Two more men arrested in Oceanside murders, 3 suspects total

Two more men have been arrested in the murders of two Oceanside teenagers bringing the total number of suspects to three.

One of the suspects is 19-year old "Al'c Bejaran". The other two suspects have not been identified.

Bejaran is accused of gunning down 16-year-old Fernando Solano and 14-year-old Sandra Salgado at Libby Lake Park in Oceanside May 3rd.

Court records show Bejaran is a member of the Crips street gang and just last year pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft.

Bejaran violated his probation, received an 8 month prison sentence and then violated his parole.

He is set to be arraigned Monday on two counts of murder.

 

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Hells murder trials begin

Two trials involving 51 men alleged to be members of the Hells Angels, or associates of the biker gang, saw their trials on multiple murder charges officially begin Friday.

The words "not guilty" were repeated often at the Gouin courthouse as 50 of the accused entered their pleas to many charges including one count of conspiracy to commit murder as well as 22 first-degree murder charges. One of the accused could not attend the hearing because he is currently being treated for stomach cancer.

Not all of the accused are charged with the murders, which occurred within the context of a conflict over drug trafficking turf between the Hells Angels and other organized crime groups. The prosecution's theory is the gang voted in favour of the war and contributed to it being carried out, roughly between 1994 and 2002. The 51 accused are expected to be tried in two separate trials and are split based on which chapters - Sherbrooke and Quebec City - they are allegedly affiliated with.

Superior Court Justice James Brunton presided over one hearing, involving 29 men alleged to be part of the Sherbrooke chapter while Justice Martin Vauclair handled a case involving 22 accused in another room at the courthouse which was specially built for such large trials.

The hearing was the first related to Operation SharQc since Brunton's bombshell decision on May 31 to place a stay of proceedings on the cases of 31 people who were only charged with drug trafficking in a major police investigation that produced indictments against 156 people in all. One has since died and 19 are still being sought by police.

In the same decision, Brunton set the timetable, which officially began Friday. Under that plan, five separate murder trials will be held. People alleged to be members or associates of the South and Trois Rivières chapters will be tried in 2013 and the Montreal chapter in 2015.

However, Brunton made it clear Friday that things could change before a jury or a judge begins hearing evidence. Lawyers will return to the courthouse in September for a two-week hearing to analyze the Crown's evidence. Following that, Brunton said, some of the accused might request a trial before a judge alone while another group might prefer a trial before a jury. Brunton said if that happens there should be no problem with transferring an accused from one case to the other.

"Your work starts now," Brunton told the many lawyers gathered in his courtroom Friday morning. He also noted many of the accused in the Sherbrooke chapter case have yet to hire lawyers. He urged the men to hire an attorney soon and advised them having an attorney will become crucial in the coming months.

 

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Russian Mafia to Flood Stratford with Drugs and Prostitutes

The new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre and the new transport links to and from Stratford are certainly improving East London and Stratford. However, the latest news will certainly not improve the reputation of East London and not make people want to move to the area.

It has been reported that ruthless gangsters from the Russian Mafia are setting up businesses around the Olympic site in Stratford hoping to cash in on the London 2012 Olympics. Olympics organisers and Scotland Yard are facing a tough battle to keep the area safe to the general public as mafia groups start to invade the capital.

With hundreds of thousands of tourist expected in the capital next summer, mafia groups are organising network to provide prostitutes, cocaine and to racket small businesses. Despite the plans to set up a brand new casino within Stratford City, gamblers could also be targeted in illegal betting rings.

Sources at Scotland Yard’s organised crime unit say that Russian families have already set up businesses near the Olympic site and are suspected of laundering millions in illegal cash. Network of escort girls and drug trafficking are believed to be already in place in and around Stratford.

 

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Latino gang member gets life in prison for his part in the 2008 killing of a black man outside a bowling alley

25-year-old Latino gang member convicted in the racially motivated gang murder of a black Canoga Park bowl­ing alley employee has been sen­tenced to life in pri­son with­out pa­role.

Mar­tin Sotelo, a member of the Canoga Park Al­abama gang, was sen­tenced Thursday for the fa­tal drive-by shooting of James Shamp. Van Nuys Supe­rior Court Judge Mar­tin Herscovitz also or­dered Sotelo to pay $15,916 in restitution for the burial of his victim and mental health costs of the victim's fam­ily.

A ju­ry in April found Sotelo guilty of first-degree murder with two special circum­stance al­legations, murder because of the victim's race and murder in a drive-by shooting. He was the last of four defen­dants to face charges in the case.

He was also found guilty on oth­er al­legations, including evading offi­cers af­ter the shooting and sec­ond-degree rob­bery related to a sep­a­rate in­cident. The additional charges resulted in a sen­tence of 40 years to life.

Sotelo's lawyers maintained that their client har­bored no prej­u­dice against blacks and had no in­tention of committing a hate killing on Dec. 22, 2008, the night of the shooting. But pros­ecutors said Sotelo was seeking bragging rights and trying to live up to his gang moniker, "Out­law," when he willfully partic­ipated in the murder.

Shamp, 48, a married fa­ther of two, was taking out the trash at the Canoga Bowl when Latino gang members pulled up in a car and fired the shots, pros­ecutors said. Sotelo was behind the wheel.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Daniel Akemon of the Hardcore Gang Divi­sion said Sotelo helped fel­low gang member Richard Bor­de­lon gun down Shamp "in cold blood because of the col­or of his skin,        in a display of sense­less vio­lence and a complete disregard for human life."

Akemon argued that Sotelo had stopped the vehicle so Bor­de­lon could take aim like a sniper. Bor­de­lon's bul­let struck Shamp "right through the heart," Akemon said.

In March 2010, Herscovitz sen­tenced Bor­de­lon to life in pri­son with­out the pos­sibility of pa­role, plus 47 years to life, af­ter he admitted be­ing the gunman. Bor­de­lon was also or­dered to pay $14,386 in restitution. A juve­nile defen­dant, 15 at the time, also reached a deal with pros­ecutors and was sen­tenced on a juve­nile con­spir­acy charge.

A third defen­dant, Or­lando Perez, a 25-year-old Latino, pleaded no con­test to a charge of accessory af­ter the fact to murder and was sen­tenced to three years and four months in state pri­son.

Akemon told ju­rors in clos­ing argu­ments earli­er this week that Sotelo and Bor­de­lon were out that December evening looking to earn their respective nicknames of "Out­law" and "Psycho."

 

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