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by John_Schwada from Los Angeles

Last Post 2 days, 17 hours Ago


Shaw Murder: Suspect Here Illegally
Mar 22, 2008 | 1:11 PM
Category: News
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The murder of Jamiel Shaw, the LA High School football phenom, on March 2 was a huge tragedy.

And the story took on more tragic overtones Friday when Fox 11 News learned that the alleged shooter, Pedro Espinoza, 19, was in this country illegally; that Espinoza, an 18th Street gangmember since he was 12-years-old,  has spent almost all of the last four years in either LA county jail or in the custody of the California Youth Authority; and, finally, that it was only in the last week that authorities discovered that Espinoza - with his pretty extensive record of violent behavior - is an illegal alien who has been sitting in various lockups, under the very noses of the authorities for years.

A lot of "what if's" in this case. The most explosive one: Shaw might still be alive today if immigration authorities had a more air-tight system of detecting illegal aliens in the jails.

The chronology goes like this: On Nov. 18, 2007, Espinoza and two of his buddies from the notorious 18th Street gang (the largest criminal street gang in the U.S. if not the world) were - according to one witness - striding through the Syd Kronenthal Park in Culver City, throwing up gang signs; the park is only about ten blocks away from Alsace Street, homefield for the so-called Alsace clique of 18th Street to which Espinoza belonged.

The trio from  18th Street were trying to intimidate park visitors, a typical way for gangbangers to start trying to mark off their turf.

But before the trio could get too obnoxious the police arrived. The gangbangers scattered and Espinoza dumped a .380 Browning semi-automatic into some nearby bushes. Espinoza was arrested and charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor: carrying a loaded firearm; obstructing a police officer (at the police station, Espinoza got into an altercation with the cops) and exhibiting a gun in an angry, threatening manner (Espinoza pulled out a pistol during a brief confrontation with a jogger in the park).

Espinoza did not make bail and was convicted in January on two of the counts and sentenced to 180 days in LA County jail.

On March 1,  Espinoza was released. On March 2, less than 28 hours after being released, he allegedly gunned down Shaw, only steps away from the football star's own house.

Only days after being jailed for Shaw's murder, Immigration and Customs Enforcement  (ICE) put a "hold" on Espinoza after determining he was illegally in the U.S.  This meant that if Espinoza ever beat the Shaw rap, ICE would immediately take him into custody and deport him.

To repeat: if ICE had been at the jailhouse door on March 1 when Espinoza finished serving his time for his Kornenthal Park antics, Jamiel Shaw might be alive today.

What happened? ICE has a "criminal alien program" meant to scoop up deportable aliens when they're being released from jail and promptly ship back to their homelands. When I asked an ICE spokeswoman how this program could have missed Espinoza, she said: "I don't know. The system is not 100 percent."

The failure to spot Espinoza was particularly troubling because of his extensive history of criminal activity. In May 2004 he was arrested for burglary and given a three-year term in a CYA facility. While in CYA, Espinoza was convicted twice of attacking CYA staff and a third time of assaulting a fellow inmate at the Eastlake Juvenile Center. Authorities also heard testimony late last year, in the Kronenthal Park matter, that Espinoza had been an 18th Street gangmember since he was 12.

A copy of the story I did on this angle to the Jamiel Shaw tragedy can be seen on this same website; it aired Friday night, 3/21/08.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 8
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tanya7189
Mar 24, 2008 | 9:52 AM

If his parents (the murderer) would have been stopped at the border Jamiel Shaw (the son of a soldier) gang member or not would still be alive. BOTTOM LINE!!!

As far as all of us being here illegaly not true. As an African American with some native blood I am a product of slavery. Big difference. Anyway didn't the Spaniards also infultrate south of the border?
John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 24, 2008 | 4:11 PM

seriostyle: pls contact me at 310 709-0056 re: further information abt shaw's myspace page. the question of black-on-latino, latino-on-black crime is, of course, something the lapd is anxiously monitoring. i did not deal with the issue in my blog - just the issue of espinoza slipping through the immigration net even though he has been in and out of lockups (la county jail or cya facilities) almost continuously for the last four years or so....
23Vix
Mar 24, 2008 | 4:29 PM

