Thread: Teen Murderers On the Rise in Fresno

08/13/2007 - At a time when most teens are getting ready to go back to school, Fresno police are dealing with a growing number of young men accused of murder.

The police chief says the numbers are concerning, murders are up almost 50% in Fresno and murders involving teenage suspects has quadrupled.
It's the 4th day in a row the family of 19 year old Armando Venegas has been washing cars to pay for his funeral. Venegas was shot to death last week in southeast Fresno and investigators are holding a 14 year old for the murder.

Family members and police say Venegas was not a gang member although several of the suspects involved have gang ties.

Venegas uncle, Refugio Venegas, says, "So the way I feel and i'm pretty sure all my family does is, if he was old enough to commit a murder, then he's old enough to receive the maximum sentence and that's what we want, we want justice."

This year murders are up 48% than the same time last year. Fresno has seen 37 murders this year compared to 25 last August.

But, the most disturbing element is the number of teenagers involved in murders this year. In 2006, just one person was arrested for murder. So far this year, 4 teenagers are answering to those charges.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says, "That tells me that we have juveniles that are out there that are being recruited into gangs at a younger age, they're being exposed to firearms, exposed to violence and ultimately what we end up with is hard core calloused gang members at the age of 15 years old that are out there committing the crime of murder."

Police Chief Dyer says he's not surprised that murder suspects seem to be getting younger. He says the numbers show the tremendous gang influence and presence in Fresno. He says, "It ultimately ends in one of two places, prison or a cemetery and that's the message we want them to understand loud and clear."

Aggravated assaults usually spike in the summer. The Chief says officers are seeing quite a few problems at house parties. In fact, officers were called out to a disturbance this weekend. After they left, they were called out again...the second time for a murder.


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This is normal for a city saturated with illegal aliens. But the news media won't say the truth.

And I'm sure we all know why...........

Most of them will kill their own family members is given the chance.