Third shooting victim described as ‘silent hero’
Hector Bonilla, 25, and Jonathan Hernandez, 19, were gunned down at a birthday party in Sunset Park SUNSET PARK — Authorities on Monday identified two young Santa Monicans gunned down at a weekend birthday party as 25-year-old Hector Bonilla and 19-year-old Jonathan Hernandez.
Both were fatally shot Saturday night before a crowd of 50 to 70 people inside the Moose Lodge at 16th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, witnesses said. The gunmen escaped.
Friends and relatives recalled Bonilla, who lived in the Pico neighborhood, as a caring father of three and a hard-core football fan who drove a black-and-silver Chevrolet Suburban sporting a large Oakland Raiders emblem. Hernan-dez, of Ocean Park, was remembered as a well-dressed teen who had turned a troubled past into a promising future.
Witnesses said Hernan-dez got into a physical altercation with two or three men near the front entrance to the Moose Lodge, a Sunset Park venue often used for weddings, birthdays and other events. Hernandez broke free from the men, who shot him as many as 14 times in the torso and head, according to witnesses. Bonilla reportedly was shot in the torso as he attempted to intervene.
A third victim, who witnesses said threw a chair at the gunmen in an attempt to break up the shooting, was released Monday from Saint John’s Health Center after being shot in the leg, according to authorities.
The third person’s identity was not released. He apparently did not know Bonilla or Hernandez.
“That third victim was a silent hero,” said Hernandez’ 40-year-old mother, Natalie Preciado, while grieving at home Monday afternoon. “The person shot Jonathan, and then Hector ran to Jon’s rescue saying ‘Wait!’ and the shooter put a bullet in his heart. He died instantly... This hero kid threw a chair, to knock the gun out of his hand, and then the shooter shot him in the leg.”
Relatives said Hernandez and Bonilla, an out-of-work electrician who was enrolled in a local trade school, were old friends who enjoyed hanging out with one another, drinking and talking.
“That’s what it was all about,” said Krizna Ayala, Bonilla’s girlfriend and mother of their three children, ages 7, 2 and 1. “Just talking and drinking together. They both had the same personality. They loved everybody.”
Ayala was with Bonilla at the party, but said she left to use the bathroom moments before the shooting.
“I was sitting with Hector. I told him I was going to go use the restroom and when I was in the restroom I heard the gunshots, and when I came out he was on the ground already,” said Ayala, through tears. “I tried to help him so much.”
Craig Harvey, operations chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, confirmed the two men were fatally shot, but said he didn’t know how many times the victims were shot or where exactly the bullets hit, because autopsy reports weren’t expected to be complete until today.
Police on Monday said they were continuing their investigation, but didn't release further details related to the double homicide, or say if it was gang related. Witnesses said the shooters had tattoos with gang emblems. Friends and relatives said Bonilla and Hernandez knew gangsters, but weren’t violent people.
“Hector didn’t deserve to die like that,” Ayala said. “He was a good dad. He never did harm to nobody.
“It’s just craziness, all of it,” Ayala added. “If somebody would’ve asked Hector, ‘Are you from somewhere?’ or something, he would’ve said, ‘I’m cool.’ He didn’t want to die over no gang. He wanted to die old, with me.”
“If somebody would’ve asked Hector, ‘Are you from somewhere?’ or something, he would’ve said, ‘I’m cool.’ He didn’t want to die over no gang. He wanted to die old, with me.” — KRIZNA AYALA Girlfriend of victim
Friends and relatives said the same about Hernandez, a former student at Santa Monica High School who was categorized as “slow learning disabled,” because he suffered from a learning disability. Hernandez got into trouble for skipping school and went to study at Boys Republic, a 98-year-old private school for troubled youngsters located in Chino Hills.
Preciado, who has a daughter at Samohi and two younger sons in local schools, said it was at Boys Republic that Hernandez turned around his academics and earned top marks — and a scholarship.
“He was a person with a successful career,” said Preciado, a member of the local nonprofit group Mothers for Justice, which was created to fight against racism in schools and among police officers. “He was going to succeed and he was following his goals... He wanted to prove this to people. That’s what he was doing. He goes, ‘Why do they label me a troubled kid?’ Then his teacher at the (graduation) ceremony said, ‘It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to,’ and he did it. He proved them wrong. He was so happy.”
Preciado said Hernandez, who graduated in 2004, planned to begin classes at Santa Monica College this year, with the ultimate goal of becoming a psychologist for disabled youths. In the meantime, she said Hernandez acted as a tutor and classroom aide to his half-brother Christopher, 9, who is autistic. Hernandez also was involved in a pair of community workshops co-hosted by City Hall and State Sen. Sheila Kuehl that are dedicated to ending gang violence, according to Preciado. Though he missed the first meeting Feb. 26 to care for his brother, Hernandez had helped in plan-ning and intended to play an active role in the second meeting, Preciado added. That meeting is scheduled for this Saturday at John Adams Middle School, directly across the street from the homicides.
The night of the shootings, Preciado said Hernandez was giving rides home to youths competing in a rap contest at the Pico Youth & Family Center, a nonprofit organization near Pico and Lincoln boulevards that serves at-risk youths. Hernandez regularly gave free rides to friends, and had just dropped off two youngsters when he was called again and asked to pick up two friends at the Moose Lodge, according to Preciado.
“He walked into this place and never made it,” she added. “He got shot at the door.”
A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles stood at the front entrance to the Moose Lodge on Monday. Inside, work crews hauled off rented tables and chairs, while a woman vacuumed the carpeting around the bar. A strong scent of bleach hung in the air, and there were markings on the ground where investigators had collected evidence and cleaned up after the fatal brawl.
Several friends filtered by the makeshift memorial to pay their respects to Bonilla and Hernandez, each declining to give their name for fear that they would be questioned by investigators.
“He (Bonilla) was a good guy,” said a 21-year-old Samohi graduate who was with his wife and young son. “He was with his family. He had three kids already. He was with his family trying to do the right thing.”
No funeral time or location had been decided as of Monday, and relatives of both men said they hoped to raise money to help offset burial costs (see related story).
In the meantime, the effects of the shooting were still sinking in on the victims’ families. Ayala said the youngest of her three children, 1-year-old Eli, had refused to eat. Preciado, who said she hadn’t slept since the late-night shooting Saturday, said her son Christopher also seemed to be having a particularly difficult time.
“He just told me, ‘Mom... maybe somebody has him and they’re lying,’” Preciado said. “He doesn’t understand right now what’s going on. He had to go to school this morning and he wakes up and says, ‘Where’s Jon?’” (Police described the shooting suspects as Hispanic males, aged 18 to 20 and wearing dark, hooded sweatshirts. Anyone with information was urged to call the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8451. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call the We-Tip national hotline at (800) 78-CRIME.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 8, 2005. Read the original PDF.