Gang activity hits schools
by Lenny Roberts

Twelve Matilija Junior High School students have been interviewed by sheriff's deputies following what they described as a gang initiation or "jump-in" last week at the El Paseo Road campus.
The students all were willing participants, according to Senior Deputy Maureen Hookstra, and none, she believes were seriously injured in the gang-type ritual that typically involves new recruits being pummeled by alleged gang members.
The reported initiations took place before and after school, and at lunchtime, Hookstra added.
According to investigators, the jump-ins stretched over a 10-day period late in March and began with two Nordhoff High School students who, according to investigators, are admitted members of the Old School Latinos. They allegedly told two MJHS students to recruit other seventh-graders to prepare for a fight with a loosely formed group known as FDS, or F*** Da System. The new recruits were to become OSL PeeWees. The Nordhoff OSL members, however, denied any involvement in the recruiting.
Hookstra said, "Matilija Junior High School officials responded immediately when they found out what was going on. They called me and we got it stopped."
Ojai-based Deputy Joe Preciado confirmed that OSL, or Old School Latinos, is a genuine gang, having met all of the criteria, which includes tattoos, the wearing of gang attire, informant information, admission to belong to a gang, gang graffiti or writing, and gang drug sales.
Hookstra said that parents need to have open dialogue with their children, and pay attention to changes in dress, attitude, friends and grades that can indicate that their children may have possible interests in gang affiliation. Any parent who suspects their child may have gang ties or interests is urged to call Hookstra or Preciado at the Ojai Police Department, 646-1414. Callers may remain anonymous.
In other campus news, 151 combination locks on Nordhoff student lockers were apparently removed by the use of bolt cutters sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning. According to the report, the contents of many of the lockers was strewn across the ground, but no students have reported anything missing. Many of the damaged locks were found inside the opened lockers.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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