THREE 14-YEAR-OLD GANG MEMBERS CHARGED AS ADULTS FOR MURDERING MAN IN RIVAL GANG ATTACK

For Immediate Release Case # 08SF0509         June 12, 2008

Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486

THREE 14-YEAR-OLD GANG MEMBERS
CHARGED AS ADULTS FOR MURDERING
MAN IN RIVAL GANG ATTACK

 

NEWPORT BEACH – Three juvenile gang members have been directly filed as adults on charges of murdering a rival gang member by assaulting him with a concrete block. Jesus Borja, 14, Alejandro Hurtado, 14, and Juan Sanchez, 14, all of San Clemente, were charged yesterday as adults with one felony count of murder, one felony count of street terrorism, and a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Borja, Hurtado, and Sanchez are being held on $1 million bail. They appeared in court yesterday and are scheduled for continued arraignment July 22, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. in Department H-1, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

 

On the evening of June 6, 2008, five men from a San Juan Capistrano criminal street gang drove into a rival San Clemente gang neighborhood and began to attack a man standing alone on Calle Canasta. Borja, Hurtado, and Sanchez, members of the rival San Clemente criminal street gang, are accused of witnessing the attack by the five men and began to chase them. The five San Juan Capistrano gang members got into their car and attempted to drive away. The defendants are accused of hurling objects at the moving car, including a lawn chair and a large concrete block. The defendants are accused of smashing the front windshield of the car with the block, which struck the victim, Jonathan M., in the head.

 

The victim was rendered unconscious as a result of the blunt force trauma to his head. At approximately 10:20 p.m., the four men in the car with the victim, his fellow gang members, drove him to Mission Hospital and dumped him onto the ground outside of the hospital in the ambulance bay and fled the scene. Jonathan M. was pronounced dead at 11:00 p.m. due to the head trauma.

 

The San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente criminal street gangs were enjoined in a civil injunction by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in November 2007, prohibiting the gang and its members from engaging in criminal street gang activities. These defendants are not named in the injunction.

 

Deputy District Attorney Nagy Morcos of the TARGET Unit is prosecuting this case. 

 

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