0:00

What? Happened to she gonna student

0:02

activists Oscar Gomez. What are

0:04

the records that the Sheriff's

0:06

has beyond this? A

0:09

quest for answers. Imperfect Paradise

0:11

The Forgotten Revolutionary. Wherever you

0:13

get your podcasts, Hey,

0:19

I'm Anthony Yesterday he the and

0:21

this is Imperfect Paradise from L

0:23

A Or Studios the show about

0:25

hidden worlds and messy realities. You're

0:27

listening to a special breed drop

0:29

of Imperfect Paradise the forgotten revolutionary

0:32

From our second season last episode,

0:34

we learned about Oscars college years

0:36

and his road to activism. You

0:39

know, the jolly kid that came

0:41

up to me that freshman year.

0:43

He became very serious. like. Angry.

0:48

This episode alone for follows his

0:50

first lead a theory that one

0:52

of Oscars friends may have had

0:54

something to do with his death.

0:59

Hears. Las Correspondent a little

1:01

phobos minded Opus. I.

1:05

Found a video of Oscar Gomez

1:07

being interviewed after a rally at

1:09

U C Santa Barbara in Nineteen

1:12

Ninety One. Right now

1:14

we're We're interviewing people, see their reactions

1:16

after the events of today to move.

1:19

Can you state your name? And where you're from.

1:21

Some articles go to Gomez Caleb on Diesel The

1:23

U C Davis. What? Are

1:25

what are your reactions are today So what

1:27

would he think? He was accomplished.

1:30

A lot of these conferences for his arm. As

1:33

U C Davis come in, other words,

1:35

words come down into boyata Mister Corner.

1:38

In the bonuses of a will you on a one

1:40

of plaza. To. Or. Too.

1:43

Little noise was the Oscars surrounded by

1:45

a few other student activists. He's the

1:47

tallest building down a little to speak

1:49

into the microphone. Wearing. Sunglasses

1:51

and a brown Baja Saudi.

1:54

This. Is actually the first time I've

1:56

heard him outside his radio show together.

1:59

Here. He sounds more casual.

2:01

Relaxed. In some ways

2:03

more personable who is is about as a

2:06

little digging on as far as mentioned other

2:08

other us to get another a didn't as

2:10

it excellence going into the twenty first century

2:12

with more in Dc non consensual and I

2:14

think that's the route and us going to

2:16

be a power in A causes us where

2:19

are our pride isn't races are and on

2:21

they belong. David Davis stance on too long

2:23

as. I

2:25

can affect your name and were at

2:27

first my eyes are glued to Oscar.

2:30

But. Then I'm looking at his crew.

2:32

And I realize. For. Someone important

2:35

standing behind Oscar and

2:37

the interviewer. another to

2:39

gonna activist. He's. Quiet

2:41

in this video and he's a little

2:43

shorter with a thin black moustache and

2:46

of bribery. It's. Know

2:48

well, where's that? He

2:52

was ask a friend. Is

2:54

also my first person of interest in the

2:56

semester. Decent. After Oscar

2:58

staff a lot of Oscars family

3:00

and friends saw no well as

3:02

suspicious that's according to ask us

3:04

for him to couple top yeah

3:07

we heard from last episode and

3:09

asks great Sakara vocals noel by

3:11

his nickname naming them and old

3:13

killed when know who killed asked.

3:15

Was buddies from a hazard? Big.

3:18

Hazard is in the infamous gain

3:20

from the Ramona Gardens public housing

3:22

development in Boyle Heights. Is

3:24

it was military gathered he was in a

3:26

big hazard but all his family, his friends

3:28

he grew up in that area. Oscar.

3:31

Was kind of have made a big

3:33

impact on then. I thought he was

3:35

our friends. Like. Oscar.

3:38

Noel was also a Chicano student

3:40

activists according to regarded or Oscar

3:42

marched with Noel on November sixteenth,

3:45

Nineteen Eighty Four. the day before

3:47

Oscar died. He. Was supposed to

3:49

stay at know his place in Santa Barbara. Regard

3:52

to believes there was a party that

3:54

night. the all gathered up

3:56

as a their his house or his buddy's house

3:59

or somebody else. There

4:03

was two girls. they're. Both

4:06

two girls with a girl friends

4:08

have to his buddies from from

4:10

hazard. Oscar

4:12

have an as is as KP

4:14

Quarter, so he's interviewed email about

4:16

what's going on and that's one

4:19

of the to the two guys

4:21

fuck. According to the God

4:23

of them, these two guys are mad at

4:25

Oscar. Why did they get all pissed off? Fiverr

4:29

new Oscar! He was tall,

4:33

He was pretty cut up. get

4:35

lucky and they probably thought his

4:37

move. on and on a girl.

