Just In: Suspects arrested in case of young job-seeker

Det. Kevin Lowe of the Sheriff's Department homicide squad has cleared the case of Wilbert Jamaal Mahone, 18, who had left Compton for safety reasons, then returned to find work, only to be murdered there on May 14. Two men are in custody facing murder charges. More on them to come.

Mahone was one of seven children of Yolanda Mahone and her husband Wilbert, a Boeing line supervisor. The couple had moved their family to Georgia from Compton four years ago because "we had sons and we didn't want them to be killed," said Yolanda Mahone. Mahone spent his teenage years in Georgia.

But hunger for a job drew him back to California, back to the old neighborhood, where he still had family--and old associations. Young Wilbert Mahone was planning to stay in Compton with his younger brother just long enough to find out whether he had been selected for a union laborer job here in Southern California.

He was at the home of a family member at 3740 E. Pauline St. in Compton on May 14, 2007, when drive-by shooters came down the street. He was shot in the side. He made it inside the house, and died there, holding the hand of his 16-year-old brother.

A letter arrived after his death accepting him for the job, his mother said.

Comments

[Auntie]

Love you Jamaal. God revieled! Praise his holy Name!

[K.Winn]

The fact that this young man died holding his younger brothers' hand is too sad. I hope the people that shot him are caught and swift justice is carried out. How many more have to die on the mean streets of LA?

[DaddyKang]

There is something that is sadder about this story than most of them...maybe it has to do with the letter coming after he died. That must have been hard for his mom to read after that tragedy.

[monique]

may the lord bless your family, I am sorry that we live in a sick society, it just makes it so hard for the youth out there who are trying to make a difference. I hope you find satisfaction in the arrest, although I know it will never be closure.

[C J]

This was a very touching Story, to the Parents my condolence. I was a youth in compton back in the day 1978, and that was my thing not to stay there anymore because of, so I left at that time, not to return, and since then I have made the age of 48 and 4 kids, living well, a long way far from compton. Sorry about your son Wilbert Mahone........It is so sad that our people have still not learned yet!!!!!

[O'Dawg]

THANK YOU for posting when arrests are made. It makes these tragedies seem less hopeless. If these are the suspects, hopefully they will go away for a long time.