Gangster caught by 'murder map' tattoo

A Los Angeles gang member has been convicted of murder after a police officer's realised the man's chest tattoo portrayed an unsolved murder. The conviction came after Anthony Garcia unwittingly confessed about the gangland killing to an undercover officer when he bragged about the tattoo. The murder had puzzled LA sergeant Kevin Lloyd for several years, until he spotted a bare chested Garcia in a mugshot book and realised the tattoo was 'a map' of the death scene. Mr Lloyd noted the tattoo showed all the key points to the gun death outside an off-licence where 23-year-old John Juarez was gunned down in January 2004 at Pico Rivera, an Hispanic area 11 miles south-east of Los Angeles.



Garcia's crude body art included Christmas lights outside the store, where the body was found and a recognisable street scene outside Mr Ed's Liquor, all illustrated beneath the sign "Rivera Kills" - a reference to his gang Rivera 13. Crucially, the tattoo on Garcia - whose nickname is "Chopper" - included a helicopter firing guns at the victim, who was drawn as a "Mr Peanuts" character. Mr Juarez was from the opposing Pico Nuevo gang, derogatively called "peanuts" by rival gangs.

Deputy District Attorney Brock Lunsford said Garcia now faces 65 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 19. "It's shocking to see someone was so audacious to put the crime scene on his chest. Plus factor in he put, 'Rivera Kills' above that," deputy district attorney Brock Lunsford said. According to Mr Lunsford, even the trajectory of the bullets being fired from the helicopter were portrayed accurately. "That's exactly how he did it," Mr Lunsford said.



Garcia had been arrested in 2008 on suspicion of murder and while in custody two undercover police officers posing as older gang members were placed in his holding cell. The suspect bragged about the killing to the agents without realising they had hidden microphones. Garcia admitted walking up to Mr Juarez outside the off-licence, asking where he was from, before gunning the man down.