Blood stains on street, bullet holes in cars remind residents of violence

The south Ukiah neighborhood where Cesar Mendez died during a gun battle with police was quiet Tuesday, but signs of the violence remained.

Splashes of orange spray paint, many indicating spent bullet cartridges, marked the block-and-a-half-long path between the beginning and end of the shootout on South Dora Street.

A sidewalk memorial to Mendez, 20, cropped up in front of the house where he'd fallen for the last time. It included roses, candles with religious figures, bottles of beer and cigarettes.

Many of the memorial offerings were symbols of the sureno gang, including several blue bandanas and a black T-shirt with the words "southsider" and the number 13.

On a small Mexican flag, someone scrawled "lennox," another term associated with Southern California gangs, according to law enforcement.

A photo of Mendez flashing a gang sign was inserted into a frame holding pictures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Police have not said Mendez was a gang member but did say he had friends who were known sureno gang members.

Friends and relatives stopped by the memorial throughout the day.

In the morning, five girls held each other and tried to comfort Mendez's girlfriend as she sobbed uncontrollably several feet from the memorial, where patches of dried blood remained at the edge of the sidewalk.

Later in the day, three young men with shaved heads and oversized black T-shirts stood solemnly at the site while another wept and wailed.

Shannon Barajas, who lives in front of the offering, said she does not mind the makeshift memorial or the visitors.

"I went to school with him," she said of Mendez.

She said he also had attended school with her husband, with whom he remained friendly.

Barajas said she saw Mendez make his last stand against police next to her car, which later was towed away as evidence. She said Mendez fell to the ground, then got back up on his knees and continued to fire at police until his gun was empty.

Other neighbors were not as welcoming of the memorial.

"Why would someone memorialize someone like that?" asked a woman who didn't want to be identified for fear of reprisal.

Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Broin said he'd received several complaints Tuesday about the memorial. He did not elaborate on the nature of the complaints.

On the east side of town, the home Mendez shared with his parents at the end of a cul-de-sac near Main Street was visited by a steady stream of relatives and friends.

An uncle, Juan Ramirez, said he did not know what happened the night before or of any trouble Mendez may have had.

Mendez's parents were not at home, he said.

Next door, Kelly Ruddock recalled Mendez as having been a sweet boy growing up and a person who remained respectful of her as an adult.

But she also was aware of gang activity on the otherwise quiet street where all the neighbors knew each other from building "sweat-equity" homes together 10 years ago.

Mendez's parents, Ernestina and Manuel, had three boys, Ruddock said.

"You just never picture them growing up and having such bad things in their lives," she said. "It's just heartbreaking."

Ruddock said she hopes Ukiah youths and their parents learn something from Monday's tragedy.

"I hope they learn the guns are real, the bullets are real and the damage done is real," she said.