Two Salinas teens killed in three days has police busy and the community outraged

A heartbreaking, familiar scene took place Wednesday on the 900 block of Acosta Plaza a Salinas family mourning a lost loved one.

“Unfortunately it’s the second of a long list of young males who have lost their life to gang violence and gun shots. I’m pretty confident in saying just the way this went down in the neighborhood that it’s at, it’s mostly likely going to be gang related,” said Salinas police Cmdr. Stan Cooper.

Another teen was gunned down Monday just blocks away on Garner Avenue. Police said he was only 16-years-old.

“I think it’s time the community got angry, got fed up with this stuff,” said Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter.

Frustrated by the violence, Gunter is pleading with residents to speak up and protect their city and its youth.

“I’m a little tired of the story ‘oh we’re afraid.’ Get tired of being afraid, take your community back and stop acting like they run this community,” said Gunter.

Gang prevention specialist Brian Contrereas said there are many reasons teens choose a life on the streets, which is what his organization fights.

“Maybe they have someone that’s a friend that’s associated with gangs, maybe it’s the neighborhood they live in, they are automatically labeled. Or maybe because there is no parental involvement,” said Contrereas.

But even Contrereas admits there’s only so much that can be done when these kids get swept up in the gang lifestyle.

“What you are starting to see now is younger kids starting to get back into it again and become the victims and eventually become the shooters and we will stop seeing the ages drop more and more again,” said Contrereas.

So far police have made no arrests in either homicide. They said finding witnesses who are willing to come forward has been the biggest challenge. They are also trying to determine if the two killings are related.