13-year-old among 5 arrested in stabbing death of San Jose teenage boxer at Santana Row
13-year-old among 5 arrested in stabbing death of San Jose teenage boxer at Santana Row
San Jose police said they arrested five people – one as young as 13 years old – who they say are responsible for the stabbing death of a 15-year-old at Santana Row. San Joses police chief said a 13-year-old from Campbell was the one who "brutally stabbed" the 15-year-old on Valentines Day.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police on Monday said they arrested five people – one as young as 13 years old – who they say are responsible for the stabbing death of a 15-year-old at Santana Row while he was out on a date with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.
15-year-old boxer killed in attack on Valentine's Day
A 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on Valentine's Day in San Jose was a young boxer.
What we know:
At a news conference, Police Chief Paul Joseph said a 13-year-old from Campbell was the one who "brutally stabbed" David Gutierrez, 15, who had no gang affiliations at all.
The chief stressed that David, a boxer at Gladiators Gym, was completely innocent and had done nothing wrong.
His family said that he had been stabbed in the heart.
"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," Joseph said.
David S. Gutierrez, a boxer at Gladiators Gym.
All five suspects are affiliated with a "local San Jose street gang," the chief said.
Aside from the 13-year-old, police also arrested three 16-year-olds from San Jose and an 18-year-old, Emanuel Sanchez-Damian of Campbell.
The 13-year-old was booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of murder and felony assault.
The 16-year-olds were booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of felony assault. Sanchez-Damain was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of felony assault.
What we don't know:
No motive was provided, other than the suspects were "dressed in gang colors and were believed to be actively seeking a confrontation," Joseph said.
The group approached David, asked him about his gang involvement, and then assaulted him, Joseph said.
David managed to run away, but the 13-year-old caught up with him, and stabbed him to death, Joseph said.
David's girlfriend and others tried to save him, but David died at Valley Medical Center in San Jose.
By the time police had arrived, all five suspects had run away.
Since Feb. 14, Joseph said that detectives looked at surveillance footage, gang intelligence and body-worn camera evidence, which led them to the five young men on Feb. 20 and 21.
Big picture view:
Joseph also took several moments to talk about how the public will likely never know what happened in this case, as the identities of minors are protected under California law.
He said that it's very likely the 13-year-old will only spend eight months in an unlocked ranch facility.
"To be clear, I believe California was right to reform the juvenile justice system," Joseph said. "Locking up young people for long periods of time for minor offenses does more harm than good."
However, the chief added: "While we sought to protect our youth from the long-term harms of incarceration for lesser crimes, we've unintentionally created a system that, in certain severe cases like this, provides virtually no meaningful consequences for the most violent and brutal cases."
In California, juvenile judges have almost complete discretion in how they sentence minors. It's true, a judge could sentence a 13-year-old to eight months. However, it's also possible that a 13-year-old charged with murder could serve the maximum punishment of being incarcerated until he is 25 years old.
The chief's words were echoed by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who spoke in both English and Spanish.
He said that he wants to find a better way to hold young people accountable and make them understand the consequences of their actions.
He said he believes that society has created a "dangerous loophole" that makes children "even greater targets."
Mahan also spoke personally about the loss of life for David's family.
"There's nothing more disturbing than kids killing kids," Mahan said. "No kid should go to the mall and be scared that they're not going to make it home. David Gutierrez deserved better. He deserved more time."
The other side:
Legal analysts question if this case will be a call to action.
"The California legislature changed the game on juvenile justice significantly," said legal analyst Steven Clark. "S the system is now designed for rehabilitation. But many people are questioning whether public safety has taken a back seat."
Juvenile justice advocates say the notion that there is no accountability is untrue.
"I think it's the mayor and the police chief mistaking vengeance and punishment for the value of rehabilitation, which is what the juvenile system is supposed to be based upon," said Raj Jayadev, founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug.
If you're interested in donating to David's GoFundMe, click here.