Du Roc Crips

The Du Roc Crips (3x) or Duroc Crips also known as Du Roc Gangster Crips, due to their affiliation with the Gangster Crips (3X) card. are primarily an African-American street gang located in the Duarte and Monrovia, regions of the San Gabriel Valley in California. The Du Roc Crips consist of two cliques, known as the “low-end” in the Duarte neighborhood, between California Ave and Mountain Ave, south of Duarte Road.

Their 2nd clique is known as the “high-end” located in the neighborhood of Monrovia, between the 210 (Foothill) freeway and downtown Monrovia, north of Duarte Road. The Low-end clique share their neighborhood with the Duarte East Side, a known Hispanic street gang. The “high-end” clique share their neighborhood with the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio, another Hispanic gang.

The Du Roc Crips originated in the 1970s, and fall under the Gangster Crips also known as Trays (3x) umbrella, aligning themselves with all Gangster Crips such as the notorious Eight Tray Gangster Crips, located in South Los Angeles. The Duroc Crips is the only black street gang in the Temple Station area, with a membership of 150, making them one of the largest crip gangs in the San Gabriel Valley.

The Du Roc Crips refer to Monrovia and Duarte as “Roc Town” and are known to sport article of clothing by the Detroit Lions, a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. However, the Du Roc Crips wear apparel of the Detroit Loins to signify their affiliation with the “Du” Roc Crips.

In The News

Nickelis Blackwell and Rayshawn Blackwell (Du Roc Crips), who were charged with the murder of Sammantha Salas.

The Duroc Crips and the EastSide Duarte as well as the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio have a long history of racial motivated feuds. Which is traced back to a shooting that took place on August 9, 2006, when members of the East Side Duarte, drove by the home of Vincent Minor, an associate of the DuRoc Crips and open fire.

However, Minor’s 54-year-old father, Michael Minor, who was in the garage at the time of the shooting, a bullet penetrated through the garage, killing Minor’s father. The Duroc Crips retaliated less than five hours, killing a 22-year-old Latina female Nicole Kaster, was shot in the face. The intended target was Marcus Maturino, a member of the East Side Duarte.

On January 26, 2008, the Du Roc Crips made headlines with the tragic shooting death of Samantha Salas, a 16-year-old Latina, who was standing outside with a friend in front of the Riviera Apartments, located on the 2500 block of Peck Road in Monrovia. OnDecember 12, 2007, 24-years-old Hector Acosta, was shot and killed by two Du’roc Crips, while riding on his motorbike on Millbrae Ave.

In 2007, three members of the Du Roc Crips were convicted of the attempted murder of a 48-year-old latina female, who was enjoying a peaceful weekend with her husband. Until she was interrupted by a knock at the door, but when she answered, she was greeted by a hail of bullets. The 48-year-old was shot in the shoulder, upper thigh and a bullet graze her chin as she fail to the floor. The victim was rushed to Huntington Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released.

On Jan. 12, 2008, Davien Graham, a 16-year old African-American, was shot while riding on his bike coming from the store. The shooting took place in front of Graham church, where he laid bleeding in his uncle arms. The shooting left him paralyzed from the waist-down. The shooter was later identified as Jimmy Santana, a former schoolmate of Davien Gramham and a known member of the East Side Duarte. Santana was arrested and charged with attempted murder and was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

On Jan 13, 2008, a 64-year-old Sanders Rollins (Uncle Pete), was shot and killed in front of his house, by members of the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio. Rollin lived with his two nephews who held Rollins, while dying. Nickelis Blackwell and Rayshawn Blackwell, are cousins and the nephews of Sanders Rollins and are also well-known members of the Du Roc Crips. The two cousins, vowed vengeance’s by going on a shooting spree on two different occasions.

On Jan, 26, 2008, Nickelis Blackwell and Rayshawn Blackwell, attended their uncle funeral. Later on that day, the two nephews went on another shooting campaign to honor their uncle, when they encounter 16-year-old Samantha Salas, who was walking beside her friend in front of the Riviera apartments. The Blackwell cousins, walked up and open fire, shooting Salas eight times (including in the face, arm and mid-section), her friend Jennifer Mandi was also shot who remained unconscious in the hospital for 11 days.

Nickelis was sentenced to an indeterminate term of 160 years to life plus a consecutive determinate term of 40 years. Rayshawn was sentenced to an indeterminate term of 144 years to life plus a consecutive determinate term of 40 years.

The killing of Samantha Salas, was the last straw for many residents in the community who describe the shooting as a “senseless” and were outraged with the murder status in their neighborhoods. From 2006 to 2008, in a two years time period, there was around 85 assaults contributed to gang-related violence, between three gangs the Du-Roc Crips, Duarte East Side and the Monrovia Nuvo Varrio.

“The Latino gang Duarte Eastside and the black gang Duroc Crips generations-long feud escalated to a several-weeks war during March and April of 2003 with four separate gunbattles and one death. Caught in the mayhem was football star Dennis Weathersby, who was shot — but survived — days before he was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft. Weathersby grew up in Duarte and played for Oregon State University,” according to the LA Times.

Allies & Rivals

Allies include: Altadena Blocc Crips, Eight Tray Gangster Crips, Whitsett Ave Crips, Mad Ass Gangster Crips, and Trouble Gangster Crips. Main rivals are the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio and Duarte Eastside all three gangs share the same neighborhood, which has contributed to the racial tension and resulted in multiple gang-related shootings. Other rivals include: Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods, Altadena Denver Lane Bloods and the Azusa 13.