Killing at Public Housing Complex “Isolated Incident,” Police Say

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

March 12 -- Police assured shaken tenants Thursday night that this year’s first homicide, the shooting death of a man inside their low-income apartment complex, was an isolated incident and not a sign of increased violence in the area.

The killing outside an apartment door in the heavily-gated complex at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Ashland Avenue appeared to be a “domestic type of dispute, that was festering and erupted,” said Sgt. Rudy Camarena.

Camarena did not answer the looming questions of exactly who shot 38-year-old Gabrial Becerrada at 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning or why, but the District Attorney’s office charged Sandra Alfaro, 34, her 17-year-old son and his 19 year-old friend, Luke Yeron, in connection with the homicide.

Alfaro and her son both live at the 45-unit complex owned and operated by Community Corp where the shooting occurred.

Sgt. Camarena said the victim -- an ex-con with an extensive criminal history including drugs, burglary and weapons charges -- was not a resident at the complex, but may have spent substantial amounts of time there. It is reported that Alfaro was his girlfriend.

Camarena said he would not speculate if the shooting was in self-defense.

Three officers who are familiar with the area, along with representatives of Community Corp, which owns and operates 80 affordable buildings in Santa Monica, spoke with nearly 40 residents who crowded a courtyard room at the complex.

Mayor Pro-tem Kevin McKeown and Housing Director Bob Moncrief attended portions of the meeting.

Police told tenants that the area is traditionally a low-crime area that generated only 24 calls for service in the last six months. Only six reported incidents, involving theft in the garage area, occurred at the complex itself in all of 2003, police said.

Yet residents, many with children, said it is not the reported incidents they worry about.

“An awful lot of crimes go unreported here,” said one resident, who said he spoke for other tenants who were fearful of attending the meeting. “The best knowledge is local knowledge.”

Many in the room agreed that lesser crimes, such as prostitution in the alley behind the property, do occur, but no one reports the incidents because they are worried about retribution.

“What we don’t know, you don’t tell us,” said Lt. Calisse Lindsey. She said police need the help of residents to deter crime and encouraged tenants to call a bilingual anonymous tip line.

In response to earlier requests, Community Corp Executive Director Joan Ling said the non-profit housing agency plans to begin installing a video system in the garage area next week.

Other suggestions aired at the meeting include lighting the back alley, raising a low wall and repairing gates, garage remotes and the intercom system.

And while police and managers at the complex said they cannot run weapons checks on residents to see who owns guns, Community Corp does screen for criminal backgrounds of potential tenants and even cross checks the police log against lists of current residents to see if anyone is in trouble with the law.

Tenants said they were heartened by the “swarming response” of the police the night of the murder and their presence at the meeting.

Camarena said almost a dozen detectives worked the case, and charges were filed within 30 hours of the shooting. Response to the homicide scene was heavy and immediate, according to residents.

A representative from the Department of Mental Health Services was also on hand at the meeting and informed those present that free and low-cost trauma counseling would be available if needed.

Police encourage those who see crime in their area to call the Santa Monica Police Department’s anonymous “We Tip” program at 1-800-78-CRIME.