Martin “Fester” Tapia-Reyes, 35, a gang member from Watsonville, didn’t actually rob the La Selva Beach Surf Shop in June 2009.
Martin “Fester” Tapia-Reyes, 35, a gang member from Watsonville, didn’t actually rob the La Selva Beach Surf Shop in June 2009. He served as a lookout while an accomplice threatened the clerk and took $10 from the cash register. When he went to trial, however, the DA pointed out that he had 10 prior misdemeanor convictions and four prior felony convictions. According to the DA, this added up to “three strikes,” and Judge Robert Atack agreed. In an effort to crack down on gang violence throughout the county, Tapia-Reyes was sentenced to 35 years to life.
Community reaction has been mixed, with some residents crediting the judge for cracking down on gang related crime, while others noting that his incarceration will be a burden on taxpayers for many decades to come. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
