Family Outraged Over Newspaper’s ‘Gang Funeral’ Headline

The services for Julian Melendrez made the front page of Thursday?s Las Cruces Sun-News newspaper as a ?Gang Funeral.? But this bold headline left family members outraged.

“I think it’s wrong the way they portray him,? Janet Chapman, Melendrez? aunt, said. ?I’m sorry, I think it’s wrong.”

Nearly 300 people paid their respects at the service some called, ?the biggest gang funeral in years.? This label gives the impression everyone who attended is a gang member, which is certainly not true, Chapman said.

Melendrez was a self-proclaimed gang member, but Chapman said, she will always remember him for his warm heart.

“J.T. was my nephew, I loved him; and the family’s tired of everybody saying bad things about J.T.,” Chapman said.

Melendrez was laid to rest Wednesday at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

“They’re portraying us as a gang family,? Chapman said. ?His family was there – I?m not in a gang, my children are not in a gang.”

Las Cruces Police could not say whether the term ?gang funeral? was appropriate to describe the services.

“We cannot confirm or deny whether or not it was or was not,? Dan Trujillo, spokesperson for the Las Cruces Police Department, said.

ABC-7 called the Sun-News and was told the information categorizing the services as a ?gang funeral? came from Las Cruces Police, as attributed in the article.

But Trujillo denied the statement came from neither he nor anyone else within the police department?s administration.

“Whether it’s somebody within our department talking when maybe they shouldn?t be, and saying something to the media or the general public that may or may not be completely accurate, that’s very troubling for us,” Trujillo said.

Melendrez was shot and killed outside an east Mesa convenience store last week. An alleged rival gang member, Eric Marquez, now faces first degree murder charges.

“Nobody deserves to die like that,” Chapman said. ?Because he was in a gang, they’re blowing it up. I’m not justifying nothing my nephew did but I loved him, my family loved him, he was a human being.”

Chapman said Melendrez deserves to rest in peace, while the family deserves to be left alone.

“Let us deal with this, let us mourn his death,? Chapman said. ?That’s all we’re wanting and nobody seems to want to let us do that.”