Gangs use minors as 'killing tools,' San Jose police chief says ...Middle East

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- A 15-year-old boy was on a Valentine's Day date with his girlfriend when he was attacked and stabbed to death on Santana Row in San Jose. On Monday, police released shocking details about who allegedly killed David S. Gutierrez.

The victim was a young boxer who lived in Redwood City, attended Sequoia High School, and had no ties to gangs, according to police and family members.

The killer was a 13-year-old Campbell boy, San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said.

Gutierrez and his girlfriend were on a date February 14 when five teenagers confronted him. The five boys are members of a San Jose street gang, and they were "actively seeking a confrontation" on Valentine's Day, Joseph said.

The group questioned Gutierrez and then began assaulting him. "The victim managed to escape and ran away from them," Joseph said.

The 13-year-old boy, however, ran after him with a knife and "brutally stabbed the victim," the police chief said.

Gutierrez was stabbed through the heart, according to a GoFundMe page. "He was tragically just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Joseph said.

The group of gang members fled before police officers arrived at the scene. This week, police announced that five suspects were arrested. The 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder. Three 16-year-old San Jose boys were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall for assault. And an 18-year-old Campbell man, Emanuel Sanchez-Damian, was booked into jail on assault charges Friday.

Joseph said his officers are seeing a disturbing pattern among gangs that take advantage of California's juvenile justice system. State laws were reformed to lighten punishments for juveniles who commit crimes, including homicides.

Gang unit detectives are seeing more juveniles "committing more violent crimes without recourse. The killing tool of choice is now a juvenile," Joseph said.

If a 13-year-old suspect is found guilty of murder, he will likely serve just eight months in an unlocked ranch facility, Joseph said.

The boy who fatally stabbed Gutierrez will never be identified publicly, and he will never spend a day in jail, the police chief said. Under California law, convicted murderers who are less than 14 years old do not serve sentences in juvenile halls. Instead, they are sent to ranch facilities. Juvenile cases are also sealed in court records to maintain privacy for offenders.

State laws have "unintentionally created a system that, in certain severe cases like this, provides virtually no meaningful consequences for the most violent and brutal cases. As a result, young offenders who take life, commit murder, or other atrocities face only a few months ... or maybe a handful of years ... in custody before they are released back into our neighborhoods," Joseph said.

"We must address the grim reality under our current system. Adults in gangs are exploiting the leniency of our juvenile justice system (and) recruiting underage members to commit horrific acts of violence on their behalf. Why? Because they know that a 17 year old, a 15 year old, or 13 year old is unlikely to face consequences anywhere near as severe as an adult would for the very same crime," Joseph said.

Gutierrez’s death is the third homicide in San Jose in 2025.

He trained at Gladiators Boxing Gym in Redwood City. The gym’s Facebook page states, "It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic loss of one of our own. David S. Gutierrez, a 15-year-old member of Gladiators Gym, was taken from us far too soon. He was more than just a fighter — he was family, full of heart, determination, and a bright future ahead."

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