Thread: Fullerton gang attacks African-American pastor, church

Fullerton gang suspected in attack on pastor
A group of about 20 youths broke church doors and windows, bashed in the minister's car and pelted him and his 3 young passengers with rocks as they fled into the church, he said.
By Bob Pool and Molly Hennessy-Fiske
February 15, 2009

Police were searching Saturday for a group of youths who attacked a longtime Fullerton minister and his sons, chasing them into their church and pelting them with rocks.

The Rev. Willie Holmes, president and founder of Majesty Christian Fellowship, said he was driving his two sons and another passenger back to the church from a Fullerton Union High School concert about 10:20 p.m. Friday when they were attacked near Valencia Drive and Highland Avenue.

A group of about 20 youths thought to be between 15 and 20 darted in front of Holmes' car, shouting "FTT" -- short for Fullerton Tokers Town, a local Latino gang, he said. The youths surrounded the gray 1981 Mazda 626 sedan about a block and a half from the church, which is in a small industrial park. Holmes drove around them and headed for the church. His son Willie Jr., 17, called 911.

Once they reached the church at 431 S. Richman Ave., Holmes said, he and his passengers ran from the car and hid inside the church office.

The attackers ran to the church lot and began throwing rocks and bottles at the office as Holmes' wife, Vanessa, and 13-year-old daughter, Chloe, watched from a nearby church building.


"If we'd stayed in the car they'd really have hurt us," said passenger Taylar Hagen, 19, of Whittier. She said she and the others hid at the back of the office while waiting for police.

Willie Holmes Jr., student body president at Fullerton High, said he was puzzled by the attack because the church has done much to help the surrounding neighborhood.

As the attackers smashed the church office window and door, Kyle Holmes, 20, another son of the pastor, screamed at them that they were damaging a house of worship. The youths then turned their attention to the car, smashing its windows and kicking in its sides, the pastor said.

Holmes, 41, said he suffered scrapes and cuts to his hands and hip during the attack. No one else was injured. Fullerton Police Sgt. Mike Chlebowski said his agency is investigating the episode as an assault. He said the incident involved "a local gang" but would not say whether police believed that the minister was targeted or whether the attack was a hate crime.

Holmes noted that his church, which feeds 60 local families weekly, is clearly marked on the outside.

He has worked at the Richman Avenue church, whose congregation numbers about 150, for 14 years. He said that he's never had problems with local gangs and that the two buildings his church uses have never been vandalized by graffiti.

"We're African American, they're Hispanic, but we take care of the community and have a full Hispanic ministry and a Hispanic pastor," Holmes said. "We feed their families."

Speaking at an afternoon news conference, tears rolled down the cheeks of the minister who has counseled many victims of street violence.

"We don't want retaliation for us coming forth. But we have to take a stand. We have a shattered building and shattered emotions," he said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,6490287.story

Welcome to Mexico's. Opps, I ment Los Angeles Violence.

Where's that La Raza mayor? Why isn't he mentioned in this article?

Dixie

He said the incident involved "a local gang" but would not say whether police believed that the minister was targeted or whether the attack was a hate crime.

Ohhh Noooo..... this couldn't possibly be a hate crime..............

Originally Posted by kniggit

He said the incident involved "a local gang" but would not say whether police believed that the minister was targeted or whether the attack was a hate crime.

Ohhh Noooo..... this couldn't possibly be a hate crime..............

And the poor minister's kid is surprised at the attack because they've helped their "community"? Our entire nation has helped these animals, either willingly or unwillingly...and where did it get the rest of us? No further than it got that poor preacher. That picture of him with tears steaming down his face breaks my heart.

We're African American, they're Hispanic, but we take care of the community and have a full Hispanic ministry and a Hispanic pastor," Holmes said. "We feed their families."

It seems all too often they BITE the HAND that FEEDS them!!

SEND THEM ALL THE HELL BACK!!oOOOPS!

What really breaks my heart is the hypocrisy of the so-called black leadership. If this had been caused by a white gang instead of an Hispanic one, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the NAACP, and the national black caucus would have been on the scene in force, demanding action from the mayor, a full investigation, etc. Had this occurred in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Jack Murtha's district in Pennsylvania, Jesse, Al and the gang would have demanded action, investigation, etc. etc. Where was Obama on this? According to him (and Jesse, Al and the rest of the gang) the only racists in this country are white and primarily from the places mentioned above (well Jack Murtha is actually the one who says his district is racist).

What happened to the concept that we do not want nor tolerate mob rule in this country? We cannot afford to allow gangs of any persuasion (white, black, Asian, Hispanic, multi-cultural, etc) to attack anyone without exerting the full extent of our resources to arrest them and get them off our streets.

"We're African American, they're Hispanic, but we take care of the community and have a full Hispanic ministry and a Hispanic pastor," Holmes said. "We feed their families."

I hope this Pastor can find it in himself to keep helping after this. If he is really a man of God, he will keep it up, which is far more than I'd ever do for them.

Originally Posted by 4thHorseman

What really breaks my heart is the hypocrisy of the so-called black leadership. If this had been caused by a white gang instead of an Hispanic one, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the NAACP, and the national black caucus would have been on the scene in force, demanding action from the mayor, a full investigation, etc. Had this occurred in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Jack Murtha's district in Pennsylvania, Jesse, Al and the gang would have demanded action, investigation, etc. etc. Where was Obama on this? According to him (and Jesse, Al and the rest of the gang) the only racists in this country are white and primarily from the places mentioned above (well Jack Murtha is actually the one who says his district is racist).

cuz jesse and al only care about it if its something the white man does. they dont care if its something hispanic or asian or anyone else

Why is it when hispanics commit violence against other groups that it's rarely considered a hate crime. Yet, it's those same hispanic groups that are the first to cry racism, xenaphobism, nativism, hate, etc., when this country attempts to simply enforce our immigration laws!

The fact is that African -Americans are bearing the brunt of this illegal invasion, physically, economically, and socially, and yet the so called "Black leadership" is completely silent on this issue! Not only are they silent, but have joined hands in some cases with these very groups in an efffort to turn illegal immigration into a civil rights issue.

Unbelievable!

Will this get National attention of the MSM equal to the attention given to the attack on the Illegal Alien on Long Island? Yeah, Right what was I thinking?