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Racial intimidation escalates in Arroyo Grande

August 27, 2011

By KAREN VELIE

As the trial date of four alleged white supremacist draws near, intimidation of a mixed race family in Arroyo Grande has escalated.

On Saturday, the alleged victim of an earlier cross burning discovered someone had spray painted the name of a white supremacist gang and a cross on a wall across from her Elm Street home using a pre-made template. The vandalism faced the site of an earlier cross burning.

On March 18, shortly after midnight, an African American teenage girl heard loud noises coming from her yard. She went outdoors and stood on their back porch, but saw no one.

She then went back to her bedroom, turned off the light and saw an 11-foot cross burst into flames directly outside her window. She yelled to her mother, and called police.

The cross had been stolen from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande on March 1.

The family, which has lived in the area for 10 years, is not being named to protect their privacy. However, for this article we will refer to the mother as Anna.

Earlier today, Anna left her daughter at home to have breakfast with a friend. She arrived home to see the words “Elm St. Woods” with a the “T” looking like a cross on the wall facing the site of the earlier cross burning.

The “peckerwoods” is the name of a California based skinhead gang, known to trade in methamphetamine. A few decades ago, the abbreviated term “woods” entered California prison slang.

Since the cross burning, the family has been the victim of numerous acts of intimidation including arriving home in the evening to find a truck with several people parked in front of their home. Each time, the truck has sped off as Anna and her daughter pull up to their home.

One alleged affiliate of the gang boldly knocked on their front door a few months ago, an action the gang allegedly used to determine if Anna and her daughter still lived in the Elm Street house, Anna said.

And while two other African Americans moved from the street in the primarily white community within a few months of the cross burning, the victims did not.

Anna has worked for the same local employer for 17 years and has good credit. However, she is currently working from home because of a stroke she suffered about a year ago.

Because of this, Anna will need assistance with the move and is having trouble finding an affordable rental and coming up with a security deposit.

Early on, members of the community vowed to help the family, but no one followed through with their offers, Anna said.

Meanwhile, Anna has moved a large dining cabinet in front of one of the homes larger windows and has also brought a dog into the home. But still, she worries how the stress is affecting her daughter, Anna said.

In July, police arrested Orcutt resident Jason Kahn, 36, San Simeon transient Jeremiah Hernandez, 32, Arroyo Grande transient William Soto, 20, and San Simeon transient Sara Matheny, 24. All four are former Arroyo Grande residents.

Each of the suspects is charged with arson, cross burning, terrorism, conspiracy and hate crime enhancements while conspiring with others.

Kahn was also charged with witness intimidation.

There is some evidence that the suspects are connected to organized hate groups, police said.

The four suspects are claiming that they burned the cross as a memorial to Jason Kahn’s father who died almost two decades ago. In 1994, San Luis Obispo Sheriff deputies went to Ricky Kahn’s home and shot and killed a pit bull that attempted to attack officers. The swat team was responding to reports Ricky Kahn was responsible for a man found murdered on the  Nipomo Mesa.

Ricky Kahn, an alleged meth addict, rushed out with a knife and was shot by deputies.

Jason Kahn, the suspected leader of the gang of alleged methamphetamine users, sports a swastika tattoo on the back of his bald head. He has a long history of arrests for crimes such as resisting arrest, car jacking and possession of stolen property, according to court documents.

Nevertheless, several of the suspects’ attorneys have successfully garnered some public support because Soto is Filipino-American, Hernandez is Native American and Hispanic and Kahn is sometimes a Jewish name.

The attorneys said racism shouldn’t be considered a part of the case.

In March, Arroyo Grande Mayor Tony Ferrara labeled the burning of the cross outside the home of an African American as a possible prank. At a press conference a week after the cross burning, city officials said there were no known hate groups in the area.

Even so, basic research on the Internet—including Facebook, MySpace, and Stormfront—suggests the skinhead movement enjoys many followers in this South County community.

The four cross burning suspects are due back in court on September 7.


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It’s disgusting that this tweaker filth is allowed to roam free in our community. I hope Kahn and his fellow turds follow in his dad’s footsteps…. all the way to the very end.


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Everything in our county is so funky, we can’t even get our White Power people right. Our KKK types are Jews and Latinos for God’s sakes. How embarassing.


