Suspected "Serial Stabber" Arrested In Watts

A "serial stabber", suspected - but not charged - in at least two killings - and three non-fatal knife attacks in Watts this year, was arrested over the weekend in Nickerson Gardens.

Among the possible victims, according to street sources,  is said to be Samuel Lee Benton, Jr., known here as the "I'm Blessed Man", who was stabbed to death February 14 across the street from the Nickersons.

Early Saturday morning, an Asian man, about 30 years-old, was fatally stabbed on Imperial Highway near the gates of the projects and across the street from Hawkins House of Burgers. The man was described by Watts residents as a "homeless and harmless."   

The arrested man, who went by the moniker "OB", is fairly well-known in Nickerson Gardens and, according to several residents, seemed to have "lost it" about five years ago. He, too,  is about 30 years old, they said. 

"He was born in the projects, raised in the projects and went mad in the projects," said a Watts man who knows the suspect's family and spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

A family member of Samuel  Benton, who also did not want to be identified, said he was glad to hear of the arrest.

"Even if they don't convict him of Sam's murder, then I hope they get him on one of the other ones."  

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Here is the original story on the death of the "I'm Blessed Man"

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/2/15/the-ignominious-death-of-the-im-blessed-man-in-watts

Here's a report on the funeral of the "I'm Blessed Man"

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/2/20/sam-he-was-like-an-uncle-to-us

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Sam Benton. the "I'm Blessed Man" may have been a victim of a serial stabber

Suspected Serial Stabber Arressted in Nickerson Gardens

A "serial stabber", suspected in at least two killings and three non-fatal knife attacks in Watts this year, was arrested over the weekend in Nickerson Gardens.

Among the victims is said to be Samuel Lee Benton, Jr., known here as the "I'm Blessed Man", who was stabbed to death February 14 across the street from the Nickersons.

Early Saturday morning, an Asian man, about 30 years-old, was fatally stabbed on Imperial Highway near the gates of the projects and across the street from Hawkins House of Burgers. The man was described by Watts residents as a "homeless, Asian smoker", (Around here, a "smoker" is a crack smoker.)    

The arrested man, who went by the moniker "OB", is fairly well-known in Nickerson Gardens and, according to several residents, seemed to have "lost it" about five years ago. He, too,  is about 30 years old, they said. 

"He was born in the projects, raised in the projects and went mad in the projects," said a Watts man who knows the suspect's family and spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

A family member of Samuel  Benton, who also did not want to be identified, said he was glad to hear of the arrest.

"Even if they don't convict him of Sam's murder, then I hope they get him on one of the other ones."  

##

Here is the original story on the death of the "I'm Blessed Man"

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/2/15/the-ignominious-death-of-the-im-blessed-man-in-watts

Here's a report on the funeral of the "I'm Blessed Man"

http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/2/20/sam-he-was-like-an-uncle-to-us

Samuel Benton, the "I'm Blessed Man"   A suspect in his stabbing death was arrested over the weekend

"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.