An arrest warrant
was issued for Kody "Monster" Scott, landing the best-selling author
on The Los Angeles Police Department’s new list of ‘Top 10 Most Wanted Gang Members,’
for an alleged car jacking. Scott,
also known as Sanyika Shakur, authored the autobiography Monster: The Autobiography
of an L.A. Gang Member from prison, which detailed his life growing up in
Los Angeles as an Eight-Tray Crips gang member According
to The Los Angeles Times, an arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 15, after
Scott allegedly struck an associate in the face and took his car. Another
warrant was issued Feb. 1, claiming that Scott failed to appear in court when
subpoenaed as a material witness in a homicide case. "He
was just too involved in the culture of gangs; he couldn’t get away," Sgt.
Manny Santoyo told The Los Angeles Times. "He chose that life."
Some
speculated that Scott’s inclusion on the list with murderers was pay back by Police
Chief William J. Bratton. The
Times
reported that Scott was the subject of an alert issued by the LAPD overa year ago, because he had publicly threatened Chief Bratton.The
warrants come during a crackdown on gangs announced by Chief Bratton and Los Angeles
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. According
to police, Los Angeles has seen a 14 percent increase in gang crime and a 160
percent hike in the San Fernando Valley. Last
week, the mayor and the police chief released a list, which named the city’s 11
worst gangs. Those gangs are now the target of investigations."Los
Angeles county and city is, unfortunately, the gang capital of America,"
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said.
According to his autobiography, Scott started gang banging at the age of 11, when
he was inducted into the Crips. Scott
served seven years in prison assaulting a crack dealer. When he was released,
he turned his life around, converted to Islam and renounced violence. Sgt.
Santoyo said that Scott’s whereabouts are unknown.
