San Jose 18-year-old tied to gangs was shot several times while riding a bicycle

San Jose 18-year-old tied to gangs was shot several times while riding a bicycle through the neighborhood. Ten days earlier, shots were fired into a garage next door, injuring two men with gang ties inside. About 12 hours before that incident, two teen gang members were stabbed a couple of blocks away on Sunny Hills Drive.The violence has shaken residents, many of whom have lived in the neighborhood for years. Problems aren't evident from the look of things, except perhaps for the empty sidewalks. Lawns in front of the Mission-style single-family homes along Herman Avenue are neatly trimmed. Landscapes are lush with roses, bougainvillea, jasmine and dahlias. Around the corner, the Sunny Hills condominiums are modest but well-maintained.Though residents acknowledged gangs are a reality in Watsonville, they thought it was a problem for other people in other neighborhoods. They felt their neighborhood was relatively safe. But now with the violence hitting so close to home, they're not so sure."My parents are really concerned," said 20-year-old Maria Orozco, who returned Monday to the family home on Herman Avenue after spending the year studying at Santa Clara University. "The first thing they told me was not to go out after dark."

Posted in: San Jose