4:39

Why you intervenor girls. This

4:43

is the first time I'm hearing about

4:45

the possibility of getting involvement in Oscars

4:47

death was it was telling me. Probably

4:50

does match up with what we know

4:52

from the Coroner's report from the Santa

4:54

Barbara Sheriff's Office the reports has asked

4:56

her was last seen alive on November

4:58

sixteenth, around nine thirty pm in the

5:01

I Love This neighborhood of Santa Barbara.

5:03

I noticed as right next to campus

5:06

and a lot of students live there.

5:08

The report says the victim was intoxicated

5:10

and indicated to his friends that he

5:12

wanted to get out of the apartment

5:14

to walk around for a while. Why

5:17

Oscar left the apartment and what

5:19

happened to him after. That

5:22

still a mystery, but God was saying

5:24

at least one of those friends was

5:26

no way. Many. Together.

5:29

Please Oscar was killed and he

5:31

believes members of Big Hazard were

5:33

involved. Wouldn't want us to

5:35

find out. It'll give some comfort to

5:37

know. Oh yeah, you

5:39

know what? we were right or hey, you know what,

5:41

we were wrong. I can be blaming enough for something

5:43

he didn't do. That

5:46

or I would like to know and

5:48

if it's my if it's my bad

5:50

you know my fault might air my

5:52

apologize to the south of my apologies

5:55

and or but i need to know

5:57

such as to be clear minutes whole.

6:00

The that there were friends of

6:02

his from Big Hazard, their. City.

6:06

Goodness say that they killed Oscars

6:08

Know he didn't say that. He

6:11

tried to defuse in try to. Ah,

6:15

Make me believe that nothing happens. If

6:20

you know anything about bulls kind

6:22

of people, something. Or

6:27

models who was my lupus?

6:29

Him: this is imperfect. paradise

6:31

forgotten. revolutionary. Were

6:36

about to get closer to the

6:38

night that asked died and gets

6:40

way more complicated than I could

6:42

have imagined. Pursued

6:45

west. Know when do. I.

6:59

Wish I could as know and were tied

7:01

directly What happened that night. When.

7:04

He knows. But. He died

7:06

in two thousand and seventeen. He

7:08

was forty five years old. Trick

7:11

audible Tapia is not the only

7:13

one who was suspicious of noise

7:15

after Oscars desk. The Gomez family

7:17

felt like Noel avoided them. When.

7:20

We talked Mr and Mrs. Gomez said they

7:22

believed the well kept a secret about their

7:24

son's death. Mr. Gomez even

7:26

keeps a copy of know as a bit

7:28

wary as a possible clue. It's

7:31

written by know as brother Alberto, who's

7:33

now an accomplice to kind of scholar.

7:35

Mr. Gomez brings the obituary up

7:37

pretty early in our conversations. With

7:41

we've seen as and I just

7:43

saw that it as soon as I

7:45

read up Ccf. what did you see

7:48

in there that interested use I see

7:50

I see like those like. Roses

7:54

Something to you. And

7:56

then is him. He's trying to

7:58

write it. You

8:00

either have access to the get it

8:03

on wherever. Mister Gomez as saying no

8:05

and must have said something to Albanel

8:07

something that Albert was trying to his

8:09

death in the Wins obituary in there

8:12

and says as us that asked her

8:14

was like a big influence and zoom.

8:17

Zoom and Dying I guess. Or whatever.

8:20

Whatever. have. A Heated

8:22

Here's what the obituary says: One

8:25

know an experience Christmas violent events

8:27

in the projects in Santa Barbara.

8:29

Nothing could prepare him for the

8:31

tragic and mysterious death of one

8:33

of his best friends. Or.

8:36

Scott has been doodle Gomez in Nineteen

8:38

Ninety Four. While.

8:41

We'll never know what happened to

8:43

host got a smart, talented and

8:45

handsome young to carnal. This tragic

8:47

incident had a major emotional mental

8:49

impact on the when until the

8:51

end. One who Santa

8:53

Barbara know and withdrew from activism mainly

8:55

due to the death of his homeboy.

