Skip to main content

Jesse Salinas, Norteno gangs was sentenced to 24 years to life for his role in the murder of Christian Jimenez

Jesse Salinas, 24, was sentenced to 24 years to life for his role in the murder of Christian Jimenez, a 15-year-old with no gang ties who was shot and killed at point-blank range in Olinder Park in April, 2003. Salinas, who has served nearly five years, agreed to waive credit for time served, meaning the sentence is essentially at least 30 years in prison, according to prosecutors.In all, 10 members of two affiliated Norteno gangs were convicted and sentenced for crimes related to Christian's death, including witness intimidation, aiding and abetting and accessory after the fact, according to prosecutors. The gang members went to Olinder Park looking to kill a Sureno gang member in retaliation for the stabbing of a fellow Norteno gang member weeks earlier."When those gang members went to Olinder Park they intended to kill someone. They just didn't know who it would be," prosecutor David Ezgar said. "Christian Jimenez had the tragic misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."Three other gang members who were also convicted on murder charges in Christian's death received sentences of 70 and 80 years in prison. Jonathan Pipkin, who pleaded guility to accessory after the fact and received a three-year sentence, testified at the trial of two gang members."We're going to prosecute gang cases vigorously," Ezgar said. "We're going to prosecute every gang member that participates in the crime. Not just the one individual who ends up pulling the trigger."Christian's mother, Angelica Jimenez, regularly attended court hearings during the past four years and was in court Thursday for the final sentencing. "It's over. It feels good, but every day is hard for me," Jimenez said.
Jimenez has talked a few times at schools about gang violence and the death of her son. Her remaining child, Angelo, 19, is now attending college.Christian, an eighth-grader at Willow Glen Middle School, was hanging out with two friends in a park sometimes frequented by Surenos, the Nortenos' rival gang. Salinas and two fellow Nortenos, Javier Ayala and Alexander Diaz, went to the park that day looking to kill someone in retaliation for the stabbing of a fellow gang member.
When they found Christian and his friends, Salinas and Ayala asked the kids what gang they belonged to. When the teens said they did not belong to a gang, Salinas and Ayala claimed to be Surenos in an attempt to coax Christian and his friends to admit to being Surenos. Diaz, meanwhile, was waiting in the bushes with a sawed off shotgun as his partners confronted Christian and his friends. After the initial confrontation, the three gang members conferred in the bushes and decided to attack the teens. Ayala and Salinas emerged first and began beating up both boys. Diaz then emerged and from a distance of not more than three feet and shot and killed Christian.One of the three tried to kill one of Christian's friends, but the gun jammed, Ezgar said. "But for that, we most likely would have had two dead boys in that park."
As Christian and his friends were being attacked, two other Nortenos were circling the park in a getaway car. One of the gang members in the car was in constant phone contact with Diaz, the shooter. After the murder, the five men returned to a house described as the "gang hangout" and began partying and littering the walls with gang tags.Diaz pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder on July 15, 2003 and was sentenced to 80 years to life. He was arrested by police after committing a home invasion robbery while under police surveillance. Police followed Diaz back to the gang's house — and after a standoff that lasted several hours — drew Diaz out with tear gas. Inside, they found the shot gun and same ammunition used to kill Christian and an array of other gang evidence that led to multiple arrests.Salinas was arrested in May 2003 at a relative's house.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club compound,Ronald B. Campbell,Andrea G. Reeder,Dylan C. Grose,William C. Casteel.arrested

Four people were arrested on suspected drug charges, including the group's leader.Methamphetamine was found at the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club compound at West 19th Avenue and South Gum Street. Benton County Undersheriff Paul Hart said they needed so many officers as a "precautionary" step because the Gypsy Jokers are known to be connected to drugs and other criminal activities."It is an outlaw motorcycle gang with convicted felons who reside there," Hart said. "We gear up to meet that threat."Some stolen property and a couple of weapons also were seized, he said. The Violent Crimes Task Force, made up of federal agents and local police detectives, raided the club house and two homes at 5 a.m.The Benton County Regional SWAT team and the Yakima SWAT team were used to help search all the buildings."Because of the large site ... it makes it difficult to secure and make sure everybody is safe," Hart said. "The Violent Crimes Task Force ... ...

William (Billy) Bowden pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom today to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007

William (Billy) Bowden, 33, pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom today to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007 and skipping out on his preliminary hearing about a year later. Other drug and weapons charges related to the 2007 incident were stayed as part of a plea bargain securing the two convictions. Bowden remains in custody though, charged with manslaughter in relation to the November 2007 killing of Jeff Engen, who was fatally stabbed at the Empire Cabaret, prompting the club to close. That charge remains before the courts. Bowden has been in custody since he was arrested Feb. 14 in Whistler, B.C., and returned to Manitoba. The Crown and defence jointly recommended that time be noted in his sentence for carrying the firearm. That crime occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2007, as Bowden was leaving the NV lounge in a truck with friend Ken Houston, court heard. Police discovered a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 18 bullets in a pile of garbage close to where the...

Oak Park gang member charged in the shooting death of one of his homeboys while they were out on a retaliation attack in rival territory.

Closing arguments began today in the murder trial of a reputed Oak Park gang member charged in the shooting death of one of his homeboys while they were out on a retaliation attack in rival territory.Deputy District Attorney Anthony Ortiz said as many as 30 shots were fired in the June 27, 2005, broad-daylight shooting on Della Circle in the Florin area. One of the shots fired by defendant Denishio Demmitrius Collins, 26, killed David Perkins, 22, one of the eight gang members from the Oak Park Bloods who filled three cars in the assault on a rival Crip set, according to Ortiz."This wasn't an in-the-dark sneak attack," Ortiz said. "These were people who said 'screw it' - this is our war and we're going to bring it to your streets." After the shooting, the Oak Park gang members dumped the dying Perkins out of one of their vehicles and left him to die, Ortiz said."He was left on a sidewalk to die by his homeboys," the prosecutor said. Their m...