Pomona Comes of Age in Deadly Way : Crime: City’s metamorphosis from quiet citrus community to multicultural manufacturing center has seen its homicide rate become the highest in the San Gabriel Valley this year.

Deep in the basement of the Pomona Police Department, in a narrow, dimly lighted locker, old cardboard boxes are stacked high with the grim remnants of this city’s most violent year.

Here, in one box, are the lead shotgun pellets that ripped through the chest of 29-year-old Juanico Loretto last January after he lost a drunken argument to a liquor store security guard.

In another box, sealed in a Manila envelope, are the nine exploded assault-rifle slugs that gang members are suspected of firing into the backs of Eduardo Cruz, 17, Cornelio Perez, 18, and Vincent Salazar, 20, as they talked on a street corner last September.

Nearby, wrapped in a plastic trash bag, are the broken pool cues that were used to bludgeon 49-year-old Gilbert Joe Flores three weeks ago as he prepared to close a tavern known as Grandma’s Attic for the night.

By last week, this macabre collection filling the shelves of the police evidence locker told the story of 39 brutal deaths already this year, the most murders recorded in any year since the city’s founding in 1888.

It is a number that has grown from 18 in 1984, to 24 in 1985, to 28 in 1986, to 35 in 1987. It fell back to 28 last year, but reached a new high when four people were gunned down in one bloody day last month.

It is also more murders than any other San Gabriel Valley city has ever experienced in one year, enough killings per capita to put Pomona’s homicide rate ahead of that of Pasadena, Glendale, San Bernardino, Santa Ana and even Los Angeles.

But this is more than a story of numbers.

It is a story of a quiet citrus community built by conservative Anglo farmers that woke up one day to find that it had become a multiracial, multicultural manufacturing center with all the urban woes of downtowns across the country.

Just 30 years ago, Pomona was a homogeneous middle-class suburb where the biggest civic headache was that there were no underpasses to carry traffic across the railroad tracks running through the middle of town. Today, it is a financially pinched city of 120,000, where more than half the population is estimated to be black or Latino and living in poverty.

To ask church groups, civil rights leaders, social workers and gang counselors what has gone wrong is to be told of a community without the social fabric or economic opportunities or recreational programs to support its new and sometimes uneasy mix of residents.

Those who can’t make it, or give up, or don’t even think it’s worth trying, lash out in frustration, in anger and in fear.

“I look at it as a tremendous breakdown of the community,” said James H. Williams, dean of the College of Arts at Cal Poly Pomona and former president of the Pomona Valley NAACP. “There are a lot of desperate people crying out for help and not knowing how to get it.”

When their cries for help turn violent, the most convenient targets are usually people most like themselves.

Nearly all of the 39 victims this year were young and male. All but four were black or Latino. Many were unemployed or could find only menial work. Most lived in the low-income neighborhoods hardest hit by drugs and gangs.

About half were themselves caught up in the violent cycles of street life, such as Charles Bradford Thomas, a 30-year-old suspected gang member, who was gunned down in a neighborhood known as “Sintown” in a reported dispute over drug-dealing turf.

Others were innocent bystanders who just happened to be on the streets when a gang from elsewhere came to settle a score, such as 19-year-old Guadalupe Carrillo Garcia, hit in the gut by a single shot from a military assault rifle.

Several were pushing their luck in pursuit of a few bucks, such as Michael Stephenson, 20, who was stealing the tires off a car when the owner spotted him and fired.

And a few may have died at the hands of the people they loved the most, such as Rosalva Garcia, whose fiance is suspected of shooting her during an argument three days before her 29th birthday.

“All of us here are responsible for this violence,” Sister Leticia Gomez, a Catholic nun and leader of Pomona Concerned Parents, told about 100 marchers on an anti-violence “Love Walk” through town last weekend.

“There is no such thing as problematic babies or problematic children,” she said. “But perhaps there is a problematic society causing these troubles.”

When Narin So fled war-torn Cambodia with his family eight years ago, he thought he had left problematic societies for good.

One sister had been lost to the Khmer Rouge rebels, money had been short and there was never enough to eat.

