Breakfast to Honor Anti-Crime Efforts

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon will hold a community breakfast this morning to honor local Neighborhood Watch groups and announce the creation of the Pedro Banegas Memorial Fund.

Banegas, a Neighborhood Watch block captain and security chief at the Park Parthenia Apartments in Northridge, was shot to death in February as he and his wife left an evening English class at Reseda High School. Police suspect that the killer targeted Banegas, a 42-year-old Honduran immigrant and father of two, in retaliation for his aggressive tactics policing the 466-unit complex.

Donations to the memorial fund will be used to help the Los Angeles Police Department and residents establish new Neighborhood Watch groups and assist those already in place, Alarcon said.

“It would be a horrible thing if people stopped getting involved because of this tragedy. That’s not what Mr. Banegas would have wanted,” Alarcon said.

“One of the most effective tools I’ve used since I’ve been a council member is the Neighborhood Watch program. It’s the best crime prevention program we have,” he said.

Mayor Richard Riordan will also speak at the breakfast, which will be the first in what is planned as an annual event.

Representatives from more than 40 Neighborhood Watch groups are expected to attend the breakfast, which will be held at the Odyssey Restaurant in Mission Hills.