Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. Vargas, with his facial tattoos and street- tough expression, for a while wore his jail jumpsuit to trial. On 24 January 2001 in Tracy, California, Casper set up a meeting with NF chiefs, which was monitored. In this regard, Cobos' testimony cannot be regarded as substantially incriminating. It's something like: The Mafia meets the Branch Davidians," said Deputy District Attorney Cameron Bowman, whose double-murder trial of four NF defendants began this month. Thirteen of the defendants faced the death penalty. The NF fell into disarray, and Casper was still undercover when the chaos began. App. These were proper factors which could be used in imposing a consecutive sentence. ), FN 17. Furthermore, the Perez court noted, "The record does not show that the trial court did in fact discharge its duty in these circumstances by weighing the evidence for prejudice against its probative value. den. The gist of Castro's present contention is that the superior court erred in determining that the municipal court had jurisdiction to proceed on the assault count without referring the matter back for a second fitness hearing before the juvenile court. fn. Since the privacy rights asserted here are personal to Dominguez and differ from the in rem nature of suppression proceedings (People v. Gale (1973) 9 Cal. App. [20], In April 2010, federal and local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. The neo-Nazi gang the Aryan Brotherhood was founded at San Quentin in 1964. The facts necessary for a resolution of this contention are as follows. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Over defense objection that Castro's statements were hearsay as to appellant Dominguez, Hernandez testified that Castro told him that while they were at the house where Wolfie was shot, Castro observed Dominguez firing at a person who was crawling up a driveway on his hands and knees. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. 11. According to court records, Lopez once ordered a "green light," or hit, on Vargas. den. According to prosecutors, the order to kill Apodaca was placed by phone from the fourth floor of the county jail, where Lopez was being held on other charges. The gang was an enemy of the Mexican Mafia, and it decreed that all Nortenos ("northerners") were members of the NF, granting them protection from "La Eme" (the Mexican Mafia) behind bars. (See People v. McGautha (1969) 70 Cal. Rptr. The three men ran back to the car and sped away. "A. 203]. Rptr. [121 Cal. Sammy Simenthal Dominguez and Anthony Castro were charged with having committed murder (Pen. Death Row Diner Pelcula completa online; Ver en lnea gratis. 2d 803, 92 S. Ct. 2452]; People v. Martin (1955) 45 Cal. As the verdicts were read to a hushed courtroom filled with the victims relatives and lawyers eager to learn the outcome of the rare capital case, Paniagua had no visible reaction. Members swear fealty to the gang and vow to uphold the "14 Bonds," which mandate secrecy, obedience and respect within the gang. Alex Santa Cruz suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg while "doing somersaults and doing flips to try to avoid being hit" in a nearby grassy, open lot. Cadena made overtures to unite La Eme with the rival Nuestra Familia, but his peace talks with "the farmeros" were frowned upon by Joe Morgan and other senior Eme leaders. The defendants' unseemly scramble to turn coat not only made the cases easier to prosecute -- it began what law enforcement hopes may be the unraveling of the gang itself. Serna, nicknamed Spankio, was sentenced to death by a Santa Clara County jury in 1997 for the murders of Esteban Guzman, Marcos Baca and Sheila Apodaca. The district attorney agreed with this assessment. Santa Cruz admitted seeing the station wagon travel by the group on Virginia Street. Under Gov . It happened in May 2009 in Arivaca, a desert community, 10 miles north of Mexico. The court then noted, "They are only being tried for this one crime, not all the other crimes that the Nuestra Familia might have done. The seventh victim to die, Sheila Apodaca, was allegedly killed on the orders of her boyfriend -- Bobby Lopez -- because she furiously objected to his womanizing and threatened to retaliate. Thanks to frequent stretches in custody -- and occasional 10,000-word essays assigned by gang leaders -- the art of the handwritten letter flourishes in Nuestra Familia. by thewestside May 20th, 2008, 2:20 am, Return to Mexico, Central America, South America & the Caribbean, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Dominguez cites People v. Chambers (1964) 231 Cal. Eight top-ranking members of the deadly Nuestra Familia prison gang entered guilty pleas