Pomona seemed different. Here he lived with his parents and another sister in an old wooden house with a big porch and a fenced yard. He had a job preparing the food that was served on flights out of Ontario International Airport. His father, Nhaing So, baked doughnuts. Together, they had three cars, two color TVs and a VCR.

But last August, 23-year-old Narin So lost all that. Nobody is sure why he was at the apartment of another Cambodian refugee, a 45-year-old man who attended the same Buddhist temple. Police found So’s limp body there on a Saturday night next to a shattered glass door.

The man said he fired a shotgun at So because he was breaking into his apartment. But police, who say the body had been dragged 40 feet from a nearby walkway, suspect a personal dispute.

“Here in America, where there is so much opportunity, why did he have to die?” his mother, Moa Phon, asks.

It is a question that Thelma Brooks asks herself, too. Her son, Jeffrey, had bought a new tweed suit to wear to the Holy Missionary Baptist Church on the last Sunday of June. He was buried in it instead.

A few days before, the 23-year-old grocery bagger had been walking late at night near an area of north Pomona known as “The Islands,” a tiny neighborhood of cul-de-sacs and crack houses that the Bloods gang considers its turf.

He could have been on the way to visit his sister, who lived nearby. Otherwise, his mother does not know why he was there. He had been a quiet boy, a B student at Pomona High School, and was preparing to enlist in the Navy. Wherever he was going, he never made it.

A police officer spotted his body in a blood-stained driveway at 3:45 a.m. with a single gunshot to the face. There are no suspects.

“It’s kind of rough at times,” said his mother. “But he comes to me in spirit and says, ‘I’m in good hands, don’t worry about me.’ That’s what’s getting me through.”

Over on the other side of town, there is a place called “Cherrieville,” and at least two dozen people have died in its name over the last 10 years. Most of them were young men like Mollie Monsibais’ sons.

A picture of Hector, who was just 14, hangs on the cluttered walls of her tiny stucco home. He was killed in 1979 by shots fired from a passing car.

A picture of 25-year-old Rudy, gunned down last July as he took a late-night walk with his wife, rests in her hands.

“It looks like I’m just starting over again,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. “One passed . . . and the other one starts.”

Cherrieville is a neighborhood, a park and a gang, and 43-year-old Mollie Monsibais lives in the middle of it. Although she says Rudy had left the street life behind, it didn’t mean that rival gangs stopped thinking of him as fair game.

He was about half a block from home when a car pulled up alongside him and then turned, pinning him against a fence. While his wife stared in horror, a passenger stood up through the sunroof and fired a .30-caliber carbine rifle into Rudy eight times.

Now, there is only one boy left at home, 12-year-old Arthur, and Mollie Monsibais isn’t taking any chances. Using her welfare check and a few dollars from her two grown daughters, she went out and bought a video game for the family TV to keep him occupied.

“I don’t let him out,” she says.

Although the days are long gone since Pomona advertised itself as “The Place of Wealth, Health and Plenty,” as in a 1910 brochure, officials have invested considerable time in recent years enhancing the city’s image.

Brochures, videos and a bus tour invite the visitor or investor to come see “Pomona . . . Positively!” And a glossy booklet distributed by the city Department of Community Development speaks of a town with “The Right Mix.”

So, these are not the kinds of stories that Pomona’s civic leaders like to dwell on.

In fact, former Police Chief Richard M. Tefank, fired two weeks ago by the City Council because of low morale within the department, at first was reluctant to release any information about the 39 victims.

A few other people whose comments probably would have been informative declined to be interviewed for fear of contributing to a negative perception of the city.

When pushed for explanations or reactions, most officials have simply remarked that Pomona’s problems are not unique.

“We’re reflecting what’s going on in society in general,” Tefank said.

“Crime statewide has gone up 11.9% this year,” Councilman Mark A. T. Nymeyer said.

“I don’t think it’s any worse in Pomona,” said James (Al) Smith, president of the board of directors of the Pomona Economic Development Corp.

