Stop Alameda Police Harassment of SE Asian Youth

San Francisco Chronicle
Girl, 15, gunned down in tranquil Alameda park

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, November 2, 2007

Police sketch of suspect. Image courtesy of Alameda Police Students at Alameda High School leave notes for Ichinkhor... Ichinkhorloo Bayarsaikhan, 15, was hanging out with frien... Alameda police Officer Liza Godineaux diagrams the scene ... More...

(11-01) 22:01 PDT Alameda -- Fifteen-year-old Ichinkhorloo Bayarsaikhan was taking rigorous courses at Alameda High School and earning good grades just three years after she and her family had immigrated to the United States from Mongolia.

On Halloween night, Ichinkhorloo was hanging out with a group of about 10 friends at a popular family park in Alameda when she was shot in the back and killed in a robbery attempt by five or six teenage boys.

The killing shocked residents of the tranquil island city, which had seemed insulated from the cruelty that its neighbor across the estuary, Oakland, sees all too often. Oakland has had more than a hundred homicides this year. Until Halloween night, Alameda had had none this year.

"I am personally stunned and professionally stunned," Alameda police Lt. Art Fuentes said. "It is a tragedy to lose the life of such a young lady, and as a parent, I couldn't fathom the loss and feelings that her family is going through."

On Thursday, as friends and family mourned the quiet and kind girl everyone knew as Iko, police scoured for clues and searched for the assailants responsible for what was believed to be a random crime.

Ichinkhorloo and her friends were in the playground area of Washington Park on Central Avenue at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday when a group of boys they didn't recognize approached them and demanded their property, Fuentes said.

One of the assailants carried a gun and fired five or six shots in the air, then fired one last shot that hit Ichinkhorloo in the back, Fuentes said.

"We believe she was in a defensive posture at the time of the shooting," Fuentes said.

One of her friends ran and found a police officer writing a traffic ticket. By the time police arrived, the gunman and the other assailants were gone.

Police cordoned off the area and began searching both Alameda and Oakland, which are connected by four bridges and a tunnel. They searched AC Transit bus stops and the BART's 12th Street station in downtown Oakland to find the youths. Initial descriptions of the assailants were only sketchy, but they were described as Asian juveniles, slender in build with heights ranging from 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches and wearing dark clothing.

Ichinkhorloo was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where she was pronounced dead.

Washington Park is not known for violence. But neither is Alameda. The city of tree-lined streets and Victorian houses had two slayings in 2006, none in 2005 and one in 2004.

At the park Thursday, Julia McKinley, 16, and Vanessa Johnson, 16, both students at Encinal High School, spent their lunch break on a swing set not far from where the shooting occurred.

"It's scary that this could happen in Alameda," Vanessa said. "Stuff like that never happens here, but it did. It's hard to believe."

In many ways, Alameda is a throwback to simpler times of mom-and-pop-owned shops and restaurants and family-oriented businesses - a 12.4-square-mile city that doesn't usually make headlines. It is literally an island isolated from the fast pace and urban grind of other East Bay cities.

"We've been very fortunate in this city, with our proximity to Oakland and the homicide problems they have there, that we've been able to keep it relatively safe here," said Lt. David Boersma of the Alameda Police Department. "There's a lot of factors, and certainly geography is one of them."

Investigators examined Washington Park on Wednesday night and again Thursday with metal detectors in search of evidence. Police also looked into nearby storm drains, Fuentes said. The yellow police tape that had cordoned off most of the park was removed shortly after noon.

Police recovered evidence linked to the shooting, said Fuentes, who declined to elaborate.

Mourners left balloons and a stuffed animal at the park. A single red carnation was placed on a tree near where Ichinkhorloo was killed.

Ichinkhorloo had entered the eighth grade at Chipman Middle School in Alameda after immigrating from Mongolia. English was her second language when she arrived, school officials said.

She was a good student at Alameda High, where she had been a junior. Her brother is also a student at the school, said Principal Mike Janvier.

Ichinkhorloo maintained a 3.3 grade point average with "a very strong course load," said Donna Fletcher, spokeswoman for the Alameda Unified School District. "She was taking pre-calculus, chemistry, Spanish II, U.S. history and choir."

Janvier made an announcement about the killing Thursday morning to the school's 1,800 students, and phone messages were being sent to all parents. Psychologists and administrators were on hand to comfort students, many of whom signed posters mourning the loss of their schoolmate.

"We're an extended family," Janvier said. "This has hit hard. It shows in the somber and reflective mood of our students."

Kathleen Austin, a teacher who taught Ichinkhorloo in a class last year, described her as a "very gentle, quiet soul who was very, very kind."

During the lunch break Thursday, many students signed posters on campus, one of which read, "Iko, we'll miss you."