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I am amazed at the support for these lifetime criminals, Jason and Jeremiah, by those who feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for the people they have robbed, assaulted and the youth they have sold meth to.


This is from a February 2007 Times Press Recorder article:


“A second suspect has been identified in an alleged carjacking in the 400 block of Newport Avenue last week, according to the Grover Beach Police Department.


“Jason Wayne Kahn, 32, of Arroyo Grande is wanted by police on suspicion of carjacking and is also an alleged parolee at large, said police, who consider him armed and dangerous.


“Four to five men with handguns allegedly carjacked a 1991 BMW 735i from two men around 7:15 p.m. Jan. 25, police said.


“The first suspect, Jeremiah L. Hernandez, 28, of Grover Beach, was arrested that day at a residence in the same block where the carjacking happened, police said.


“Hernandez remains in custody at San Luis Obispo County Jail, said Lt. Jim English.”


Both went to prison again, got out, and started committing crimes. What happened to three strikes, which I do not like, but these are violent criminals.


I forget, they are just grieving for a murderer shot after killing a friend over a drug deal. Give me a break!


I am a liberal and I have seen the swastika covered skin heads in AG. I looked on Stormfront and the blogs talk about running blacks out of AG. But no racism here.


Yes, the police and politicians did claim there were no racist groups in AG when the cross burning first occured. How we look is more important than protecting the people.


Did they not change after the arrests and say that the four cross burners were part of a white power group? Maybe there is little reported racism because city officials hide it. How succesful are they at keeping AG primarily white.


This is from the census: “The 2010 United States Census[2] reported that Arroyo Grande had a population of 17,252. The racial makeup of Arroyo Grande was 14,710 (85.3%) White, 156 (0.9%) African American, 125 (0.7%) Native American, 595 (3.4%) Asian, 14 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 856 (5.0%) from other races, and 796 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,707 persons (15.7%).”


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Also, remember none were arrested on the street for this crime. All four of the suspects were already in jail on unrelated charges. Why does the DA always give Jason and Jeremiah a slap on the wrist for violent crimes and each time they end up back on the street in short time. If they sold pot and not meth they would be facing many years.


Only one I could maybe feel sorry for is William Soto, who is an addict who would have done what his dealer told him to get a fix. He used to be a decent kid. He is only 20.


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“If they sold pot and not meth they would be facing many years.”


What you have to be joking people on meth, kill and rape. People on pot are much more sedate.


Where do you get such profound info?


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Chese, I think you missed his point. It was that the legal system here treats pot as a bigger threat than meth — not that they should treat it that way.


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I thought the White Supremacist skin heads hate anybody who isn’t white except for the Jews, they hate the Jews too. Isn’t that what the swastika stands for, a pure race (or as close as you can get, in this case “white”) ? There are over 15% Hispanic citizens and other races in AG but no one else has been targeted other than this family? So now, some people want to claim that this group only hates blacks or half blacks or whatever. How is this to be taken seriously when the facts of what a WS stands for are being twisted to fit the crime? Why aren’t other families being targeted to leave town? What difference can this one family make to the WS?


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This isn’t WWII Germany. These are low life prison meth addict white power people. Read their blogs – it is mostly about hating blacks. It is about pride in who they are and anger that blacks get more breaks then they do.


So if they do not have Hitler’s view they are not into white power?


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SLOJoe, Right now it is the Hispanic’s that are perceived to be getting all the breaks and there is a huge controversy where illegal immigration and “free hand outs” to the illegal’s and their anchor babies is concerned. There is no more affirmative action and I don’t see where there is a current perception in this country that the blacks are getting all the breaks. As for the gangs that exist and cause all the havoc and crime, there are far more Latino gangs than black gangs these days, in fact in this area there are no black gangs.


In short, your suggestion that the black’s are targeted by the WS over the perception of getting all the breaks doesn’t hold up here. If that were the reasoning behind targeting a particular race, I have to believe they would target the Latino’s if they targeted anybody.


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Cindy, They leave the hispanic gangs alone. They know they could get killed if they bother them, their friends, or their families.


