Violence not only is threaded through America's school system, but tragically it has reached the point where even in the affluent San Diego suburb of La Jolla some residents say that local groups act more like street gangs than bona fide citizens.

In the May 12, 2008 New York Times article by Abby Aguirre, we read:

"But last spring, Mr. Kauanui was beaten to death, and five young men from La Jolla, all in their 20s, were charged in his murder.  In court last week, prosecutors said that because the men were members of the Bird Rock Bandits, they should be prosecuted under tough state laws that apply to street gangs."

Do street gangs flourish in glamorous beach town La Jolla, where homes sell for an average of $3.9 million?

A filmmaker Richard Kenvin, 47, commenting on the killing said, "They were gangsta chic."