Marcelo Lucero & Suffolk County New York – A year later

Posted by on 2009/11/07

Nov 072009

People file past the open casket bearing the body of Marcello Lucero as a man hugs the victim's brother, Joselo Lucero, in the Congregational Church of Patchogue, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 in Patchogue, N.Y. Seven high school students have been arrested in connection with Lucero's death. Police say that they were looking "to beat up some Mexicans" and attacked the immigrant from Ecuador on a street, with one of them fatally plunging a knife into the man's chest during the brawl.

November 8, 2008. A young Ecuadorian, walking with a friend after a day of work, looking forward to a cold beer and TV with friends, is confronted by a gang of young punks, out for a night of “beaner bashing”. Something they do for the “sport of it”, several times a week.

Jeffrey Conroy, Jordan Dasch, Anthony Hartford, Nicholas Hausch, Christopher Overton, Jose Pacheco and Kevin Shea, all between the ages of 16 and 17 all Patchogue-Medford High School students. The young punks had attacked before. They went out a dozens of times a year hunting Latinos, harassing them, shooting them with pellets, beating them. The others took the beatings and survived. Marcello Lucero did not.

Marcelo Lucero, 38, who moved to Patchogue LI NY 15 years ago, enjoyed volleyball, weightlifting, chilling with friends, knew the climate of hate towards Hispanic immigrants, but probably never imagined it would visit itself on him that Saturday night in November.

Marcelo Lucero fought back and it cost him his life. His friend survived.

Seven High School students, raised in an atmosphere and by parents who believe the propaganda of the anti Hispanic crowd that Hispanics are sub-human, invaders, terrorists, responsible for all the social and economic ills of our country, out drinking and hunting humans.

Marcelo Lucero fought back. Even against such overwhelming odds, he wasn’t about to become a victim. With only his belt, against the fists, kicks and brickbats, Lucero went down with a knife in the chest.

The seven “beaner hunters”? Surprisingly, Jeffrey Conroy, 17, faces charges of first-degree manslaughter as the one police believe to be the killer. The rest face charges of first-degree gang assault with a HATE CRIME enhancement. That enhancement will elevate whatever sentences given if convicted.

I say surprisingly, because Suffolk County is rotten with hate. However, according to County Executive Steve Levy, who has indicated he might run for Governor on his anti immigrant slate, hate crimes against Hispanics don’t exist. Well maybe one every year or so.

But after Luceros murder, the politicians of Suffolk, usually so hateful to people like Lucero, lined up to denounce the crime. They didn’t denounce the climate of fear they had helped to foster, just the actual killing. Levy called the young killers white supremacists, and blamed their parents and the schools.

Fernando Fernando Mateo, founder of Hispanics Across America, said it best.

“We understand that some may not welcome us in their neighborhoods, but killing us will not drive us away,” Mateo said. “Those that hate us allow us to cut their lawns, build their homes, paint their homes, cook for them, serve their children — and yet they teach them hate.”

In my mind, Lucero died a hero for standing up for himself. His death put an end to this gangs career of “beaner jumping” and brought to light the problems of racial prejudice and hatred against Hispanics in Long Island’s Suffolk County.

A Year After

One man stands out among those who have worked tirelessly to expose the hatred against Hispanics in Sufflok. Attorney Patrick Young of Long Island Wins

As those of us at Immigration Clearinghouse work to keep the memory of Brisenia Flores, another victim of someone who hated Hispanics, alive, Patrick has kept the cause of Marcello Lucero before the people.

One of the suspects, Nicholas Hausch, now 18, stood before a judge in a Long Island courtroom and pled guilty to charges of first-degree gang assault and fourth-degree conspiracy. He also pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree assault as a hate crime and second-degree attempted assault as a hate crime in connection with two other attacks earlier that day.

Responding to questions from Assistant District Attorney Megan O’Donnell, Hausch detailed the confrontation with Lucero.

Hausch said the group spotted two Latino men and called them ethnic slurs. “Surround him,” Kevin Shea, one defendant, yelled after punching Lucero, Hausch said. Hausch said he was in the outer circle and began to walk away when another defendant, Jeffrey Conroy, passed him. “He told me we had to get out of here,” Hausch said. “Jeff told us he stabbed the guy,” Hausch said. At that point he said the other defendants called Conroy “an idiot,” and told him to “throw away the knife.” “He said no, ‘I washed it off in a puddle,’ ” Hausch said.

Recounting an event earlier that night, Hausch detailed chasing a Latino man and taking his hat to show off to his friends later.

Asked O’Donnell,

“Now did you and Jordan Dasch or Anthony Harford take any property from that male Hispanic?”

Hausch answered, “Yes. I took his hat.”

O’Donnell: “Why?”

Hausch: “I guess because, just to show my friends . . . ”

O’Donnell: “Is it fair to say you took that hat as a trophy?”

Hausch: “Yes.”

No sentence was recommended. But Hausch, who has been out on bail most of the year, faces 5 to 25 years in prison on the top charge. He won’t be sentenced until the prosecution is complete on the other six. It is assumed Hausch will testify against his friends for consideration of a lighter sentence.

While some progress has been made in Suffolk County, the core cause that enabled this crime to happen still exists around the country.

In Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s racial profiling and high media coverage of his raids on Mexican’s who he claims he can tell are illegal by the way they dress and walk, justifies in the minds of some, their hatred of Hispanics.

When Border Patrol Agents like Nicholas Corbett, cannot be convicted of 2nd Degree murder, for the cold blooded shooting of an immigrant in his custody in Arizona. When a jury cannot be found to convict on evidence that confirms the prosecutors charges of murder, people believe they can get away with murder.

In Shenandoah Pennsylvania, another young immigrant, Luis Ramirez, is attacked by a gang of local high school football heroes, and kicked in the head, in front of his girlfriend, until dead. His attackers are sentenced to 6 months in county prison for simple assault. Crimes like these make the whackos of our society think that the life of a Hispanic is worthless.

And then you have the websites like ALIPAC.us who use incidents of crimes by one person to demonize and dehumanize and entire nationality or race.

The Border Vigilante groups like Minutemen Civil Defense Corp, Jim Gilchrist’s Minutemen Project, Jeff “Bikini Boy” Schwilk’s San Diego Minutemen, spread the fear and hatred by their propaganda against Mexican’s as invaders and potential terrorists. Some, like Minteman Shawna Forde, protege’ of Jim Gilchrist and accused murdered of 9 year old Brisenia Flores, take their hatred to the next level.

Until this atmosphere of hate is rendered impotent, crimes like the murder of Lucero, Flores, Ramirez and Dominguez will continue.

: People file past the open casket bearing the body of Marcello Lucero as a man hugs the victim’s brother, Joselo Lucero, in the Congregational Church of Patchogue, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 in Patchogue, N.Y. Seven high school students have been arrested in connection with Lucero’s death. Police say that they were looking “to beat up some Mexicans” and attacked the immigrant from Ecuador on a street, with one of them fatally plunging a knife into the man’s chest during the brawl.