JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Picture Of Sticc Up Boys With Heavy Firepower...

Social media photo, used under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

It's amazing what turns up in the dark nooks and crannies of social media. The photo above is an image of the North Minneapolis "starter gang" known as the Sticc Up Boys. "Bored Shooter" Malo Gomez was apparently affiliated with the "SuB," and his tragically dead little cousin Rayjon Gomez posed for a photo with some members of the gang.

Let me give you a little tip, boys, all the way from a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan.

Even when posing for a picture, practice "muzzle awareness" and point your weapon toward the ground. It's much safer and you can still get a bad ass photo of yourself with your weapon.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

"The Maples" Has Been Sold, Hooray!

Photo by Jeff Skrenes from his Hawthorne Hawkman blog, blog post by John Hoff

"The Maples" (2614 4th St. N.) is a drop-dead gorgeous Victorian style home with 5 bedrooms and the most wonderful neighbors anyone can imagine, Brian and his partner Raymel. It was prominently mentioned in this article about last year's Harvest Fest, on the Hawthorne Hawkman blog, click here.

For a couple years, now, some of the most energetic and dedicated people in the North Minneapolis revitalization movement have wondered, "What will become of The Maples?"

Well, in the same "care package copy" of North News that brought me word of the passing of Nick The Ukrainian, I noticed an advertisement in the back of the paper for Realty World and a photo of a house I was sure had to be The Maples...

(Yes, I am so eager for information about North Minneapolis while serving in Afghanistan that I even read all the ADVERTISEMENTS in the first copy of North News I have seen since late April)

I posted a question on Hawkman's blog and he quickly answered it. The Maples has been sold to some wonderful owner occupants.

A cheer rings out from the other side of the world.

The Maples is a Hawthorne Neighborhood success story. The wave of Northside neighborhood revitalization rolls on, unstoppable.

Rest In Peace, Nick The Ukrainian...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

It seems fitting that I should learn of the passing of Wasyl "Nick The Ukrainian" Nikolajenko while serving in the army in Afghanistan, gleaning this sad information from a copy of North News placed in a care package.

Nick had a life that was marked by war. As a young man, he was in a "displaced persons" camp in Germany, so hungry his family would beg for food from prisoners of war.

When I met Nick back in 2008 and wrote about him I knew, instinctively, Nick had seen World War Two up close and personally, but it wasn't something he cared to talk about. He was far more interested in the neighborhood and an admirer of Council Member Don Samuels. Nick would sit on his front steps and greet people. From that porch, he witnessed the incredible changes that took place in the Hawthorne Eco Village.

Nick talked, jokingly, of death and how near it was for him.

He was jovial, unafraid to die. The main theme of one of our conversations was how awful it is that people should kill each other in the name of religion, how displeasing this must be to God.

And now I find myself in Afghanistan, and Nick's words echo in my ear.

Nick was good and wise and kind, and he will be missed. I express, here, a hope his house at 2951 Lyndale Ave. N. will fall into the hands of a good citizen and home owner; not become a crappy rental or face demolition, that Nick's home will become, in a sense, a living monument to this profoundly decent man who saw so much in his lifetime and was so kind to his dog.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Rayjon Gomez Flashing Gang Sign On His Facebook Memorial Pic...

Public Facebook image, used under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

This photo was found at one of the Facebook memorials to 13-year-old murder victim Rayjon Gomez. It shows him either DOING a gang sign, or EMULATING a gang sign.

Who put this photo into an "RIP Rayjon" Facebook memorial? Was it some of the same people telling KSTP Channel 5, "Oh, no, this shooting wasn't gang related" and describing mini gang banger Rayjon Gomez as, "a normal happy kid"?

One version of the facts for the television cameras and another story for the homies on Facebook?

Why is the mainstream media blind to these facts:

Rayjon's mother is a thief. Most of his extended family is involved in crime including, geez, MURDER. And oh-so-public postings on Rayjon's Facebook page show cute little Rayjon hanging out with the Sticc Up Boys.

If we are ever going to get to the bottom of the teen shootings in North Minneapolis, then the mainstream media needs to PRESENT THE FULL, UNVARNISHED TRUTH and not a bulls*** sentimental white washed tale about the lives of these tragic, dead children.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Keeping Up With The Gomezes (A Handy Dandy Online Guide, Part One)

Public Facebook photo, used under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

A source has been feeding me detailed information on the blood relationships and public records of various members of the criminal Gomez clan, who (let us review) came to my attention after "bored shooter" Malo Dashaunta Gomez (pictured above) fired at two police officers solely for the purpose of making his day a little more interesting.

This led me to Facebook, where Malo's relationship to other tragic people named Gomez became apparent. And, from there, things snowballed as the tangled tale of one family came to the forefront, their story intertwined with a number of homicides. These Gomez family members, all by themselves, have been responsible for so much crime that it's safe to say the cost to taxpayers runs into the millions.

Here are some of the Gomezes...

1.) Dashaunta Dmar Gomez, a/k/a "Shaunta," who is Malo's brother. Dashaunta is currently incarcerated and charged with the murder of Keontrell Govan, a/k/a "Phat Phat." Click here for details. And click here for the criminal complaint. I've also seen "Dmar" spelled like "D'Mar."

This blog won't be doing that.

(Also, Keontrell Goven, known as "Phat Phat," should not be confused with Anthony "Phat Phat" Titus, though the lesson may be that taking on the nickname "Phat Phat" is sure to get you gunned down on the streets of North Minneapolis)

2.) Rayjon Gomez, a 13-year-old who was gunned down last month. As revealed exclusively on this blog, Rayjon was hanging out with the "starter" gang known as the Sticc Up Boys.

3.) Charden Gomez, who murdered two senior citizens in their home because they were the parents of a crackhead hooker he knew, and she was set to inherit money.

4.) Malo Dayshanty Gomez (other spellings of the name appear to exist) who died of homicidal violence on March 23, 1995. Click here for death record. Malo D. Gomez was the father of, well, Malo D. Gomez, the young "bored shooter."

5.) Identical twin sisters Carmen and Camille Gomez, two women who have racked up 78 criminal charges between the two of them. My source states Carmen is the mother of tragic little Rayjon Gomez.

So, in regard to that source...

I have been getting piles of detailed information with links to public documents. The information keeps checking out.

So, despite a threatening email from somebody named Bianca Gomez who tells me to stop writing about her family, I am going to publish the detailed schematic of Gomez relationships which my source has thrown over my virtual transom.

Here it is.

Once upon a time...