"She didn't deserve what happened to her," said Itzel Diaz, 16, a junior. "I couldn't believe it - I just saw her yesterday."

Nergiss Shaghasi, 17, said her mother watches crime shows on television and has fretted for her safety. "It makes you think twice before you leave the door," Shaghasi said.

Chronicle staff writer Heather Knight contributed to this report. E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee [at] sfchronicle.com.

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Murdered Teen's Family Holds Press Conference
Written by Eric Turowski and Ankitha Bharadwaj Published: Friday, 02 November 2007
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The family of Iko Bayarsaikhan, the Alameda teenager who was murdered on Halloween, held a press conference at Alameda Police headquarters Sunday, Nov. 4. The victim's mother, Uranchimeg Khishigdorj, read a prepared statement to the press.
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Photo courtesy APD Ichinkhorloo Bayarsaikhan

The family of Iko Bayarsaikhan, the Alameda teenager who was murdered on Halloween, held a press conference at Alameda Police headquarters Sunday, Nov. 4.

The victim's mother, Uranchimeg Khishigdorj, read a prepared statement to the press. "Iko was my only daughter. She always had a smile on her face. She loved life. She always shared her dreams with me. She would tell me that someday soon, her father and I wouldn't have to work so hard. She would say, 'I will make you happy and take care of you for the rest of your life.' But I lost my sweet daughter. I wish that every family never has to go through what I'm feeling."

Also in attendance were Bayarsaikhan's father, Mandalmaa Bayarsaikhan, her uncle, Gankuyag "Ghana" Khishigdorj, and Dorj Luvsanjambaa, president of the Bay Area Mongolian community. Luvsanjambaa acted as translator for the family.

Though Luvsanjambaa, Khishigdorj spoke of her daughter's dream. "She wanted to be a journalist, to travel the world and show the beauty of the world. Rachel Ray was her favorite."

The family moved to Alameda three years and two months ago. Their first impression was that America was a safe haven for everybody. But they soon learned it was not safe at all, especially for kids. Iko Bayarsaikhan's mother urged her to know who her friends were. Uranchimeg Khishigdorj said that the family moved to the United States for their two children, so that they could have a bright future. In addition to Iko, the family also has a 17-year-old son.
Image Image

Alameda police released these composit sketches of the juveniles they believe shot and killed Ichinkhorloo Bayarsaikhan in Washington Park on Halloween. Anyone recognizing these individuals is asked to call the investigation hotline at 337-8381.

Uncle Ghana Khishigdorj asked the public to "Please help us find the people who did this to our community and to our Iko."

The father, Mandalmaa Bayarsaikhan, described Iko as "the light of our family. She always made us smile, made us happy. She was very motivated, a strong believer in her future. She always said, 'I will graduate and take care of you.'"

Luvsanjambaa, responding to a question from the press about the murder being news in Mongolia, said, "This didn't happen because Iko was Mongolian. It happened to a member of the community. We don't think of ourselves as Mongolian - it's American here. It just happened out of the blue. We are new to this society and some people don't know that we are living in danger and violence."

Mandalmaa Bayarsaikhan was a civil engineer in Mongolia, Uranchimeg Khishigdorj an accountant. But after moving to the United States, they had to start over. The couple now works in a pizza restaurant to support their family.

Mandalmaa Bayarsaikhan thanked Alameda police for setting up the press conference. "It's not very easy for us, for someone to come knock on our door," he said.

The family is currently working with the Alameda Unified School District and the PTA to establish a memorial fund in Iko Bayarsaikhan's name.

A vigil was held Saturday night by friends and family of the victim in upper Washington Park. Mourners spelled out the name Iko with approximately 1,000 candles.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the hotline at 337-8381.

A 15-year-old Alameda High School junior was shot at Upper Washington Park by what police describe as a group of five or six Asian male juveniles at approximately 10:12 p.m. Oct. 31. The victim, Ichinkhorloo Bayarsaikhan, was with a group of 10 friends when they were approached by the unknown males, according to police.

Witnesses say one of these men was armed with a gun, who fired it into the air with his final shot hitting the victim. "The victim's back was to the assailant," Lt. Art Fuentes, APD Investigations Division commander said. He believes the victim may have been in a defensive position.

At the time of the shooting, an APD officer monitoring the flashing red light on Webster Street and Central Avenue made a traffic stop in front of Washington Park. A friend of the Bayarsaikhan's ran to the officer who responded and notifed the Investigations Division. Responding units located the victim in the playground area of the park.

The Alameda Fire Department rushed Bayarsaikhan to Highland Hospital in Oakland where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

In a press release from APD, Fuentes states: "As this investigation unfolds it is clear that the motive for this tragedy was an attempted robbery. The Investigators have completed their crime scene sweep and have recovered evidence linked to this shooting."

