refuse_resist
14th January 2005, 01:27
For those of you who don't know where Ceres, CA is located, it's this little redneck town in the California Central Valley. I used to live there and went to school with this guy. It was clear he had a grudge with the local police and I sure don't blame him. The police there are very racist and will look for any excuse to harass you.
__________________________________________________ _____________
CERES — Andres Raya's parents prayed Tuesday morning in the liquor store parking lot where, 36 hours earlier, their Marine son shot and killed a police officer and wounded another.
A law enforcement spokesman said officer Sam Ryno's condition had improved from critical to serious. Sgt. Howard Stevenson was the officer who was killed.
Tuesday night, more than 200 people gathered for a town hall meeting where Stanislaus County sheriff's Lt. Bill Heyne said authorities had yet to establish a motive for Raya's rampage, but added they do know "he wanted to die, he didn't want to go back to Iraq."
Because of rain, Raya's parents decided not to walk from the liquor store to the alley where police shot and killed their 19-year-old son in an exchange of gunfire Sunday night.
From the liquor store, the family went to a meeting with Ceres police. Raya's parents wanted to clear the air about their son's alleged gang ties, said Rosie Alvarez, Raya's cousin. And, Alvarez said, Raya's parents wanted to "begin the healing process."
Police declined to talk about the meeting. Alvarez described it as "emotional" and "tense" as both sides sought to understand why an Iraq war veteran would gun down police officers after apparently luring them to the liquor store.
It happened just after 8 p.m. Sunday in front of George's Liquors on Caswell Avenue. Raya had asked liquor store employees to call police, saying someone had shot at him.
Surveillance video shows Raya pacing as he waited for police. He pulled a rifle from under his poncho and shot Ryno, then fired at Stevenson.
The slain officer was 39 and a 20-year veteran of the Ceres Police Department.
Ryno, 50, remained hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Tuesday, he was talking to fellow police officers as well as family members.
Graffiti at crime scene
Tuesday morning, Raya's family attended Mass before going to George's Liquors and the next-door tire shop, still riddled with bullet holes.
Spray-painted graffiti, much of it anti-police, appeared on both businesses and the supermarket across the street overnight, said deputy Jason Woodman, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department.
"There will always be people who will take advantage of an opportunity to benefit themselves and there are always going to be people opposed to law enforcement," Woodman said.
The Rev. Dean McFalls, who formerly served at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Ceres and is a friend of the Raya family, called the graffiti "despicable" and said it devastated the family.
"It was really, really hard to see that," said McFalls, who went to the liquor store parking lot with the family. "There is absolutely no excuse to do something like that."
Much of the graffiti had been painted over by midday. Among the remaining graffiti was a statement that simply read: "RIP Andy," the name Raya often was called by friends.
At the Police Department later that morning, a makeshift memorial grew as people dropped off flowers and photos of the two officers.
Alvarez, Raya's cousin, said police suspected Raya had gang affiliations, based on his tattoos. She acknowledged that she had not seen the tattoos, but said other family members told her that the tattoos signified "Latino and Chicano pride."
"It was a display of honor for our culture," she said. "He was not a banger. That just wasn't him."
Raya's parents said Monday that their son, when he came home for Christmas and New Year's, indicated that he did not want to go back to Iraq.
He served there for seven months, returning to the states in September, according to his family. They said he served in Fallujah.
A family member who asked not to be identified said Raya's parents never allowed guns in their home, so it was unlikely that Raya had owned the assault rifle used in the shooting for very long.
It was not a Marine-issued weapon, authorities said.
Raya used an SKS assault rifle, and it had been illegally modified with a detachable magazine, said Woodman.
He said investigators were trying to determine where Raya had obtained the weapon and could not rule out that he had an accomplice.
"We're talking to people he knew, we're talking about anything that turns up," Woodman said. "But so far we don't know much."
In an e-mail, a man identifying himself as a Marine and longtime friend of Raya's, said Raya could not have hidden the rifle at Camp Pendleton, because military police often do random checks of barracks.
The e-mailer, who asked not to be identified, said Raya served as a motor vehicle operator. And he seemed to change during his time in the Marines.
"Before he joined, he was very motivated," the e-mail stated. "The first time I saw him back (from Iraq), he wasn't so motivated. He cracked negative jokes about people who were serious. … He was negative towards the Marines. He still seemed like the same guy, he just had a hard time."
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9753615p-10619238c.html
__________________________________________________ _______________
CERES — More than 200 people packed the Ceres High School auditorium Tuesday night, seeking answers to questions regarding an Iraq war veteran who shot and killed one police officer and seriously wounded another.
Many were residents of the typically peaceful neighborhood around Central and Caswell avenues where Andres Raya, the 19-year-old shooter fled, only to be killed by police gunfire.
According to authorities, more than 200 bullets shattered the quiet and endangered dozens of lives Sunday night.
