Gang Member, 19, Convicted in Children’s Firebomb Deaths

A gang member involved in a Hawthorne firebombing that killed a 2-year-old boy and a 2-day-old baby and severely burned their mother was convicted of murder Monday, the third time he was tried for the crime.

Caleb Harris, 19, who faces life without possibility of parole when he is sentenced Aug. 13, was not eligible for the death penalty because he was a juvenile when the firebombing occurred.

“I’ve probably tried about 40 murder cases, but this one personally affected me the most,” said prosecutor Gregory Jennings. “It bothered me so much, because such young children were involved. They never really had a chance to live.”

In February 1996, the trial of Harris and another defendant in the case, Dwayne Moore, ended in a hung jury. They were tried again about a year later, and Moore, 25, was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. But a jury’s deliberations about Harris’ involvement again ended in a mistrial.

After a third trial, which lasted about three weeks, the jury deliberated about two days before coming to a verdict at 11:30 a.m. Monday.

“It was a great relief to finally get this conviction,” Jennings said.

In January 1995, Moore had an argument with Valerie Rivers, the mother of the two children, over the use of her telephone. Rivers’ boyfriend, who was a gang member, came to her aid and confronted Moore, who was a member of a rival gang, Jennings said.

Moore felt he had lost respect in front of his fellow gang members and plotted his revenge, Jennings said. He enlisted Harris to assist him and they firebombed Rivers’ apartment.

“The whole thing was so senseless, so stupid,” Jennings said. “A child and a baby died over a telephone call.”