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Cindy, I believe that the mistake that you are making is that you are trying to add some type of logic or rational into this. There is not logic, we can’t think like this guy does. He does what he does because he is a bad person most likely due to the environment he was brought up in. His brain doesn’t think like yours or mine. You can’t even use the term ‘reasonable deduction’ when describing why he does what he does. There are those that don’t like Hispanics because they get medical treatment, send their kids to schools etc. and that builds up in their mind as a misguided jealousy and and it turns to hate but this guy has hated Blacks since he was able to talk, it’s what he lives to do. This guy is obsessed with his hatred towards mixed race Blacks (IMO). I feel that some people that post here don’t’ like Hispanics but I’ll bet they don’t’ have tattoos and posters in their house that express and obsession like this guy probably does.


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Bingo SLOJoe. All of these racist are ignorant not just the local ones. Some of them do hate some races more than others. I’ve seen racist that hate Jews but can tolerate Blacks and some don’t mind Hispanics but can’t stand Asians. Over all I would agree that African Americans would be the no. 1 target or perhaps a mixed race person might be even worse in their warped minds. Of course there are those that just hate everyone except the whites and they even hate most of them.


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first “In broad daylight, on Saturday, someone spray painted the name of a white supremacist gang and a cross on a wall across the street from the family’s Elm Street home”


and then


“At a press conference a week after the cross burning, city officials said there were no known hate groups in the area.”


and


“several of the suspects’ attorneys have successfully garnered some public support because Soto is Filipino-American, Hernandez is Native American and Hispanic”


Karen, are you coming or going? There is no white supremacist gang anywhere on the central coast let alone one one Elm street. If you’d actually go over to South Elm Street in AG, you’d see that it is majority Hispanic. This is one of the safest communities in CA for whites, black, Hispanic or any other colored human so you’re really just trying to stir the pot here the way you wrote this article.


You shouldn’t let a couple of brain dead criminally minded methamphetamine addicts color your or your readers’ reality.


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You reside in a bubble of blindness if you truly believe your words. As far as the attorneys gaining public support for them that’s what bleeding heart fools like yourself and scumbag attorneys do.


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“You reside in a bubble of blindness if you truly believe your words.”


No I reside over near Elm Street. I see the place every day. The make pretend world of Elm Street Nazi skin head gangs only exists in your head and that of a few brain dead meth addicts.


Come, join the rest of us in the real world on Elm Street. Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you or recruit you. Elm street is just another friendly street on the central coast—your fantasies notwithstanding..


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Connecting this recent act with Kahn doesn’t seem to make any sense. The guy and his cohorts are on trial for an enhanced hate crime. The attorneys are trying to prove that the crime was simply nothing more than a memorial celebration and that the family living nearby were never a consideration. Why would Kahn’s group exacerbate the situation by intentionally continuing to target this family with white supremacy antics and graffiti? I know these skin head Nazi types always sound like uneducated hillbillies sporting below average intellect when we see them on the news but this is beyond ridiculous. Are they really this “stupid”?


I keep hearing that there is a WS website in the area, so what, those websites are everywhere in this country, so are foolish vampire sites everywhere. There are websites for just about anything you can think of and then some. I have a hard time taking any of this foolishness seriously.


Yesterday, I ran my above stated thoughts pass a friend who responded by explaining that the logic behind the intimidation tactics being leveled at this family is an attempt by the WS skin heads to frighten the family into not testifying. If that is true, then it is bizarre and this is out of control. Somebody should place some video surveillance in that neighborhood and round these guy’s up. Frankly, I have a hard time believing that this is even happening.


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“Are they really this “stupid”? They are brain dead meth addicts. Your friend is right. Intimidating a witness or someone who might testify against them is right down their alley. I think that Jason Kahn has previously been charged with witness intimidation. In fact, witness intimidation is an old tradition with this group and others in the South County. The video camera is a great idea.


I’m with you on one point–it’s hard for me to believe that these people are white supremist haters. If anything, Jason learned some slogans and symbols in prison and pretends to be part of a group. The only important thing in life for him is money to buy drugs. This group does not even own a car and lots of them are mixed race.


Usually these AG/Mesa groups only hurt each other. That is why you are actually very safe in AG. , no matter what color your skin. Crime among these “running” groups is common, but they don’t usually bother strangers.


No one fools with the Hispanic gangs in this area(ex. Oceano 13), if you want to live another day. They are well established and territorial.