to federal racketeering charges Monday in the conclusion of "Operation Black Widow," a local, state and . "At first, when (gang members) would come to our side, we'd throw a party," said Kitty Constantinides. Us being locked in here, its like were watching this virus get steadily closer to us and theres nothing we can do.. Hernandez exited out of the right front passenger door, pointed a gun toward the police, and ran from the scene. She also carried information to superiors [121 Cal. Herminio Serna, 53, died late Monday at San Quentin State Prison after he was found unresponsive in his single cell. Rptr. No contrary result is dictated by the recent decision of People v. Perez (1981) 114 Cal. 3d 499] exceeded its prejudicial effect. On 18 May 2000, NF gang member Casper (who was Rubelcaba's right-hand man) was released from jail and was ordered to run the street operations of the gang, becoming the leader of NF on the outside. Castro informed Hernandez that Castro's brother, Manuel, knew where they could locate Chollo Hernandez. 353, 407 P.2d 265]) violation. Prison personnel gave Serna CPR and called an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead about 8:35 p.m. A cause of death is pending. Although he did not move for a severance, Castro properly preserved assertion of the confrontation issue by entering a timely objection and a timely request for excisions/deletions. 195.) . After Hernandez discovered that his ammunition was expended, he shouted, "Let's go" to Dominguez and Castro. But given the amount of double- dealing on the part of almost everyone involved, it's a mystery why the familianos trusted each other at all. fn. The Fierro brothers were known enemies of the Nuestra Familia. A criminalist examining Fuentes on October 22 at 4:30 a.m. found gunpower particles on his hands and certain items of clothing. Hernandez also fired at the vehicle once. The first. After ascertaining that Chollo was not there, the men returned to the car and took Manuel home. Nuestra Familia is one of a constellation of race-based prison gangs that organize and direct the growing subculture of California's inmates. Most of Lasolla's orders came from Death Row Joe Gonzales, one of the head leaders of the Nuestra Familia, who was in state prison at the time. But on a more fundamental level, the NF is dying because today's gangsters are simply of poorer quality than in the past, said Kitty Constantinides. As noted earlier, David Hernandez was told to accompany Dominguez and Castro to Bakersfield and was given three orders to carry out. That's ridiculous." Location: 2700 N. Virginia Street ~ Reno, NV Telephone: 775-323-0133 Fax: 775-323-1229 Email: omos@CatholicCemeteryReno.org Gates and Mausoleum Buildings are open every day of the year (weather permitting) from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The trio did not see any of the Fierros; accordingly, they left the park around midnight. [20] The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. Rptr. (hg. DPIC Page: Conditions on Death Row 359]; People v. Estrada (1979) 93 Cal. The NF has a formal written constitution and a membership of approximately 250, with an additional 1,000 associates. As Dominguez made a right-hand turn onto Ninth Street, the station wagon slid out of control, hit a fence, and eventually stopped. 2d 59, 71 [8 Cal. Each individual 6x9 foot cells are covered in tight heavy mesh - making seeing outside almost impossible. But "Everybody did it," Salazar shrugged. Two days after Mattox arrived he was tested, but only found out he was positive five days later and placed in a filthy isolation cell. In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indicted on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges, including several who were allegedly serving as high-ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay. She grew up with that thing: I have to stick with my guy, he said of his late niece. Rptr. 17 to the jury which carefully limited application of the evidence pursuant to the coconspirator exception. Another prisoner John Mattox was transferred to San Quentin while showing signs of Covid. In addition, Alex Santa Cruz testified that Freddie Fuentes was present at the party where the shooting occurred. The Epps court concluded that a defendant's statements which did not directly inculpate or refer to his codefendant were not substantially incriminating to the nondeclarant defendant in light of other evidence showing that the two men were acquainted with each other. fn. The People argue that there was a "continuing" conspiracy until information about the shootings was relayed to Salinas Lieutenant Lasolla. When they turned onto Virginia Street, the three men saw a group of people talking and