There were several siblings, and they pretty much all went bad. All the siblings were named Gomez, except for the last one, who was named Joey Smith, but he was also bad.

Here are the names of the siblings:

Mark Gomez
Carmen and Camille Gomez (the identical twins, both thieves and hookers)
Charden Gomez (murdered the old people)
Charlean Gomez (she died of a drug overdose)
Darien Gomez
Joey Smith (he was still a sibling, but didn't have the family name)

Carmen was the mother of Rayjon, who hung out with a gang when he was only 13 and was gunned down. Like her drug using prostitute sister, Camille Gomez, Carmen Gomez had quite the criminal record.

Camille was the grandmother of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez and Dashaunta Gomez, who is charged with the murder of Keontrell "Phat Phat" Goven. So that would make little Rayjon the cousin of Malo and Dashaunta. Sometimes when thugs say "he's my cousin," well, he really IS their cousin.

The mother of Malo was Dejuan Nequal Armstrong, as revealed in this court filing, click here.

Malo's father--and the source of his surname--was Malo Dashanty Gomez, who died of homicidal violence in 1995.

But when Malo was born, Malo Senior was still around. Malo was born with a deformed arm. Malo Junior's parents filed a lawsuit: Gomez, Malo v. North Memorial Medical Center, 27-CV-94-018191.

In photos, Malo D. Gomez always seems to be hiding his deformed left arm. Scrutinize the photo above.

See? Deformed left arm.

A search of court records also turns up a probate document for Malo Dashanty Gomez from when he died in 1995.

Malo Dashanty Gomez (the older one, the "bored shooter's" father) attended high school at Maplewood Acadamy, in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Here is a link to the 1989 yearbook, in which sophomore Malo Gomez is featured as a "late comer" sophomore that year, see page 28, where he is also pictured "hanging around."

The strong family resemblance between "los dos Malos" (the two Malos) is painfully obvious.

Thus, it would appear, this one screwed up brood of siblings has been responsible for a crime wave lasting, well, at least two decades. And we haven't even scratched the surface of the history with Mark Gomez, Charlean who died of the drug overdose, Darien Gomez or Joey Smith.

I certainly do hope to receive more information from my source about the rest of the screwed up Gomez siblings so I can complete Part Two of this Handy Dandy online guide.

By the way...for the very first time, my attempts to "meta tag" all these Gomez family members have exceeded 200 characters, the maximum length allowed by my Blogspot platform.

That's NEVER happened before.

The Long Criminal Records Of Carmen And Camille Gomez (Any Relationship To Charden, Malo, Dashaunta And Rayjon Gomez Unconfirmed)

Public Facebook photo of Rayjon Gomez with members of Sticc Up Boys, used under First Amendment Comment and Criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Behind the scenes, a source has been trying to explain to me the complex blood relationships of the criminal Gomez clan.

I have been able to verify, independent of my source, that the mother of Rayjon Gomez is indeed named "Carmen Gomez," which is exactly what my source is telling me. This video from Channel 5, click here, pictures one "Carmen Gomez" speaking about the death of her son.

The Carmen Gomez featured in the video looks as though she could have been born in 1956, but otherwise I am unable to positively verify that Carmen Gomez, mother of Rayjon Gomez, is indeed one Carmen Rochelle Gomez, identical twin of Camille Yvette Gomez, both born September 19, 1956.

(Just what we need for a good Northside soap opera! Evil twins! Though, in this case, neither of the twins is any good)

Criminal records for Carmen and Camille are mixed together when one searches for either. Between the two of them, there are 78 criminal charges, including burglarly and prostitution.

Normally, I would assume this is the same person with an alias. But my source tells me no, Carmen and Camille are identical twins and there is a blood relationship to murderer Charden Gomez, to brothers Malo and Dashaunta Gomez, and to 13-year-old murder victim Rayjon Gomez.

I am also being told there was a man named Malo Dashaunty Gomez, murdered in 1995. I am unable to confirm this.

Here is the criminal record of Carmen R. Gomez, and it speaks pretty loudly for itself...


27-CR-79-902267 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 12/20/1979
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed ATT THEFT OVER $2500

27-CR-80-901340 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 06/18/1980
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $150

27-CR-83-901272 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 07/18/1983
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $150
RECEIVING STOLEN GOODS

27-CR-84-901722 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 08/06/1984
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT - TEMPORARY TAKING

27-CR-88-903999 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 02/29/1988
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT - AS A GROSS MISD

27-CR-89-027436 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 06/21/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed ATTEMPTED 3RD DEG BURGLARY
1ST DEGREE BURGLARY

27-CR-93-018272 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/15/1993
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $500
MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS

27-CR-96-023377 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 04/18/1996
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FINANCIAL TRANSACTION CARD FRAUD (UNAUTHORIZED USE)

27-CR-97-023771 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/21/1997
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed LOITER W/INTENT COMMIT PROSTITUTION

27-CR-98-122815 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 12/09/1998
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-000434 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/04/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-005776 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/20/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-037478 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 04/19/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE

27-CR-99-046669 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 05/14/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE
THEFT

27-CR-99-056064 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 06/09/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-115541 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 11/18/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-00-003076 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/11/2000
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

02-T9-00-002006 X 230370 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/19/2000
Anoka Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Converted Closed THEFT/SHOPLIFTING M

27-CR-00-023590 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/02/2000
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-00-054866 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 06/07/2000
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT- SHOPLIFTING

02-T0-00-018837 X 268668 GOMEZ, CARMEN RACHELLE (JNS says: Note different spelling of the middle name, but birthday is the same)
09/19/1956 06/28/2000
Anoka Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Converted Closed THEFT M

27-CR-00-075855 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 08/09/2000
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed ASSAULT IN THE 5TH DEGREE
THEFT

27-CR-01-007045 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/24/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE

27-CR-01-008939 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 01/30/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-01-011854 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 02/08/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed DRIVING W/O INSURANCE
OPERATE OR DRIVE VEH W/O VALID D/L
NO CAR SEAT FOR YOUNG CHILD

27-CR-01-021804 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/14/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION TO OFFICER

27-CR-03-054383 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 08/04/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION

27-CR-03-078538 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 10/22/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT-$201-$500

27-CR-04-017761 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/17/2004
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-04-027843 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 04/28/2004
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-04-054430 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 08/03/2004
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction PROSTITUTION-PATRON OR PROSTITUTE IN PUBLIC PLACE

02-K6-04-007897 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/20/1956 08/12/2004
Anoka Felony
Converted Closed F A/A THEFT EXCESS $500

