SAN JOSE, Cali. (DDN) – According to court filings, a San Jose youngster who was stabbed to death on Valentine’s Day while on a date with his girlfriend at Santana Row was targeted because he wore red.
Documents discovered from the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office shed light on a probable reason for David Gutierrez’s murder. Investigators believe the five suspects, aged 13-18, thought David was a member of the Norteños gang.
However, at a press conference last week, Police Chief Paul Joseph stated that David had no gang links. The chief claimed David was absolutely innocent and had done nothing wrong.
Authorities stated the suspect, a 13-year-old Campbell resident, fatally stabbed David three times. The suspect was part of a group that night that comprised three 16-year-olds from San Jose and an 18-year-old Campbell resident, Emanuel Sanchez-Damian, who attacked David prior to the fatal stabbing.
The accused are purportedly from the Varrio Sureno Town (VST) group, a branch of the Sureños gang. According to court documents, the 13-year-old suspect belongs to the seventh generation of the family.
Before confronting David, the suspects questioned the victim’s fiancée, asking her, “Why was he wearing red so much?” Four of the suspects were dressed in red, which investigators say was a deliberate attempt to conceal their identities by wearing their rival gang’s colors.
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According to the documents, David’s girlfriend attempted to save him after he was stabbed three times, including once in the heart.
David died at the Valley Medical Center in San Jose.
“This senseless act of violence took the life of a young boy who had no known gang ties, and was simply trying to enjoy an evening out,” said Chief Joseph prior to the shooting.
David was a boxer at Gladiators Gym.
Authorities now believe the attacks did not originate at Santana Row.
They say video cameras caught the juvenile suspects earlier that night at Valley Fair Mall, where they reportedly assaulted a man and attempted to take his sneakers. Later in the night, one of the suspects is seen clutching a shoe.
Joseph stated that the identities of the underage suspects in the case are protected under California law.
He stated that the 13-year-old will most likely spend only eight months at an unlocked ranch facility.
Reference: San Jose teen stabbed to death by alleged gang members for wearing red, court docs reveal
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