8:58

If. I remember correctly. He says

9:00

that. Asked for

9:02

his death was the most significant. Affected

9:06

his brother Yeah for the rest of his

9:08

lights. Yeah, So the question is, how because

9:10

he didn't say how I think you're being.

9:14

Hear him say how's it

9:16

has to lead to death

9:18

of fictitious obviously did because

9:21

he was the last one

9:23

sees. Hundred

9:26

was a professor so I found

9:28

his contact info online quit. I

9:30

emailed him asking if we can

9:32

talk to my surprise, who oppose

9:34

an hour later. Saying. He remembers

9:36

me. He told me I interviewed him

9:39

for story more than a decade ago. He

9:41

writes me that he's tried to avoid this

9:43

issue, but that he wants to set the

9:45

record straight about his brother. When.

9:48

I give him a call. he sounds

9:50

threatening. angry that they're still blame laid

9:52

on know well. If. You're

9:54

accusing my brother he says. We. Have

9:57

a problem. that

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But if you ask some people... ...producer

12:07

Natalie Chudnovsky and I meet Alvaro Huerta

12:09

at his townhouse in the west side

12:11

of Los Angeles. It's clean

12:14

and spacious. White walls,

12:16

high ceilings. As we

12:18

turn our phones off, Alvaro takes the opportunity

12:20

to crack a joke. Which

12:22

one is that? Oh,

12:24

that's 12. I stole it, I

12:26

got it in my carto-park. Alvaro

12:31

is a skinny man, well-dressed in a suit

12:33

jacket, as if he's going to do a

12:35

TV interview. He's much less

12:37

intimidating than he was on the phone,

12:40

cracking jokes about teaching class over Zoom

12:42

in his pajamas. He has

12:44

a small, chubby, white dog named Lobo, wolf

12:46

in Spanish. Lobo patters over

12:49

whenever Alvaro raises his voice or gets emotional.

12:51

Let's have you say your name and what

12:53

you do, please. Okay,

12:56

I'm Dr. Alvaro Huerta.

12:59

I'm a fellow at Harvard

13:02

Divinity School and I'm

13:04

an associate professor at Cal Poly Pomona. I

13:07

ask Alvaro about how his family came to

13:09

Ramona Gardens and he starts

13:11

the story way back in Mexico. He

13:14

says his grandfather fled a violent family

13:16

feud in Michacán, a feud

13:18

that rivaled the Hatfields and Macoys. They

13:21

moved to Tijuana and worked the fields in San

13:23

Diego, then moved to Hollywood

13:25

into a home with 30 people. From

13:28

there, Alvaro says his mother applied for public

13:30

housing. That's how they moved

13:32

to Ramona Gardens. Now

13:34

Ramona Gardens happens to be one of the most

13:36

violent neighborhoods in the United States, also

13:40

known as Big Hazard. This

13:42

is the Big Hazard Project. A

13:46

friend of mine grew up in Ramona Gardens around

13:48

the same time that Huerta did and

13:51

he knows all about the Big Hazard day. He

13:55

saw a lot of violence there, which is, in

13:57

part, why he doesn't want me to use his

13:59

name. He's told me

14:01

about teenagers attack with machetes and

14:03

drive by shootouts with rival gangs

14:06

and also a time when police

14:08

officers threatened to shoot him simply

14:10

for being a Ramona Gardens resident.

14:13

Anvadu has similar memories. So

14:16

when we got there in the 70s, you

14:19

get to the neighborhood and you have to fight. That's

14:22

the initiation, you know? Fight against who? The

14:25

neighborhood kids. So

14:27

they welcome you and they beat you up and then

14:29

they hug you, you're one of us now. I

14:31

grew up in a national city, Mexican Filipino

14:33

neighborhood. My

14:35

parents took me out of the community for

14:37

schools and everything so I never really had

14:40

to cross gang territory and had to deal with

14:42

them and everything. But the impression, you've heard this,

14:45

that you get jumped in and then you're in,

14:47

right? I

14:51

mean yes and no. The thing

14:53

with when their kids is different, so when

14:55

their kids, they're just like playing, you know?

