KILLING SPREE RAGES VALLEY DEATHS CLIMB 366% IN NOVEMBER.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

Ending the second-deadliest month in the San Fernando Valley this year, a 21-year-old suspected gang member was gunned down in an apparent drive-by shooting, authorities said Friday.

The slaying in the Valley capped a citywide killing spree in November that saw 65 homicides and helped thrust Los Angeles into the spotlight as the nation's murder capital.

The latest victim was Jose Luis Banda, who was killed about 8 p.m. Thursday as he was listening to music in his garage in the 11600 block of Remington Street in Lake View Terrace.

``No car was seen, no suspects were seen. It's a whodunit,'' said LAPD Deputy Chief Ronald Bergmann, the Valley Bureau commander. ``Most likely it was a drive-by, although nobody saw a car.''

The slaying pushed this year's Valley homicide total to 105, nearly a 21 percent increase over last year.

Fourteen slayings occurred in November, as of Friday. There were three homicides in the same month last year - a 366 percent increase.

It is the second-highest number recorded so far this year in an area that typically sees seven or eight homicides a month. Fifteen homicides were recorded in January.

``November and January were two of the worst months we had,'' said Bergmann, who attributed much of the spike to gang violence.

An outbreak of gang violence has turned Los Angeles into the nation's murder capital and prompted LAPD officials to launch an all-out war against street violence.

``Obviously we're concerned,'' said Sgt. John Pasquariello, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. ``We're trying to put our best effort forward to resolve this. We've got kids killing kids.''

Citywide, homicides have jumped 13 percent, from 538 in 2001 to 608 so far this year. As of Friday, Chicago is second behind Los Angeles in the total number of homicides with 578, followed by New York which reported 510.

The LAPD has been building strategies to make a full-fledged push in the gang war.

Bergmann said he would continue pushing his anti-gang coalition, and increase the numbers of parole and probation compliance checks to keep some of the most violent gang members in line.

Police blame gang violence for 50 percent of the homicides citywide and 60 percent in the Valley.

``Parole and probation checks should impact gang violence and dope dealers,'' Bergmann said. ``We're going to make our crooks know we're going to be checking up on them.''

Prompted by the series of murders in the 77th Division, Police Chief William Bratton has ordered dozens of officers, backed by state and federal authorities, to hit the city's toughest streets after a war between rival gangs in South Central claimed eight lives in a two-week period.

Hundreds of community members and officials have converged on several of the crime scenes this week, breathing peace, mending fresh wounds, making efforts to stop the killings.

``We're tired of what's going on in the community,'' said the Rev. Leonard Jackson of First AME Church. ``It's very important to build a partnership with the police. They cannot solve this problem alone. This is a community problem. By working together we can solve this.''

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HOMICIDE STATS

SOURCE: LAPD