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A
Father's Perspective on the Death of His Son
Statement at City Council
a reward offered for Marc Allen Antenorcruz - Ed Reyes, CD1
by Bill Murray
I happened to be on hand on Tuesday, September 23, when City Council
unanimously passed a resolution to offer a $25,000 reward for the
killer of 25
year-old
Marc Allen
Antenorcruz, one
of LA's finest sons, and a member of a truely unique family.
Just days before, a senseless altercation had occurred at Dodger
Stadium following a game against the San Francisco Giants. During
the fray, one young man decided it was appropriate to use a handgun
to take the life of another. The incident, still under investigation,
was widely reported in the press.
Below you'll find a couple of documents ... please read them both.
The first is the Motion offered by Councilman Ed Reyes (CD1 includes
Dodger Stadium) asking for a reward. There's a brief description
of the crime included there.
It's followed by an incredibly proud and brave statement read into
the record by the victim's father, Alan
F. Antenorcruz.
Mr. Antenorcruz
read these words to a hushed Council. You could have heard a pin
drop as his voice broke a couple of times and he struggled to regain
his composure. But no one rushed him ... he had the room's complete
and undivided attention.
He honors his son's memory, at one point using Allen's own words,
saying his "son's
death was for a reason. It reveals a sickness in our society. What
happened to Marc is a challenge to all of you to do what you can
to find a cure."
We couldn't agree more.
The violence must stop ... and it's up to all of us to bring
it to an end.
We must spare no resource, leave no stone unturned, and engage everyone
in every corner of our City and County as we work together to find
and achieve long-term resolutions, not "fixes," to our
inappropriate violent responses during disputes.
Else we leave our children who survive a legacy of fear, and our
fathers and mothers mourning.
At LACP we vow to renew our efforts to Stop The Violence,
and we need your help.
Enough is enough.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Please see the links at the bottom of the page)
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Los Angeles City Council
M
O T I O N
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On Friday,
September 19, 2003, at approximately 10:00 p.m., 25 year-old
Marc Allen Antenorcruz, a resident of the City of Covina,
was fatally shot in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium after
a game between the L.A. Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.
Sources indicate that the victim's and the suspect's families'
were leaving the game around the eighth inning of the game
when words about the teams were exchanged between the victim
and the suspect. The dispute escalated and culminated when
one of the men the victim was arguing with pulled a .25-caliber
semiautomatic handgun from his family's white SUV-type vehicle
and shot Mr. Antenorcruz. The victim was taken to Los Angeles
County-USC Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The person or persons responsible for this crime represent
an ongoing threat to the safety of the people of Los Angeles;
therefore it is appropriate for the City of Los Angeles to
offer a reward for information leading to the identification
and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for
the death of Raynero Ramirez.
I THEREFORE
MOVE, that the Council determine, as provided in Section
54954.2(b)(2) of the Government Code, and pursuant to Rule
23, of the City Council, that there is a need to take immediate
action on this matter and that the need for action came to
the attention of the City Council subsequent to the posting
of the agenda for today's Council meeting.
I FURTHER
MOVE that, by adoption of this motion, the City Council
provide an offer of reward for information leading to the
identification, apprehension, and conviction of the person
or persons responsible for the death of Marc Allen Antenorcruz,
a visitor to the City of Los Angeles, on September 19, 2003
and in support thereof make the following findings pursuant
to Division 19, Chapter 12, Article 1 of the Los Angeles Administrative
Code:
| 1.
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The
death of Marc Allen Antenorcruz resulted from the willful
misconduct of one or more persons. |
| 2.
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That
this offer of reward is consistent with and taken for
the immediate protection of the public peace, health and
safety of local residents, as well as visitors to the
City, and is consistent with the need to arrest and convict
the person or persons who, because of not being apprehended,
could by their actions further terrorize and present a
continuing and immediate menace to the rights of persons
in the City. |
| 3.
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That
what happened to Marc Allen Antenorcruz is an especially
disturbing crime and therefore, as a matter of public
policy, the City hereby offers a reward as an added inducement
for persons to come forward with information leading to
the identification and apprehension of the person or persons
responsible for the death of Marc Allen Antenorcruz. |
| 4.
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That
the sum of $25,000 shall be the aggregate maximum sum
of any payment or payments of a City reward in this instance. |
| 5.
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That
the offer of reward shall be in effect for sixty days
from the date of the advertisement of the reward by the
City Clerk. |
I
FURTHER MOVE that the City Clerk be directed to cause
notices and/or advertisements to be duly published according
to the requirements of Division 19, Chapter 12, Article 1
of the Los Angeles Administrative Code, and to thereby cause
the offer of reward to become effective.
| PRESENTED
BY______________________________ |
ED
P. REYES
Councilmember, 1st District |
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A
Father's Perspective - Statement at City Council:
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A
FATHER'S PERSPECTIVE
STATEMENT
AT CITY COUNCIL
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Four nights
ago, my son's life ended in a senseless killing at the parking
lot of Dodger Stadium. My daughter, who held her brother in
her arms as he lay in a pool of his own blood, will have this
trauma to deal with, and may have to take time from college
for the rest of this semester. My family and friends all ask
why this had to happen. How can I give them an answer when
I, myself, don't understand?
What I do understand is that my son, Marc, was someone who
liked to spread his laughter with everyone. He lived life
to the fullest in everything he did, whether it was playing
at Pop Warner Football, catalogue modeling, dancing with Mariah
Carey in her videos, or playing a "lost boy" in the movie,
"Hook."
It was while starting college up north that he became a San
Francisco Giants fan. He came back to Los Angeles with dreams
of becoming a firefighter but ended up pursuing his real love
of art. He would have graduated from Mount San Antonio College
next year.
Marc was a young man who believed in life and love. His zest
for life and open generosity manifests in his wish to give
the gift of life to others. Marc has donated the remaining
useable parts of his body to make the lives of 152 persons
better.
This was my son, Marc. Contrary to what people may think,
MY SON WAS NOT A GANG MEMBER!
As I grapple with trying to understand what happened four
nights ago, I remember the words he wrote in one of his letters:
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"The
greatest gift of all is LOVE - God's love! Give it &
Receive.
Nothing, absolutely Nothing in this world happens by
mistake.
To disagree or to complain is to argue with God's handiwork."
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It is
Marc's own words that keep my hope alive. My son's death was
for a reason. It reveals a sickness in our society. What happened
to Marc is a challenge to all of you to do what you can to
find a cure. Please do not let another father feel the pain
that I now feel.
On behalf of my family, I would like to extend our sincere
thanks to the good Samaritans who helped out during the incident
- the people who took down the license plate number, the paramedics
and the hospital's emergency crew. We are grateful for the
work of the LAPD and hope that they are able to find the missing
culprit soon!
My family continues to cope with this tragedy. We are astounded
at the sympathies we've received from people across the nation.
Your prayers and condolences have helped lift our spirits.
You have reminded us what America is all about. It's about
being there for each other.
Alan
F. Antenorcruz
September 23, 2003
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To respond to this, or express your opinion,
please send an email to us here at LACP:
StopTheViolence@lacp.org
To learn how to send us a donation to continue
our work, please visit the webpage below:
Help
Us Help You
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