14:59

It's pretend. And then some

15:01

take it seriously and then they go in that direction. So

15:04

you always have like one guy whose older

15:06

brothers are in the gang and they're killers

15:10

and they've been in and out of prison so a lot

15:12

of times even though they're smaller than you, they're like bullies

15:14

and they pick on you because they know you can't

15:16

do anything to them. I

15:18

was always nervous because

15:20

I was skinny all my life to the present so

15:23

I didn't have like a physical abilities

15:26

to fight. So

15:28

over time I had like a defense mechanism, I was funny

15:31

and I still am apart from

15:33

being good looking. And so a

15:36

lot of times I would make

15:40

the local kid, like the bully, the main guy,

15:42

laugh and he liked me. Even

15:46

though I didn't grow up in a place like Ramona

15:48

Gardens, I can relate to what Alvaro is saying.

15:51

When there's violence around you, you have

15:53

to figure out ways to defend yourself. National

15:56

City, where I grew up, Is

15:58

also home to some historians. Gangs and twelve

16:01

I decided to start working out.

16:03

Because. I wanted to look strong every time I

16:06

saw a man on the street. I

16:08

sized. I'm I'm. Trying. To figure out if

16:10

he was a threat. It

16:12

was dysfunctional. Are.

16:16

You know, growing up in a place like that, in

16:18

the inside, the household, an outside. But

16:20

I've been as a day is somebody messes was one

16:22

of us. Than that, they're gonna get it from

16:24

all of us. So we

16:26

we we live in environment where you have the

16:28

the used to pick on my brother's a lot

16:31

and my sister his eyes the go beat up

16:33

the kids eighth pick among. Those

16:35

this you're obligated to do that. So.

16:37

Violence has always been part of our our,

16:40

our, our family, And.

16:42

Is not something that were afraid of. A.

16:45

Lot of says. their father didn't talk

16:47

much. Didn't. Seremos since and wasn't

16:50

the type to say hey son, let's

16:52

go outside and play catch. In

16:54

a house with a kids? it sounds

16:57

like Alberto took on a parental role

16:59

toward his little brother. know as. A

17:02

hero fatherly pride as on photo

17:04

talks about how know in found

17:06

ways to excel despite the violence

17:08

and dysfunction around him. He.

17:10

Got into like a pop like in

17:12

In and Breakdancing. The when he got

17:14

into that, he was really good at it. Saw

17:17

were taken places and then he would compete against are

17:19

the kids. And. In

17:21

sports when he would play baseball he was

17:24

the pitcher. When you play football he was

17:26

have used the quarterback. And

17:28

goddesses. Noel was a better student at

17:30

school that he was as a teenager

17:32

know and read the writings of thinkers

17:35

like Malcolm X. He got accepted into

17:37

both U C L A and U

17:39

C Berkeley when he was seventeen. Men

17:42

ends up bird wanted to see

17:44

Santa Barbara did he take a

17:46

step further and get involved or

17:48

wanna start an organization or joined

17:50

any organizations A D C Santa

17:52

Barbara. Know it was

17:54

already politicized that that fourteen. So by

17:56

time you've got to Santa Barbara, he

17:58

became involved in it. National in

18:00

Congress or is U C Santa

18:02

Barbara's version of matter that you're

18:04

gonna student organization? That's actually how

18:06

Noel met another friend of Oscars

18:09

who did say good a mordor,

18:11

she's the one who recruited Oscar

18:13

de Metre at U C. Davis.

18:15

We. Heard from her last episode. See.

18:17

A know as dated on and off for

18:19

two years around this time. So

18:22

she has another perspective on who

18:24

he was during college and what

18:26

happened after Oscar died. Would.

18:28

When need to know about noise works as

18:30

a as a as a person as an

18:32

intellectual person. All his theory. I'm.

18:36

Like a historian, Deeply

18:38

involved in the details of the chicken

18:40

or movements from the sixties on, at

18:43

which was part of the reason why

18:45

I was attracted to that. Like the

18:47

intellectual curiosity. Who. Deeds know

18:49

well we're no longer dating when Oscar

18:51

died, but they were still close enough

18:53

that he told her about that night.

18:56

Hoodies says no as told her there was a party.

18:59

Like we've heard about before. A tense

19:01

exchange over a girl. And

19:03

then asked for left to chill out.

