WARNING! ALERTA!

A sunny Saturday in Tazerville, but in today's Times, a report of a very disturbing crime trend...

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NORTH RICHMOND MUGGERS TARGET LATINOS, SHERIFFS SAY

By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Latino men walking alone were the victims in nearly every mugging reported in North Richmond this year, records show.

The trend has so alarmed the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office that deputies now leaflet the unincorporated community with warning fliers in Spanish, even as residents complain that law enforcement does too little to deter robberies.

"There has been a big spike in robberies, and most of them have had a distinctive style," said Lt. Donny Gordon, supervisor of the sheriff's Bay substation. "We are extremely concerned about what we are seeing."

Two robbers, known only by physical descriptions given by victims, account for 29 of the community's 33 armed and strong-arm robberies since November, the sheriff's crime analysis unit found. Another robbery in a nearby neighborhood also matches the pattern.

Both are described as black men in their 20s. One often wears a puffy jacket, the other often approaches on a bicycle. In all but one case, robbers targeted Latinos, crime prevention specialist Mark Dobbs said. Victims often saw a silver handgun, but nobody has been seriously hurt.

Usually, one mugger approaches, though there are occasionally two. In one case, the mugger punched a victim.

Latino men, particularly those dressed in work clothes, make attractive targets for muggers because of ethnic stereotypes, Gordon said. Muggers believe Latinos are more likely to carry cash than use banks, and are unlikely to call police because of language barriers or mistrust.

This is not news to Spanish-speaking residents, said Cecilia Ornelas of Verde Involved Parents, a neighborhood group associated with a local school.

"Our main concern, the main concern expressed by parents, was that they would call the police, (after a mugging) and they basically would not have pursued the case," Ornelas said. "They come out, and they give case numbers, but when our parents would call to ask how the case was going, they would say they did not have that case number."

Ornelas' group wrote letters and met with officials from Supervisor John Gioia's office, the sheriff's office and the Richmond Police Department in February. The community still experiences regular robberies, she said.

Deputies do investigate every case, Gordon said. And although they have not identified suspects, they do know much more than they did six months ago.

Many robberies happen near the corner of 5th Street and Market Avenue. The county has worked with the corner store to improve lighting and signs, Gordon said, and painted curbs to discourage cars from stopping.

Deputies who work in North Richmond are starting to hear new slang that makes them worry that muggings are becoming trendy with some young people.

"Parents out there need to watch their kids ... and if they are getting involved in the subculture that is creating this environment," Gordon said.

North Richmond, a community of about 4,000, is one of Contra Costa's poorest and most crime-plagued areas. During the past decade, immigrants and Spanish-speakers gentrified patches of the predominantly black community.

In the City of Richmond, police have documented similar patterns -- young blacks robbing Latino pedestrians -- in neighborhoods with similar demographic shifts, such as the Iron Triangle.

While detectives continue to work on identifying the robbers, Gordon urges any North Richmond mugging victim who has not reported the crime to call. "You never know who will have the bit of information that could lead to an arrest," he said.

Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.

TO REPORT A MUGGING:

If you were recently mugged in North Richmond but have not reported the crime, the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office asks you to call 877-308-5248.

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The Tazer, telling it like it is: these are hate crimes. That's how law enforcement should profile the MO in trying to sting the perps. That's how the prosecutors should go about sticking them in court. That's how the judge should treat them in sentencing. Period, end of story.