Messages From the War Zone

Viviana Guerra has waged a lonely war against the 250-member gang that has bludgeoned her North Hollywood neighborhood into submission. Last week, as she faced still another gang member in court, it was no different.

Maximilliano Guerrero was accused of making a terrorist threat against Guerra by simulating a gun with his finger and saying, “We’re going to get you. . . . Bang, bang, you’re dead.” No one who had seen the incident was willing to testify.

It was Guerra’s persuasiveness, in the absence of corroborating witnesses, that helped a Van Nuys Superior Court jury convict the defendant, who now faces a sentence that could range from probation to six years in prison.

There are many messages here.

One is for the neighbors who have abandoned Guerra, a single mother of seven, in the struggle against the gang: They must find the courage to help in the fight to win back their area.

Another is for anyone who has ever witnessed a crime and then failed to report it: Perhaps Guerra’s story will shame you into calling the police next time.

The last comes in the form of a question for the authorities who say they are outmanned and cannot guarantee Guerra’s safety: Is this the proper message when a police station is just a block away?

Guerra’s area has been overrun by gang activity and drugs. She alone has reported crimes and testified in court. Several gang members have been jailed because of her vigilance, and that has made her a target.

Detectives have logged more than 50 incidents of vandalism and abuse against Guerra and her family. These have not gone to trial because neighbors have refused to testify about what they have seen.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Francis A. Baratta was right to press this case, despite the absence of prosecution witnesses. LAPD Detective Jorge Armenta also played an important role; he helped convince the jury of the defendant’s guilt by linking him to the gang.

We hope this conviction will convince Guerra’s neighbors and the police that a more concerted effort is needed to reclaim this community. Isn’t this precisely the kind of problem that community policing is intended to address?