19:06

But. After Oscars desk many of

19:08

his family and friends like Oscars

19:10

parents like retired who started wondering

19:13

if there wasn't more to know

19:15

when's version of what happen. Instantly.

19:19

The suspicion started going against.

19:22

Know is. Why? Would he let

19:24

him walk off by himself? When

19:26

he was. Pushed.

19:30

Out of the party, And

19:32

that create a lot of tension for

19:34

me because. On on the

19:36

one hand, On. Not annoying and I

19:38

were not. In. A relationship by

19:41

that time, but I was still very much

19:43

had. Committed friends.

19:45

I trusted him. I knew that he

19:48

would never do anything to hurt or

19:50

stuff. But it was. Possible.

19:52

Negligence. To Not.

19:55

Like. To be under the

19:57

influence in a party? And then,

19:59

yes, In is having conflict with

20:01

someone and has been. Forced

20:05

to leave. And.

20:09

Noel been at the party. The

20:12

party is more important. For.

20:14

The moments. Than

20:16

the bigger commitments and things in

20:19

all it's of happened to my

20:21

friends. I could have

20:23

a different opinion about what happened because also

20:25

was also one who was not going to

20:28

be told what to do. So let's let's

20:30

assume that. Elm know

20:32

is telling him a man believed only

20:34

things will be cool things cool. but

20:36

all of that now didn't sell wealth

20:38

and he said not and I'm getting

20:41

this is I'm giving out a year

20:43

and. Walked on his own. I

20:46

could see that scenario as well. Either.

20:51

Way about fifteen hours later, Oscar was

20:54

down. Life was on the shore, a

20:56

mile and a half away. Him

20:59

as the person closest to ask her that

21:01

night know it does seem to be the

21:03

one most likely to know what happened. The

21:07

Saw raises a lot of questions for me. And.

21:10

The was brother and bottle has

21:12

some answers. That's. After the

21:14

break. On

21:17

Tiny Mosley and Nineteen Eighty Seven,

21:20

my sister in need of vanished

21:22

without a trace. Decades later, thanks

21:24

to Dna, we found her. But.

21:26

That's only the beginning of the

21:29

story. That She Has a Name

21:31

is a new audio documentary that

21:33

explores the search for redemption, confronting

21:35

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21:37

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21:40

Truth be Told presents She has

21:42

a name for Every revelation brings

21:44

us closer to the truth. About

21:49

a whisper remembers Oscar Gomez

21:51

well. He. Was one of his

21:54

brother's good friends. The where's

21:56

the started? hanging out with with

21:58

Oscar through the Congress or. and you

22:00

know, congreso and mecha, it's really the same

22:02

thing. I only met

22:04

Oscar once in one of those big

22:06

rallies. The guy, he reminded me a lot about my brother.

22:08

You know, he had everything. He was a good

22:10

looking dude. He

22:13

was smart, talented,

22:17

and then he loved music. And

22:19

then him and my, I think that's what brought, him

22:22

and my brother had a lot in common because they both

22:24

loved music. And then being

22:26

Chicano, being in a

22:28

predominantly white school, they gravitate towards each

22:30

other. So it's creating like safe spaces

22:32

for each other, you know. So

22:35

Oscar's body was found November 17th, 94. When

22:39

did Nene call you? I

22:43

don't remember like the exact, I mean, back then there

22:46

was no cell phones or anything like that. So I

22:48

don't remember the exact, like the first

22:50

time I talked to him about it, but

22:52

here's what happened. So

22:55

there was like four guys that were

22:57

drinking and

23:01

Oscar got into a fight with one of them. Okay.

23:06

And then Nene broke it up. And

23:10

at this point, I don't even remember if it was night

23:12

or not. It might've been. And

23:15

then Oscar left because he was pissed off. So

23:19

by the time Nene and the guy

23:22

started looking for him because

23:25

they were worried, they couldn't find him. So

23:27

far, this version of the story

23:29

is similar to what we've heard before. Who

23:32

are those four guys? No, no, like two

23:35

other guys. No, but the four you said. Nene,

23:38

Oscar, and two guys. Oh,

23:42

I thought you meant there were four

23:44

guys in addition to, okay. There's

23:46

four total. So it was Nene, Oscar,

23:51

and two guys. Yeah, I

23:53

was confused because I'd heard there were more.

23:56

The reason I'm stuck on this detail is that I

23:58

want to find out who. who was there

24:00

the night Oscar died. Who

24:03

were the two guys? There were students

24:05

at East Santa Barbara.

