Ex-Teacher Convicted in Fatal Gang Beating

Twice, juries could not agree on murder charges against North Hollywood school teacher Denneth T. Jackson in the fatal gang beating of a neighbor.

On Monday, a third jury reached a unanimous verdict after four days of deliberation: Jackson is guilty of the 1994 slaying of Julio Aguilar and the beating of his brother, Jose Aguilar.

“It ain’t like it’s over,” Jackson, 29, told his parents and siblings, who have patiently sat through three trials. “When you’re right, there’s no stopping.”

He hugged them and handed them his belt, tie and jewelry before being taken into custody by the bailiff. Jackson had been released on bail at the end of his second trial, but Superior Court Judge Judith Ashmann ordered him jailed pending sentencing next month.

He faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

“I’m always satisfied when there’s a just verdict, but I wouldn’t say I’m happy because the underlying tragedy is that Mr. Jackson chose to murder someone,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Steven J. Ipsen said. “There’s nothing but pain and tragedy here for both families.”

He said he did not know what made the difference in this trial, which was the first time he prosecuted the case.

The jurors rushed off after the verdict was read, declining to talk to lawyers, the judge or the media about the case. One female juror said only that the eyewitness testimony was the strongest evidence of guilt, before stepping into an elevator, not wanting to comment further.

Julio Aguilar was murdered in the early morning hours of Nov. 12, 1994, during a second run-in with Reseda Westside gang members.

Jackson was having a party at his apartment on Amigo Avenue in Reseda, Ipsen said. During the night, an intoxicated Aguilar drove his car into a parked van belonging to one of the party-goers.

The police were called and Aguilar was arrested.

Hours later, at about 2:30 a.m., Aguilar returned with his brother and uncle to the apartment complex to inspect the damage to the van.

Ipsen said Jackson led a mob to the car and pulled Jose Aguilar out through the driver’s side window and beat him. The gang stomped, kicked, punched and beat him with a four-by-four piece of lumber.

Jackson’s landlords testified during trial that they saw the attack through their window and watched Jackson beat Julio Aguilar, who died during the attack.

Seven people were arrested. All but Jackson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received 11-year prison sentences.

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In Jackson’s first trial, a single juror held out for acquittal, forcing a mistrial. An Alhambra jury deadlocked 7 to 5 in favor of acquittal the second time.

Jackson’s defense remained the same in all three trials, that he acted in self-defense.

Jackson took the stand three times and told jurors that Jose Aguilar had a gun and that Jackson pulled him out of the car to get him away from his gun. Once he had, the mob took over and he couldn’t control them, Jackson testified.

Jackson also denied being a gang member and said that he tried to steer youths away from gangs and into productive lives.

“Mr. Jackson only had one life and it was the life of a teacher, of a son, of a caring member of the community,” his defense lawyer, Michael V. White, told the jury. White called several teachers from Madison Middle School in North Hollywood to vouch for Jackson’s character. Jackson had taught social studies at the school for two months before his arrest, authorities said. He was suspended after his arrest.

“What he was was a lifelong dedicated Reseda gang member, complete with tattoos,” Ipsen said. “That the night of the beating he had a party attended solely by Reseda Westside gang members, terrifying his neighbors, says it all.”

Ipsen said none of the gang members detained that night mentioned a gun to authorities. He said it was a fabricated defense.

Los Angeles police Det. Joel Price said new evidence of past gang involvement by the defendant and added testimony of another of Jackson’s landlords, who had previously not wanted to get involved, possibly tipped the scales this time around.