Police believed the only option for the juvenile suspects to leave Alameda was via AC Transit. A bus driver was questioned, and said he remembered dropping off several male Asian juveniles near BART in Oakland.

BART and Oakland police assisted APD in a search of the BART station and train with the aid of dogs. The bus was impounded for investigators to obtain trace evidence and released. Currently, outside agencies are assisting in the search for the supects and APD says they are utilizing all available resources on the case.

In a press release, Fuentes stated: "I would like to start by saying the Alameda Police Department's deepest sympathies go out to family and friends of Ichinkhorloo. As a parent of a young daughter, I know this is a terrible tragedy.

"The Alameda Police Department is committed to utilizing all our resources and are working around the clock in order to bring the responsibles in this tragedy to justice."

A press release from the Alameda Unified School District read: "We were deeply saddened to learn that an Alameda High School Junior was shot and killed last night in an Alameda park. We are currently providing counselors and school psychologists to support students and staff at the school. Superintendent Dailey and Principal Mike Janvier will be contacting the family to offer their sincere condolences and any support that our staff can provide at this difficult time. We will continue to be aware of student needs in the coming days as we all cope with this tragedy."

Students at Alameda High were stunned after hearing of the incident.

"I was so incredibly shocked when I figured out who it was. I didn't really know her," said Leena Richman, a senior at AHS. "I've talked to her maybe once or twice but it really hit home. There really aren't any words to describe this. You start thinking, that could have been me, I could've been there."

"It felt weird being in school today," said Alameda High School junior Savanna Tracey. "There was a moment of silence, the news trucks were there and people getting interviewed. I didn't know the girl, but it's really sad."

Anjelica Hernandez, also a senior, said: "It just shows how violent Alameda is becoming. We used to think it's such a safe place but recently it's gotten a lot more violent."

This is the first homicide in Alameda this year.

The police are asking the public for help. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Alameda Police Department hotline at 337-8381.

Were you expecting the APD to be looking at Norwegians? Maybe Ethiopians? If you have photos and witnesses describing an ASIAN assailant, than I think it's fairly reasonable to anticipate the police investigating people of Asian descent.
Is that profiling? Racial profiling involves ignoring probable cause when stopping or arresting people of particular ethnic backgrounds. Given the fact that evidence was collected from various sources point to particular suspects in this case, calling this a case of racial profiling is absolutely absurd.
Instead of pointing the finger at police, the community and families that fostered this heinous bout of random violence should be more closely examined.
A quiet, innocent girl was gunned down. Shouldn't this tragic instance be given more attention than a bogus cry of racism?

The murdered girl was from Mongolia in north Asia, not Malaysian. She was 15, not 16.

AYPAL has produced nothing to back up its claims. It gives the fight for social justice a bad name.

Racial Profiling??? What do you want the police to do, go to a white neighborhood or a black naighborhood to try to find the ASIAN punks that shot that poor girl??? If a black and tan Dobernam bites you, do you want animal control to go chasing after a little white poodle in another neighborhood? No, you'd want them to go find that black and tan Doberman in YOUR neighborhood, not some poodle that doesn't fit the "profile" in some far away town. I am sorry, but "race" fits certain profiles and the only way to convey "a general" description about someone is usually by their race. Like it or not, that is just a fact and there is NOTHING WRONG with that. If I describe a suspect as being 6' tall, black skin, dark kinky hair in an afro style, black eyes and very athletic in stature, do you want the Police to go looking around for some 4' tall, junior high kid with long straight hair and light green eyes? I think not. You'll NEVER catch criminals unless you at least partially use race as part of the description. You people need to get real and quit pulling out the "race card" because it is really getting old and it makes ZERO sense! I am white and I'll tell you what. If I was in an all Mexican neighborhood and some white guy killed someone, I wouldn't at all be offended if I got pulled over and questioned because of my race. Do you expect them to pull over Mexicans when clearly it was a white guy that did the crime? What a waste of energy, resources, and time!! If it was MY daughter that got hurt or killed, I'd sure as hell want EVERY person that fits that description in that area questioned. If it "offends" them or "inconveniences" them.... too frigging bad!!! That's the way life goes sometimes. You don't like it? Move to a neighborhood that isn't all one or two races and you won't have that problem.

The APD went to Bret Harte Middle school and called out everyone with the last name SAECHAO.. SAECHAO is a very common last name in the Mien community. I think they shouldn't have done that. Even though they might have the same last name, that doesn't mean they're related. There are hundreds of Mien people with that last name.
They detained minors without parental consent, pulled them out of school ..and when they were released, the parents werent even aware of it. Their child had to tell them about that and what happened to them. Now is that not wrongful doing of APD? They claim they have witnesses but thats B.S!!