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This family continues to be harassed even after the first set of offenders were locked up. Can’t deny that there’s a malicious element here that has taken an interest in tormenting this family. Brain-dead or not, they’re burning calories for the sake of causing trouble for a “working” mother who is trying to raise her daughter in “one of the safest communities in CA” as you call it.


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And if you have christian nationalist stencils in your media kit.


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AGHelpingHand@gmail.com


You don’t have to trust me. Just tell me how I can help.


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This family I am sure in this day and age feel they have a right to live where ever they want.

When they felt threatened, the police and the FBI investigated and arrested.

It seems that your suggestion is to eradicate the problem by moving out the black family.

You can also ask what group will be the next target.

You can also entertain the idea of moving a large volume of blacks in (and more Hispanics, Asians, Italians, Jews, Indians, Gays) to irritate the supremist to move out.


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Nope. They should stay in town. The fact that their current address is a target is the problem. Surely, you understand they don’t feel safe there.


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I think they should stay there and some undercover surveillance should be provided. Since they seem to be the main target, staying there would be the best opportunity to identify the remaining culprits and make an example of them. Taking these terrorists off the streets will make the neighborhood safe for everyone. Apparently, they (this family) haven’t been able to get the license plate of the truck or trucks that are stalking their home and no one saw who painted the graffiti, despite it occurred in the broad daylight on a Saturday when people are at home rather than at work! This is rather blatant and bizarre behavior in my opinion. If this family is being threatened so as not to testify, no doubt the intimidation tactics will be stepped up very soon. It should be easy enough to catch it all on video if law enforcement is willing to surreptitiously install it. In the mean time, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone staying in the home “incognito” who can offer added protection and emotional security to the mother and daughter. I wouldn’t leave, I would stay and fight back, but yeah, I know that’s easy for me to say, I’m not the one being targeted with no way to climb out of my own skin or otherwise appease these thugs.


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“undercover surveillance”

“catch it all on video if law enforcement is willing to surreptitiously install it”

“someone staying in the home “incognito” who can offer added protection and emotional security to the mother and daughter”


In a perfect world. But its not going to happen. Besides the article states:

“Anna will need assistance with the move and is having trouble finding an affordable rental and coming up with a security deposit”


It sounds like they want to move. Hence, the direction I am going with trying to facilitate a move to a new location.


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BigRed,


I have a mid-sized enclosed trailer and years of experience moving. If they can find another place, I am willing to help with the move — no charge if it is local.

I also commute to work down Elm St on occasion and will keep my eyes open when I do — although I am not sure exactly where they live. (Somewhere N. of Fair Oaks I gather.)


0

Perhaps your correct


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I feel very bad that the community hasn’t helped as promised. If somebody could please post a way I could help this family while protecting their anonymity I would appreciate it. I grew up in this community and find it humiliating that this happened again. Why is it that the dregs of humanity are advocates for any sort of supremacy… racial or otherwise. They are gutter trash and I appreciate the fact that they’ve marked themselves as such with their tattoos.


“Anna” please set up a fund at a local bank. (Coast National, Heritage Oaks) Then let us know via this site. I pledge $300 and know others will too. Its not charity, its a debt the community needs to pay. I don’t know how you will ever feel safe after this while in that house. I can help you move as well. If you would I will set up an email address where you can contact me. I have a daughter too. I have experienced violent crime. I am sorry.


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“…it’s a debt the community needs to pay.” Hardly. “The community” didn’t burn the cross. “The community” didn’t paint supremacist graffiti on the wall. It’s a wonderful thing to help people in need, and if you want to start a fund for this family, more power to you. Just don’t try to say that the community “owes” them, or is somehow at fault. Please don’t take me wrong; I am absolutely sympathetic to this family, but to say we “owe” them some sort of debt seems to include the decent vast majority in this town in the guilt of Kahn & Co. I refuse to accept it.


From the story:

“Early on, members of the community vowed to help the family, but no one followed through with their offers.”

From what I remember at the time, Anna basically told people to leave her alone. No problem, but please don’t take the citizenry to task when they respect the family’s wishes.


