Crime & Safety
Accused Surenos Gang Members Charged In San Francisco Murder
"Street gangs resort to violence to assert control over peaceful neighborhoods, expecting to create safe havens for drug trafficking..."
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A federal grand jury has indicted two alleged gang members in connection with a 2018 murder in San Francisco.
The indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice charges Jonathan Escobar, 24, of Richmond, and Jose Aguilar, 32, of San Francisco, with murder, firearms violations and other offenses in connection with the Aug. 11, 2018 killing of one person and the attempted murder of five other people.
In a statement from the Department of Justice, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds said the crimes fit a familiar pattern.
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"Street gangs resort to violence to assert control over peaceful neighborhoods, expecting to create safe havens for drug trafficking, robberies, and other violent crimes," she said.
The indictment of Escobar (also known as Wicked and Rico) and Aguilar (also known as Slim) alleges they are members of a racketeering enterprise referred to in the indictment as "the 19th Street/16th Street Surenos," an amalgamation of two gangs.
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Hinds said the men, if convicted on the murder charges, could face the death penalty.
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