Clearly, Pomona is not alone in its struggle against drugs and violence. But there is every indication that this 23-square-mile city at the eastern edge of Los Angeles County has more than its fair share of those woes.

There are nearly 275,000 people living in the seven communities bordering Pomona--Claremont, San Dimas, La Verne, Walnut, Diamond Bar, Chino and Montclair. Yet combined, they have accounted for fewer than 30 murders so far this year.

Pasadena, the only other city in the San Gabriel Valley with more than 100,000 residents, has recorded 15. It had 23 murders last year.

Even compared with Los Angeles, where there have been 2.0 murders for every 10,000 residents so far this year, Pomona is high. From January through last week, Pomona had 3.3 murders for every 10,000 residents. That number, however, is lower than in Inglewood and Compton, which have murder rates of 4.6 and 7.2, respectively.

Pomona’s median household income is estimated to be $26,378, lagging behind the county median of $30,074. There are 12,650 single parents receiving welfare in the city, or about 10.5% of the population. Countywide, about 6.3% of the population receives the same aid.

Test scores from the Pomona Unified School District last year ranked it in the bottom sixth percentile of the state, meaning 94% of the state’s students scored higher. That was an improvement from the year before, when it was in the bottom first percentile.

Unemployment for teen-agers in Pomona is estimated at more than 50%, and recreational programs are scarce. There have been calls to bring back Pop Warner football to the city, which was thrown out of the nationwide children’s league in 1978 for rowdyism and mismanagement. But officials in the local conference say there’s no room for Pomona.

“I think most of us hold on to some hope for what the future will bring,” said Pat Irish, executive director of the Pomona Valley Council of Churches. “But I see so much desperateness here. There’s an awful lot of people who can’t even imagine beyond where they are today.”

There have been some positive steps. A few years back the city formed the Combined Services Committee--a coalition of police, churches, probation officers and community groups--to work with young gang members.

Last year, Soledad Enrichment Action, a group that has worked successfully with high-risk youths in East Los Angeles, opened an alternative school in Pomona for about three dozen teen-agers.

The City Council recently approved funds to hire 19 new police officers, bringing the force to a total of 171. But because it takes time to train young cadets, the officers won’t be arriving for several more months.

Meanwhile, the old cardboard boxes keep stacking up in the locker in the basement of the Pomona Police Department at a rate of about one a week. Because investigations can sometimes go on for years and convictions can always be overturned, the boxes never get thrown away.

Like the painful memories that stick with the family of each victim, murder evidence is forever.

This story was written by Times staff writer Jesse Katz and is based on reporting by Katz, Mike Ward, Luz Villarreal and Jonathan Gaw.

