East Los Angeles: Richard Cabrales, 20
June 10, 2009 | 4:55
pm
Richard Cabrales, a 20-year-old Latino, was shot and killed by a Los Angeles police officer in the 3800 block of East 6th Street in East Los Angeles on Friday, June 5, according to authorities.
LAPD officers had gone to the location to investigate Cabrales, who was on parole, for a possible parole violation.
“Officers went on a parole search and an individual walked out of a room with a gun and shots were fired,” said Los Angeles Police Officer April Harding. The shooting took place about 8:20 a.m.
A weapon was recovered from the scene, police said.
-- Anthony Pesce and Corina Knoll
This is why the police have that us against them attitude, this guy was on parole and had a firearm. If the cops had not killed this guy, he would have killed somebody for sure. Keep up the goodwork L.A.P.D
Posted by: In the trenches | June 11, 2009 at 09:57 AM
Good work LAPD you say? They killed a 20 year old kid! You are a sick man and your comment is garbage....they probably came banging on his door and grabbed a gun as protection, I'd do the same! They didnt have to kill this kid, they chose to.....same on them.
Posted by: westsidejesse | June 11, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Race has no apparent baring on this article and was needlessly included. It made no reference to hispanics and police shootings in general, for example. Poor reporting Anthony Pesce and Corina Knoll. :(
Posted by: The mick | June 11, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Just got this off the San Diego Shootout issue:
I hear a lot of talk about the Immigration Reform agenda. But
I have only one question:
Where are the Hispanic social organizations, politicians, church leaders, advocates, better yet where is the Hispanic community on denouncing these actions by the gangs, drug lords, the criminal elements that victimize legal and illegal residents, the racist factions that are rising up in urban hubs, the prison gangs that are influencing even kids in middle school. WHERE ARE YOU?
Posted by: Mike | June 11, 2009 at 03:03 PM
ok..i have faith n trust our police...well at least some...they did a lot in helping catch the person that killed my brother 2 yrs ago this month..but i have always wounderd n asked y dont they shot people like that in the legs..or in the arms...?...to you who wrote the commit before me...did you ever think that?..or how about if he has children to live for...a wife...people make n live lives in bad ways..but it does not make them a bad person or even father...n he had 2 from what i know..so same on you for oking this action...i thank the lapd for their help in a lot of murders and help in my neck of the woods..SOUTH CENTRAL...but still..even when someone might just deserve it..or lets say one less peace of you know what in the streets...(n i know because i was n sometimes every now n then still am, as old as i am n work a GREAT job..with 4 kids..and a husband) know what it is and how it feels when i seen my mother cry..father go back to drinking after 2yrs of not..a younger brother that closed himself to everyone around him...a little sister that lost a father figure...a grandmother and grandfather that riased him n me to be something better...myself..lost a lil brother, BEST FREIND...do u know how many things i keep inside becasue he was the only one that understud me...since we had been to hell n back...n most of all HIS 2 KIDS he left behind..a daughter of 9 who understnads and still crys at night for him..a son of 3 that my not understand but still will never see his father again...THOSE R THE THINGS THAT RETARDED PEOPLE LIKE YOU NEED TO SEE OR THINK ABOUT BEFORE WRITTING SOMETHING STUPID LIKE WHAT U JUST DID..BECAUSE ONE DAY HIS KIDS..THANKS TO THE INTERNET WILL LOOK UP HIS NAME LIKE I DO FOR MY BROTHERS N THIS WILL POP UP...SOME WITH SOMETHING STUPID TO SAY ABOUT THEIR FATHER...THINK..THEN WRITE...
Posted by: r u kidding | June 11, 2009 at 09:43 PM
yeah but who fired first and why kill him right????? why not injure them or at least try and Book mark shut up!!
Posted by: jr | June 12, 2009 at 01:43 AM
R U Kidding,
SO what is wrong with the truth? I mean if his kids do look up his name one day and they find these comments what is wrong with that? Isn't the truth a much more better thing for his kids to know? Thier father was no saint or else he would not have been on parole in the first place. So his family will fill their little heads with grand stories, life will fill in the gaps with the truth. In the end it will be up to them to tell the difference. We all have things in the past that we do not want everyone to know about, but the truth be told once a criminal always a criminal. And if his life style took him down this road and if his life style affected his kids in any way they deserve to know the truth. May be his life style and the manner of his death will teach his kids that this is something that they do not want. May be this death will lead them down the road to being productive members of society. May be...
