GUILTY CA - Alex Mercado, 4, Mendota, 30 Oct 2009

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After the Elizabeth Olten case and now little Alex. I echo Nurse's what is going on? Two cases so close together and committed by younger teens. I wonder if there is going to be a sexual component to this murder. Makes me want to vomit.
 
According to the video at Texas's link, Alex was one of 6 kids, and his mom is 7 months pregnant. Prayers for all of Alex's brothers and sisters, and his entire family. :(
 
OMG - I am just seeing this and I am heartbroken. My son lives a few towns over from Mendota. He says this area is proverty striken and it is not unusual for the children to go without shoes. I was shocked yesterday when the initial report of the child going missing said he was barefoot.

I can hardly believe this. I feel so sad. Such a cute child. Why? In a clothes dryer? WHat the hell? I can't read the articles right now, maybe tomorrow. :(

This poor baby. Was the teen an AB copycat? I don't get it............

Salem
 
What an adorable little guy. Rest in peace, Alex. :(

th_AlexMendota2.jpg

*Photos from video at http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=7093550
 
*crying, crying*....crawling to bed.....i just dont understand....i really dont....:(

my heart hurts for this sweet little boy and his family......ugg....


i may need a break.......:(
 
Are there more children being murdered now than before?
Or is it that we have more access to more places and more news
instantly than ever before?

That said, I used to believe that these horrible tragic senseless murders
have always been a part of life.
I was saddened by the loss of even one child.
Even after a double murder in 1979 in the small town where I live....
two 11 yr old girls abducted and murdered, two days after Christmas.

And now,
I look at those children's faces, now gone to heaven,
their smiles beaming out at us,
and I am just
overwhelmed.

I need a break too.

Some time with my own grandchildren and great grandchildren.

RIP all the little children taken from this world in this last month.
 
RIP little Alex...

I am at a loss for words in attempt to offer solace to his brothers and sisters, his parents, friends and neighbors... another base level betrayal right next door, in their midst. The ramifications of this horrific act will resonate throughout all of their lifetimes...I am just so sorry. So sorry...:(
 
this is insane. Something has to be done to stop all these sickos no matter their age.
 
lillygator said:
this is insane. Something has to be done to stop all these sickos no matter their age.
Click to expand...

ITA. I say automatic death penalty, public view. Something has to stop this insanity!!
 
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said during the investigation, crews knocked on the door of the home and asked if anyone had seen Mercado. They were told no. Investigators went back to the home Saturday and asked permission to go inside. That's when they discovered Mercado's body, Mims said.

The cause of death is unknown.
Click to expand...
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/stor...-Found-Stuffed-in/J68Wylh440qLuNODCHvtGQ.cspx

I wonder what made them go back to that particular home? Maybe this kid has a reputation. In some of the stories others have posted the neighbor's home is described as a 'housing project." I assume that means welfare housing. I'm surprised that those have washer/dryers in the unit. I've lived in upscale apartment buildings that only had a common laundry room. Does housing project mean something else here?
 
mycroft said:
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/stor...-Found-Stuffed-in/J68Wylh440qLuNODCHvtGQ.cspx

I wonder what made them go back to that particular home? Maybe this kid has a reputation. In some of the stories others have posted the neighbor's home is described as a 'housing project." I assume that means welfare housing. I'm surprised that those have washer/dryers in the unit. I've lived in upscale apartment buildings that only had a common laundry room. Does housing project mean something else here?
Click to expand...

They may have asked to go back in if this is the last place Alex was known to have been seen.

On the west coast, a housing project could just mean "low income housing". I've never really heard of the term "housing project" out here before. There are many kinds of low income housing, however. Most are called "section 8" out here. This town where Alex lived is almost all hispanic. I was thinking maybe a "copy cat" murder, but I don't know that there are a lot of hispanics that are into the emo-type lifestyle. They are known to engage in gang activity.
 
Kimster said:
They may have asked to go back in if this is the last place Alex was known to have been seen.

