Feb 3, 2004

Neighbors shocked
Teenager stabbed to death on his way to Willow Glen High

By Carol Rosen
Editor

There’s very little crime in Willow Glen, and most criminal activities, when they occur, happen on busy streets not in the neighborhoods. So it was quite a surprise on Jan. 27, when a Willow Glen High School student was stabbed to death on his way to school after getting off a Valley Transportation Authority bus.

Television, radio and news reports covered the stabbing, which witnesses said was the result of an argument on the bus between 15-year old Samuel Pena Jr. and Bennie Espinoza, the 20-year old charged with killing Pena. The argument then escalated when they got off the bus near Pine and Cottle Avenues. The two began fighting and Espinoza ran down Pine to Newport and then to Minnesota leaving a trail of blood on the sidewalk.

Police said a motorist spotted Pena bleeding on the ground. He called police about 7:30 a.m. Pena was pronounced dead at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center that morning. Police indicated that an autopsy showed he had been stabbed in the head, neck and chest.

Some of the students interviewed later that day indicated that the problem may have stemmed from gang related issues, although no one could confirm that theory. Students told The Times that the school discussed the problem and told them to stay away from fights and gangs.

Pena had transferred from James Lick High School in October, according to Karen Fuqua, spokesperson for the San Jose Unified School District. He actually lived within the Willow Glen High School boundaries, she added.

Al Gallegos, vice principal of discipline at Willow Glen, noted that Pena was a “big-hearted kid.” The student needed guidance and support, he added, but he was a good kid.

“He came in to talk with me about three times,” said Gallegos. “He was frustrated, there was too much school work, normal teenage complaints. He responded to my advice, he was respectful. I also heard good things from his teachers who said they were going to miss him because of his big smile. I was working hard to help him out. I was with him when he was dying, and I know he heard my voice.”

Gallegos said he didn’t know if Pena belonged to a gang or not. “I can’t prove he was a member of a gang.” He said he’d given him rides to the Youth Center after school, and that Pena seemed to be a good kid who just needed support.

The vice-principal said that grief counselors were available for students throughout the week after Pena died. “Quite a few students came and talked to me and to others. They were here for a week. We also had some extra police officers on campus to make parents and students feel more comfortable. “We’ve done this before,” said Gallegos, a former reserve police officer.

“We’re going to make sure we keep our schools safe,” he stressed. “We can’t prevent problems on a city bus, but we can reinforce the rules [at school].”

Espinoza was arraigned last week on a charge he killed the Willow Glen student. He claimed that Pena had pulled the knife on him and that it was self-defense. When arrested, Espinoza had a stab wound on his hand. He was found in downtown San Jose on the afternoon of the stabbing.