02-T4-04-028053 X 711441 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/20/1956 08/30/2004
Anoka Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Converted Closed (TCIS Amended Charge) THEFT M

27-CR-04-065711 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 10/07/2004
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION-PATRON OR PROSTITUTE IN PUBLIC PLACE

27-CR-05-016543 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/22/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $500 (AGGREGATE) (AID & ABET)

27-CR-05-025812 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 04/13/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION
THEFT

82-T7-05-021902 SW 249674 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/20/1956 09/16/2005
- Washington-Stillwater Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Converted Closed THEFT

27-CR-07-018463 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 03/22/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

27-CR-08-42734 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 08/22/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Chu, Regina M. Crim/Traf Mandatory (JNS blog says: Oh, look, that's the judge who convicted mortgage fraudster Larry Maxwell who was messed up in that whole 1564 Hillside Ave. N. thing, just like former JACC Executive Director Jerry L. Moore was messed up in it)
Closed Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

27-CR-08-47603 GOMEZ, CARMEN ROCHELLE
09/19/1956 09/23/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

BASED UPON THE CRIMINAL RECORD ABOVE, if this woman CARMEN ROCHELLE GOMEZ has children in her home, in my opinion those children should be removed by social services, based upon this extensive criminal record. This is true whether "this Carmen Gomez" is the mother of Rayjon Gomez or not. IF SHE IS the mother of Rayjon Gomez, no wonder the little guy ended up dead and hung out with the Sticc Up Boys at age 13.

OK, now let's look at the record of Camille Yvette Gomez. As you will see, Camille is more into drugs than Carmen, but both women tend to concentrate on thievery.

27-CR-80-901341 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/18/1980
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $150

27-CR-82-902553 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/09/1982
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $150

27-CR-83-901271 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/09/1983
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $150
RECEIVING STOLEN GOODS

27-CR-87-901674 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/18/1987
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $250

27-CR-90-022911 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 03/28/1990
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed ATT THEFT OFER $500

27-CR-91-056883 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 07/26/1991
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT UNDER $250

27-CR-92-058251 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 07/28/1992
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTION

27-CR-92-096034 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/15/1992
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION

27-CR-93-075854 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 08/24/1993
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION

27-CR-94-012577 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 02/16/1994
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION

27-CR-94-048765 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/13/1994
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION

27-CR-94-093442 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 04/17/1995
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CRIME FIFTH DEGREE - POSSESSION

27-CR-96-029753 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 04/11/1996
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-96-035207 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 04/29/1996
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTION

27-CR-97-049302 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/11/1997
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE

27-CR-97-091090 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 10/14/1997
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT
POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

27-CR-98-087108 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 08/28/1998
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed PROSTITUTION-PROSTITUTE-PRIOR CONVICTION

27-CR-98-122924 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/09/1998
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-98-129901 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/31/1998
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT-$201-$500

27-CR-99-005781 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 01/20/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT-$201-$500

27-CR-99-017566 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 02/23/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-084369 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 07/27/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT
RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY

27-CR-99-115665 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 11/19/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-99-128551 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/28/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-00-023593 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 03/02/2000
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

62-K1-01-000244 GOMEZ, CAMIELLE YVETTE (JNS blog says: Note different spelling of first name, but birthday is the same)
09/19/1956 01/19/2001
Ramsey Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Felony
Converted Closed (TCIS Amended Charge) THEFT FROM PERSON

27-CR-01-010774 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 02/07/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed GM THEFT

27-CR-03-029875 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 05/21/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT OVER $250 (ENHANCED)

27-CR-03-059414 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 08/19/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-04-016901 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 03/12/2004
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed GIVE FALSE NAME TO POLICE
THEFT-250 OR LESS-MS-BUILDING-OTHER

27-CR-05-016553 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 03/22/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed ATTEMPTED AID & ABET THEFT OVER $500 - AGGREGATE

27-CR-06-000473 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 01/04/2006
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-06-082728 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 12/01/2006
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT

27-CR-08-42518 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 08/25/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT-LEGAL INTEREST-PERMANENT DEPRIVE ANOTHER

27-CR-08-47609 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 09/23/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

27-CR-09-30836 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 06/16/2009
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

27-CR-09-39370 GOMEZ, CAMILLE YVETTE
09/19/1956 07/07/2009
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

As for Camille, I'd say the same thing I'd say about Carmen: if this woman has children in her home, they should be removed.

Murder, The Court Wrote (The Bloody Tale Of Charden M. Gomez, Relationship To "Bored Shooter" Malo Gomez Unknown...)

Mugshots, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

An anonymous reader (who, I suspect, has some law training) provided a link to a court document and it turned out to be the whole bloody tale of Charden Gomez, born in 1961, who may or may not be a relative of "bored shooter" Malo Gomez.

If you would like to read the document, including all its case citations and footnotes, click here to see the document. However, in this blog post I will print the STORY told by the court document, stripped of the elements non-law trained people would find, well, boring as all-get-out.

It is an amazing tale and, even if Malo Gomez is not related to Charden Gomez, this story should be more accessible on the internet. It is appropriate material for this blog since it happened in North Minneapolis, on the 3200 block of Washburn Ave. N. (Click here for a portion of a newspaper article about the murder and have I mentioned lately that being unable to get old Star Tribune articles online SUCKS?)

Here's how the massacre and the murder conviction went down...


A Hennepin County grand jury indicted appellant Charden Gomez for the March 17, 2001, murders of Abel and Esther Hillman at their home in Minneapolis.

Following a trial, the jury acquitted Gomez of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder but convicted him of the remaining 12 counts, including two counts of first-degree intentional murder during the commission of a burglary. The district court sentenced Gomez to two consecutive life terms, one for each victim.

Gomez appealed, arguing that his convictions must be reversed due to various and sundry technicalities having little to do with whether he actually murdered two people in cold blood. He was not successful in that regard.

Good.

At the time of their deaths, the Hillmans were both 89 years old, had been married to each other for 60 years, and had lived for the previous 52 years in the house where they were murdered. The Hillmans had one child, Larry Hillman. Larry had three children, only one of whom, Lori Williamson, lived in Minnesota.

Williamson was a crack addict and a prostitute. The Hillmans would, from time to time, give money to Larry’s children. Because of Williamson’s crack addiction, they would occasionally give her small amounts of cash, buy her groceries and bus passes, or pay her rent, but they would not give her large sums of money.

