Gang Member

Apr 5 2013

Faces 100 years to life

COMPTON, Calif. — A teenager was convicted today of murder and attempted murder for fatally shooting a 14-month-old boy and wounding the toddler’s father.

The Compton Superior Court jury deliberated about 1 1/2 hours before finding 16-year-old Donald Ray Dokins guilty of first-degree murder for the June 4, 2012, shooting death of Angel Cortez, along with the attempted murder of his father, who was shot in the shoulder, said Deputy District Attorney Danette Gomez.

Mar 29 2013

Aaron Shannon Jr. was showing off his Spider-man costume

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Jurors deadlocked today in the trial of a reputed gang member charged in the 2010 Halloween killing of a 5-year-old South Los Angeles boy who was shot while showing off his Spider-man costume in his backyard.

Superior Court Judge Bob S. Bowers declared a mistrial after the jury’s foreman said the panel was not able to reach a unanimous verdict in Leonard Hall Jr.’s trial.

Mar 13 2013

Sentenced December 2011 to 155 1/2 years to life in state prison

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A state appeals court panel today ordered a new sentencing hearing for a gang member convicted of killing a 16-year-old honor student after opening fire on a crowd of people following a homecoming football game in Long Beach.

The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal sent the case against Tom Love Vinson back to Long Beach Superior Court Judge Mark Kim for re-sentencing.

Feb 25 2013

Black family in Glassell Park

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A 19-year-old Latino man was sentenced today to 25 years and four months in state prison for threatening a Black family in Glassell Park with a shotgun while shouting racial epithets.

Ivan Alquicira was convicted of three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of making terrorist threats, with enhancements for hate crimes, gang involvement and firearms possession.

Jan 14 2013

Believed to be a gang member

INGLEWOOD, Calif.—A boy in a stolen car led officers through Inglewood and other South Bay cities today in a meandering two-hour pursuit during which he crashed into a police cruiser, then drove over some spike strips and was arrested, police said.

The pursuit started at Manchester and La Cienega Boulevards in Inglewood at 11:06 p.m., when officers attempted to stop a gold Toyota Camry stolen in Inglewood and the driver refused to pull over, said Inglewood police Sgt. Brian Hand.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.