24:09

I didn't know their names and I never asked. A

24:12

childhood friend of Oscar's who we

24:14

talked to recently said that Nene

24:16

called him the day after

24:18

Oscar was found and told

24:21

him that they were

24:23

friends of Nene's from Big Hazard. That's

24:26

not true. He's lying. That's

24:32

not true. Those

24:37

were students. I asked them, I

24:39

asked them point blank what happened and he told me. So

24:42

everybody, see there's a lot of rumors out

24:44

there. Okay,

24:47

and I put everything I say, I'm the name of my

24:49

mother, my son, and everything I

24:51

find sacred here. So

24:54

there's no reason for me to lie. I'm

24:57

most loyal more than anything to

24:59

my family. So

25:02

if there's something that like, it's

25:05

going to hurt my family, am I going to protect them? Yes.

25:08

Am I going to talk about it? No. Am

25:11

I going to snitch

25:13

out my family or say something, no, I'm never going to

25:15

do that. That's kind

25:17

of like where we're from. We have that mentality.

25:19

Like if somebody does something

25:22

bad, you deal with it in-house. You don't turn

25:24

them over to the cops. You don't do that.

25:26

Although, let me understand this a little. Just a

25:28

moment ago, though, I kind of heard you say

25:30

that, you wouldn't

25:32

say something that would put your family. Right, right, right. So

25:39

in a way, I kind of heard that say, if it

25:41

was, if they were big-house, you

25:43

wouldn't say that. No, but it was, though.

25:46

It was it. I

25:50

understand what you're saying, but I like I

25:52

live like I'm just trying to give you an understanding

25:54

of who I am. This is the code that I live under, you know, but

25:57

how how

25:59

are two guys? The project's gonna be an

26:01

apartment that a stupidest, the stupidest thing

26:03

that the University. There. Is no

26:06

two guys from hazards that as natural. Why?

26:09

Would they even go to the project? My brother my brother

26:11

was in from hazard. Why? Would

26:13

the hangouts guys from hazard only hang out with other

26:15

guys from has it doesn't work that way to this

26:17

What I mean will be logical. If

26:21

you're not in a gang, you're like a civilian. You

26:24

don't hang out with the gang members people

26:27

guys were from Hazard doc as a mess

26:29

around. With

26:31

as long as a mess around the would have jumped on writer.

26:34

At the house. Those

26:36

just dump them in. That said, like he literally like not that

26:38

there would it kill them but they wanted to beat him up

26:41

and. Out

26:43

of their element on one where away from them that

26:45

the Saudis given. Their

26:48

years there are there's a foreigner their

26:50

their party so there's not that that

26:52

a whole thing that whole has to

26:55

be like stricken for the rights that

26:57

doesn't make sense at all. there's there's

26:59

no brown, there's no basis for it

27:01

men and never told you about a

27:03

particular know with into the citing saying

27:05

it goes back to the as we

27:08

just don't ask questions like when things

27:10

happen in the neighborhood you don't ask

27:12

questions. So like

27:14

if somebody gets onto a fire or somebody says

27:16

the money, drugs and something goes wrong we don't

27:18

ask like with it it would have like is

27:21

just part of. The

27:23

know how you grew up in. Those

27:25

are the questions that was most concerned about

27:27

were. What

27:30

happened in terms of like with the

27:32

cops in on. Because. What

27:34

ended up happening was that the cops

27:36

interrogated everybody. That. Would have been part of

27:38

the reporting. For. Gang of believe would admit until

27:40

your by when the and of is. Why?

27:43

They are some the same questions that

27:45

everybody everybody's asking. Is like what

27:47

happened. And. In exactly

27:49

the story that I'm Tania does exact. That's

27:52

what happened as what he told the cops

27:54

not is there was something suspicious and the

27:56

Cubs would have would have arrested. Nobody's any

27:58

was involved A man the heck I thought.

28:01

For the record and like I said I mean honestly

28:03

a but like the he knew who did it in

28:05

a. That's. That's the rumor. And then

28:07

with this guy saying that the guys from has or whether

28:09

that's not true a brother he didn't he was in in

28:11

the gang. Never again. he didn't hang out with the guys

28:13

from has. But. That's a life. After

28:22

Oscars death, Noel withdrew from Oscars

28:24

family and friends. Huskers family said

28:26

they would not able to sit

28:28

down and talk to the with

28:30

about where happen. I

28:32

saw it as a sign that

28:35

he was hiding something, but I

28:37

bought a witnesses that withdrawn was

28:39

actually about something else. regret. Regret.