Sometime in early 2001, Williamson met Gomez, who had recently been released from prison. At some point, Williamson introduced Gomez to her grandparents as her landlord and, on at least two occasions, Esther Hillman wrote checks collectively totaling $625 payable to Gomez for Williamson’s rent. In fact, Gomez was not Williamson’s landlord. Nonetheless, Gomez cashed the checks and gave the proceeds to Williamson, who used the money to purchase drugs.

On March 16, 2001, Williamson drove Esther Hillman to the bank, where she bought two certificates of deposit, one in the amount of $100,000 payable on death to her son Larry and the other in the amount of $25,000 payable on death to Williamson. After their trip to the bank, Williamson dropped Esther Hillman off at home, called several friends, and bragged about money she was going to be receiving from the Hillmans. When Williamson told her sister Lisa that the Hillmans were giving her a large sum of money in the form of a certificate of deposit, Lisa explained that the only way Williamson could collect the proceeds from the certificate of deposit was if the Hillmans died.

Lisa Hillman talked with Esther Hillman on the evening of Friday, March 16. The following morning, at approximately 6:34 a.m., a 911 call was placed from the Hillmans’ home. When the operator answered the call, no one was on the line. Police officers, following up on the 911 call, went to the Hillmans’ home. They found a newspaper laying on the sidewalk, the front door locked, all the lights off, and the shades pulled down. After ringing the doorbell and getting no answer, they left.

When Lisa was unable to reach the Hillmans on Sunday, March 18, she called her father and asked him to check on them. When he arrived at his parents’ home, Larry Hillman found that a light in the bedroom window was on and the front door was unlocked. Upon entering, he discovered his parents’ bodies. Autopsies revealed that Abel Hillman died of blunt force injuries to his head and that Esther Hillman had been stabbed more than 70 times, four of which could have been fatal in and of themselves.

After further investigation linked Gomez to the crime, he was arrested, indicted for, and ultimately convicted of the Hillmans’ murders.

Gomez was a bad man who had done other bad things.

Consider:

1.) On August 12, 1989, at 4:55 p.m., Gomez forcibly entered into an elderly couple’s home. He struck both, knocked one to the ground, demanded money, and fled with their purse and wallet.

2.) On August 12, 1989, at 9:30 p.m., Gomez forcibly entered into another elderly couple’s home. He took the man’s wallet and struck him in the face, causing him a minor cut.

3.) On August 13, 1989, at 1:05 a.m., Gomez broke into the home of a 74‑year-old woman, shoved her off the bed, demanded money, and rummaged through her closet and cabinet.

4.) On August 13, 1989, at 2:30 a.m., Gomez broke into an elderly couple’s home. When the elderly woman attempted to reach for the phone, he grabbed her and pushed her onto a bed. He fled with a wallet.

Gomez had been incarcerated over these crimes until approximately 6 months before he murdered the Hillmans.

Gomez did not testify at his trial. As near as I can determine, he is still alive and rotting in prison.

If this sad tale has a moral, it might be this: If your child turns into a whore and a crackhead, leave her out of your will, and make sure she KNOWS she's not in your will.

"By The Barrel" At Northside Art FLOW...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

I never miss a Northside Art FLOW, but my deployment to Afghanistan made me miss this one. If I'd been there, I might have made a major purchase I've been contemplating for a long time.

(Well, for ME it's a major purchase because I'm so notoriously frugal I even recycle seashells by throwing them back in the ocean)

I want a compost tumbler. Made from an old wine barrel. And sold by the company called "By The Barrel," click here for their website.

Of course, they sell a lot of different barrel products including (be still, my foolish heart) rain barrels. I want one of those, too. But, for now, my composting will have to be limited to tossing my peanut shells into the Hesco barriers outside what is left of my guard tower after last month's truck bomb.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Mural At Fourth Street Saloon Nearing Completion...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

Word reaches me in Afghanistan that the mural at the Fourth Street Saloon, which has been a "work in progress" for more than a year, is approaching completion.

The mural celebrates music and is executed in a classy style, not the "urban dystopia" style which once festooned the side of the Kemps Dairy Facility ("Tripping Cows") but is now, thankfully, long gone.

(Not all my readers share my negative opinion of the "tripping cows," and I wish to acknowledge that)

Though the Fourth Street Saloon continues to have its issues--like the lingering smell of marijuana on the smoking patio and the memory of murders in the parking lot, something that's pretty hard to shake--this business does appear to be TRYING, and for that they deserve credit. Friedman's Shoe store could learn from the example of Fourth Street Saloon, a statement that, by itself, reveals how sad the situation is with the ugly "butt glass" at Friedman's.

As for the bar, however...

If only somebody would buy this place out and make it a classy joint instead of an extremely roomy dive.

But, yeah, love the mural. All the way from the other side of the world, LOVE the mural.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

(If you are in the parking lot of Fourth Street Saloon, late at night, and you hear a "click," better hit the pavement)

Criminal Record Of "Charden/Chardin Marlowe Gomez" (Relationship To Malo Gomez Unknown)

Photo from the public Facebook profile of "Malo Locco Gomez," used under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

The relationship between "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez and a man called "Charden Marlowe Gomez" is unknown. An interesting comment was posted to this blog that caused me to dig into the criminal record of Charden M. Gomez, born in 1961. Other records spell the name "Chardin" but it appears to be the same individual, kind of like Rayjon Gomez is also Ray'Jon Gomez, and Dashaunta Gomez is also Shaunta Gomez, and Malo Dashaunta Gomez is Malo Locco Gomez on Facebook.

One thing that is certain: Malo comes from a pretty messed up family, when you consider the incarceration of his relative Dashaunta Gomez (who is most likely Malo's brother) and the death of 13-year-old Rayjon Gomez (believed to be a brother or a cousin and, as revealed exclusively on this blog, he was hanging out with the Sticc Up Boys)

So it wouldn't be a bit surprising if...