Others wanted to know more about Raya, the U.S. Marine who killed Sgt. Howard "Howie" Stevenson and wounded officer Sam Ryno in what authorities called "an ambush."
Lead investigator Lt. Bill Heyne of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said police have not established a motive for Raya's rampage but do know "he wanted to die, he didn't want to go back to Iraq. And his activ-ity that night showed he wanted to take as many cops as he could with him," Heyne said.
Police are investigating the possibility that Raya's reluctance to return to the war may have bred an anti-government attitude, Heyne told the crowd. He added that people's attitude toward government often extends to police officers.
With all the firepower Raya was carrying, he easily could have killed more people, Heyne said. Considering Raya fired steel-core, copper-coated bullets capable of penetrating an armored car, Heyne said, "It's amazing no innocent people were hit."
Several people who live near where police killed the fleeing gunman were still shaken.
Raya had talked with some residents, assuring them not to worry, he didn't intend to injure civilians, according to Heyne.
Tina Cobb, 39, said she stayed awake all Sunday night in fear. Her daughter is still afraid to go to bed or go outside and play.
Cobb asked why police didn't signal residents after Raya had been shot, that the danger was over. She said she wasn't the only one who worried all night.
Police Chief Art de Werk apologized, conceding officers could have relayed a message, possibly over a loudspeaker, when the neighborhood was safe. In the future, if a neighborhood sweep occurs, they will, he assured.
Others in the audience wanted to know more about Raya.
Kenneth Pride, 56, a retired Procter & Gamble technician and Vietnam veteran, asked whether Raya was under the influence of drugs. Heyne said witnesses reported Raya's "behavior was bizarre" but a toxicological analysis — expected to be finished next week — would show if he was under the influence.
Hilda Mercado, 22, who grew up with Raya, called out that anyone who had seen body parts in the streets of a war zone would be traumatized and acting strangely.
Gudberto Meza also defended Raya, saying his kids went to school with the soldier, who seemed to be "a good kid."
"When he came back, he was uneasy. He said he'd do anything not to go back," Meza said. "Do soldiers get evaluated when they get back from the service?"
Another audience member, saying she served eight years in the military, said there are avenues for soldiers unfit for war, including seeking out the military's mental health services.
Others argued that, no matter what atrocities Raya witnessed in Iraq, there was no excuse for his brutality here at home.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9753615p-10619248c.html
Here's some footage from one of the cameras that were in the area.
Video 1 (http://www.modbee.com/images/video/video1.wmv)
Video 2 (http://www.modbee.com/images/video/video2.wmv)
__________________________________________________ _____________
CERES — Andres Raya's parents prayed Tuesday morning in the liquor store parking lot where, 36 hours earlier, their Marine son shot and killed a police officer and wounded another.
A law enforcement spokesman said officer Sam Ryno's condition had improved from critical to serious. Sgt. Howard Stevenson was the officer who was killed.
Tuesday night, more than 200 people gathered for a town hall meeting where Stanislaus County sheriff's Lt. Bill Heyne said authorities had yet to establish a motive for Raya's rampage, but added they do know "he wanted to die, he didn't want to go back to Iraq."
Because of rain, Raya's parents decided not to walk from the liquor store to the alley where police shot and killed their 19-year-old son in an exchange of gunfire Sunday night.
From the liquor store, the family went to a meeting with Ceres police. Raya's parents wanted to clear the air about their son's alleged gang ties, said Rosie Alvarez, Raya's cousin. And, Alvarez said, Raya's parents wanted to "begin the healing process."
Police declined to talk about the meeting. Alvarez described it as "emotional" and "tense" as both sides sought to understand why an Iraq war veteran would gun down police officers after apparently luring them to the liquor store.
It happened just after 8 p.m. Sunday in front of George's Liquors on Caswell Avenue. Raya had asked liquor store employees to call police, saying someone had shot at him.
Surveillance video shows Raya pacing as he waited for police. He pulled a rifle from under his poncho and shot Ryno, then fired at Stevenson.
The slain officer was 39 and a 20-year veteran of the Ceres Police Department.
Ryno, 50, remained hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Tuesday, he was talking to fellow police officers as well as family members.
Graffiti at crime scene
Tuesday morning, Raya's family attended Mass before going to George's Liquors and the next-door tire shop, still riddled with bullet holes.
Spray-painted graffiti, much of it anti-police, appeared on both businesses and the supermarket across the street overnight, said deputy Jason Woodman, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department.
"There will always be people who will take advantage of an opportunity to benefit themselves and there are always going to be people opposed to law enforcement," Woodman said.
The Rev. Dean McFalls, who formerly served at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Ceres and is a friend of the Raya family, called the graffiti "despicable" and said it devastated the family.
"It was really, really hard to see that," said McFalls, who went to the liquor store parking lot with the family. "There is absolutely no excuse to do something like that."