Posted by: Kelly | June 12, 2009 at 02:08 PM
in the trenches if you have kids it should have been one of yours what do you think?
Posted by: peaceandlove | June 12, 2009 at 09:50 PM
GOOD JOB POLICE.HOW CAN YOU SHOOT AGUY IN THE LEG???DO YOU SEE TARGETS ON THE GROUND AT A GUN RANGE???WHAT IF YOU MISS AND THE BULLET RBOUNCE OFF THE FLOOR AND KILL THE COP??? IS ANYONE ON EARTH TRAIN TO SHOOT AT THE LEG???? ARE COPS GOD CAN THEY READ A GUY WITH A GUNS MIND????? THANK YOU POLICE AND KEEP AIMING FOR THE HEAD
Posted by: 107gxxve | June 13, 2009 at 11:04 AM
wow mike that is an extremely ignorant comment, where is the hispanic community??!?!? there was just a march yesterday down figueroa protesting senseless street crime. 1000's of member's from the community volunteer and work everyday to stop the crime. the question should be WHERE ARE YOU MIKE? nowhere, you don't care, you just like to judge. if you're not a part of the solution you're a part of the problem.
Posted by: arayd | June 13, 2009 at 10:40 PM
la is so sad .even though its the 2nd largest city in the usa.killings are just as bad as the war.i live in san antonio and we have some gangs and crime,but nothing like drive byes and murders everyday.make the laws toughfer and cut welfare to the bad people.meaning the shooters that want a free ride.lapd has the most important job in la.wake up la and see other places in the usa is safer.
Posted by: steven911sa | June 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM
They probably killed him and planted a gun on him.
I don't trust the LAPD at all.
They are corrupt ,wicked little men on steroids.Gangbangers with a badge and licence to kill and maim.
Posted by: Lou Abraha | June 14, 2009 at 09:28 PM
HELLO that is my block he had no weapon there were three shots from the cop they left him on the drive way with a tarp check KTLA you can see the picture if you like while they figure out how to get out of this mess oh then they flirted told each other jokes and stories of "stupid" people they had arrested they laughed. And one cop got on his cell and made a bet for the laker game.
Tigger happy rookie who shot him in front of his mom
just another day in east la huh
Cop are not perfect and sometimes they are the BAD BAD people
Posted by: vararn | June 15, 2009 at 07:01 AM
How could you anyone be so stupid and say that because police knocked on his door he got a gun for protection. That is the dumbest thing anyone can think or write. Who has a gun on them or near them when someone knocks at your home so early in the morning. Think about it and say the damn truth, either you gang bang or are in constant fear that someone will hurt you for whatever reasons to carry a gun or have it near you. Shoot him in the leg, how dumb does that sound. Police are trained to use deadly force when they encounter anyone with a weapon. A law abiding citizen will not open his home door with a gun in his hand.
Posted by: ndirish | June 15, 2009 at 09:11 AM
First of all, there is something your computer has that is called "spell check." I think most of you need to use it before you submit. Anyway. this "kid" as "westsidejesse" calls him, was on parole, was and admitted active gang member (full of gang tattoos), and was armed with a fully loaded pistol. What's an officer suppose to do when a gang banger with no shirt on is running towards you with a pistol in his hand? invite him over for coffee? I don't think so. Guess what ladies and gentelmen, it is what is is. One less parolee to monitor and several cops still alive thanks to one brave officer.
Posted by: J | June 15, 2009 at 09:01 PM
I don't care if he was shot in front of his mother or his kid or his baby momma. He had a gun!!! he was on parole, which means he gave up certain rights a long time ago. One more criminal off the streets. So a cop made a bet on his cell phone, they stood around taking about past shoot outs, so what??? I would rather have them the cops around then some second bit criminal. He has a record dating back to when he was a minor may be if his mother kept better control of his actions she would not have had to witnes his death!
Posted by: Kelly | June 16, 2009 at 08:54 AM
I don't understand this. Why is it when it is a cop related shooting, they are the bad ones? Yet, when it is another gang member, no one says they are the bad ones.
