Preventing the next Geraldo Serrano

adamg — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:49:33 +0000

Bobby Constantino considers the two teens charged with gunning down the grandfather in an Uphams Corner market last Sunday: While police, with strong help from the community, did a great job in quickly rounding up the suspects, he says it's past time to figure out how to keep teens from becoming murderers:

... A neighbor of 16-year-old Onyx White nailed the real issue, telling reporters, "I saw him headed for trouble, because he was left alone. I feel bad for Onyx because he didn't have the support he needed. He needed the support of the system but he fell through the cracks."

She saw it coming. Many others in the neighborhood did too -- they always do. Yet despite so many seeing this coming from a mile away, the entire force of the community, media and police department did not show up until the life of a beloved 71-year-old pillar in the community had been taken and the lives of two misguided teenagers had been ruined. If we truly want to honor the life of Geraldo Serrano, shouldn't we be doing more to reach 16- and 17-year olds that we know are heading for trouble before it is too late? ...

DA: Thugs shot Dorchester clerk, and when that didn't kill him, they shot him again

adamg — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:20:24 +0000

A Roxbury District Court judge ordered two Roxbury teenagers held without bail this morning for the murder of Hermanos Unidos clerk Geraldo Serrano on Sunday, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Martin Freeles, 17, and Onyx White, 16, both face trial as adults on charges of murder, armed robbery while masked, and firearms offenses. The DA's office provided this account of Serrano's death around 10:30 a.m. at the Dudley Street store, by assistant DA David Fredette:

Their faces were covered and at least one of the assailants brandished a handgun. As the clerk behind the counter complied with a demand for cash, Serrano made his way from the back of the store to the front. He resisted the robbery. One shot was fired and Serrano grabbed his cane. When he did so, a second shot was fired and struck Serrano. That shot mortally wounded the Roxbury family man, who died a short time later. The assailants fled with a quantity of cash.

Innocent, etc.