African American Family in Compton Attacked, Threatened by Latino Gang Members
An African American family was attacked this week as part of a slew of incidents that have occurred in recent years, in an attempt by Latino gangs to rid a once predominantly black neighborhood of African American residents.
Two men and one teenage boy have been arrested in Los Angeles following the attack of a family living in Compton. The mother of the family moved into the area over Christmas with her three teenage children and a 10-year-old boy. The attack began when a friend of the family came over to visit.
Four men pulled up in an SUV and began to attack the visitor, making discriminating remarks and telling the man that black people were barred from the neighborhood, the sheriff's department told the L.A. Times. The men then exited the vehicle and threatened the man with a gun before beating him with metal pipes.
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Efren Marquez, 21, was accused of pulling the gun according to Mail Online, while Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, is believed to have beat the man with a pipe. The other suspects were not named but both men returned later with a gang of at least 20 men, according to the report. The gang surrounded the house and made discriminating remarks about the family.
Aguilar and Marquez were arrested Thursday and charged with hate crimes, the L.A. Times said. Both men are allegedly members of the Compton Varrio 155 gang. Authorities believe that members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang have been ordering similar attacks, using outside gang members under their control.
"This family has no gang ties whatsoever," Sheriff's Lt. Richard Westin told the L.A. Times. "They are complete innocent victims here."
The attack is just one of many that has occurred over the past few years in Compton, a once predominantly black neighbor hood whose population is now 65 percent Latino.
