Mark’s Soap Box

It can’t be! A “Peace Activist” and former gang member who became a cause celebre has been arrested on GUN CHARGES. *rotflmao* Anyone else not shocked by this?

Former 18th Street gang member Hector “Weasel” Marroquin for years was celebrated and rewarded for having turned his life around.

“Weasel”? Who knew this would happen! How can it be? Former? Even the LAT is off it’s rocker.

He founded the anti-gang organization NO GUNS and received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city for his efforts to help steer Latino youths away from a life of crime. His champions included former state Sen. Tom Hayden.

Yea, that’s how it happened. He took his gang experience of using others and bilking the system to a different arena.

When will liberals learn.

But his arrest this week on charges of selling firearms to federal undercover officers underscored concerns long held by people familiar with Marroquin’s background that he had not left his criminal life behind.

“I never for a moment believed that he ever left the life,” said Connie Rice, a civil rights attorney and former member of the Los Angeles Police Commission who noted that she saw Marroquin at meetings of anti-gang agencies. “I always thought he was using the system.”

The system just keeps on giving!

Marroquin, 51, was arrested Thursday at his Downey home on charges of selling several guns, including a machine gun, two silencers and two rifles, to undercover officers. He bailed out of Los Angeles County jail Thursday night and could not be reached for comment.

How the hell does this guy get a bail amount, much less be able to raise the money to pay it? Oh yea, gun sales and liberal friends!

In 2000, the Sheriff’s Department called in NO GUNS to help quell riots between Latinos and blacks at its Pitchess Detention Center.

But some law enforcement officials believed that Marroquin was a front man for the Mexican Mafia prison gang and that NO GUNS was a facade for illegal activity and a channel for public funds.

and more money doled out to the coffers of the criminals.

As part of its gang intervention efforts, the city through its L.A. Bridges program contracted with Toberman Settlement House, a Harbor-area social services agency, which in turn hired NO GUNS in 2003.

Bill Martinez, director of gang intervention programs for Toberman, said NO GUNS was hired because it was the only group in South Los Angeles working with Latino gangs. Over the next three years, NO GUNS collected more than $1.5 million in city funds as a subcontractor.

Maybe now the liberals will stop taking the criminals side on every issue. No, of course not.

Marroquin’s organization was contracted to help find job training for gang members and to mediate cease-fires, said Angela Estell of the city’s Community Development Department.

The contract continued even though in December 2005, Hawthorne police arrested Marroquin’s son, Hector Jr., known as “Little Weasel” and a principal in NO GUNS. He and another man were charged with a home-invasion robbery. Police said he had several weapons in his house. That case is scheduled for trial next week.

The best part is he lost his contract because he was hiring family members. Please! Are you kidding me? That’s it?

Where is the liberal outcry over this? Why are heads not rolling? Oh yeah, liberals never do anything bad intentionally. They were just trying to do “good”. 

“Police will tell you, when things are really violent … these intervention workers are key to calming it down,” Hayden said. “These guys perform a service. If they backslide, well, who doesn’t?”

Well that is a tolerant attitude. I bet, no I know he does not treat Christians or Conservatives the same way.

Anyone else see the irony in the left calling anyone else stupid?

Marroquin is also suspected in the death of rival gang leader who objected his taxing of local gang members. The Sheriff’s department warned him (they were told by an informant who was in on the plot), and the gang leader was murdered. Yea, that could have been anyone.

Oh and Marroquin’s daughter boyfriend turned up charred with a bullet in the head. They say he was playing Russian Roulette and they just wanted to cover up the accident. Oh I so believe that!