By Brett Rowland and Michael Van Cassell
Hollister
– Authorities believe recent gang violence is the result of a
turf battle between rival factions of the Norteño street gang over
control of illegal drug sales in Hollister.
Hollister – Authorities believe recent gang violence is the result of a turf battle between rival factions of the Norteño street gang over control of illegal drug sales in Hollister.
The Norteño turf war has police on alert for retaliatory violence, Hollister Police Department spokeswoman Rosie Betanio said.
Police believe violence over the weekend, when a suspected Norteño gang member was shot four times and the home of another suspected Norteño was riddled by bullets in a drive-by shooting, was tied to the turf war.
Two factions of the Norteño street gang, the Barrio Hollister Turf (or BHT) and the Westside, are likely fighting for control of the streets, said Det. Sgt. James Weathers, a gang expert with the Hollister Police Department.
“Rumor has it there is a turf war,” Weathers said.
The Norteño street gang, also know as Nuestra Familia, is thought to have as many as 300 members in Hollister, as well as many affiliates.
Police aren’t sure what sparked the recent outbreak of violence, but turmoil among top Norteño leaders throughout the state could be one catalyst.
“Nuestra Familia leaders have spread out and (the gang) is pretty disorganized right now,” Weathers said. “That filters down, and now we’re seeing infighting on the street.”
Despite patrol officer shortages, Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said he is trying to get more officers on the streets targeting gang hotspots throughout the city.
“I’m working on trying to get more bodies out there based on recent activities,” Miller said Thursday.
Signs of the recent Norteño battle can be seen throughout the city. Increased reports of gang graffiti and car theft coupled with violent episodes are all evidence of the ongoing turf battle, according to authorities.
Police have seen increased gang violence since the first of the year. It spiked in early March, Miller said, and the violence has increased since then.
On Jan. 23, a 15-year-old Hollister boy was stabbed six times when he told a carload of out-of-town Sureños that he was a Norteño.
There have been five gang-related drive-by shootings in the past eight weeks.
In March, police received seven reports of gang graffiti.
Both gangs are also likely behind the recent rash of car thefts that have plagued the city, Weathers said. In January there were seven vehicle thefts reported to police. In February there were 12 and in March there were 17, according to police records.
“These guys move from one end of town to the other,” Weathers said.
Police suspect the attempted murder of suspected BHT member Anthony Munoz on April 1 was perpetrated by the Westside faction. However, the investigation into the shooting was dropped after Munoz refused to cooperate with police early this week after being released from the hospital, Weathers said.
Police can’t predict how or when the battle between BHT and Westside will end.
“Likely it won’t stop unless Nuestra Familia (leaders) step in and tell them to knock it off,” Weathers said.
Local residents are ready for the violence to end.
“I’m fed up with it,” said Lynne Nuñez, whose driveway Munoz was shot in. “I don’t live in a bad neighborhood. This isn’t a bad neighborhood.”
Nuestra Familia has long discouraged infighting. It is well known by law enforcement throughout the state that Nuestra Familia leaders ordered an end to infighting in 1997 and told its members to stop claiming cliques or faction groups such as BHT and Westside.
Both BHT and Westside are supported primarily by drug sales in Hollister, Weathers said.
“Anybody that sells drugs in Hollister pays taxes to the Norteños,” he said.
Although it is hard to estimate the value of Hollister’s illicit drug market, Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team Commander Mark Colla estimated it could potentially be worth millions of dollars. Colla said Norteños are primarily involved in the trafficking of marijuana and methamphetamine, where profit margins are huge.
In addition to drugs and car theft, Norteño gang members also profit from a host of other crimes, including prostitution and burglaries.
“This is a bigger thing than a lot of people understand,” Weathers said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]. Brett Rowland is city editor for the Free Lance. He can be reached at ext. 332 or [email protected].