...Malo "Bored Shooter" Gomez was related to Charden Gomez. Then again, he may not be, but it is still socially useful to gather up Charden's criminal record and make it easily accessible on the internet, as follows:

27-CR-79-902476 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 12/10/1979
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed BURGLARY

27-CR-81-900240 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 01/23/1981
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed BURGLARY
SIMPLE ROBBERY

27-CR-81-900579 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 03/10/1981
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
SIMPLE ROBBERY
BURGLARY

27-CR-86-900065 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 01/07/1986
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed THEFT FROM PERSON

27-CR-89-028143 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 06/23/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed UNAUTHORIZED USE OF MOTOR VEHICLE
THEFT OF MOTOR VEHICLE

27-CR-89-043149 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 08/15/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed 1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY

27-CR-89-043933 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 08/16/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed 1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
FIN TRANS CARD FRAUD (UNAUTH USE)

27-CR-89-044038 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 10/20/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed 1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY-BODILY HARM

27-CR-89-061552 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 10/23/1989
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed 1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
1ST DEGREE BURGLARY
66-K2-00-001718 GOMEZ, CHARDIN MARLOW
01/02/1961 12/04/2000
Rice Felony
Converted Closed CONSP TO COMMIT INTR CONT

27-CR-01-031426 GOMEZ, CHARDEN MARLOWE
01/02/1961 04/24/2001
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed 1ST DEG MURDER - PREMEDITATED
2ND DEG MURDER W/BURGLARY - DANGEROUS WEAPON
2ND DEG MURDER W/AGG ROBBERY - BODILY HARM
2ND DEG MURDER W/AGG ROBBERY - BODILY HARM
2ND DEG MURDER W/AGG ROBBERY - DANGEROUS WEAPON
2ND DEG MURDER W/AGG ROBBERY - DANGEROUS WEAPON
1ST DEG MURDER - PREMEDITATED
2ND DEG MURDER W/INTENT W/OUT PREMEDITATION
2ND DEG MURDER W/INTENT W/OUT PREMEDITATION
1ST DEG MURDER-WHILE COMMITTING BURGLARY IN DWELLING
1ST DEG MURDER WHILE COMMITTING BURGLARY IN A DWELLING
2ND DEG MURDER WITH ASSAULT
2ND DEG MURDER WITH ASSAULT
2ND DEG MURDER W/BURGLARY - DANGEROUS WEAPON

Charden did file an appeal in regard to being convicted of murder. I was only able to find a small summary of the appeal and not the appeal itself:

Wednesday, September 8, 2004, 9:00 a.m., Supreme Court Courtroom, State Capitol

State of Minnesota, Respondent vs. Chardin Gomez, Appellant – Case No. A03-1075:

In an appeal from his conviction of two counts of first-degree murder during the commission of a burglary, appellant raises the following issues:

(1) whether appellant was denied his right to a fair trial before an impartial jury of his peers when the trial court denied Batson challenges to the prosecutor’s peremptory challenges against non‑Caucasian jurors;

(2) whether the trial court abused its discretion when it allowed the admission of evidence of prior bad acts by the appellant; and

(3) whether the trial court committed reversible error when it instructed the jury on appellant’s right not to testify without obtaining appellant’s consent to give the instruction. (On appeal from Hennepin County District Court.)

Charden (note name spelled differently) also joined this appeal, which was an unsuccessful attempt to keep blood and semen evidence out of the trial.

STATE v. NMN KROMAH

STATE of Minnesota, Appellant, v. Eric NMN KROMAH, et al., Respondents, Charden Marlowe Gomez, Respondent.

No. C8-02-1034.

-- February 24, 2003
Heard, considered, and decided by the court en banc.

Michael A. Hatch, Minnesota Attorney General, St. Paul, MN, Amy Klobuchar, Hennepin County Attorney, Patrick C. Diamond, Sr. Assistant County Attorney, Minneapolis, MN, Stephen L. Redding, Sr. Assistant County Attorney, Minneapolis, MN, for Appellant.Leonardo Castro, Chief Fourth District Public Defender, Patrick Sullivan, David Murrin, Assistant Hennepin County Public Defenders, Minneapolis, MN, Caroline Durham, Minneapolis, MN, for Respondents.

OPINION

The state appeals a pretrial district court decision suppressing DNA evidence in eight separately charged cases involving different defendants and offenses.1  For ease of reference, these eight defendants will be referred to as the “Kromah, et al., defendants.”   The court concluded that the DNA testing methodology, known as PCR-STR, and the kits that utilized the PCR-STR methodology were “generally accepted in the scientific community and that the BCA [Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension] lab's matches have foundational reliability” as required under the Frye-Mack test.2  Nonetheless, relying on the Minnesota Court of Appeals decision in State v. Traylor, 641 N.W.2d 335 (Minn.App.2002), the district court concluded that the DNA evidence was inadmissible because the BCA did not comply with the Technical Working Group on DNA Analysis Method (TWGDAM) guidelines.   The state contends that the district court's conclusion was in error and that the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) standards complied with by the BCA have superseded the TWGDAM guidelines.   We reverse, and remand to the district court for further proceedings consistent with our holding in State v. Traylor, No. C6-01-244, 656 N.W.2d 885 (Minn.2003).

The Kromah, et al., defendants have been charged with an array of crimes including murder, criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and assault.   In each case, blood or semen samples were taken and the DNA analysis performed by the BCA allegedly connected each defendant to a victim or a crime scene.   It is this evidence that the state intended to introduce at trial that is the subject of this appeal.

Based on the court of appeals decision in Traylor, each of the Kromah, et al., defendants brought a pretrial motion to suppress the DNA evidence.   The eight cases were joined for the purpose of conducting a combined Frye-Mack pretrial hearing.   Because the grounds for the defendants' motions to suppress involved all the issues raised in Traylor, the court granted the state's motion to supplement the record with the exhibits and transcripts from the Traylor hearing.

At the conclusion of the Frye-Mack hearing, the district court granted the defendants' motion to suppress the DNA evidence.   The court based its ruling on the court of appeals holding in Traylor that the TWGDAM guidelines must be followed.3  Because the district court determined that the TWGDAM guidelines required the primer sequences to be known to the scientific community at large and because the primer sequences were not known, the court concluded that the BCA's testing procedures were not in compliance with the TWGDAM guidelines.   It is from this decision that the state petitioned our court for accelerated review in an effort to join the Kromah, et al., cases with the Traylor case.   We granted the state's petition but did not consolidate the Traylor and Kromah, et al., cases.   Instead, we heard and considered the cases contemporaneously.

The threshold issue that we must address in a pretrial appeal is whether the state has demonstrated that the suppression of the DNA evidence will have a critical impact on the outcome of the trial.  State v. Webber, 262 N.W.2d 157, 159 (Minn.1977).  “Critical impact is met when the suppression of the evidence significantly reduces the likelihood of a successful prosecution.”  In re Welfare of L.E.P., 594 N.W.2d 163, 168 (Minn.1999) (citing State v. Joon Kyu Kim, 398 N.W.2d 544, 551 (Minn.1987)).   The Kromah, et al., defendants contend that the state has not made a showing of critical impact, and therefore, review by this court is improper.

