How can this happen?

[echoes]

I just do not understand HOW this could happen? A five year old child was raped for four years, and this guy is walkin the streets?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292717,00.html
Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in New Jersey Students' Execution-Style Deaths
Friday , August 10, 2007

By Heather Scroope
NEWARK, N.J. —

A Peruvian national in the U.S. illegally and who was previously charged with raping a 5-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Friday in the execution-style slayings of three young college students, a day after he surrendered to the Newark mayor.

Jose Carranza, 28, aka Jose La Chira, entered his plea before Essex County Superior Court Judge Michael Casale. A second suspect, a 15-year-old boy, has been held pending a detention hearing, and authorities said more arrests were "imminent."

Carranza, of Peru, was being held on $1 million bail. He turned himself in to Newark Mayor Cory Booker after his fingerprints were lifted from a bottle in connection with the shootings of four college students on Saturday. Three were killed but a fourth survived and was hospitalized after the shootings in a Newark schoolyard.

FOX News has learned Carranza, who has a fake Social Security number, had been arrested on charges of raping a 5-year-old girl and then threatening the child and her parents. In that case he faced a 31-count indictment.

In another, he was arrested on assault charges stemming from a bar fight.

Immigration officials apparently were aware of Carranza's illegal status since his prior arrests, according to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Relatives of the victims embraced each other as they entered to watch the hearing.

Carranza's attorney, Felix Montalvo, called Booker on Thursday to arrange his surrender.

“He said, ‘Mr. Mayor, we’d like him to be turned in directly to you,’” Booker said Montalvo, who also is a close friend, told him.

On Wednesday night, police arrested the 15-year-old boy who along with Carranza is accused of murder, attempted murder, robbery, weapons offenses and conspiracy to commit the crime of robbery, Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow said. Authorities were seeking to have the minor tried as an adult.

Dow said she doesn't believe there is any familial relationship between the two in custody.

The teen, who is Hispanic, is an American citizen with a Newark address, Booker said.

“I don’t think words can describe the level of emotion I feel,” he said of the crimes.

“We will confirm that there are others we are looking for," he said, adding, "I am confident all the suspects in this investigation will be apprehended."

Carranza's attorney, Montalvo, led him by the hand during his surrender.

“He simply came forward," Booker said. "He said nothing. We put him in handcuffs."

The sole survivor of Saturday night's shootings, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel, provided information from her hospital bed after being shot in the head.

Aeriel was with her brother, Terrance Aeriel, 18; Dashon Harvey, 20; and Iofemi Hightower, 20, who were forced to kneel against a wall and were shot execution-style outside a Newark school.

The students had been planning to attend Delaware State University.

[azmg]

I guess what I don't understand is how 4 people yield to a pair of thugs and are willing to die on their knees?

Unfortunately, the fact that the individual in question was not in prison is not a surprise

[echoes]

Originally Posted by azmg

I guess what I don't understand is how 4 people yield to a pair of thugs and are willing to die on their knees?

Unfortunately, the fact that the individual in question was not in prison is not a surprise

Oh, really? Thanks for clearing that up then.

Holly

[Shar]

Originally Posted by azmg

I guess what I don't understand is how 4 people yield to a pair of thugs and are willing to die on their knees?

Unfortunately, the fact that the individual in question was not in prison is not a surprise

I won't pretend to understand what kind of terror was going through the minds of these kids while they were being threatened that night, but I'm pretty sure that we ought not say that they were in the wrong or less than worthy of our sympathy by kneeling down. My guess is that they were willing to do whatever it took to try and get out of there alive - especially when a sister and a girlfriend were involved and they weren't armed. Clearly it didn't work out for all of them - but I'm thinking that confrontation wouldn't have worked out much better and probably would have gotten the fourth girl killed too. Without her, there would be no eye witness and this guy might still be out there.

[echoes]

Shar:

Thanks for that..seriously.

I did not explain myself well...when I read that a man here in the U.S. ILLEGALY, had raped a five year old little girl, had commited MURDER...was still out?

Was not in proper PS.com form when posting, and honestly, I have just now begun to calm down...four hours later. Can only hope this man finds ALL he is due inside the prison system.

[azmg]

Echoes- Please don't read any negativity toward the victims into my posted reply as none was intended.

And to your point, the tragedy of the incident is not lessened by the fact that the justice system has it's flaws and the perpetrator would not have been able to facilitate this crime had he been punished appropriately for his first.

As for the individuals involved unless I misread it they are between the ages of 18 and 20, and in my humble opinion don't qualify as "children" in the same sense as someone between say 4 and 12. And at the age of 18 if someone with a gun had asked me to "kneel and face the wall" I honestly have to say there isn't any level of rationalization that would have allowed me to comply. I value my life and will not give it willingly.

My comments were not intended as criticism toward the victim or to inflame but to ask my own question and provide my opinion as to the obvious flaws in a system that allows a child rapist to remain free to commit additional crimes.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by azmg

Echoes- Please don't read any negativity toward the victims into my posted reply as none was intended.

Ok. But to be clear...

Originally Posted by azmg

As for the individuals involved unless I misread it they are between the ages of 18 and 20,

SHE WAS A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL!

[Shar]

I think 18-20 year old college students are still kids - not children - but still kids. They can vote, but in New Jersey they couldn't have legally purchased a handgun (I believe you need to be 21 in New Jersey) and they can't legally drink. By all accounts these were good kids doing pretty darn well considering their circumstances and it's tragic.

I still think it's pretty negative to say that they "should" have done something differently when we have NO idea what went down. They were attacked and killed by total scum of the earth. IMHO, these victims shouldn't be second-guessed.

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by echoes

SHE WAS A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL!

azmg is referring to the shooting victims.



This SOB shouldn't have even been in the Country. Yet another freaking illegal...where's the MSM's outrage?

[azmg]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

azmg is referring to the shooting victims.





This SOB shouldn't have even been in the Country. Yet another freaking illegal...where's the MSM's outrage?

Yes I meant the shooting victims

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

This SOB shouldn't have even been in the Country. Yet another freaking illegal...where's the MSM's outrage?

Agreed Gypsy.

[Guy]

azmg & Broadsword:

Read echoes initial post again...

A Peruvian national in the U.S. illegally and who was previously charged with raping a 5-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Friday in the execution-style slayings of three young college students, a day after he surrendered to the Newark mayor.

Get my drift?

Stay safe.

[Shar]

Originally Posted by Guy

azmg & Broadsword:

Read echoes initial post again...

Get my drift?

Stay safe.

You know our immigration system is broke when SPC Jiminez's [illegal] wife (one of the MIA soldiers out of Drum) was in hiding because deportation proceedings had started on her after they tried to get honest about it but this illegal scum is walking around after being arrested for raping a 5-year old. I don't get it.

On Jiminez: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06222007...as_montero.htm

[Guy]

Shar:

Read the thread topic again...

"It has nothing to do with what you're talking about...."

Stay safe.

[Shar]

I was under the impression the outrage was in part because we let an illegal out who had raped a 5-year old instead of deporting him.

I was pointing out that our justice system (INS, etc) was indeed broken if our efforts to deport are focused on the wives of our servicemen.

Sorry if I was confused.