drinking beer near two parked cars. Code, 245, subd. "But in terms of being responsible for causing these deaths, he's probably the central figure. Newsom's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting 1 July seeks $1.5m to find new uses for the vacant death row housing. Hernandez was subsequently arrested in Hayward on November 2, and Castro was apparently arrested sometime after the shooting. granted July 16, 1980); Robinson v. Superior Court (Cal.App.) 731]; see also People v. Penrod (1980) 112 Cal. 3d 807, 823; People v. Morales (1968) 263 Cal. fn. Gang Questions, Info & News - West Coast - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - East Coast - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - Mid West - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - South - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - General - U.S.A. International Street Gangs & Organized Crime, Middle East / South East / Far East - Asia, Mexico, Central America, South America & the Caribbean, Canada street gangs & US Organized Crime, Past Figures, The Infamous & Legends of the Game, Prevention, Intervention, Education and Awareness, Open Section for Other Random Topics & Controverisal issues, http://www.geocities.com/jiggy2000_us/f eline.html. 2d 655 [62 Cal. fn. The lieutenant of the Salinas regiment was Arthur "T-Bone" Lasolla. . App. 3d 609 [168 Cal. App. Technically, defense counsel's motion to strike was untimely, since the evidence had already been admitted into trial without objection. The People correctly note that the evidence relating to gang membership is different than the "criminal propensity" character evidence prohibited by Evidence Code section 1101, subdivision (a). Someone in the crowd gave a negative response. While all Nuestra Familia soldiers and captains in California are expected to follow the orders of Cervantes, a small percentage of the gang remains loyal to the former generals and captains imprisoned in Colorado. This makes gang recruitment a harder sell. 's lives, and continued to host meetings over the next four months that were taped. 45], citing People v. Woodberry (1970) 10 Cal. 250].). Hernandez did testify that Dominguez did not fire any weapon on this occasion. App. East block prisoner and killer Raymond Lewis, 41, said: To me, this is worse than death. (People v. Love (1977) 75 Cal. the Nuestra Familia/Nortenos vs. the Mexican Mafia/Surenos. "Especially drugs.". Apodaca was Lopezs lover, who had threatened to tell authorities what she knew about the gangs involvement in other killings. No executions have taken place since 2006, when 76-year-old killer Clarence Ray Allen was killed by lethal injection. The court also admonished that the evidence should not be considered against Dominguez if no conspiracy was found. In 1972, Mexican Mafia leader Rodolfo Cadena called for a peace summit in prison in hopes of ending the war, but he was stabbed repeatedly by NF members, thrown off a tier, and stabbed to death on the cement below. Castro was "hit" in one of his fingers. [21] Nuestra Familia members often use the image of a sombrero with a machete as their gang symbol. Victims' families wrestle with grief as they weigh the death penalty on the ballot. fn. The defendants are accused of killing Tony "Little Weasel" Herrera, Larry Valles and Esteban Guzman, alleged drug dealers who reportedly balked at paying taxes to the gang; Eli Rosas, said to have "disrespected" other gang members; Marcos Baca, thought to be a snitch, whose body was found on the grounds of Santee Elementary School; and Ray "Chocolate" Perez, a gang wannabe who may have made the mistake of breaking gang rules. fn. The trial court denied defense counsel's oral motion to exclude references to the "probation" or "parole" officer. We initially set forth the segments of testimony pertinent to Dominguez' second contention. "Is that trial still going on? Rules of Court). App. But Charles Constantinides points to San Jose's unusually low violent crime rate as proof that prosecutions have an effect. App. 3d 686, 690 [138 Cal.Rptr. Castro also presented evidence showing that he was in custody at juvenile hall on October 16 and made an appearance at a court proceeding on October 25. Were happy now; our girls can finally rest in peace.. fn. This admonition and subsequent instructions adequately protected Dominguez from undue prejudice. Paraplegics have a shorter- than-average life spans, and a gang snitch paraplegic in state prison faces even greater risks. The trial court admitted Farr's testimony under Evidence Code section 352. The main Nuestra Familia trial now under way involves four defendants accused of seven murders, conspiracy and assorted violent attacks. Criminal organization of