying 'I'm blessed', I thought, yeah, that was my brother," said Dianne Grey a few days ago as she and her sister and daughter reminisced about Sam Benton.. 

But, you never can know a stranger until you go to their funeral.

I didn't know what to expect as I drove toward the funeral at the Simpson Family Mortuary in Inglewood. Would there be only the family I had visited? Maybe Cousin Keith, who I talked to, also.  Maybe a few of the homeless, though i doubted that. So when I pulled into the packed parking lot off Manchester near Crenshaw, I thought maybe there was another funeral going on there as well as Benton's. I even asked someone "Is this for Sam Benton?" It was.. 

Inside the Chapel of Roses were roughly 100 impeccably-dressed family and friends of Sam who shed few tears, perhaps because the shock of the two-week-old homicide had subsided.

Still, on this very rainy day, most seemed surprised, if not alarmed, to hear the words of Sam himself. On a February 28th, nine or 10 years ago, Sam Benton was sitting on the porch of his "Grannies" house on Piru Street when friend and neighbor Kim Curry-Goldsby walked up.

"I want you to read this at my funeral," Sam told Kim, adding "Promise me you'll read this at my funeral,"  Curry-Goldsby promised she would with one condition; That he accept the lord. He did.

Today, Kim Curry-Goldsby, looked back at the American flag-draped coffin holding Samuel Lee Benton, Jr, and made good on her promise. 

"I can no longer afford to be nonchalant about my future. Today will be the day my life becomes on track. Life not is a total bust. I need to make a drastic change. I'm making a mistake only living one day at a time."

Curry-Goldsby went on reading more of Benton's words, then added that the paper was signed "February 28, but no year listed. It was either 2004 or 2005. I can't remember.  Anyway, his funeral was supposed to be yesterday, February 28."

Then the song "Goin' Up Yonder" by Walter Hawkins and Lady Tramaine came on. If ever a song and moment went together, it was right here and now.

"If you want to know  ...    where I'm going...., where i"m going ...soon,........ if anybody asks you....., .where I'm going....... where I'm going....., soon. ......I'm goin' up yonder...... I'm goin' up yonder....I'm going up yonder... to be with my Lord."

Man, I'm not religious but, Jesus, hearing that song in that setting. that got to me. I hope you listen to that song. Here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGBr42HNlKY

After that song, Rev. D. D. Alexander spoke eloquently, not just about Benton, but about the homeless in general. "Sometimes we need to look at a person through their eyes. Sam, in his own way, was successful. Now Sam is done with the troubles of this world."

Others spoke fondly of Sam. "Sam had a lot of love," said a man who would only give his name as Dave. His sisters, his family, his friends would come by the off ramp and give him food, give him some money. They want him to come home, but Sam didn't want to be a burden to anyone." 

His niece Tanisha said her uncle was a good handyman and always there for her when she needed him. "Whenever he came over, I was like thinking, 'What do I need fixing?'"  He will forever be missed. I love you Uncle Sam.". 

One of Sam's sisters, who works near Watts and didn't want her name used, said  "He said he saw some some action in Vietnam, but not a lot. He didn't talk about it. When he came back from Vietnam i was so happy to see him, I just hugged him hard and i didn't notice anything wrong with him."

 Another sister spoke about how it was difficult to know her brother was out on the streets, but she had come to accept it. 

"A lot people, see someone living on the streets and think, 'How does someone's family member end up like that?'", said Benton's sister Dianne Gray. "I still don't understand it. But, Sam, he really was content. He really meant it when he said he was blessed. You're thinking outwardly he looks like a bum. But, inside, deep down he mean it. I heard someone said Sam thought  he was blessed. My brother knew he was blessed.'

And that plant his head lay next to as he bled to death on East 112th Street, four miles from his sister Dianne's home on West 112th., it was a Bird of Paradise. That's high drama, I know. But, it's true .

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LAPD Criminal Gang Homicide Division detectives Pete McCoy and James Jameson are actively working the case. The coroner's office said he was killed by a single knife wound to the chest. If anyone has information about who killed Sam Benton, call (213) 485-4341.

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