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Gang Member Sentenced to Die for Murder of 14-Year-Old
A man has been sentenced to die for the 2006 shooting of 14-year-old Cheryl Green, which officials say was a hate crime. KABC reports that Jonathan Fajardo, now 22, is affiliated with the 204th Street gang. On the day of the shooting, he and other Latino gang members were allegedly out to kill anyone who was black. Fajardo opened fire on a group of black people, killing Green.
His sentencing also reflected his participation in the stabbing several weeks later of a potential witness to the shooting, 25-year-old Christopher Ash. Fajardo was eligible for the death penalty because that the murder was considered a hate crime, and because there were two murders in question.