Tagger struck and killed on 710 Freeway

A 20-year-old tagger was hit by two cars and killed early this morning on the northbound 710 Freeway in the Compton area, the California Highway Patrol said.

Raul Garcia Jr. of Lynwood and two other men had been tagging the center divider and, at 4:17 a.m., they began running east across the freeway, the CHP said.

Garcia was hit by a Nissan Maxima that had just merged into the far left lane, the CHP said. He was thrown into the next lane and struck by another vehicle, which drove away.

Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. The two others were detained, and all four lanes of traffic were closed for two hours. 

-- Raja Abdulrahim

Comments

[lwps]

A grown man was doing this? What a pity.

[LAUSD teacher]

These young men had opportunities in school to achieve and teachers who cared yet they chose to blight the city instead of improve their minds and their communities. It starts at home, with books instead of video games and travel instead of TV. At 20 years old he should have been working toward his future. It is a shame that he won't get that chance

[wake up]

I hope the other two that were detained will be charged in the death which occurred during the commission of felony vandalism

If this does not illustrate that tagging is NOT a victimless crime then
I don't know what will.....

This time the tagger died, but it could have easily been your family that was killed
trying to avoid hitting him.

[Saul]

Sad

[Ome-Coatl]

The sad part is that he died for nothing noble.
No one can even read or understand what he scrawled on the wall.

In two week's time, it will be covered up by another tagger.

Tagging is a mental illness. It is a pathological behavior of defacing the world because they are unable to "make their mark" in an authentic, productive way.

He probably grew up like most of our people, seeing nothing positive of his community reflected in media, history books, Wall Street, etc.

[mj]

so tragic

[BOO BOO]

REST IN PARADISE KAUE, WE WILL ALWAYS MISS YOU!

[martin Beijer]

Shouldn't the other two be charged with murder since the one was killed during a crime?

[edgar m]

gone but never forgoten, ur family will always remember you and miss you, love you cuzin

[WC]

I'm trying hard to view Garcia as someone who was more than just a worthless tagger, but then I consider the psychological trauma sustained by the driver of the vehicle that initially struck him and, it's difficult not to think the world is better off without him. And on top of that Garcia's recklessness resulted in turning the motorist who struck him secondarily into a criminal for fleeing the scene. One scumbag begat another.

[Lucy]

How can anyone "LIKE" this?

[lindag]

karma...

[DLH]

It is sad for him and his family and the driver also that struck him. He had to have known what he was doing was dangerous and him getting hit was possible. There are always car's on the freeway day and night. A lot of people say tagging is a victimless crime, BS.

[Ken]

What a waste of human potential. This guy's mother carried him around for nine months inside her, gave birth, probably tried to be a good mother. And there were probably teachers, counselors, pastors, neighbors, even police officers who tried to be a good influence. Think about all of the money in social programs, schooling, and public works/utility infrastructures that provided him the life he had. Oh, and the military defense of this nation. And what does he do with his opportunities? Vandalizes public property and probably traumatizes a driver. Contrast that with the babies brought here with nothing who grow up to study hard and be good citizens and make something of themselves through honest means. It DOES happen! Which path will the next kid take?

[nobozos13]

Tragic??? maybe for the person that took out this idiot....menso wants to get on the freeway and tag it like a dog pi##ing on a fire hydrant and taxpayers have to pay to clean up his crap...no sympathy here

[ItsJustTagging]

It's just tagging. If this guy was killed while littering or urinating in public, would everyone be so vehemently thrilled with his death? Because this person was painting on a surface he didn't own, it's okay that he died?

[Kittybarfola]

Hey Ken, why do you incorrectly assume that the mother tried to do good? Apparently, she failed, because if she did good, she would instill in him right and wrong, by not to deface others' property and take a more proactive role in who his friends are what what he does. But he's an adult and responsible for his actions too.

[ELBER GUDO]

please charge the other two that were with him with his murder., they wer also committing a crime.

[Rough and Greedy]

who knows what this kid in compton would be doing without graffiti. he could be shooting crack, stealing , killing others but no he was tagging and somehow that is worse.

cant believe some of the comments on here and i cant believe how heartless people can be.

[Brandon]

All these people that are blaming tagging for this accident are idiots. It has nothing to do with tagging and everything to do with some kid trying to run across the freeway in the middle of the night. Maybe they were tagging at the time but they could've been out drinking or just hanging out. The point is: this guy tried to run across a freeway. That's never a good idea. But to everyone who's saying "good riddance, we need less taggers"... that's completely disgusting and you people should be ashamed.

[wake up]

to "ITsJustTagging", I always tell people that I am anti-death penalty except in cases of tagging and littering.

If your wife murders you she might have a good reason, but I can't think of a good reason for tagging or littering.

[Stacey]

My heart goes out to the driver that hit him. Raul made a choice to try to make the world a crappy place to live.

[Rusty Oleum]

If this guy could only read these comments...America is so desensitized, this young man lost his life and not to mention his family his friends and a community also lost him. Where do some of you get off? A city the size or this should know that "taggers" are not always who and what you think. Its not like the article said he was out there gangbanging on your mothers and aunts.

[SaintOne]

@ wake up
And what about the family of the writer? Do they get ANY love, any "my condolances"? No... And its because of ignorant people like you... This comment will be removed, but I hope you see it, and that your child grows up to be a graffiti writer.

[Lord C]

Why in the hell would any rational US citizen wish to charge to other people with a MURDER charge just because they where there when their friend was killed by a car? It disgusts me that people can sit at home in their plush safety bubble envirtonment and wish murder charges on someone, let alone passing some asinine judgements towards people when you don't know any specifics of the story other then the warped tale the media chooses to portray. You don't think these kids lives have been impacted enough by the death of a friend, that you just say "charge'm all with MURDER". Are you people absolute retards? You should be ashamed of yourselves. My condolences go out tot he family of this kid who lost his life doing something he loved.