Update:The Mayor's Youth Advisory Board will take up the issue of gang violence on Thursday. Release pasted below.

Ever since Reeper published a slide show of screen captures from local gang members' Myspace pages (story here), those gangsters have been flooding the post with comments ranging from anger over using the images without permission to pride of being a member of the West Side Lokos ("Our time to shine!" one writes).

In recent weeks, however, the comments have gotten a bit more verbose, with self-identified gang members speaking out in defense of John Villesange, aka Chuco, a teenager accused of shooting a rival gang member, Pedro Maldonado, in June. They say that Maldonado, aka Yako of Surenos 13, "had it coming."



"Sleepy" writes:

For Lil Jon "Chuco" He a Good Kid eh! Aint Nobody have a say in that! He made mistakes but that kid he wanted to become somethin in life but everytime he tried somethin or some1 got in the way of his dreams! n I DNT GIV A FUK WAT ANY1 SAY CHUCO IS A GOOD FUKIN KID HE HAD A HEART! N For yako spenca he had it coming but i feel for ur guys loss nuh PURO RESPECT !!

"Creeper," who claims WSL and Alto Park Thugs affialiation writes:

Not like the surenos never took one of us out cuz they have eh! they have! fukd up shit in this gangster life! Pero sabes que "U Liv By the Gun U die By The Gun"...So simon yako had it coming pero stil ! 2 worngs dnt make a right! i no i no! But Everyone makes mistakes once in their life que no?! Nd For God he forgives but he wont forget u gota earn his trust i Pray for chuco that god wil 4give my lil caranalito N hIS sins eh every night eh! so does all the Homies! pero fuk u haters! fuk the sur!

These statements seem to undermine Villesange's defense by unintentionally confirming his role in the homicide.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the 17-year-old (pictured) pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and tampering with evidence on Aug. 21. A second man, 24-year-old Francisco Montoya, whose Myspace page was also featured in the slide show, also pleaded not guilty in the case. The New Mexican says that each could face more than 30 years in prison.

Update:The Mayor's Youth Advisory Board will take up the issue of gang violence on Thursday. Release pasted below.

This Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at the La Farge Library Community Room, Santa Fe Police Detective Matthew Martinez will make a presentation on gang violence and its effect on Santa Fe youth to the Mayor's Youth Advisory Board (MYAB).  The MYAB has been traveling to different schools over the past year and this is one of the issues that has been raised by students as well as by youth serving on the MYAB.

The presentation by Detective Martinez will be followed by a discussion.  The Mayor's Youth Advisory Board invites the public to participate in the discussion that will help this community determine ways to reduce gang violence and gang recruitment among youth in Santa Fe.