Arteesha Holt, 14, Attempted Robbery & Fatal Shooting of Hispanic Man, Allegedly Part of a Gang Initiation

Arteesha Holt, charged with first-degree murder in death of Hispanic man, Jose Gonzales, during alleged gang initiation.

Last week we blogged about the disturbing attacks against Hispanics in Baltimore and one incident in which a 13 year old girl allegedly shot two Hispanic men, killing one. Well, it turns out the girl isn't 13. She's 14 and her name is Arteesha Holt. According to the Baltimore Sun, Arteesha is being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jose Gonzales in East Baltimore. Police suspects her criminal actions were part of a gang initiation.

Holt tried to rob two men Aug. 13 in the 100 block of N. Linwood Ave, about a block north of Patterson Park, police said. When the men resisted, police say the girl shot them both. One man survived, but Gonzales died Saturday from a gunshot wound to his head. The survivor's name has not been released. Source

Where are the parents of this girl? It is a crying shame that she has so little self-esteem that she has allegedly sought to join a gang. It is also a shame that she is now a statistic in the penal system in this country. We cannot continue to lose our young people to the streets. Surely her parents should have seen the road to destruction she was heading down. Some people just shouldn't be parents.

UPDATE#1(08/26/10): According to the Baltimore Sun, Holt allegedly fired her gun when one of the victims laughed at her because she was so young, according to police charging documents filed this morning. The newspaper further states that prosecutors, in seeking the young suspect be held without bail, described Arteesha Holt (left) in court papers as a "flight risk and a danger to the citizens of Baltimore." Another young thug who was failed first and foremost by her parents and then the system. Her mother, Raichelle Johnson, 39, said Arteesha Holt was prone to violent outbursts and she tried repeatedly to get her help through the juvenile system to no avail. They should lock her up and try her as an adult.

UPDATE#2 (08/26/2010):  It also seems that Arteesha Holt isn't the only one in her immediate family with issues. Her brother, Shawn Palmer, 18, has been charged with being an accomplice to murder. Police say that he helped her escape from the neighborhood and took the silver .32-caliber revolver off her hands, toting it around in a black bag and showing it to people, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Photo credit: Arteesha Holt, Baltimore Sun