San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano in a push against gang violence
Turf battles between gangs have gone on since the 1970s. This month, a boy died in a clash and three teens face murder charges.
Gia Lugo knows all about the gang turf battles in southern Orange County. So when she taught school in San Clemente, she was careful not to let students know that she lived in San Juan Capistrano. And she never told people in San Juan where she worked.
"I was afraid to have a SJC sticker on my car because it might get tagged or vandalized," said Lugo, 36, who has lived in San Juan most of her life and remembers gangs in junior high. "And I was careful not to have anything on or in my car about San Clemente because it might get vandalized in town."
Placid and suburban, southern Orange County may seem unlikely territory for gang warfare, especially in one city best known for its mission and the other for its beaches and as the place where Richard Nixon once lived. But the turf feud has boiled for decades.
What began as teen rivalry in the 1920s between Latinos from the neighboring cities evolved in the 1970s into gang violence that continues today, said business owner Juan Luna, 51, whose family has lived in San Clemente for more than 80 years.
The latest spasm occurred June 6, when Jonathan Mendez, a 14-year-old San Juan Capistrano boy, was struck and killed by a concrete block in a fight with San Clemente gang members.
He and other teenagers identified by authorities as San Juan Capistrano gang members had ventured into their rivals' turf allegedly looking for trouble.
Three San Clemente 14-year-olds, identified by Orange County sheriff's deputies as gang members, have been charged in the killing. Prosecutors have decided to try them as adults; each faces 25 years to life if convicted. The three are being held in Juvenile Hall on $1-million bail each.
Four San Juan Capistrano boys ranging in age from 15 to 17 have been charged with various felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly instigating the gang attack that led to their friend's death. They, too, were charged as adults and face nearly 12 years each in custody if convicted. Bail for each was set at $100,000, and they are still in Juvenile Hall.
The case has dominated talk in both cities all month, with community newspapers carrying lengthy articles about the incident. On a recent Sunday, Latinos from San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente staged a candlelight vigil at a San Clemente park to protest the violence. They were joined by whites, who also called for peace.
