Pasco men form group to stem violence

When George Garcia Thacker was fatally shot earlier this month near the cable bridge, news of the well-known Pasco teen’s death sent shock waves through the community.

Some who knew the 18-year-old say he was trying to turn his life around, which made his death on a dark Pasco street with five bullet wounds all the more difficult to accept.

The murder hit especially close to home for two Pasco men who gave up street life long ago to help mentor at-risk youth in the area.

Jesse Campos and Jesse Orlando Mercada Retena are joining forces with Pasco city officials to curtail violence in the community.

The men started a community group, Pasco Unidos, in response to the murder. A free event called The Harvest of New Beginnings will be held at Volunteer Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, with the goal of connecting citizens with a wide variety of community resources.

“We want to be strong together,” Campos said. “We want to build hope, quit pointing the finger at others and do something about (the violence).”

Campos, a mentor to gang-affiliated and at-risk youth in the area, has seen waves of violence claim the lives of Tri-City youth during the years. But the murder of Garcia Thacker, whom Campos had mentored, hit close to home.

“It crushed me,” Campos said. “I’ve been working with George from (Juvenile Court) all the way to outside the system.”

In the days after the shooting, police identified brothers Nathan Quintero, 23, and Jaden Quintero, 17, as suspects.

Media stories about the manhunt for the brothers reached Jesse Orlando Mercada Retena, who helps run a Kennewick boxing club that has become a safe haven for at-risk youth, especially in the Hispanic community.

The brothers are part of Mercada Retena’s family through marriage. He calls both of them “nephew.”

“It hit me on a personal level when the Quinteros were (named as) suspects,” Mercada Retena said. “I’ve know them since they were boys.”

Garcia Thacker also had stopped by the boxing club one day, and Mercada Retena knew he was looking for a way out.

Frustrated by the violence in the community, Mercada Retena took to Facebook, writing in a post that something needed to be done. He tagged Campos in the post and a passionate discussion about creating a movement to stop the violence followed.

Campos invited everyone to come to River Church in Pasco days after the shooting. A group of people, including Pasco Police Chief Bob Metzger, showed up to discuss how to do it.

“It turned into something beautiful,” Mercada Retena said. “Everyone was on the same page.”

Campos and Mercada Retena told the Herald that Metzger and the police department have been proactive in working to find solutions.

Metzger said he supports the men’s efforts to make a difference, and that their ability to connect to gang members is a valuable tool to help curb violence.

“They can talk to the gang element better than I can, frankly,” the chief said. “We need that type of support and those types of people who can reach out to gang members.”

Pasco Unidos decided organizing an event with a variety of Tri-City support agencies could help citizens connect with valuable resources like tutoring services, WorkSource, health providers, pregnancy programs and alternatives to gangs.

Several organizations will be on hand Saturday, Campos said. City officials, police officers and Armed Forces recruiters are also expected to attend.

“We want to fill the gaps in our community and help families who may be oblivious to the resources in Pasco,” Campos said.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Pasco men form group to stem violence."