Review of the record reveals that the facts are not sufficiently developed for us to conclude that the suppression of the DNA evidence significantly reduces the likelihood of a successful prosecution in each of these cases. Nonetheless, the issue in each of these cases-the suppression of DNA testing using the PCR-STR methodology-is identical to the issue in State v. Traylor, 641 N.W.2d 335, 341 (Minn.App.2002), rev. granted (Minn. May 14, 2002).   Important to our consideration to grant the petition for accelerated review in the first instance was our expectation that the record in the joined cases, which was developed two years after the record in Traylor, would provide a more complete and updated record for our review in deciding the complex issues surrounding DNA testing.   For this reason and in the interest of judicial economy, we exercise our inherent authority to review these eight cases in this particular and unique situation.

We turn to the next issue of whether the district court erred in suppressing the DNA evidence in these eight cases.   Treating the court of appeals decision in Traylor as stare decisis, the district court examined the BCA's compliance with the TWGDAM guidelines and ruled that the TWGDAM guidelines were not met.   Because compliance with the TWGDAM guidelines is not mandated, we reverse and remand the matter to the district court for further proceedings to determine if the BCA has complied with the appropriate standards and procedures for DNA testing.   See State v. Traylor, No. C6-01-244, 656 N.W.2d 885 (Minn.2003)

Finally, in addition to contesting the admissibility of the DNA evidence, the Kromah, et al., defendants contest the district court's findings regarding the presentation of the DNA statistical evidence.   The state contends the defendants waived this issue because they did not cross-appeal the district court's ruling on the presentation of statistical evidence or cross-petition when the state filed its petition for accelerated review.   We agree with the state and decline to address the issue at this stage in the proceeding.

Nonetheless, we encourage district courts to be mindful of the impact of quantitative probability statistics on DNA analysis.   In State v. Joon Kyu Kim, we disallowed the admission of quantitative statistical probability evidence, recognizing the danger that a jury may equate such evidence with the likelihood that the defendant was guilty.  398 N.W.2d 544, 548-49 (Minn.1987).   Although in State v. Bloom we provided a DNA exception to the Kim rule that quantitative statistical probability evidence is inadmissible, we did so without overturning Kim. 516 N.W.2d 159, 167-68 (Minn.1994).   Thus, courts need to be fully cognizant of the potentially prejudicial nature of the statistical probability evidence and ensure that DNA identification evidence is not presented in a misleading or unfairly prejudicial way.4  Bloom, 516 N.W.2d at 168-69.

Reversed and remanded.

FOOTNOTES

1.  The following eight cases have been joined for purposes of this appeal:  State v. Kromah, No. 01092843 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Gomez, No. 01031426 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Wilson, No. 02007849 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Newman, No. 02020774 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Szutz, No. 01104493 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Johnson, No. 01080426 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  State v. Gurneau, No. 02013492 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002);  and State v. Dahlin, No. 01004420 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. June 19, 2002).

2.  In Minnesota a two-pronged standard, known as Frye-Mack, must be satisfied before DNA evidence may be admitted.   The first prong of the Frye-Mack standard, general acceptance in the relevant scientific community, looks at whether experts in the field widely share the view that the results of scientific testing are scientifically reliable.  State v. Roman Nose, 649 N.W.2d 815, 819 (Minn.2002).   The second prong, foundational reliability, examines whether the laboratory conducting the tests in the individual case complied with appropriate standards and controls.  Id.

3.  Though the district court noted that it was not bound by the court of appeals decision in Traylor because we had granted review, the district court nonetheless considered the decision as stare decisis.

4.  The potentially prejudicial or misleading nature of DNA evidence is of increasing concern with the current DNA identification techniques.   Because of the number of loci that can now be tested, the traditional probability statistical methods yield statistics such as one out of the world's population or one in 800 billion.   See State v. Thoms, No. C0-01-1373, 2002 WL 1420724 at *1 (Minn.App. July 2, 2002), rev. denied (Minn. Sept. 17, 2002);  Whitfield v. State, 346 Ark. 43, 56 S.W.3d 357, 358 (2001).   With numbers of this magnitude, district courts should be mindful of the potential impact such numbers may have on jurors and take steps to ensure that the presentation of the statistical evidence is not unfairly prejudicial or misleading.

BLATZ, Chief Justice.

HANSON, J., took no part.

Last Facebook Photos Of The "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez...

Facebook photos from oh-so-public profile of accused shooter Malo D. Gomez, posted under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Yes, I've done quite a bit of blogging about "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez and all the information available on his oh-so-public Facebook profile. Soon I must turn my attention to other topics. But I thought, in closing, it would be great to post just a few more images that really give some insight into what kind of character we are dealing with, here, BESIDES his low tolerence for tedium.

1.) Gas mask bong photo. Comments posted with the photo confirm the gas mask was being used as a bong. Malo wasn't off to protest the environmental policies of the World Trade Organization.

2.) Takes a minute to put something on the internet. And then it's pretty much up there forever. In a photo that I am not publishing, Malo is posing on the bed with what appears to be the same young woman (fully clothed) and a female child, dressed in pink, who seems between the ages of 5 and 8.

3.) This is why decent folks in North Minneapolis don't want "blunts" being sold at convenience stores. I doubt, very much, that little cigar only contains tobacco.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

"Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez Graduated From Wayzata High School, In Plymouth...

Photo from Malo Locco Gomez public Facebook profile, used under First Amendment comment and criticism, imags of Wayzata logo used the same way, blog post by John Hoff

Of all the information available about "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez, who fired at two North Minneapolis police officers simply to entertain himself, no info has been more surprising than Malo's Facebook claim he graduated from Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minnesota, just this year.

Newsweek ranks this high school among the top 1300 in America. (Newsweek 2008, ranking at 940 according to Wikipedia. The info can be found linked from Malo's Facebook profile)

What an education it must have been for students at Wayzata to have a real live "gangsta" at their school, giving them insights into the thug lifestyle. If weed was ever difficult to score at Wayzata High School, it appears Malo could have solved that difficulty for his peers. Check out that bag, above. That's not a nickel bag. That's not a dime bag. Hell, that looks like a DOLLAR bag.

This blog asks the question, "How, exactly, did this pot-smoking, gang affilated, gun-toting reject of Western civilization manage to graduate from Wayzata High School?"

For that matter, how did he manage to ATTEND?

(Do Not Click "Read More")

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: 13-Year-Old Murder Victim Rayjon Gomez Pictured With "Sticc Ups" Gang...

