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Santa Maria locals demonstrate for peace

November 23, 2015

Amid a weekend that included four separate shootings with five gunshot victims – one fatal – about 60 residents of Santa Maria participated in a demonstration at the corner of Broadway and Main streets.

crime tapeAttendees prayed in English and Spanish for an end to the gang violence that has recently plagued the city. Participants also prayed for the families impacted by the savagery.

The violence escalated Friday night with three shootings. Shortly before 6 p.m., a gunman shot a man in the upper torso at 1240 W. Bethel Lane.

Two hours later, gunmen shot three people near the intersection of Thornburg Street and Enos Drive. Ulises Garcia-Mendez, 17, died at the scene and another man was critically wounded.

Less then an hour later, a third shooting occurred near the intersection of De Joy Street and Cox Lane. One person was hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Early Sunday morning, shortly after 1 a.m., a gunman shot into a home on the 1100 block of West Williams Street, less than a block away from the last shooting Friday evening. No one was injured in Sunday’s shooting,

Santa Maria Police Department investigators believe all the shootings are gang related, but they have not yet determined whether the shootings are connected. Friday’s murder is the 10th homicide in Santa Maria in 2015.


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What a powerful message! The gang members should not be able to walk freely and demonstrate their terror in our country. Working to eliminate ‘gangs’ in Santa Maria needs to be the a priority in our county.


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Santa Maria has been a de facto Sanctuary city since the 1970’s and the same city that protested an ICE office being established in town. It’s now being controlled by city officials who support the illegal population with no interference by law enforcement, and it has only itself to blame.


They are truly the example to California of how to turn a US town into a clone of a violent Mexican town, and now they protest the violence of their home grown gangs? They need some ICE intervention in drug dealing and taking out the drug king pins. Some of these criminals need to be deported; some need to be jailed. But Santa Maria doesn’t want a strong law enforcement presence.


The best thing we could do is to set up border control at the county line and keep Santa Marians from moving up to Nipomo and AG.


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Gang violence in Santa Maria is bad and the public has risen up in protest? Sorry, 30 years too late. Maybe support rather than vilify law enforcement? Nah….


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That doesn’t work. We tried that en masse in the 60’s. It makes everyone feel like they are doing something about it, but it is about as effective as the march to shut down the nuclear plant here—and they have been protesting for years there! You have to reach out to the gang members that are willing to listen. Try and save the ones who still have a soul. Pull them in, take care of them as a community…give them a future. Whether it is a motorcycle gang or a street gang…..they all join gangs for the same reason. Nothing at home but a bottle and a beating….and they need to belong. Give the ones worth saving a sense they belong—and lock the others up to keep the community safe.


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The first anti Vietnam war protest gathered less than a dozen people in Boston the first anti Iraq war protest filled the streets with upwards of 100000 people! things change protesting people make a difference don’t let anyone tell you otherwise


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