Mexican American prison gangs in the US, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Prison Gangs (continued) - Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Authorities arrest 11 key gang members in east Hillsborough", "Bust of gang offers hope for Dodge City immigrants", "Gangs are becoming a growing threat across Utah", "The Marietta Daily Journal - Ga Supreme Court upholds brothers murder convictions", "Special Issue: Gangs in the United States", "Federal indictments crack vast prison crime ring", "Gang raid targets Nuestra Familia in Salinas", Organized Crime in California Annual Report 2007-08, "New leadership, constitution for Nuestra Familia", "Gang and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Eight-month investigation yields 37 high-level arrests", "Nuestra Familia case: Details of biggest gang prosecution in Santa Clara County history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuestra_Familia&oldid=1141826410, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, homicide, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 00:46. What did he say in that regard? The nickname "Silent" is a kind of joke, prosecutors say, because Lopez is famous for talking too much. den. Although Hernandez thought "Well, now, I have him," he pulled the trigger again, only to find that the weapon was empty. 3d 489], Sometime during October 1977, Hernandez, Marina Christina "Chris" Cobos, Marian Saballa Maldonado, Marian Martinez, and Dominguez went to San Jose. FN 12. (People v. Guerrero (1976) 16 Cal. Serna resembles nothing so much as a wide-eyed college student, and Trujeque could be a portly businessman -- except for the metal anklet above his black loafers. "The murder rate dropped by about half.". Afterwards, the men took Anna Ruiz to her house. 14. 3d 706, 713-716 [173 Cal.Rptr. Furthermore, "A motion for a mistrial presupposes that the effect of the objectionable evidence 'is so prejudicial as to be incurable by striking it and admonishing the jury to disregard it.'" When the shooting started, Fred and Alex Santa Cruz and Steve Fierro ducked behind David Rodriguez' car. This evidence was relevant because (1) it explained the presence of the three men in Bakersfield on October 21, and (2) it showed that the men dutifully followed the orders given by Nuestra Familia superiors. Shelton was commander of the NF's San Jose regiment, and Lopez his newly minted second-in-command, prosecutors say. fn. Death row exonerees including Kwame Ajamu, right, listens to speakers during a Witness to Innocence news conference marking the organization's 15th anniversary at the at the National Constitution . "But now they come to us, and we think, 'Well, how much use are you going to be to us?' (Id, at pp. 3d 78, 85 [81 Cal. Nuestra Familia launches a reprisal attack on the Mexican Mafia at 2:30 pm. My daughter and my grandchildren didnt get a choice, so why should he? Chavezs mother, Dorothy Gutierrez, said. 13 One of Hernandez' orders was to kill any Nuestra Familia enemies which he and appellants might encounter while in Bakersfield. Captain Henry "Happy" Cervantes was heard discussing a plan to kill two San Jose district attorneys, but Casper refused to allow the order. Officer Parker made his identification of Fuentes from photographs and photographic lineups. 3d 719, 724 [129 Cal. 4257. The three men then got back together a few hours later. During questioning by the prosecutor, witness Cobos related the following as part of a conversation she earlier had with appellant Dominguez: "Q. Regarding his claim to good-time/work-time credits, this is compelled byPeople v. Sage (1980) 26 Cal. Here, we go behind bars to take a look at what its death row is really like. On a practical level, the three- year murder spree that began in 1990 has resulted in the costliest series of trials in Santa Clara County history. The View co-host shared an Instagram post paying tribute to her mom and being grateful for the time she spent with her . Tan Mui Choo was one of 18 inmates who Sister Gerard Fernandez walked with to the gallows. Before the superior court hearing the section 995 motion, appellant's trial counsel said he had previously objected to the municipal court's assertion of jurisdiction on the assault count. (Cf. Under these circumstances, we believe the jurors were justified in concluding that the subsequent conversation between Hernandez and Castro was in furtherance of the gang-related purposes of the conspiracy to kill the Fierros and other enemies of the Nuestra Familia. Below are the men and women currently on death row. The prosecutor then asserted that, following the juvenile court fitness determination, a complaint was filed charging Castro with both the murder and assault counts.