On the west coast, a housing project could just mean "low income housing". I've never really heard of the term "housing project" out here before. There are many kinds of low income housing, however. Most are called "section 8" out here. This town where Alex lived is almost all hispanic. I was thinking maybe a "copy cat" murder, but I don't know that there are a lot of hispanics that are into the emo-type lifestyle. They are known to engage in gang activity.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've never lived on the West Coast, so perhaps it does have a different usage. Where I've lived both the terms project and Section 8 are used, but Section 8 could mean a single family home whereas project usually refers to a large apartment-like structure or attached row houses.

It does sound a lot like the AB murder. Some of the comments on a story linked here suggested activity that sounds like there was a motive. (The obvious one.) What gets me is that the kid chose to spend his Halloween doing this. I wonder if the mother knew.

As a side note in terms of emos being in the Latino community, you might find this interesting. I saw a documentary about it one time. Morrissey has a huge following. They have conventions. http://www.ocweekly.com/2002-09-19/music/their-charming-man/
 
RIP Alex :(
These stories are scaring the hell out of me, more and more every day.
 
mycroft said:
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/stor...-Found-Stuffed-in/J68Wylh440qLuNODCHvtGQ.cspx

I wonder what made them go back to that particular home? Maybe this kid has a reputation. In some of the stories others have posted the neighbor's home is described as a 'housing project." I assume that means welfare housing. I'm surprised that those have washer/dryers in the unit. I've lived in upscale apartment buildings that only had a common laundry room. Does housing project mean something else here?
Click to expand...

Regarding the washer/dryers in unit...I'm not so sure. This article presents it a little differently. This one makes it sound like it was a shared area.

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/68285237.html

"In the middle of that interview, a woman nearby started screaming. As she fell to her knees authorities rushed inside and immediately pushed everyone back. Crime scene tape went up as law enforcement began their homicide investigation.

It was not until Saturday evening, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims announced that the boy's body was found inside of a dryer. A 14-year-old male who lives at the apartment complex has been arrested for murder."
 
What is it with these teenagers lately??? :furious: This is the second murder within the past two weeks where a teenager who knows the victim has been arrested. Not to mention the crimes committed against animals by teenagers. :banghead:
 
mycroft said:
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/stor...-Found-Stuffed-in/J68Wylh440qLuNODCHvtGQ.cspx

I wonder what made them go back to that particular home? Maybe this kid has a reputation. In some of the stories others have posted the neighbor's home is described as a 'housing project." I assume that means welfare housing. I'm surprised that those have washer/dryers in the unit. I've lived in upscale apartment buildings that only had a common laundry room. Does housing project mean something else here?
Click to expand...

I've driven through the area where Alex lives a number of times. Speaking from memory, it is much like a little farm villages, such as those you might see in Florida where Adji is from. Small houses, fairly close together. Most have small, dirt yards. Some times such places are called shanty towns because the houses are run down. Generally speaking the population is transient, but not always. Families can buy their own washers and dryers, do their own landscaping, etc. They may even be able to to purchase the homes. I'm not sure about that. The population consists mostly of farmworkers. Here in CA we used to call all farm workers "migrant" which is why the little settlements get so run down. No body sticks around long enough to take care of the homes. However, in CA the definition of migrant farmworker is slowly changing. Many farm workers now stay in one place, instead of following the crops around. In the Fresno Valley crops are grown year round. Farmers use many of the "migrant" workers year round. Generally, the bigger farmers will keep a core group of workers as managers and foreman and laborers. There is always work to be done on a large farm.

So, for those families that are fortunate enough to have members that become foremen or managers, the travelling from crop to crop pretty much stops and they stay in one place. Many are able to move up from the "shanty town" areas and rent/buy decent homes. They can afford washers and dryers and other luxuries. And as in any "settlement" type place, there are others who come and stay and provide services to those that live in the area. Services include daycare, beauty care, laundry, etc. From my personal observations, I would say that this area where Alex lived is a mix of both migrant and "placed" farm workers. The area is probably 90% hispanic with a general family income of way below poverty level to maybe just slightly above poverty level and many of the families are probably fairly new immigrants to the US.

Hope that helps. Sorry the post is so long. I am just heartbroken over this little boy. I was sure he had just wandered away. To read the news that be was probably killed by a teen that lived with his babysitter, someone Alex probably trusted to be nice to him, just chokes me. :( :(

Salem
 
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