Movies

L.A. hitmaker’s red hat led accused killers to mistake him for gang rival, police say

BBG News

Ray Jacobs, the collaborator behind some of Justin Bieber’s and DJ Khaled’s hit songs, had stepped out from a West Adams watering hole, when a Silver Chevrolet Impala and a White Mercedes-Benz Sports Utility Vehicle drew parallel to him.

From the open windows of the vehicles, bursts of muzzle fire were reported, as stated by a representative from the Los Angeles Police Department during a court hearing last month.

31-year-old Jacobs, known professionally as August 08, tragically lost his life on August 26, 2023, in an incident that authorities believe was a case of mistaken identity.

California

On November 28, 2023, Sidney Barrett Morris, a prominent figure at California State University Northridge, was tragically shot while having dinner. The potential perpetrators have recently been brought before a court, but the reason behind this crime is still unknown.

At the court hearing, it was stated that the individuals accused of shooting allegedly belonged to the Rollin’ 30s Harlem Crips. These suspects were reportedly under the impression that Jacobs had ties with the Black P-Stones, a competing Bloods gang, which could have been the reason for the violence.

Jacobs had no ties to any gang, yet the prosecution pointed out that he was sporting a red-bordered baseball cap.

The reasoning behind the prosecution’s belief that Jacobs was specifically targeted harks back to a period of heightened violence. In contrast to the 1990s, when Los Angeles and especially the West Adams neighborhood where Jacobs met his end, experienced over a thousand homicides annually, today both the city and this specific neighborhood are significantly safer.

In today’s world, fights among gangs frequently begin as arguments online and can escalate into acts of violent retaliation. However, random shootings occur less frequently now.

Lawyers defending the accused asserted that no concrete proof exists beyond mere conjecture regarding the color of a hat, which they claim does not support the notion that Jacobs incorrectly identified them as a gang member.

From my perspective as a film enthusiast, Jacob’s story underscores that despite the shift towards gentrification and decreasing homicide rates, it hasn’t altered the grim reality that a young African American can still lose his life due to something as trivial as wearing the “wrong color” in the wrong community.

Born and raised in Long Beach and Lynwood, Jacobs achieved success in 2015 by collaborating on the smash hit “I’m the One” with Bieber and Khaled.

Initially part of the music group 88Rising, Jacobs launched his first solo EP titled “Father” back in 2018, according to The Times. Later on, he joined Def Jam Recordings, leading to the creation of his 2022 album “Seasick,” which featured collaborations with artists like Jhené Aiko, Schoolboy Q, and Joji.

Speaking about him following his passing, his record company described Jacobs as a “tremendously gifted lyricist, proficient performer, and unique creative talent.

Following Jacob’s tragic demise, I, as a dedicated film enthusiast and amateur detective, found myself traversing the halls of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hours later. My destination was the room of the singer’s companion, who had miraculously survived the same ordeal. As an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department, Daniel Ivan, I sought answers that would unravel the mystery surrounding this heartbreaking event.

California

Last November, I found myself cruising down an obscure lane off Century Boulevard in the Westmont district, behind the wheel of my pristine white Mercedes Benz, when all of a sudden, shots rang out from a mysterious dark-toned SUV. This chilling detail was revealed by investigators just yesterday.

My friend told me they visited a bar located at Johnny’s, a venue that serves beer and wine alongside Johnny’s Pastrami sandwiches. This long-standing sandwich stand, which shut down in 2015, reemerged five years later as part of the renovation efforts aimed at revitalizing the West Adams district.

Moments before the bar ended its operation for the night, the friend mentioned that he and Jacob accompanied two ladies they’d met earlier to their vehicles. As they traversed the road, the friend heard rapid gunfire – approximately 15 to 20 gunshots, as Ivan later testified. Struck in both legs, he took refuge behind a nearby bin. Jacob lost balance, then fell unconscious.

The friend did not see the shooters, Ivan testified.

From the security camera recordings, it was found that the suspects were driving a Chevrolet Impala and a Mercedes-Benz SUV. The owner of the Impala was identified as Garey Marshall, aged 42, as testified by the officer. The SUV, on the other hand, had been rented via the Turo car-sharing service to Grady Montgomery’s girlfriend at that time, who was 34 years old.

Both Marshall and Montgomery are members of the Rollin’ 30s, the officer testified.

At Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where the Rollin’ 30s gather, surveillance footage showed two vehicles and two individuals just prior to Jacobs’ death, as stated by Ivan.

According to Ivan, Marshall and Montgomery were spotted at the park in white shirts, and a somewhat blurry security video hinted that the gunmen also donned white shirts. Furthermore, Ivan claims that Marshall’s phone records indicate he moved towards West Adams prior to Jacobs’ murder, as he was tracked by his phone.

Gabriel De Ala, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department who oversees the Rollin’ 30s neighborhood, stated in testimony that the gang originated in the 1970s under the name The Armed Godfathers. Today, their territorial expanse encompasses areas from Jefferson Boulevard to King Boulevards and from Normandie Avenue to Crenshaw Boulevard, as per De Ala’s remarks.

California

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Testified, De Alba, to bolster the gang-related sentence for Marshall and Montgomery; they both deny charges related to the murder of Jacobs and the attempted murder of his companion.

LA County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, has given his team of prosecutors permission to add additional charges (these are called “enhancements”) to criminal cases, which could lead to longer sentences if it can be proven that the crime was committed for the benefit of a gang. This change comes after his predecessor, George Gascon, had prohibited such practices.

Enemies of the Rollin’ 30s, according to De Alba, are the Black P-Stones, who lay claim to the region where Jacobs was fatally shot. Historically, the Black P-Stones have been identified by their red clothing, although De Alba noted that modern gangs do not follow color coding as rigidly as they used to.

As a keen observer, I find myself compelled to express that Zino Osehobo, representing Marshall, firmly contends that it’s nothing more than conjecture to suggest that my client was present during the unfortunate incident involving Jacobs, let alone implying that they were the one who pulled the trigger.

He expressed his viewpoint by saying, “This evidence is not substantial enough to be called circumstantial,” and requested Superior Court Judge Craig Veals to drop the murder charges. In essence, he described the case as one that relies heavily on assumptions rather than concrete evidence.

Deion Benjamin, representing Montgomery, stated that he found no proof to justify a gang-related charge. Simply because a crime took place where a gang might claim their turf does not automatically mean the incident was a gang-related offense, Benjamin explained to the judge.

I firmly believe that the accumulated evidence is substantial enough to bring Montgomery and Marshall before a court of law, charging them with murder and attempted murder, with a gang enhancement added, based on my observations.

As a movie buff, I found it quite believable that the defendants could have mistaken Jacobs and his friend for their rivals, considering the color of the cap involved in the incident. The judge acknowledged there were complexities to this situation, but he emphasized it wasn’t a flimsy case by any means.

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2025-05-08 13:34

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