17-Year-Old Killed in Gang Shooting

Los Angeles: A 17-year-old juvenile was found shot to death in an alley Tuesday.

On July 17, 2007, at about 7:30 AM, Wilshire Area patrol officers received a call of a man down in an alley to the rear of 5360 West Pico Boulevard.  Upon arrival, the officers found the victim behind a storage container in the alley.  It appeared the victim had been dead for several hours.

Wilshire Area Homicide Detectives assumed the investigation and are continuing to collect evidence and interview witnesses.  Preliminary evidence indicates the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

The victim was identified as Ricardo Cervantes of Los Angeles, a documented local street gang member.  It was the second time Cervantes was the target of gang violence.  In October 2005 he was shot in the leg by a rival gang.  No arrests were made in that incident.

Persons with information regarding this incident should contact Wilshire Area Homicide Detectives at 213-473-0446.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).

Comments

[Harry]

Another gangmember down and out. It is probably for the best. U live by the sword, u die by the sword. Good ridens scum bag!!!

[LOVING YOU ALWAYS YOU TIA]

MY NEPHEW WAS NOT A GANG MEMBER, JUST BECAUSE THE POLICE SAY HE WAS DOESN'T MEAN HE WAS.
HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT IT WAS PROBLALY FOR THE BEST.YOU MUST NOT HAVE A HEART. I HOPE THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE. WE HOPE THAT THE STUPID ANIMAL WHO DID THIS, GET CAUGHT AND PAYS WITH HIS LIFE. WE HOPE HE SUFFERS EVERYDAY OF HIS LIFE!
RICKY WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU MIJO. WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.
YOU WILL FOREVER BE IN OUR HEARTS.
REST IN PEACE MY RICKY.

[Loves LA LEOs]

Ricky's Tia, If he was already shot before, he was. And you knew it. To the rest of us, your indictment of "the animal that did it" sounds a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. What are you doing to strengthen your family and your community so the other children in your family will not fall under the influence of the gang? The first shooting was a wake up call for you. You are either part of the solution or you are the problem, and until you decide, it is really hard to have any compassion for you. MS 13 promises $10K to anyone who shoots Harry or any other Law Enforcement Officer, so I agree with Harry, it is probably for the best. If you don't want the truth, go hide your head.

[Ed O'Shea]

Typical gang members family member! " No not me mijo"! Alway blaming the Police and not taking the tough road in controling their children! Well untill you people that have kids in gangs extract your heads from the sand, our little mijo's will continue to kill our kids and be killed themselves! To this little cherib's family,2nd times a charm, now this little gem will not hurt anyone in the future. Like Harry said, you live by the sword, you die by the sword! The City Of Los Angeles is a far better place without this idiot walking around! Darwinism at it's best! Don't ya love it when no innocent victims are struck, just the gangster! To all my fellow Warriors, Stay Safe!

Ed O'Shea

[CUSIN MONICA]

PEOPLE SHOULDNT OPEN THEIR BIG MOUTHS IF THEY DONT KNOW THE TRUTH.. RICKY WASNT A BAD KID.. PEOPLE THAT DONT KNOW SHOULDNT SPEAK UP ON HIM... MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVENT HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN IN YOUR FAMILY..BUT UNTIL U GUYS DO, THATS WHEN YOU GUYS START CARING...BUT THEN AGAIN I DONT THINK WE CAN STOP THE IGNORANCE.. YOU GUYS ONLY LOOK LIKE JACK A**ES SPEAKING SOMETHING THATS NOT RIGHT!GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT AND THEN START TALKING... PEOPLE CAN BE SO DUMB AND IGNORANT. YOU GUYS GO ON WITH YOUR DUMB BORING LIVES.. BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE LOSERS AND DONT HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.

[Ed O'Shea]

Cousin Monica.... May I make a suggestion? Get a crow bar and extract your head from your rear-end! The view is much clearer out here. It smells better too! Your abtuse veiw doesn't pass the smell test. It smells like bovine droppings!

[L.R.G.]

Tia,
I won't jump on the band wagon and cheer for your loved ones death, but I will say that if he was a "documented gang member", that means that he has had previous contact with Gang Officers and more than likely told them he was with a particular gang. An individual doesn't just get listed in the Cal Gangs database without there being conclusive proof that he or she is in a gang, either by gang tattoos or admission or being caught in the act. Furthermore, he was targeted before by a rival gang. He wouldn't have been the target of rival gang members unless he was on their radar....most likely for killing one or more of their Homies. All Gang Members are little cowards who get off on killing and terrorizing people. If that was the life he chose, then he knew the risks involved.

So although I feel your pain for having lost a loved one, I wonder how many lives little Ricky destroyed while kicking it with his gang. How many did he kill or terrorize?

I work a Boot Camp with teenage gang members and it always amazes me when the parents in the parenting class deny their child could ever be in a gang, when the kid just told me who he was with and how long he has been with them and how many drive bys he has been a part of. Wake up parents, the signs are right in front of you...

Don't blame the cops for being callous.....you have no idea how many kids like Ricky they have to scrape off the street and after awhile its not hard to hate the cowardly little gang members who do these things.....inclucing, quite possibly, Ricardo.

[L.Y.T.]

RICKY, WAS A NICE QUITE KID, MOST OF HIS TIME WAS SPENT AT HOME. NO ONE FROM OUR FAMILY IS OR ARE GANG MEMBERS. WE DON'T KNOW WHO DID THIS TO HIM, A GANG MEMEBER, A DRUG DEALER, SOMEONE CLOSE TO HIM. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT HE WAS SHOT. WE DO HOPE THAT WHOEVER DID THIS TO HIM GETS CAUGHT AND PUT AWAY FOR THE REST OF HIS\HER LIFE.
RICKY WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE LOVE.
REST IN PEACE RICKY.

[L.Y.T.]

RICKY WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU.
REST IN PEACE.