You find it easier to blame a cop for doing his job and not what the problem really is....the gangs.
If you weren't standing next to the cops when this incident happened, how can you know what happened?
They are only trying to keep all of the citizens safe, so give them a bit of a break.
Also, and the most important, cops are getting laid off everywhere so they are stretched thin. They are doing the best that they can.
Posted by: Raymond Swift | June 16, 2009 at 09:35 AM
vararn, where you inside the residence when the man was shot?
How exactly do you know he didnt have a gun?
Posted by: syscom3 | June 16, 2009 at 03:06 PM
Clearly this kid is no angel. He was on parole and had possibly violated it. Not to say that he deserved to be shot and killed but no one should pass judgment until more facts are established.
I agree with Mike in that the Hispanic community needs to be more vocal in denouncing not just violence but more specificallly gang violence. This is why most citizens do not embrace the mass migrations of Hispanics coming into this country. We look at Central America and see nothing but corruption, violence, and poverty and all of it is spilling over into our country.
Posted by: Tki | June 16, 2009 at 03:37 PM
@arayd, I didnt write that I just quoted it.....
I do question why the organization that claim to speak on behalf of the Hispanic community like NCLR (National Counsel of La Raza) and others are not stepping out from behind their desks, getting in front of the camera's and telling children that gangs, guns, drugs, and the like are not the way to be proud.
Every time there is a immigration debate they are in the forefront, On the racial murders, where are they? I just saw a clip of a grown man of Hispanic descent throw a brick at a bus window, the second person in the clip was a 10-12 year old boy of Hispanic descent.
For the record, I am not saying that only Hispanics were doing wrong, I am saying it to bring it to this point.
The Hispanic So called Leaders, have to denounce these acts right away, just like the black/white/asian communities have to speak up. It lets their respective constituents know that the behavior is not endorsed, appreciated, or approved of.
Posted by: Mike | June 16, 2009 at 03:39 PM
Oh, and I am a youth mentor, with 10 kids that I personally work with on a daily basis to keep away from the knuckleheads that are trying to recruit them into their twisted armies......
I attend their awards, events, and I spend money out of my own pocket to make sure they have school supplies, books etc. I take them on outings to make sure they see there is another side of what they may have come to know all of their lives.
I dont look for groups to be a part of, to speak up once and a while to make a difference, I take a hands on personal approach to impacting these kids because no one else seems to be able or willing to step outside their comfort zones to give them an opportunity.
Walking down Fig. when someone victimized gets the balls to do something is not my idea of confronting the issue. Its been going on for years and has not changed anything?
You have to get in the trenches with these kids before they are corrupted, you have to pay attention to them, engage them, and support them. Damn marches dont work on issues like this. Because its not a conventional topic, and only lasts as long as you're on the streets.
Your elected officials stroke you, you cry and pray together, you shout on your bullhorns, and make a lot of noise, but at the end of the day, the gangs are growing, getting bolder, more organized, the are killing earlier, hate is the product of self hate reversed.
What makes me mad is when you have a forum like the organizations I question, NCLR/NAACP and all the other non profits that get paid, get jobs, and live outside the effected communities, saying absolutely nothing to the kids is a travesty. Talk to the kids, there not as stupid, or innocent as you may think. Now stop showing up when everybody else shows up, and get out there and be a real part of the solution. Save a child, and change the world...
Posted by: Mike | June 16, 2009 at 03:57 PM
My thought is if you lived like a gangster, then you die like a gangster, because he knew the LAPD was at his door when they knocked on his door, because they always identify them selves when they knock on your door. So, all of you who tries to take up for this gangster; Shame on you!!, how many kids can you say he talked too to about doing the right thing and not hurt, kill, or steal from other people, how many kids can you say he talked too about going to school and being a better person, probably none at all, and just because he had kids and a wife doesn't mean he was a productive member of society, because productive people of society doesn't answer the door with guns in their hands, and especially if the police is knocking. I would shoot him too if I knew his history when I knocked on his door if I was the police too, because they knew what this guy was all about, and if he was on parole he knew he shouldn't have had a gun PERIOD!!, no ifs ands or buts about it, he was wrong. And if his kids look up their dad in the future, if they can after so many years later, I truly doubt his story would still be on the internet, because now he's just another statistic at this point, and no matter how much you try to sugar coat what he's did or didn't do IT IS WHAT IT IS!! he was just a rotten person in society, and he paid for his mistake with his life. Some of us still support and believe in the LAPD, because some of us are still living because of the LAPD taking out the evil in our community, before they hurt us, and I can bet if he was a person who terrorized your family, you'd be praising the LAPD for a good job, and you should be glad they are around.
