Resurgence of Violence by S.D. Youth Gangs Feared

A rash of gang-related violence in San Diego has some experts worried that 1985 could be a year of resurgence for the city’s predominantly Latino, black and Asian gangs, which last year declined in size and activity.

Ramon (Chunky) Sanchez, director of the city’s Street Youth Program, said Wednesday that several stabbings in Southeast San Diego last month may bode more widespread gang crime if gang activity is left unchecked.

“Some of the (gang members) are coming in here saying it’s getting hot,” said Sanchez. “It’s kind of like a domino effect. Once somebody breaks the ice, it makes it easier for the other fellas to pull their daggers and stab somebody without worrying about it. It needs to concern us. It lets us know we have a very busy year ahead of us.”

Stabbings in Park

The recent outbreak of gang violence has centered chiefly in Logan Heights’ Chicano Park, where at least two nonfatal stabbings of rival gang members occurred in early December. Then Dec. 28, Preciliano Ayala, 19, was fatally stabbed in the park during a fistfight between members of two gangs. The next day, officers arrested suspected gang member Nick Todd Lucero, also 19, on suspicion of murdering Ayala.

Sanchez said he is not sure why the recent outbreak of violence has occurred. Some street youths have suggested it is drug-related.

“All we know is that for most of the year, (gang activity) was down, and we’ve had things last month sort of accelerate,” Sanchez said. “We have to worry about this because if we let it get out of hand, we’ll have the same situation as Los Angeles, and they have two or three of these killings every day.”

In 1983, San Diego’s youth gangs were blamed for 15 homicides, 6 attempted homicides, 52 assaults with a deadly weapon, 4 rapes and 64 robberies. Most of the crimes were committed against members of other gangs.

San Diego police at the end of 1983 estimated that there were 34 gangs operating in the city, with a total active membership of approximately 1,950 youths--about three-quarters of them Latino.

The Police Department has yet to process all of its gang activity statistics for 1984. But during the first nine months of the year, department figures indicated that overall gang membership in San Diego had dropped to about 1,024 youths in 23 gangs.

Sgt. Hank Olais, head of the Police Department’s 12-member gang detail, credited aggressive police work and adamant prosecution as major reasons behind the reduction. Of gang members who are arrested on felony charges, 97% are being brought to trial, according to department statistics released in September.

“A lot of them are off the street because they’ve been put in prison,” Olais said Wednesday. “We think we’re also having an effect by going out in the community, making presentations, and trying to discourage the marginal gangster from that kind of livelihood.”