VAN NUYS : Young Driver Pays for Gang Mayhem

David Reynoso isn’t a gang member, but his best friend is. Prosecutors say that friendship is the source of his troubles.

When his best friend was shot by a rival gang in a drive-by last year, Reynoso agreed to drive members of his friend’s gang to an area just north of Balboa Golf Course for a retaliation shooting, authorities said.

But things went awry when the intended target returned fire, this time killing another friend of Reynoso.

On Friday, the 19-year-old Reynoso, of Van Nuys, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of attempted murder for his role in the crime. Though he had no prior criminal record, he was sentenced to nearly 20 years in state prison.

“His downfall is that he had friends who were gang members and they were able to influence him when he was most vulnerable--right after his best friend was shot,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Shellie Samuels.

“The main point of this is here’s a kid who probably would never have done this on his own, but he came under the influence of the gang,” she said.

According to prosecutors and statements made to police, the tragic triangle of shootings began with a drive-by shooting by a Salvadoran gang against a Van Nuys gang. Reynoso’s best friend, David Vergara, 19, was wounded. The instigator of the retaliation, Jose Valadez, gathered several members of his gang and sought out Reynoso, who was persuaded to drive his van to pick up guns and go to the area of Havenhurst Avenue and Archwood Street.

With Reynoso remaining in the van, a shotgun-wielding Valadez and two other men approached two men and opened fire.

Valadez hit Genaro Venegas, 22, in the back with a shotgun blast as he ran away.

Venegas’ friend, Roberto Villegas, 22, fired a single .22-caliber slug that caught Valadez in the head. Valadez, 19, died soon after.

Villegas, who fired the shot that killed Valadez, was not charged after prosecutors determined that he acted in self-defense.

Valadez’s companions, Eduardo Solis and Leonel Pena, are also charged with murder in his killing.

Their trial is scheduled to begin next week.