Photo from Facebook profile of "Shaunta Gomez," posted under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Screen Shot, Facebook Profile of Shaunta Gomez, blog post by John Hoff

The "Sticc Up Boys" (note thuggy spelling) are one of the all-too-many "start up gangs" that appear in North Minneapolis like mushrooms appear in old dog feces left on the grassy boulevard. Rather than joining an established gang, young wannabe gangsters seek to be the "founding fathers" of their own gang.

But since all the other wannabes have the same impulse (to start a gang rather than join an established gang) these gangs and their monikers have little staying power. (Click here for a blog post with similar observations) Starter gang or not, the name "Sticc Up Boys" is known in North Minneapolis.

This image, above, was found on the wall of "Shaunta Gomez," whose real name is DaShaunta D. Gomez.

Malo D. Gomez (the "bored shooter" who fired at North Minneapolis cops) is Dashaunta's brother. Malo's middle name is also "Dashaunta."

The picture shows 13-year-old murder victim Rayjon Gomez while he was still alive, and in the comments section Rayjon himself says "me and some of the sticc ups."

In the photo are Malo Gomez, Rayjon Gomez and someone else named "King Mook." The photo seems to have been taken by Dashaunta Gomez, a/k/a "Shaunta Gomez."

Why Rayjon Gomez was murdered becomes less and less of a mystery: this is a clear example of hanging out with the wrong crowd. One might understand if a parent didn't always know who their child associated with, but what excuse is there when the information is publicly posted on Facebook?

(Do Not Clicc "Read More")

"Bored Shooter" Malo Gomez Giving A Different Gang Sign Than Usual...

Photo from public Facebook profile, posted under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff


In the vast majority of his Facebook pictures, "bored shooter" Malo Gomez is giving a "little bitty gun" gang sign, click here for an example.

However, pictured above, he is giving a different gang sign than usual. Note, also, the classy "ratty pink blanket for a curtain" decor.

With its oh-so-public settings, the Facebook profile of Malo Gomez is a treasure trove of insights into the social media life of a young thug. I'm sure the police are fascinated by it and have gleaned plenty already. Malo has over 1000 Facebook friends. Here is a list of a few of them, though I couldn't even get through the letter "D" before I got bored.

(Luckily, I never get so bored that I think it's a good idea to shoot at cops)

Aaliyah Gojuiceyjuiceygo Russell
Alehandro SwaggerBoii Baldwin
Alima Shorty' Bhadd Farma
All-smiles Chanthavong
Alwaysandforeverstandiin Lessley
Angie Dntlove'em Gordon
Bad'Bytches Rat'bytches
Badasx Nahl
BadDasz Kelley Jaunde
Bankhead Shisty'asz
Barbie Pretty'Black Badd
Bd Freewaunwaun Flocka
Bianca Rip Rayjon Gomez
Blackmob Wesley
Blessin All'Smiles
Blya PrettyAss Hamma'ss
Bugga Hiihatters Thabeast
Bugatti Low ENds
Cash Flocka
CaSha NeverStupid Brown
Celeste PrettyAndpaid' Allen
Britteny DontGiveafukk Duerson
Charmaine Rude'Ass Fells
Ci'Ayra SociallyConscious McMillan (In their profile picture, a gang sign is being thrown. What does "socially conscious" mean in this circle)
DariannSo'Confused Smith

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Another Rayjon Gomez Memorial Pic On The Facebook Profile Of "Bored Shooter" Malo Gomez...

Rayjon Gomez memorial picture, used under First Amendment criticism and comment, blog post by John Hoff

The exact relation between Malo D. Gomez (who shot at two North Minneapolis police because, he said, he was "bored") and Rayjon Gomez remains unknown. However, the last name is the same, there is a strong family resemblance, and some "memorial pictures" of Rayjon were found on the Facebook profile of Malo Gomez including the photo above. (Click here for another Rayjon memorial picture found on Malo's Facebook)

Was Rayjon killed as retaliation for gang activity by Malo Gomez?

"Bored Shooter" Malo Gomez Mistakes Sears Tower For Twin Towers On 9-11-11

Contributed Facebook screen shot, blog post by John Hoff


The Facebook profile of "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez, (who goes by "Malo Locco Gomez") contains a wealth of fascinating insights into the life of a young man who appears to spend most of his life either high or incarcerated. Being in one of those two mental states most of the time, it's not surprising Malo may lack key pieces of cultural knowledge the rest of us take for granted.

On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Malo Gomez modeled a t-shirt which he thought was some kind of memorial to the Twin Towers and (Malo's words) his "NY niggas."

One of his thug friends corrected Malo, saying, "nigga that's the sears tower."

You can't MAKE this stuff up.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

The Facebook Pages Of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez, Part Five, Gang Sign And A Big Bag Of Weed...

Facebook picture from public profile, posted under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Malo D. Gomez, who fired his pistol at two North Minneapolis police because, he claimed, he was bored...would have done better to claim he was high as a kite in post-Taliban Afghan skies. Check out this photo from his Facebook where he goes as "Malo Locco Gomez."

Kind of reminds me of "Scarface," sort of the low budget North Minneapolis version of putting your whole face in a big pile of blow.

As noted in another blog post, Malo Gomez can be seen in most of his photos doing the little hand sign thingie seen above.

At least he is wearing his Twins cap bill forward, in the manner approved of by polite, productive society.

Johnny Northside blog approves.

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Ray'jon Gomez Memorial Pic On The Facebook Profile Of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez...

Memorial pic from Facebook profile of Malo Gomez, posted under First Amendment commentary and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Looking through Facebook, it would appear there is a blood relation between "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez (who goes by "Malo Locco Gomez" on Facebook) and Ray'jon Gomez, the 13-year-old child who was gunned down last month. It is unclear, however, what is the precise relation. Brother? Half-brother? Cousin? Uncle?

This memorial photo of the sweet and innocent face of 13-year-old Ray'jon Gomez was on the Facebook profile of Malo Gomez, leading to the obvious question: Was Ray'jon killed as some kind of retaliation for gang activity by Malo Gomez?

(Note: Henceforth, this blog will drop the apostrophe in "Ray'jon" because of a strongly held belief by this blogger that "punctuation does not belong in names, and only leads to confusion." In the memorial pic, above, the name is spelled "Rayjon" but elsewhere it has been spelled "Ray'Jon" and "Ray'jon.")

The Facebook Pages Of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez, Part Four...