Posted by: jayteereal | June 17, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Cops say drop the gun, drop the gun stupid.
Posted by: tyrone | June 17, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Wow peace and love, don't sound like peace and love to me. First of all I use to be a gangbanger an I raised my kids not to take the same route I did, so I don't have to worry about them being on parole or answering doors with guns in there hand. An to west side Jesse, you can answer your door anyway you like, but you better beleave if it's the cops at your door you will lose. This is the gangbang Capitol of the world, you have a gang on every corner and all it's doing is making it hard for the people who are trying to live, so when the LAPD takes one of these idiots out that's just one less problem I'm that community and a chance for someone else to live. Take that from someone who's been in the trenches!
Posted by: In the trenches | June 18, 2009 at 09:42 AM
He knew when he got into banging his life was either going to be real short on the streets or real long in prison.
No amount of blaming the police for doing their jobs will bring the guy back ... its his fault.
How concerned about his name and what his hijos may read about him was he?
Posted by: Bosque | June 21, 2009 at 08:04 AM
u know what...it doesnt take someone smart to know and understand that when u live ANYWERE...lets say...u are in your bed..or relaxing in your house with no worrys or thoughts...(n dont tell me u r soooo stupid to think that the cops would call him before hand to tell him they r looking for him) n then BAM...your door is knock down..u hear guns glocking....PLEASE!!!!DONT TELL ME U WILL GO ALL MOVIE seen and wake down with NO gun or anything in hand and say...WHATS GOING ON..WHO IS IT...STUPID!!!!!!!n more when u live a fear of being killed like u say..gang life....how did he not know is was someone from a nother ang trying to kill him...or someone braking in...east LA is as bad as SOUTH LA...n when u are in the moment of shock n hyper from all the screaming and crap...u dont know what to do...so they yell drop the gu...he is in a moment of shock n stays put...shot his ass on the leg...arm.....he WILL feel the pain n drop....STUPID for you to think that gang life is easy to get away from when u live in the middle of the crap...i had to MOVE 1hr away to try to keep my kids away from this..I LIVED IT...I GROW UP IN IT....I WAS IN THE SAME SPOT..n for you to say that U would have done crap differ....u r a LIE inside OUT...i NEVER said that cops r bad..but not all r good...n i know that they shot him because he had a gun....but y did he have one...because U NEED TO HAVE ONE IN THAT BARRIO in order for you to feel safe....n yet we go back to the same thing...his kids..he could be the a bad guy in the streets..but at home....what would u know...or to have his father see him killed infront of him....no matter if he was what he was...he was still a baby in his eyes...but most of you retarded people that live life with out worrys...at lets of being killed by someone with out knowing who or what mybe hideing in the corner of your house wouldnt understand..i dare you to come over to the slums...live 24/7 in the middle of gun shoots...join a gang n wake down the wrong street or even in front of your house with out thinking u r ok...my brother was killed in what we thought was the SAFE ZONE....3 houses down from our house...so live in the VARRIO n still talk all your crap after all the drama that goes on....u think "HOW STUPID" "Y DID HE HAVE A GUN IN THE 1ST PLACE" " WHY DIDNT HE DROP IT" u must be really retarded....or live in one of those white moive seens....
Posted by: me | June 23, 2009 at 02:48 PM
this is his cousin and everything that the cops said is a big ass lie. First of all there was no gun on him when he came out of the room supposedly when he fired he didn't fire my neighbor seen everything he jumted the fence after they the cops were firing she wanted to open the door but thats when they shot my cousin in the back 4 times and my aumt said she never thought she would have to put the make-up on him and bury her own son but he touched alot of people now he can keep an eye on us from heavanfor his place is in heavan
Posted by: lupe | June 24, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Me, I understand that it is pretty traumatic growing up in a rough area, but by your own words you justify the police shooting to kill. The level of crime dictates that you raise your guard because everyone knows that gang members wouldn't hesitate to shoot a police officer or anyone else in sight. You know that is a FACT.
