Former gang member, confined to wheelchair, speaks to students
A former gang member shot at age 17 and since confined to a wheelchair will speak with elementary school students in Coachella Thursday as part of an event aimed at steering kids away from gangs.
Jeanette Jaime spoke with students from Valle del Sol Elementary School Thursday during a gang avoidance presentation hosted by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Jaime was a member of a gang out of Long Beach when she was shot while holding her then 11-month old daughter. The shooting left Jaime paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jaime has since been a Coachella Valley resident for the past 11 years and has regularly spoken at local schools on the topic.
“They need to know what they’re getting themselves into if they go down that path,” said Jaime.
The DA’s office says they want to reach out to students this early in age so that if they’re approached by a gang member, they’ll be less likely to join.”
“This is the age in elementary school unfortunately when kids are first starting to get their first exposure to gangs and to narcotics, and so, unfortunately, we need to get them, and we need to interact with them,” said Riverside County Deputy D.A. Mike Tripp.
Interaction that Jaime hopes will help lead students away from the life she had.
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