Founder of Hawthorne’s “No Guns” center arrested on gun charge
Date: Mar 15, 2006 2:42 AM
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/03/10/state/n041756S39.DTL

Founder of Hawthorne’s “No Guns” center arrested on gun charge
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Friday, March 10, 2006

(03-10) 04:17 PST Hawthorne, Calif. (AP) –

The founder of an anti-gang center called “No Guns” was arrested on a gun charge and his son, a reputed gang member nicknamed “Little Weasel,” was taken into custody in connection with a home-invasion robbery, police said.

Hector Marroquin Sr., 49, a former gang leader, was arrested Thursday for investigation of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, said Hawthorne police Lt. Tom Jester. Police found the gun when they raided his home looking for his son, Hector Marroquin Jr., Jester said.

The son was arrested for investigation of home-invasion robbery stemming from a December crime in Hawthorne, Jester said.

Marroquin Sr., a heavily tattooed and once-feared gang leader, opened his No Guns Center in 1998 after a 2-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet. He said at the time that his goal was to create a place that would promote gang intervention and violence prevention.

The center started a youth soccer club, other recreation programs and job training.

Marroquin Sr., however, was unable to keep his son from joining a gang. In 1996, the elder Marroquin was shot while trying to protect his son from a beating.

Both men had bailed out of jail by Friday morning, Lt. Keith Kauffman said.

Neither has a listed telephone number.