I feel sorry for all of the kids that grow up in dangerous areas and witness murders, gang life and drug dealers every day. These poor kids don't stand much of a chance, they have no proper role models, and many have dysfunctional families, poor education, no job skills, no social skills and no hope. They feel pushed aside by general society, which is a shame because they have just as much potential as any other kid, they just need the right people around them to help unlock that potential. I hope some day all of those gangs and drug dealers realize that they help to shape the society that their own children will have to live in.
God bless
Posted by: Tony | June 24, 2009 at 07:05 PM
In response to me. bullshit, just because you live in a gang infested neighborhood doesnt mean you need to carry a gun, that's a lame excuse. all of my family grew up in the middle of bad neighborhoods in boyle heights/ east la border and all we did was carry a football, basketball and baseball equipment. not once did we fear for our lives, why should we if we never did nothing stupid to put us in that situation. stop blaming this and that for what happens to oneself. take responsibility for your actions and the consequences that come with it. everyone that carries a gun is innocent, a good person, the best father, this and that, what about the other life they live that's where problems come from. i have been stopped many times by cops, but never did I worry about nothing, because I never did anything. all you need to do is comply with orders by the cops. If they say put your hands up, put them up, if they say get on the ground, you get on the ground, dont act stupid and yell back or start putting your hands into your pockets or waist. chances are you will not be hurt plain and simple.
Posted by: ndirish | June 25, 2009 at 09:26 AM
Me......
Waste of words, Yes, I can tell you grew up in the "barrio" with your grammar. You had to move an hour away to where? Let me guess.. Palmdale or Riverside?All you gangster cause problems and then flee and make the rest of the cities "ghetto" and unsafe, for the normal population to live in.
Posted by: Cindy | June 26, 2009 at 09:40 AM
Lupe,
what made your aunt think that she would never have to bury her son, his life style or his criminal back ground? What made her think that he was such a good man, his criminal back ground? What made your aunt think that he would live to be an old man, his criminal back ground? Why would she allow a gun in her house? Why would she not make him more self reliable? I don't understand a parent not taking responsiblity for her inatention and then falling back on I never thought??? Well maybe is she had thought she would have made this grown man go out and make a life for hisself that did not consist of living off of mom and dad. May be if she had made him become a man she would not have had to bury her son. But she was an enabler, she did what most mother's do...allow law's to be broken because this is her son. Now she suffers the pain and anger...which by the way is totally misplaced considering that her son is to blame for why he is not here. It remarkable that people do not make the lawless responsible and yet make society responsible for actions that could have been avoided. In other words, if your cousin had come out when first called, if he had come out with his hands up, if he had NOT come out with a gun??? These are all questions that his mother has asked her self a million times...yet the answer always come back if the cops had just....just done what walked away and allowed your cousin to go on making more victims? Allow your cousin to go on commiting more crimes? What should the cops have done to protect us? He wasn't on parole cause he was a stand up guy. He left victims as his legacy. He left crimes as his legacy.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 06, 2009 at 09:52 AM
On June 26, 2009, my son, Paolo Centeno Vazquez, a.k.a. DJ DownBeat, was sitting in a stairwell of a Northside Avenue duplex enjoying an evening with friends during a house party. It is reported an argument broke out in the front lawn of the property and random gunshots were heard. Paolo was shot and died in the first landing on the staircase in that duplex on Northside in East Los Angeles (near Olympic). "He was having a good time. He looked happy and he was dancing around and kissing his girlfriend," said Mark Castillo, a friend and colleague. Paolo was celebrating his girlfriend's graduation from Schurr High School and his receiving the GED.
