A San Francisco jury is continuing to deliberate today in the case of a 24-year-old alleged gang member accused in the 2008 execution of another alleged gang member.
Ronnie “Ron Ruger” Louvier, believed to be a member of 800 Block, one of several gangs in the city’s Western Addition neighborhood, is on trial for the murder of 17-year-old Marquise “Snaks” Washington, who prosecutors say was a member of the rival Eddy Rock gang.
Washington was gunned down by a man in a car while walking with another alleged Eddy Rock member in the 800 block of Turk Street at about 8 p.m. on March 20, 2008.
Prosecutors said neither gang claims that area as their turf.
A witness gave police the license plate number of the car, which turned out to belong to Louvier.
Police arrested Louvier the next morning outside his home in San Leandro after observing him wiping down the driver’s side door and window. Louvier’s DNA was on the alleged murder weapon, a gun found stashed in a secret compartment of the car, according to prosecutors.
Louvier, however, testified that another man, Charles “Cheese” Heard–a purported member of a third Western Addition gang who is currently awaiting trial for a separate 2008 murder–was responsible for Washington’s shooting.
Louvier said Heard borrowed his car the day of Washington’s killing and returned it afterward.
Heard, an alleged member of the Central Divis Players, is accused of fatally shooting 29-year-old Richard Barrett outside a North Beach nightclub on Nov. 25, 2008, following a botched attempt to rob Barrett of his necklace, which depicted the Flinstones character “Bamm-Bamm.”
Louvier is known to associate with Heard’s gang, which is allied with 800 Block and other Western Addition gangs against Eddy Rock, according to police.
On Tuesday, after nearly a week of deliberations, the jury returned a partial verdict, convicting Louvier of firearm and drug possession charges.
In a note to the judge this morning, the jury indicated that it was split on murder and gang charges, but decided to resume deliberations this afternoon.
