An Echo of Gang Violence

What started as Zelvin Reyes’ last party before heading off to college ended in an apparent gang-related shooting that took his life.

Just after midnight July 22, Zelvin, 17, was fatally shot after witnesses say he tried to help a black partygoer defend himself against suspected members of a Latino gang notorious for terrorizing blacks in Highland Park.

On Tuesday, four members of the Avenues gang were convicted of conducting a violent campaign, mostly in the 1990s, to drive blacks out of the largely Latino neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles. Police have said such violence is no longer a major problem in Highland Park because of a series of convictions and a city injunction preventing public meetings of the gang’s members.

Detectives say Zelvin, a Latino, does not appear to have been affiliated with gangs, and neither does the black partygoer. They don’t think race was a factor in what happened but acknowledge that the street where the party was held -- in the 200 block of East Avenue 40 in Highland Park -- is Avenues territory, and they suspect that the killer is a member of the gang. Avenues members live next door to the party house, said Det. P.J. Morris of the Los Angeles Police Department.

A fight started in the backyard between the black partygoer and a suspected gang member, Morris said, declining to say what sparked it. Witnesses say the partygoer was being attacked by two people when Zelvin intervened. The fight escalated into a brawl that spilled into the street, where the assailant shot Zelvin and his friend Angel Lopez.

Angel, 17, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and was taken to a hospital. He has since been released.

The assailant is still at large.

Tuesday’s convictions marked the first time a street gang has been punished for breaking federal hate crime laws, usually aimed at white supremacists. From 1995 to 2001, the four gang members harassed, threatened and killed blacks with no gang affiliations to force them out of Highland Park.

The four defendants -- Gilbert “Lucky” Saldana, 27; Alejandro “Bird” Martinez, 28; Fernando “Sneaky” Cazares, 25; and Porfirio “Dreamer” Avila, 31 -- face life in prison without parole.

More than 100 relatives and friends attended Zelvin’s viewing Friday at his home in South-Central Los Angeles. Many wore black T-shirts with photos of Zelvin posing alone or with others.

“He was just the coolest person,” Angel said, wiping away tears. “He never had any trouble with anyone.”

“He didn’t deserve it,” said Cassandra Hernandez, 18, who also attended the party. “He was just trying to help out his friend.”

Others described Zelvin as very popular, lively and having a sharp sense of humor.

“He was always trying to make me happy,” said his girlfriend of two years, Marlyn Flores, 17. She said he always talked about the future -- which included marrying her.

Zelvin’s 10-year-old sister, Jennifer, said he “always used to protect me.”

Born in Guatemala and raised in South-Central, Zelvin was the first in his family to graduate from high school, family members said. He had a partial scholarship to Westwood College in the Mid-Wilshire district, where he planned to major in computer science. At Lincoln High School, he played wide receiver for the football team.

Angel said Zelvin also liked to party. Rosa Puente, a campus aide, said she had warned Zelvin and Angel about going to the party where Zelvin was killed.

“I told them to be careful,” she said. “Make sure the area is safe. If it doesn’t look good, then get out of there.”

Angel said it was the first time he and his friend had gone to a party in Highland Park. Although Angel wasn’t nearby when the fight broke out, he believes it was motivated by race and noted that the black partygoer was one of the few blacks there.

Ligia Cuevas, Zelvin’s mother, hopes her son’s death will persuade other youths to avoid altercations. She remained self-possessed at Friday’s viewing, even flashing smiles as she explained that she was trying to stay strong for her family.

“I feel empty right now,” she said between hugs to with visitors. “He was a good son. He was everything to me.”