Much of the graffiti had been painted over by midday. Among the remaining graffiti was a statement that simply read: "RIP Andy," the name Raya often was called by friends.
At the Police Department later that morning, a makeshift memorial grew as people dropped off flowers and photos of the two officers.
Alvarez, Raya's cousin, said police suspected Raya had gang affiliations, based on his tattoos. She acknowledged that she had not seen the tattoos, but said other family members told her that the tattoos signified "Latino and Chicano pride."
"It was a display of honor for our culture," she said. "He was not a banger. That just wasn't him."
Raya's parents said Monday that their son, when he came home for Christmas and New Year's, indicated that he did not want to go back to Iraq.
He served there for seven months, returning to the states in September, according to his family. They said he served in Fallujah.
A family member who asked not to be identified said Raya's parents never allowed guns in their home, so it was unlikely that Raya had owned the assault rifle used in the shooting for very long.
It was not a Marine-issued weapon, authorities said.
Raya used an SKS assault rifle, and it had been illegally modified with a detachable magazine, said Woodman.
He said investigators were trying to determine where Raya had obtained the weapon and could not rule out that he had an accomplice.
"We're talking to people he knew, we're talking about anything that turns up," Woodman said. "But so far we don't know much."
In an e-mail, a man identifying himself as a Marine and longtime friend of Raya's, said Raya could not have hidden the rifle at Camp Pendleton, because military police often do random checks of barracks.
The e-mailer, who asked not to be identified, said Raya served as a motor vehicle operator. And he seemed to change during his time in the Marines.
"Before he joined, he was very motivated," the e-mail stated. "The first time I saw him back (from Iraq), he wasn't so motivated. He cracked negative jokes about people who were serious. … He was negative towards the Marines. He still seemed like the same guy, he just had a hard time."
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9753615p-10619238c.html
__________________________________________________ _______________
CERES — More than 200 people packed the Ceres High School auditorium Tuesday night, seeking answers to questions regarding an Iraq war veteran who shot and killed one police officer and seriously wounded another.
Many were residents of the typically peaceful neighborhood around Central and Caswell avenues where Andres Raya, the 19-year-old shooter fled, only to be killed by police gunfire.
According to authorities, more than 200 bullets shattered the quiet and endangered dozens of lives Sunday night.
Others wanted to know more about Raya, the U.S. Marine who killed Sgt. Howard "Howie" Stevenson and wounded officer Sam Ryno in what authorities called "an ambush."
Lead investigator Lt. Bill Heyne of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said police have not established a motive for Raya's rampage but do know "he wanted to die, he didn't want to go back to Iraq. And his activ-ity that night showed he wanted to take as many cops as he could with him," Heyne said.
Police are investigating the possibility that Raya's reluctance to return to the war may have bred an anti-government attitude, Heyne told the crowd. He added that people's attitude toward government often extends to police officers.
With all the firepower Raya was carrying, he easily could have killed more people, Heyne said. Considering Raya fired steel-core, copper-coated bullets capable of penetrating an armored car, Heyne said, "It's amazing no innocent people were hit."
Several people who live near where police killed the fleeing gunman were still shaken.
Raya had talked with some residents, assuring them not to worry, he didn't intend to injure civilians, according to Heyne.
Tina Cobb, 39, said she stayed awake all Sunday night in fear. Her daughter is still afraid to go to bed or go outside and play.
Cobb asked why police didn't signal residents after Raya had been shot, that the danger was over. She said she wasn't the only one who worried all night.
Police Chief Art de Werk apologized, conceding officers could have relayed a message, possibly over a loudspeaker, when the neighborhood was safe. In the future, if a neighborhood sweep occurs, they will, he assured.
Others in the audience wanted to know more about Raya.
Kenneth Pride, 56, a retired Procter & Gamble technician and Vietnam veteran, asked whether Raya was under the influence of drugs. Heyne said witnesses reported Raya's "behavior was bizarre" but a toxicological analysis — expected to be finished next week — would show if he was under the influence.
Hilda Mercado, 22, who grew up with Raya, called out that anyone who had seen body parts in the streets of a war zone would be traumatized and acting strangely.
Gudberto Meza also defended Raya, saying his kids went to school with the soldier, who seemed to be "a good kid."
"When he came back, he was uneasy. He said he'd do anything not to go back," Meza said. "Do soldiers get evaluated when they get back from the service?"
Another audience member, saying she served eight years in the military, said there are avenues for soldiers unfit for war, including seeking out the military's mental health services.
Others argued that, no matter what atrocities Raya witnessed in Iraq, there was no excuse for his brutality here at home.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9753615p-10619248c.html
Here's some footage from one of the cameras that were in the area.
Video 1 (http://www.modbee.com/images/video/video1.wmv)
Video 2 (http://www.modbee.com/images/video/video2.wmv)