28:42

That Noel didn't stop Oscar

28:44

from leaving the party or

28:47

really effective him is that.

28:49

It was like he was the last one to see

28:51

him and then in his mind like I could have

28:54

done something. Like that kind of

28:56

preventive. His death was kind of this guilt. Their. Do

28:59

remember him telling you some of that effect which

29:01

would is a d. C

29:04

Live like that my brother. He did go

29:06

after him but it was too late. right?

29:10

I was kind of like I don't

29:12

know if it was a mandate or

29:14

to I don't have asked ran you

29:16

know what I mean. Sea bass the

29:18

on know we don't know some speculate

29:20

once he loves nobody knows what happened.

29:23

So. Even if it wasn't true, just a

29:26

question has been. Ah,

29:28

I'm. Like last,

29:30

adam work as an act like

29:32

they're been attacked from different directions

29:34

and affected him. In

29:39

the years after. Noel Siblings

29:41

sound success. Alberto

29:44

as a professor and harbored fellow. Another

29:47

brothers Solomon is a nationally renowned

29:49

painter, and Alberto says no ill

29:51

was the smartest of the mouth.

29:54

But Alberto says no one's life took a

29:56

turn. Because. Of these

29:58

accusations. Turn That affected

30:01

him for the rest of his life.

30:03

Was gonna with many were was a living was

30:05

it that he hold down to.org on oh yeah

30:08

my gonna get into that. It goes back to

30:10

what I'm saying about protecting his are that the

30:12

past the ways I don't wanna I don't wanna

30:14

sign light on that because if if he was

30:16

a lie by what I would let him like

30:18

speak for himself and on by the like. At

30:20

the end of that they were a family so

30:23

we're or as a family we always like. Protect

30:26

ourselves and protect each other. All

30:28

I can say without is like

30:30

that that. The

30:32

Oscar in sit in L A

30:35

was. Like that

30:37

from Attic of Incident that.

30:41

That affect them through the rest of his life.

30:45

And. And.

30:47

Part of it had to do with like his

30:49

own guilt like he came thinking to himself i

30:51

could have done this I couldn't than that you

30:53

know like you wanna go back and but you

30:56

can go back and you're a bitch or you

30:58

didn't say how he died know. How

31:00

did he die? No.

31:04

Goes back to hims mm the going into the view

31:06

that i what i said in that in the wake

31:08

he like he died of a broken heart. Yeah

31:18

was. I

31:22

going to put it. To

31:28

grow up the way we did, You have to be. You

31:32

have to lose your know man. it's. In

31:36

order to to withstand that

31:38

into come out alive. If.

31:42

You have your humanity be have your your

31:44

then you. You're not going to make. But

31:47

it's not normal for anybody to see violence.

31:50

Like as a kid. Is

31:53

not normal for like to see that your friend

31:55

got killed or nothing about ask him for can

31:58

be for that. About. My

32:01

whole family. You've. Seen people

32:03

get killed? Yeah, And

32:05

you're seeing you in is that meaningless a witness Lessons

32:07

yeah he when is the all my whole family this.

32:11

And. So a lot of times with the

32:13

homeboys, the channel that and they become

32:15

that rent a nobody gives a fuck

32:17

about me. Why? Should I do a fuck

32:19

about it? But.

32:21

The thing when then of that he was too

32:23

sensitive. That was his problem. When

32:26

something happen it it impacted him

32:28

more. Than the

32:30

average person. And co

32:32

and or or like as to

32:35

god knows as males. In.

32:38

A We're not a cost of. Like

32:41

to say I love you. Know

32:43

like I never told my father I love them. For example,

32:46

When. He never told me. But.

32:48

Then it would say like a loving. Nina

32:51

would say that to you. Didn't.

32:55

He taught you the center. Yeah,

32:59

that's what I said at the funeral. I'm

33:03

feeling what I've got a same year. I

33:07

say I love you to my wife and two kids.

33:10

But. It's. Hard for me to

33:12

say. The Army. The

33:15

Giro. To my own mother. Had

33:19

cousins in Mexico were openly a

33:21

sex in it. So.

