Riordan Calls Victim of Gang Bullets a Role Model

Mayor Richard Riordan on Sunday praised the Neighborhood Watch volunteer from Northridge who was shot to death last week and said citizens should not let the ambush slaying frighten them away from getting involved in the crime-prevention groups.

“People care about their community, and they are going to keep giving of themselves,” he said. “They should view this victim as a role model.”

Riordan, 66, who is running for a second term as mayor, made those comments during a brief interview between handshakes at the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus. The mayor posed for pictures and helped raise money during the annual fund-raiser of the Valley Alliance of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles.

He was talking about Pedro Banegas, 42, a security guard and Neighborhood Watch block captain whose tough, aggressive approach to dealing with gang members and criminals is thought to have prompted his killing Thursday night. Banegas had received several death threats.

A few weeks before his death, Banegas had filed a complaint with police saying he had been assaulted by a vandal.

Banegas was stalked and then shot repeatedly Thursday as he and his wife were leaving a night English class at Reseda High School.

No arrests have been made, but police are looking for a man who is 26 or 27 years old.

Banegas, a Honduran immigrant and father of two children, was a security guard at the 466-unit Park Parthenia Apartments, one of the most problem-plagued locations in the area.

Because of his efforts to rid the apartments of gangs and drugs, his death has brought an outpouring of sympathy, with neighbors posting flyers around the apartment building showing his picture and paying homage to him.

“He was someone who gave to his community,” Riordan said. “His was too great a life to lose.”

Gang violence is a top issue in the mayoral campaign between Riordan and state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles).

Riordan has urged attorneys to seek injunctions to prohibit gang members from harassing, threatening or assaulting people and from congregating in public view.

While Riordan has focused on adding 2,000 police and providing more equipment to combat crime, Hayden, 57, has emphasized dealing with the causes of crime.

In the aftermath of Banegas’ slaying, Riordan on Sunday acknowledged the importance of crime prevention and a “tough but caring approach” to solving the gang problem.

“You have to have a strong law enforcement side that sets limits . . . “ he said. “But on the other side, you have to have intervention, particularly at the younger ages . . . so that they have child care and early education, so when they grow older they have no need to join gangs.”

Riordan spent about two hours visiting with volunteers of the Valley Alliance of the Jewish Federation. They are trying to raise $1.2 million for the United Jewish Fund, which is used for humanitarian and social services throughout the world.

Although the event comes in the middle of the mayoral campaign, Riordan said he would have participated in it regardless of his reelection bid. He said he has participated in the fund-raiser for the past two years, rotating between the Valley Alliance and the downtown federation facilities on Wilshire Boulevard.

Nevertheless, there are about 600,000 Jewish residents in Los Angeles, including about 230,000 in the Valley area, and Riordan’s visit had all the trappings of a campaign swing. He high-fived children, talked to teenagers manning the telephones and gave anyone who asked a chance to pose for a picture with him.

The mayor also joined in the fund-raising. He made 10 calls to potential contributors--and raised about $50,000.