Watsonville mother sentenced in fight video case

 Posted on October 21, 2011 in Criminal Defense

Allegations of gang crimes can bring serious consequences under state law. A recent case in Santa Cruz County highlights how thin the evidence of gang involvement can be to lead to a gang crimes charge. A Watsonville mother recently faced a charge of gang participation after a video was posted on YouTube. A schoolyard fight that reportedly occurred in September apparently was the focus of the video.

The fight reportedly involved the Watsonville Mother's child. The woman reportedly heard that her daughter was being jumped and she went to the Harkins Slough area to find her daughter. Apparently, she saw the fight and tried to scare off the girl who was fighting with her daughter. The mother shouted, and the shouts reportedly were captured on the YouTube video.

Law enforcement reportedly got wind that the video was posted on YouTube and after viewing it, the woman was charged with parental neglect and gang participation. The gang crime apparently was based upon the woman's language. Police claimed the language made references to an alleged Watsonville gang.

The 41-year-old woman reportedly has actively spoken to her daughters about staying away from gang activity. Her family maintains the incident was not representative of the mother of six. Her daughter says the woman "regrets what she did and if she could, she would change everything about that day," according to a report in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The woman recently resolved the case by pleading guilty to a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The judge sentenced the woman Thursday to 120 days in jail, with credit for the 37 days she has been held in custody. In addition to jail time, the judge imposed 60 months of probation and ordered the woman to perform 20 hours of community service under the sentence.

Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, "Watsonville mother who egged on daughter's fight in YouTube video sentenced to 120 days in County Jail," Jessica M. Pasko, Oct. 21, 2011