33:24

Where did I just kept from? I

33:27

remember my mom saying i love you when it

33:29

wasn't limited. But

33:31

then I also remember when

33:34

she stopped saying. It

33:38

was when we moved in with

33:40

my stepfather. I

33:43

knew she loved me. One. Way

33:45

she expressed her love. Was. As

33:47

he threw me birthday parties every year

33:50

even into my late twenties he was

33:52

I said saved up all her love

33:54

from the year into that one day.

34:00

She'd make yellowcake was cool

34:02

whip I see and strawberries.

34:04

she get opinion that M

34:06

c the events as from

34:08

a family members to take

34:11

multiple photos. But

34:13

I remember feeling there was something missing.

34:16

Looking. Back now what

34:18

was missing? Was. Saying

34:21

the words out loud. My

34:25

feelings about it now her

34:27

complicated. And which

34:29

was different. But I believe

34:32

she did the best he could. My.

34:35

God. about. And like many. She

34:38

came from a legacy of violence and

34:40

and stability. Her father

34:42

was murdered when she was the reason.

34:46

She. Was a field work as a

34:48

little kid. And

34:51

aren't It's so much more

34:53

complicated when you understand where

34:55

someone is really coming from.

34:59

It's just that people, The

35:01

problem with most people the like I said

35:03

they they just don't understand of and then

35:06

they don't have sympathy they'd there they just

35:08

it's it's easy a quick to judge. Or

35:13

nobody that comes with a problem is a normal

35:15

person. They'll

35:18

myself included. For

35:20

other people who jobs or to try to figure

35:22

out why minute lived his life that a date

35:25

or the however he lived. Then

35:28

that's why say die from a broken heart Because.

35:34

It out with where people I said as like.

35:45

They're. Like two k due to. The

35:48

get the be mean Jack yes as I mean

35:50

sites like your friend died, he died of i

35:52

can't live on He wasn't like that. I

35:57

came into this interview with my

35:59

own preconceived know: there's a promoter,

36:01

gardens and Big Hazard. Hand

36:04

about know is. Where. Imagine does

36:06

this ruff kid who grew up in

36:08

the projects. I

36:11

came in sinkings. Noel was a

36:13

suspect, but now I think he

36:15

might have been another victim. In.

36:17

Oscars Death. You

36:20

know reporting We reached out to other U

36:22

C Santa Barbara friends with the with from

36:24

this time. including. His roommate

36:26

and they also don't remember know

36:28

will hanging out with members from

36:31

Big Hazard in Santa Barbara or

36:33

mentioning them in relation to Huskers

36:35

Death. So. While

36:37

I can totally discount the big hazard theory,

36:39

I can tell you that we have not

36:42

found any evidence to support it. Or

36:45

keep it in the back to my mind, but it

36:47

feels less likely to me now. What

36:50

feels more pressing is to go

36:52

to Santa Barbara to watch the

36:55

campus am the shoreline and to

36:57

find out what know as himself

36:59

tude law enforcement when he was

37:01

questioned. When. I looked

37:04

through Oscars death report from

37:06

the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department.

37:08

It says there was intense

37:10

investigations are major crimes investigators?

37:12

If so, there must be

37:14

some documentation that survived, maybe

37:16

interviews with suspects, deeds and

37:18

I haven't seen you. Las

37:23

Correspondent others have with my Lopez.

37:26

Where is that report and what is in

37:28

it? Six the whole file

37:31

is over. And

37:35

or that of. Was

37:38

the years problem? so and

37:40

the me? Would.

37:45

Have. Sat

37:48

in the next episode. Has a perfect

37:50

paradise forgotten revolution. Other

37:58

sons, my office. Recorded and

38:01

hosted Season two of Imperfect Paradise.

38:03

For the forgotten Revolutionary co writing

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and co refunding believe. Producer at

38:07

Natalie Should last year. I'm Anthony A

38:10

City he's a host of imperfect Paradise,

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people. On

39:49

Julia past weekend Edition. Join

39:51

me as I told Npr ceramic just

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about her new book. The Next: Angelicas

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Loving Living and Leaving the White Evangelical

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Church. She's not alone in leaving the.

40:01

She's a mom, A rising generation

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fleeing the fall when she met

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at a crossroads can in L

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A to talk about.