Suspect not found after deadly fire
PICO BOULEVARD — Family and friends of Miguel Angel Martin are in mourning today after the 20-year-old was shot and killed Wednesday night by a suspected gang member while walking with friends near Virginia Avenue Park.
Martin, a life-long resident of Santa Monica who attended Olympic High School, was shot in the back as he tried to run from his attacker and died shortly afterward at UCLA Westwood Medical Center, authorities said.
The shooting occurred around 7:20 p.m. near the corner of Pico Boulevard and 23rd Street. As Martin and his two friends were walking, police said a car pulled up and one occupant began yelling gang-related comments.
Martin and his friends ran and that’s when at least one suspect began firing, striking Martin, said SMPD LT. Alex Padilla.
The coroner’s office is awaiting the delivery of Martin’s body from the hospital. An examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Detectives Thursday were searching for the shooter, who was described as a heavy set male Hispanic, 20 to 30 years of age, clean shaven. The driver of the vehicle, described as a black, ‘80s or ‘90s Honda Accord four-door, is a male Hispanic, Padilla said.
Officers are urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact the robbery/homocide division of the SMPD.
In response to the shooting, SMPD Chief Timothy Jackman has increased police patrols in the area of and has contacted law enforcement in neighboring cities so they can assist in apprehending the suspects and be on the lookout for any attempts at retaliation.
“People will be seeing a lot of us in the next couple of days as we look to increase our visibility,” Jackman said. “We have the full support of the city manager to do whatever it takes to make the residents feel safe.”
Those who knew Martin said he was not involved with gangs, but instead was a “nice, caring young man who was trying to find his niche life,” said Father Mike Gutierrez, head pastor of St. Anne’s Church, who went to the hospital to comfort the family following Martin’s death.
“Miguel was a good guy. There’s nothing bad about him really,” Gutierrez said. “It’s just a sad thing to have happened. This is a good family.”
“MIGUEL WAS A GOOD GUY. THERE’S NOTHING BAD ABOUT HIM REALLY.” — Father Mike Gutierrez St. Anne’s Church LEAD PASTOR
Gutierrez said she spent Wednesday night with the family praying. He said family members are naturally in shock.
Martin is said to have been a frequent visitor to Virginia Avenue Park’s Teen Center and had just recently secured employment with the help of city staff there. Martin also worked as a volunteer for the Police Activities League’s fitness program at the center, said Scott Wasserman, a human services administrator who is in charge of coor-dinating anti-gang efforts in the city.
“The teen center staff was very close to him,” said Wasserman, who is working with social service providers to help the Martin family receive grief counseling and other assistance.“We have some young staff members that have known Miguel for several years. Some of them grew up with him so his death has really impacted the staff and the rest of the community.”
Martin was also a familiar face for kids at the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), which runs afterschool programs for youth at risk of becoming victims of gang violence.
“Miguel was so pleasant, always welcoming you with a handshake and a smile,” said Oscar de la Torre, executive director of PYFC and a member of the Santa Monica-Malibu school board. “I remember him being so proud of himself that he was finishing school … He was one of those kids, had he been given the opportunity he could have done whatever he wanted to do.”
A group from the PYFC is planning to hold a car wash fundraiser on Sunday at St. Anne’s Catholic Church. The money raised will be donated to Martin’s family.
The shooting conjures up memories of the murder of 15-year-old Eddie Lopez, a Santa Monica High School student who was gunned down by a suspected gang member in February, just a few blocks east of where Martin was shot.
“These are two young men whose lives were taken from them on the same street in the same year,” de la Torre said. “The city of Santa Monica, and that includes the elected officials, residents, police, everyone, we all need to sit down and think of a regional approach to this issue … There is no way that we will be able to solve this problem in Santa Monica alone.”
Police believe that Martin’s killer most likely came from a neighboring city.
City Manager Lamont Ewell said City Hall is doing all it can,“but the key right now is to make sure we have high visibility in some of those fragile areas to show that we are not going to just stand by and allow this to occur.”
“The problem is that this happens so randomly that it becomes frustrating,” Ewell said. “I think that with the new chief and a coordinated effort with the city of Los Angeles, we will be able to have higher visibility and keep tackling this issue. This is both frustrating and irritating for us all and needless to say, very important to the community and the family members who have now lost a young man.”
In the last year, the City Council has worked to increase programming and other services for youth, which includes the completion of Virginia Avenue Park. Wasserman was also brought on to better coordinate services and engage community partners such as the Chamber of Commerce.
“We’ve suffered another tragedy and one wants to be able to say, ‘Oh, we are not doing enough of this or that,’ but I’m hard pressed to be able to respond that way so soon afterwards,” Mayor Richard Bloom said. “We will continue to look at this issue and solutions.Whether they be more law enforcement or more intervention in schools, I’m not sure. I’ve said that the solution really needs to begin at home … One has to wonder whether the solutions are truly in the reach of municipal government.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 29, 2006. Read the original PDF.