Racially Motivated Murder by illegal

Hate-crime charges filed in Harbor Gateway slaying.

A reputed member of a Latino gang is accused in the murder of a black girl and the wounding of three others.
By Gene Maddaus DAILY BREEZE

A reputed Latino gang member was charged Tuesday with the hate-crime murder of a 14-year-old black girl, a slaying that highlighted racial tensions in Harbor Gateway and prompted a peace march last weekend. Police say Ernesto Alcarez, 20, was one of two young men who walked up to a group of black teenagers Dec. 15, spraying them with bullets. Cheryl Green, 14, was killed, and three of her friends were injured. Alcarez was not charged with gun enhancements, suggesting police do not believe he was the shooter. Hollywood Park Casino"He was one of the people that was involved in the shooting," LAPD Lt. David Pierson said. "We're still looking for the other guy." Police say Alcarez is affiliated with the 204th Street gang, which is known for its assaults on blacks. Alcarez appeared briefly in a Long Beach courtroom Tuesday afternoon. He faces one count of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder. The charges were filed as hate crimes, meaning that if convicted, Alcarez could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Outside court, Alcarez's mother, Irma Torres, said she did not believe her son was responsible. "I don't believe he is a member of a gang," she said in Spanish. "I don't believe he is capable of killing a child." Green was shot while standing with six friends on the corner of 206th Street and Harvard Avenue. The street is a known border between black and Latino gangs, with Latinos dominating the area north of 206th Street and blacks holding the area to the south. Residents try to avoid the border area, which is known to be particularly violent. Green had been grounded a month before her death for hanging out on the corner where she was later killed.A group of about 100 marchers paraded on Harvard Avenue on Saturday in an effort to reclaim the street from local gangs. The marchers entered a market that black residents have been afraid to visit for many years.Detectives served eight search warrants Thursday in connection with the shooting. They seized four weapons, some drugs, and other evidence, Pierson said. They also arrested Jesus Martinez, 30, on a charge of being a felon in possession of a gun. Martinez also is believed to be a 204th Street gang member. Alcarez and Martinez appeared in the same courtroom Tuesday afternoon. Alcarez, who has a slight frame and a neatly trimmed goatee, spoke through a Spanish interpreter. His arraignment was delayed until Jan. 8. Martinez, who is not suspected of involvement in the Green shooting, also had his hearing delayed until Jan. 10. Through an interpreter, Torres said that her son has been in the Harbor Gateway area for about four months. She said her son has been arrested only once before, for graffiti, about two years ago. Alcarez is her only son. She also has three daughters. The family emigrated from Mexico several years ago. Sword Medical She said her son has been working recently for a relative, in a job that involves billiard tables. Asked about the serious charges, and stiff sentence, that her son faces, she said, "I don't know what to say. I have no words."Green's mother, Charlene Lovett, was preparing Tuesday for her daughter's funeral, which will be held at 1 p.m. today at The Living Room in Inglewood. "I heard about it," she said of the arrest. "No words can describe how I feel."