LA County DA halts efforts to charge gang member suspected of murder as adult; boasted about gang in custody

The office of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has reportedly halted efforts to prosecute a gang member accused of murder as an adult despite the viciousness of the crime and him claiming allegiance to the gang while in juvenile detention.

Jalen Yoakum was 17-years-old when he allegedly gunned down Ontario Courtney, 40, when Courtney's car broke down in South Los Angeles in September 2017, FOX Los Angeles reported. While waiting for assistance, members of a local street gang shot Courtney mulitple times, prosecutors said.  Yoakum was one of the alleged shooters, authorities said. He was initially set to be prosecuted as an adult under former District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Upon taking office last year, Gascon unveiled a series of reforms that included ending the charging of juvenile suspects as adults.  Gascon withdrew a motion filed by his predecessor's office to prosecute Yoakum as an adult and withdrew gang and gun enhancements against him.