The Original Gangster

     On October 6, 2012 Andres Jauregui wrote the article, "Victor Joseph Espinoza, 425-Pound Gang Member, Allegedly Tried to Kidnap Boy", in The Huffington Post. The rate of kidnapping has shot through the roof in the past ten years. Parents have become more and more concerned about the safety of their children's lives, to the extent that they accompany their children everywhere. On Friday October 4, 2012, a ten year old California boy (whose name was not mentioned in the article), along with his nineteen year old cousin, were walking to a local park in Santa Ana for the ten year old's soccer practice. Victor Joseph Espinoza, a fifty five year old, 425-pound gang member, was accused of trying to kidnap the ten year old boy. Espinoza grabbed the boy by both his arms, pulled him close to his body, and started smelling him. The boy managed to break free and ran to his soccer coach (whose name was also not mentioned in the article), and told him what had happened. The soccer coach, also a parent, found Espinoza by a nearby bike trail. He confronted him about the incident, and attempted to restrain him, but failed. A police helicopter found Espinoza, crouching under a tree in a nearby home, and arrested him. Espinoza has had more than 60 arrests in the past 30 years, some of which include drug possession, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder. Espinoza tried to abduct a young girl that same evening, before he attempted to abduct the ten year old boy in a extremely well-lit park with many parents and soccer players around. He is now being held on $100,000 bail, facing charges of false imprisonment, child annoyance, and other charges since he is a gang member.