On Oct. 7, 1961, he came home tired, went to bed and never woke up. He had died from a massive heart attack at the age of 47. Steven was only 13.
Missing his father’s love and attention, Steven got into more and more trouble at home, in school and on the streets of Belen. As a teenager, he joined the Wild Ones, a tough gang that fought rival gangs, especially gangs from Los Lunas.
Gang fights and individual run-ins led to serious injuries. Steven was hit in the head with a tire tool. Steven resorted to stabbing another boy over a girl, leaving an “H” shaped scar on the boy’s side that remained visible for the rest of his life.
By the time he was in the eighth grade, Steven cut school nearly every day. He routinely wrote excuses and had an older sister sign them for him.
Steven was sent to the “D” (delinquent) home for 90 days in 1963. Once back home, he continued to skip school until the day a truant officer caught him down by the railroad tracks. The officer brought Steven into his office and was about to give the boy a lecture when Steven slapped the man in the face and ran off.
Alerted of the incident, Belen police officers soon picked Steven up. He apologized for his misbehavior but was sent to court and sentenced to the New Mexico Boys School in Springer. He was to remain at Springer until he was 21 years old or until he was released by court order.
Original source found here.
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