A Family Standing Up to Gangs

Testifying against accused murderers would be difficult for anyone, but it is an act of courage for a Santa Ana family who witnessed a gang shooting last September. The shooting, one of the worst such incidents to ever occur in Orange County, left two people dead, including a 4-year-old boy, and several persons wounded. But it was only the beginning of terror for the family of Isabel and Ralph Rodriguez, who, with their four children, watched in horror as the shooting occurred near their home.

The child who died was a cousin of Isabel Rodriguez; the other victim was a 17-year-old who police believe was a gang member. The shooting is believed to have resulted from gang rivalries, and three young men later arrested as suspects in the killings are members of another gang.

Members of the Rodriguez family are determined to give their eyewitness account at a preliminary hearing in February despite a reign of terror by neighborhood thugs. The harassment has escalated from name-calling and beer bottles thrown at their house to death threats, a fire bomb bouncing off a bedroom window and an attempt to run down a Rodriguez child. Finally, last week, police arrested two gang members for witness intimidation and other charges.

Despite the arrests, police have stepped up patrols in the Rodriguez neighborhood. The family has taken to bedding down the children on the floor, afraid of stray bullets. It is, as Isabel Rodriguez said, “pure hell.”

A deputy district attorney said that the arrests and warrants are an indication that witness intimidation will not be tolerated. To do so, he added would make “a joke of the whole criminal justice system.” We agree. Police must do everything possible to protect the Rodriguez family now, and after they testify. The children also must be assured of safety at school.

Not all witnesses would be as resolute as the Rodriguezes. We commend their courage in standing up against frightening intimidation and for paying a personal price to see that justice is done.