This who thing abpout race is dumb this is all about the streets not obout color. I do beleive that people with a crimenal record should get sent back where they came from and that does not only mean hispanics I mean asian, hispanics, midle estern, africans, and all the others because you might be an amarican but if you realy look at it you are not just white you are aither airesh germin or what ever you want to call it because their is no white land their is no real american because america is the land of imagrents. Yes I do give my simpothy to the family It does siken me that people would do things like this to others because nobody has the right to take a life not even law makers. So my how point in this is that meddia is just focesing on traing to find a way to put imegrents as a bad target. Not all imegrents are in america to camit a craim and for thouse that think that they are such a burton thir the ones working other peoples ss# that are just at home siting in their lazy ass not wanting to work. And do not try to say becaouse they are taking all the jobs because I would like to see americans go from house to house under the summer sun cuting gras or being behin the kitchen scrubing plates or being in feilds planting seads because if their was americans that would take thouse jobs then by god take all the hard working imegrents that are hear to make a beter life for themselft and their familys back to their conty.
tanya7189
Mar 25, 2008 | 1:16 PM

seriostylo



I had a chance to read Jamiel's headline. You are correct. He was a blood. It still does not excuse the fact that the murder suspect should have been deported. Also Jamiel had a promising future. He was on his way to college. He was also an excellent student. I do not believe race was an issue here. But lets not pretend that there is no issue. There are many race based riots in our high school all over this county every year. As a community we need to face this. The racsism also goes both ways.
DMMickie read my blog view my photos
Mar 25, 2008 | 5:11 PM

John,

This is another tragic murder in a city full of murders. Another young life snuffed out. OF course illegal immigrants should be deported if they are committing crimes. Just like Americans should go to jail when they break the law. John, you do not know if Shaw would be alive today if ICE had arrested Espinosza. Unless you are clairvoyant. Some other gang member might have done the deed. Remember the leading cause of death for young black men is gun violence. Your buddy Blatchford reported a race war between black and latino gangs 3 years ago. Now there are out right ethnic attacks. A young black child was gun down just a few weeks ago, and hispanics with no gang connection have been murder by black suspects for no apparent reason.
Don't scapegoat. Instead discuss the real problem. Gang activity is OUT OF CONTROL in this city. Here is one suggestion. Face the fact that LA needs to pay for more cops on the ground. If police had been patrolling local parks those gang members probably would not have been able to harass and attack people.
John, even if you personally deported all the illegal immigrant gang members today you would still be writing reports about gang murders tomorrow. That is the sad truth.
John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 26, 2008 | 7:11 AM

everyone's right!!! sort of. the FIRST illegal entry is an administrative (civil) matter. however, illegal RE-entry is a federal crime and the more times it's committed the longer the sentence can be.

dmmickie: you're right. no one can know if shaw would be alive today if espinoza had been taken into custody by ICE on March instead of released from jail and into the general community. and just to make sure it's clear: i did NOT say Shaw would be alive today...only that it's an "explosive question." and i think most people would answer "yes" to it.
John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 28, 2008 | 6:47 AM

dfdeportation: you've raised an interesting point which is: is it ALWAYS a crime, punishable by imprisonment, to enter the country illegally or is it an administrative violation the first time?

here's what i believe is true: ICE TREATS the first illegal entry as an administrative violation and TREATS illegal RE-entry as a crime. ICE's PRACTICE/POLICY regarding the first illegal entry - as you suggest DF - may not follow the strict letter of the law. IF you're right, DF, the next questions are: would ICE, as part of its current stepped-up enforcement program, consider treating the first offense as a crime; would an enhanced punishment system be an effective deterrent; are there enough facilities to incarcerate all the violators, etc. etc.??? i intend to find out more abt this myself....

DMMickie: some people feel strongly about these issues, just as you do. frankly i'm hoping forums like this can at least clarify some of the issues and facts...i know that sitting around talking to myself or people who agree with me 100 percent of the time often does little to expand my understanding of an issue. the best weapon in a debate is to marshall the best facts, the most persuasive arguments. it's always a challenge. keep on learning and debating!
tanya7189
Mar 29, 2008 | 12:03 PM

All this talk about illegal immigration. I saw a video posted by someone. Lets not pretend like all children who are brought to this country illegaly are well behaved. Were goes that one illegal immigrant who was brought here as a child who turned out to be a murderer.

How many American lives have to be lost for people to see that there is something wrong here. Are we collateral damage? Why are we the average American people supposed to be willing to compete for our lively hoods in every aspect with illegal immigrants? for those who want us to bend to illegal immigrants tell me why I should want to?
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John_Schwada

As a reporter at Fox 11 News, I have covered national political conventions, presidential impeachment hearings and gubernatorial recall campaigns. I've done double-duty as an investigative reporter and, in this capacity, won Golden Mike and Emmy awards. I also have labored in the newspaper biz: LA Herald-Examiner, the LA Times, the San Diego Union, the Arizona Republic and the Riverside Press-Enterprise. I went to UC Berkeley and learned to respect the sharpshooting ability of Alameda County's "blue-meanies" who could hit protesters in the derriere with buckshot from 50 paces. I'm now looking for a wealthy benefactor who will donate their villa in Spain to me and my family.

Member Since: 7/4/2006


 

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