A popular disc jockey for parties and events, DJ DownBeat, as he was known by hundreds of loyal fans, was "like no one I ever knew before," said many of the friends who were interviewed for a memorial video presentation. He was headed for a tour in Amsterdam< Netherlands this summer and was excited about his success and what the future held for him. But that future never came. Instead, he laid unattended for too long on a stair landing in the building while officers responding to a call about an altercation outside stood around asking people questions about the disturbance. Paolo's friends told the officers their friend was was shot but their reports indicate the officers asusmed he was drunk and did not go to his aid immediately. The ambulance arrived at 12:33am. He was pronounced dead at 1:38am at LA-USC County hospital. To date, detectives have not answered the many questions I have... How many shells were found? Has a weapon been found and identified? How many shots were fired? Who were they aimed at? Where is the Coroner's report? What does it say about cause of death. NO WITNESSES HAVE COME FORWARD TO IDENTIFY THE SUSPECT. Many people (reportedly, about 17) were standing outside when the altercation took place. Paolo was not involved but came out to see what the noise was about. He was caught in the fire. Was there crossfire? Some witnesses reported shots back from the house. If anyone knows or hears anything, I need to know what happened. Please help me find my son's killer.
Posted by: Brenda Vazquez | August 21, 2009 at 04:36 AM
all you guys dont even kno what happened. this was my cousin and he didnt have a firearm. so all you guys need to do is read what the news say, believe them if you want. but not always everything is true!
Posted by: dontworry | October 13, 2009 at 03:06 PM
dontworry, how do you know he didnt have a weapon? Were you in there? Do you have evidence to the contrary?
Amazing the coroners report was enough to convince the DA and others that this was a lawfull shooting.
Posted by: syscom3 | October 13, 2009 at 09:30 PM
okay, this was the biggest influence of my life. richard was a kind, carrying individual that cared so much for his loved ones. he had a very hard life and was pretty much raised on the streets of east los angeles due to his parents working so hard to make ends meet. there are several witnesses that state he walked out of his house with his hands in the air. in the AIR and as he was walking down, he dropped his hands to pull up his pants. the police shot him 6 times in the chest when his hands went back up. they know this because one of his wounds came at an angle where his arm should have been hit, but his arm didnt have a scratch. he tried to run but didnt get far with 6 holes in his chest. as he fell, he started crawling. the police then grabbed him, hog tied him and pulled him like a dead animal to the front lawn, then shot him 2 more times in the back. i know everyone is entitled to their own opinion. but please, do not say "good job" for killing my beloved cousin. you have no idea how hard this has been for me and my family and i find it incredibly disrespectful that someone would say that. how can someone even think that? just as my cousin was starting to go to church, go to work regularly and get his life back on track. im sorry but this was not a lawful shooting. i and my family will always have this hole in our hearts that only God can fill. i know he's in a better place but it still hurts til today. 6 days before his birthday, man. RIP Richard Cabrales. you will never be forgotten.
Posted by: omar CABRALES | November 16, 2009 at 07:33 PM
and um, hey kelly, when your son or daughter gets hit by a car, shot, or anything right in front of you, i'll be the first to say the exact same thing to you right in your face. his mother is a kind loving woman that only wanted the best for her sons. but while he was young, both of his parents were working long hours. today, his younger brother fabian is at a private school playing football with a 4.0 GPA and his youngest brother hugo is not that far behind. you people cannot say he influenced little kids into becoming gang members. when he was the one pushing his own sibblings to do good. he would tell me. "stay away from drugs; keep going to school; get good grades because you don't want to end up like me." he wanted what was best for everyone else and saw it was already too late for himself. he was working and going to church. your taxes never supported him and he wasn't on welfare, he was becoming a good member of todays society. you people didnt know him or my family. in fact he was shirtless because he was going to go to work at 9:00 AM. when the police got there aroung 8:00. plus that's not even LAPD jurisdiction. wtf were they doing there? sherrifs deputies should have been present. but you stupid bald headed white people on steroids feel you have the right to even go on his property without a warrant?? are heartless enough to be joking around when a 20 year old youth was just killed by one of your trigger happy partners? you LAPD are no better than the gangs themselves. i have seen police officers go up to prostitutes and tell them to give them dome or they'll arrest them. you guys think youre high and mighty when youre taking bribes from the kind of people you should arrest?? you guys are jokes, just another idiot with a gun and piece of flashy metal. so to all the LAPD, you guys can chop me up and go kiss your wife with the same mouth, make her taste what you had in there 20 minutes before because you people will get yours.
Posted by: omar CABRALES | November 18, 2009 at 04:17 PM