A member of the Gardena 13 street gang will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a 29-year-old man in front of his home in November 2020, according to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ announced Friday that 24-year-old Justin Arteaga of Gardena, also known as “Hitta,” was sentenced after a 5-day trial found him guilty of one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder.
A report by the Los Angeles Times says Arteaga was a recruit of Gardena 13 at the time of the shooting, and that, according to prosecutors, Arteaga “wanted to prove that he was worthy,” that he “had been dying to become a member.”
On Nov. 13, 2020, Arteaga and two Gardena 13 gang members purportedly confronted the victim and his brother, who were seated in a parked car in front of their home.
According to a release by the DOJ, “Following the victim’s perceived disrespect of Gardena 13 and the three assailants, all three assailants pulled out guns and began shooting the victim.”
After the victim was shot, the victim’s father, who the LA Times says was a retired federal agent, allegedly stepped out to help his son at which point a shootout between the father and the gang members occurred.
The DOJ says police and paramedics responded and treated the 29-year-old victim who died at the scene, and that one of the gang members named George Hernandez, who was found lying on the street with gunshot wounds to his head and chest, was brought to a hospital, where he later died.
Arteaga was arrested four days later at Los Angeles International Airport as he was preparing to board a one-way flight to Mexico, according to the DOJ’s report.
“This defendant senselessly took a promising young life and will now spend the rest of his days in federal prison,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Gang violence brings devastation on our most vulnerable communities and immeasurable pain on hard-working families. My heart goes out to the victim’s family, and I applaud them for their courage in supporting justice and accountability.”