JAN.5, 1989 Johnny Conrad Carrasco, 18 Shot while riding bicycle at Hamilton Blvd. and Center St. Investigation continuing. JAN.6, 1989 Juanico Aaron Loretto Jr., 29 Shot during argument in E. Mission Blvd. liquor store. Charges filed. JAN. 9,1989 Lee Bartlett, 23 Shot after reportedly stealing drugs, 1600 block Kingsley Ave. Investigation continuing. Dean J. Zacarias, 20 Shot by passing motorist while driving near Mission Blvd. and Reservoir St. Second-degree murder conviction on appeal. Alberto Pineda, 25 E. Mission Blvd. liquor store clerk, shot in gun battle between robbers and another employee. Investigation continuing. JAN. 21, 1989 Rosalva Garcia, 28 Shot in argument with fiance, 700 block N. Reservoir St. Charges filed. Charles B. Thomas, 30 Drive-by shooting, 2200 block Carlton Ave. Investigation continuing. JAN. 22, 1989 Guadalupe Carrillo Garcia, 19 Found shot in car parked in 2400 block Alder St. Suspect pled guilty to attempted murder. MARCH 4, 1989 Noel Estremera, 15 Thrown from car after car chase and crash near Towne Ave. and County Road. Investigation continuing. MARCH 5, 1989 David Duran, 21 Drive-by shooting, Mission Blvd. and Buena Vista Ave. Investigation continuing. APRIL 11, 1989 Michael Stephenson, 20 Shot after fleeing from tire theft scene, 900 block E. Lincoln Ave. Case rejected for lack of evidence. APRIL 28, 1989 Robert Martinez, 18 Shot, Rio Rancho Road near Park Ave. Investigation continuing. APRIL 30, 1989 Ernesto Macias, 26 Shot at home, 1000 block W. Third St. Investigation continuing. MAY 8, 1989 Joaquin Reyes, 28 and his brother, Osvaldo Reyes, 23, in a group drinking in the 1300 block of W. Second St., were stabbed after teasing one of the group. Investigation continuing. MAY 18, 1989 Jose Antonio Pichardo, 23 Drive-by shooting, 800 block E. Grand Ave. Investigation continuing. MAY 24, 1989 Elias Pineda, 19 Shot, 1300 block W. Sixth St. Investigation continuing. MAY 27, 1989 Andrew E. Sierra, 26 Drive-by shooting, 300 block W. Phillips Blvd. Two male juveniles arrested. JUNE 1, 1989 Ramon Vargas Rodriguez, 36 Shot at home, 800 block S. Towne Ave. Investigation continuing. JUNE 4, 1989 Carlos Alfredo Lemus, 34 Stabbed in argument with roommate, 1100 block W. Holt Ave. Investigation continuing. JUNE 12, 1989 Derrick Portis, 18 Shot while walking, 1900 block W. Orange Grove Ave. Charges filed. JUNE 22, 1989 Jeffrey Brooks, 23 Found shot in driveway, 2400 block Mountain Ave. Investigation continuing. JUNE 24, 1989 Jose Luis Huizar, 17 Shot in argument at party, 900 block N. Gordon St. Charges filed. Nina Reynolds, 81 and her brother Henry Williams, 88, were beaten to death in their home, 1300 block W. 11th St. Investigation continuing. JULY 18, 1989 Victoria Lynn Jacketta, 31 Body found in bushes, 4200 block W. Valley Blvd. Investigation continuing. JULY 23, 1989 Rudy Monsibais, 25 Walking with wife near White and Holt avenues, pinned against fence by car and shot. Investigation continuing. JULY 26, 1989 Lazaro Perez, 40 Beaten to death with frying pan by robbers in his home, 1000 block E. Mission Blvd. Charges filed. AUG. 5, 1989 Narin So, 23, Shot after breaking sliding glass door at house, 900 block S. Waters Ave. Charges filed. AUG. 13, 1989 Collette Denise Cox, 29 Shot, 2200 block Carlton Ave. Investigation continuing. SEPT. 8, 1989 Adam Blanco, 32 Drive-by shooting, 800 block Monterey Ave. Investigation continuing. SEPT. 13, 1989 Aaron Fitzgerald Brown, 22 Shot sitting in his car, 200 block W. 12th St. Investigation continuing. SEPT. 24, 1989 Eduardo Cruz, 17 Vincent Salazar, 20 Cornelio Perez, 18 Three were shot standing on sidewalk at Hunt Ave. and Lee Place. Charges filed. SEPT. 25, 1989 Richard Benavidez, 20 Shot in car, Huntington Blvd. and Fremont St. Investigation continuing. OCT. 3, 1989 Guadalupe Ornales, 21 and Andres Gonzales, 16, were shot, 100 block E. Commercial St., after reportedly participating in robberies. Investigation continuing. OCT. 10, 1989 Gilbert Joe Flores, 49 Bartender beaten at work, 600 block W. Mission Blvd. Investigation continuing. COMPARISON OF MURDER RATES

MURDERS MURDERS PER 10,000 AS OF MURDERS RESIDENTS CITY OCT. 15, 1989 IN 1988 POPULATION THIS YEAR Glendale 4 6 166,100 0.2 Pasadena 15 22 132,200 1.1 Santa Ana 47 38 237,300 2.0 Los Angeles 684 736 3,400,485 2.0 San Bernardino 45 41 153,700 2.9 Pomona 39 28 119,900 3.1 Inglewood 47 30 102,300 4.6 Compton 67 82 93,000 7.2