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I didn’t take anybody to task. You made your point. I see it differently. I’m a part of this community and I’ve been guilty of turning a blind eye to the growing problems. Quite frankly, I feel like i’ve enabled some of this activity by not being proactive against it. As good men we get married, have kids, and get comfortable…. and unfortunately, vulnerable. Saying “We’re not looking for trouble” is how I’ve justified it. I’m still not looking for trouble but I am looking to help. I don’t speak for you, I got it. I feel the community owes this family some support. Even if its just words of support. I don’t think everybody needs to cut a check. I can’t stand sentry outside a home. I can help her get a deposit together to move. That’s all. She has f’ing gang members coming to her door! I’m sure her initial “we just want to be left alone” stance may have changed.

Cops can’t help you in this world. The show up later to write #hit down. I know too well. That’s not an indictment just a fact. COMMUNITY is the first line of defense. So in a sense… we did fail. There are some neighborhoods that these jerks wouldn’t dare try this stuff in. I’d like to become one of those. Is that too lofty a goal?


0

@ BigRed,

You said, “There are some neighborhoods that these jerks wouldn’t dare try this stuff in. I’d like to become one of those. Is that too lofty a goal?”


I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. Also, the second half of my previous post was criticism of the reportage, and was not aimed at you. I apologize for not making that clearer.


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What stands out for me is that these acts of racism are done on the sneak, at night, or when no one can see what is being done.


As my mother used to say, “Cowards do under the cover of darkness what they fear to do in the light of day.”


0

Pretty much the town leaders M/O, except he gets to hide behind his position as a so called leader of the people.


0

From the story:

“In broad daylight, on Saturday, someone spray painted the name of a white supremacist gang and a cross on a wall across the street from the family’s Elm Street home using a pre-made template.”


0

I wonder if some posters here will still have their heads stuck in the sand and believe that Kahn was just over at this girls house to memorialize his father with a cross burning. COMON people WAKE UP!!. Bad things happen when good people do nothing!!!


0

If they believe that even with a swastika tattooed on the back of his head and his prior record that he was just a loving son memorialising his father then they will believe anything,,sadly I’ll bet some still won’t consider these things hate crimes. I feel that the term ‘hate crime’ is over used but this family appears to be being harassed by people that hate them for no other reason then their race. This mother and daughter need help. Today at the Stone Soup festival I saw a big banner on the stage that said ‘sponsored by Peter (and his wife) Keith. Seems like we have some generous people here that can still afford to help someone in need, these people need help NOW. Social Services, the Rotary, the Red Cross, the Police Dept. For Christ sake, someone needs to step up and give them two months rent and deposit.


0

How much are you donating towards two months rent & deposit, typoqueen?


0

I don’t have much but I’d give a few bucks. If you find out where the bank is that’s taking the donations let me know, I’ll go tomorrow.


My point was that there are organizations and wealthy people that do a lot for the community and that this is a truly worthy cause. Govt. agencies ie Social Services is supposed to help kids in need, we all donate (not by choice) to SS, they should help this family. If ever there were a family that deserved help from the state this is one that does. If I knew this family I would personally call property management companies and see if any of them would help out by perhaps donating the deposits. Like you my hands are tied, the police should be directing this family to help them find services. I know that there are programs that can help them.


0

My hands aren’t tied; I simply choose not to help. If you’re truly committed to helping them, bring your donation to the AG Police Station and I’m sure they’ll pass it on to “Anna.” I doubt they’ll set up a bank account in her name since they want to protect her anonymity.


0

I guess you’ve lost the meaning of my post, I don’t have the power nor the resorces that Social Services and the rest of them have, my $20.00 won’t really help,,, nevermind, no matter what I say you won’t understand.


0

Typo, we’re on the same page in that we both want the family to be helped and we both want the scumbags who are harrassing them to be caught. Politically we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum but judging from your past posts, you have a heart and you truly feel for this family. I can’t find fault with that.


However, where we differ is in HOW that help comes about. Your original post mentions “organizations…wealthy people…government agencies” as possible sources of financial help for the family yet you yourself are not stepping up to donate. To me, that demonstrates a typical liberal viewpoint. Instead of YOU personally giving money–whether it’s $2, $20 or $200–you’re expecting, almost demanding, others to pay up. Instead of the family seeking assistance from willing friends, family members, churches or community groups, you’re advocating that other unwilling or uninterested folks cough up the dough. Liberals tend to attempt to guilt people into behaviorial changes but that seldom works.


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