Photo from public Facebook profile of Malo Locco Gomez, used under First Amendment Comment and Criticism

Contributed Facebook screen shot, profile of "Malo Locco Gomez," blog post by John Hoff

Continuing with our bloggy tour through the oh-so-public Facebook pages of Malo D. Gomez, a/k/a Malo Locco Gomez, the "bored shooter" who fired his pistol at two North Minneapolis police officers just to keep himself entertained...

Here is a recent screen shot of a "jail visit pic."

The caption beneath the photo reads "free my nigga."

It is hard to tell which one is Malo, and which one is Malo's brother Dashaunta, who also goes by "Shaunta" on Facebook. It seems to me Malo is on the outside, and the other Gomez is in jail with the glass partition between them. So these clever thugs have arranged themselves to pose in a picture together without actually being able to stand next to each other. What creativity. Adapting to their environment, Darwin-style.

Did Darwin say anything about putting your Facebook settings on "private" so the police couldn't examine your whole social network while you are in jail? No, I am sure Darwin didn't address social networking sites at all.

Yes, there is a downside to Darwinism and Malo will most likely experience it after firing his pistol at those police officers just to make his day a little more exciting.

Don't even get me going on that whole "opportunity to mate" thing and how it's going to apply to Malo in prison.

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The Facebook Pages Of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez, Part Three...

Public Facebook picture published under First Amendment comment, criticism and sh**, blog post by John Hoff

Malo D. Gomez, the "bored shooter" who targeted two North Minneapolis police, and whose oh-so-public Facebook profile is "Malo Locco Gomez," can't quite decide how to spell the word "Loco."

"Loco" is Spanish for "crazy." Of course, "Malo" is Spanish for "bad" or "evil," depending on which verb tense is used.

In the photo above, Malo opts for the proper spelling of "Loco," which has one "c." Johnny Northside heartily approves this rare use of standardized spelling instead of "thug spelling." There is hope for this young man, yet. Hope he will become more literate in a prison setting.

Note the finger sign Malo is doing. Malo does this pose in most of his Facebook pictures. Even when Malo is pictured with his little thuggy girlfriends, THEY are doing the same sign, like a one fingered upside down gun.

One wonders where this photo was taken, what was the occasion for Malo to get dressed up like that? The block walls and control panel in the background speak to an "institutional" setting, as does the "dressed up from the waist up" look.

Some kind of sad little juvie hearing? One wonders.

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The Facebook Pages Of "Bored Shooter" Malo D. Gomez, Part Two (Obligatory Thug Pose)

Public Facebook picture published under First Amendment comment and criticism, blog post by John Hoff

One North Minneapolis commenter described this photo to me as the "obligatory thug pose," hair blown out and doing a gang sign, like every good thug should when somebody pulls out a camera.

But look carefully. Is the "bored shooter" Malo Gomez accidentally pointing that sign language shot gun at his own head? It would appear so.

Let me give you a little tip all the way from Afghanistan, young man:

MUZZLE AWARENESS. All the time.

(Do Not Click "Read More," Do Not Point At Your Own Head And Go "Click" Either)

Harvest Fest On Lowry Avenue, North Minneapolis...

Photos by Megan Goodmundson, blog post by John Hoff


These photos by Megan Goodmundson were forwarded to me in Afghanistan so I could be at the Lowry Avenue Harvest Fest in spirit. I thought I'd throw the images into a blog post so I could vicariously participate even more.

Above, Lowry Avenue is blocked to vehicle traffic, transforming it into a pedestrian mall for the event.

Above, "Hawthorne Hawkman" Jeff Skrenes models a pendant that is perfect for him because it features a chili pepper, one of his favorite things. I say, "Why buy things when you can just take a picture of yourself with it, and then put it on a blog?"

Yummy steaks being prepared by a North Minneapolis grill master.

Some of the many art and crafts available from local vendors.

These folks do "brain massages" with those instruments and were also featured at Northside Art FLOW. Does anybody know who these folks are? Are they from North Minneapolis or do they just come here seeking our brains, like zombies?

Sandy's "Home of the Knock Out Dog," who can frequently be found in front of Cub Foods on West Broadway, is breaking in her new food truck. She is the wife of Mayor's Aide Sherman Patterson, who lives in McKinley.

The stage featured local bands, a gospel group, and a martial arts demonstration from kids at Doc's Gym on the corner of Penn and Lowry.

State Representative Bobby Joe Champion with NoMi homie Brian Connoy. Brian lives in Folwell and has bought and rehabbed two houses on the block where he lives in his own house. The rehabs were beautifully done and he rents out to decent folks at a decent rate. This is an example of NoMi being revitalized from within. Who needs slumlords like Mahmoud Khan and Bashir Mogul when we can do it ourselves, and do it better?

The "Goddess of Glass" poses with her latest creation, for sale in her gift shoppe at Penn and Lowry.

Just a sample of the funky and unique handmade fashions and accessories available at Goddess of Glass and Friends gift shoppe, featuring over 60 different local artists.

Volunteers from the McKinley CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program helped judge the produce contests and pose with some of the winners.

Darryl Weivoda and wife Janet get a hot dog and burger from the Camden Lions Tent. Darryl might be considered the "mayor" of Penn and Lowry, and therefore mayor of Lowry Avenue Harvest Fest.

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The Facebook Pages Of "Bored Shooter" Malo Dashaunta Gomez, Part One Of Many...

Facebook photo with public settings, published under First Amendment criticism and commentary, blog post by John Hoff


The "bored shooter" Malo D. Gomez, 18, who fired a pistol at some police in a squad car on the streets of North Minneapolis because, he claimed, he was trying to keep himself entertained, goes by "Malo Locco Gomez" on Facebook where his profile has (at the moment) the most public of settings.

As I suspect the Minneapolis police have already been doing, I have downloaded as much information as I can about Malo and his motley crew of contacts, including his brother Dashaunta Gomez.  I will be parcelling out that info to Johnny Northside readers when I have free time, which I don't always have in Afghanistan. So feel free to explore Malo Locco Gomez on Facebook on your own.

One interesting piece of news: Ray'Jon Gomez, a 13-year-old killed in August, appears to be related to Malo Gomez.

Due to a bit of a technical glitch that I'm experiencing, it will be necessary to publish one photo with each blog post, which is going to make for a whole lot of blog posts.

This photo, above, of Malo D. Gomez, a/k/a Malo Locco Gomez, has "S.G.C. Shit" superimposed on the photo. I suspect "SGC" stands for "Shot Gun Crip." Note hand sign.

Speculation: Was Ray'Jon shot because of Malo's gang affiliation? Does this shooting finally reveal some kind of motive in the senseless killing of 13-year-old Ray'Jon Gomez?

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