GANGLAND GODFATHER

San Jose 18-year-old tied to gangs was shot several times while riding a bicycle through the neighborhood. Ten days earlier, shots were fired into a garage next door, injuring two men with gang ties inside. About 12 hours before that incident, two teen gang members were stabbed a couple of blocks away on Sunny Hills Drive.The violence has shaken residents, many of whom have lived in the neighborhood for years. Problems aren't evident from the look of things, except perhaps for the empty sidewalks. Lawns in front of the Mission-style single-family homes along Herman Avenue are neatly trimmed. Landscapes are lush with roses, bougainvillea, jasmine and dahlias. Around the corner, the Sunny Hills condominiums are modest but well-maintained.Though residents acknowledged gangs are a reality in Watsonville, they thought it was a problem for other people in other neighborhoods. They felt their neighborhood was relatively safe. But now with the violence hitting so close to home, they're...

19-year-old man Thursday became San Jose's 20th homicide this year in what appeared to be a gang-related fight, police said.The teenager was walking with a group of about four or five other male teens near the intersection of Kammerer and Oakland avenues when he was stabbed at about 8 p.m., said San Jose police officer Enrique Garcia.At the time, several suspected gang members approached the group and a fight broke out, Garcia said, with one of the teens pulling out a knife and stabbing the victim several times.The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died a few hours later. His identity was not released. No suspect is in custody. Thursday's killing puts the city on pace to surpass last year's spike in homicides. Of the city's 36 homicide victims last year, 16 were gang slayings. To help stem the violence, the San Jose City Council approved a budget plan that beefs up its 1,370-member force by 25 officers next year and 100 by 2012.

Three young men were being treated at local hospitals after a Monday afternoon brawl fought with knives, according to San Jose police. The injuries were not life-threatening, police said. And police said the fight occurred over an argument. It was possibly gang-related. The fight began about 3:30 p.m at Winter Park Drive and Cunningham Avenue. It left three juveniles injured, one seriously. The victims are 15, 16 and 17 years old. Police were looking for four suspects, but there was no descriptions available as of Friday evening.