I KNEW WHEN I WAS ABOUT
13 OR 14, I KNEW I WANTED TO
BE BE A GANG MEMBER.
I KNEW I WANTED TO GO TO
PRISON.
THOSE WERE THE GOALS I SET
FOR MY OWN LIFE.
Reporter: JOHN MARTINEZ
ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE HIS
LIFE'S AMBITION.
BY THE TIME HE WAS 30,
PRISON WAS LIKE A SECOND
HOME, AND HARD DRUGS WERE
PART OF HIS EVERY DAY LIFE.
IT ALL STARTED WHEN JOHN WAS
13, AND HIS FAMILY BROKE
UP.
HE WAS THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE
KIDS, AND HIS FAMILY'S
DIVORCE HIT HIM HARD.
WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT MY
PARENTS' DIVORCE, I FELT
KIND OF SEPARATED.
I FELT KIND OF LOST.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WERE
ALL OUT OF THE HOUSE.
I BASICALLY WAS GOING FROM
HOUSE TO HOUSE.
I FELT LIKE NOT KNOWING WHAT
WAS THE NEXT STEP FOR MY
LIFE.
Reporter: AS A LATCH
KEY KID, JOHN LONGED FOR A
PLACE TO BELONG.
HE FOUND HIS NEW FAMILY IN
THE STREET GANGS OF RIALTO,
CALIFORNIA.
I WAS DOING HORRIBLE IN
SCHOOL.
I REMEMBER CAUSING PROBLEMS
AND FIGHTS.
THE GANG BROUGHT SOME SORT
OF ACCEPTANCE.
I LIKED THE STYLE.
BECAUSE OF MY ANGER ISSUES,
I FELT LIKE I FIT RIGHT IN.
Reporter: BY 14, JOHN
DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL
AND WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED
IN THE GANG LIFESTYLE.
HE WAS WILLING TO DO
WHATEVER IT TOOK TO FIT IN.
I FELT LIKE I HAD TO PUT
A FRONT ON ALL THE TIME TO
PROVE MYSELF.
I WANTED TO MAKE MY NAME
KNOWN.@÷@
MY GOOD DAY WAS SOMEBODY
ELSE'S BAD DAY OUT THERE IN
THE STREET.
ANYWHERE FROM STEALING CARS
TO POSSESSION OF A
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.
I GOT CAUGHT WITH A GUN.
I STARTED USING A LOT OF
CRYSTAL.
I STARTED DIPPING WITH
HEROIN.
THINGS LIKE THAT BRING YOU
RESPECT EVENTUALLY IN YOUR
NEIGHBOURHOOD BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO SEE WHO IS THE
DOWNEST.
Reporter: BECAUSE OF
HIS DRUG ADDICTIONS AND
CRIME SPREES, JOHN BECAME
ESTRANGED FROM HER REAL
FAMILY.
OCCASIONALLY I FELT
GUILTY.
I FELT LIKE, MAN, I'M
HURTING YOUR FAMILY.
WHEN YOUR FAMILY DOESN'T
WANT YOU AROUND BECAUSE OF
THINGS YOU DO, OF COURSE
YOUR GOING TO HIDE THAT PAIN
AND DO MORE DRUGS.
I REMEMBER ONE DAY MY ASKING
ME, WELL, WHAT'S IT GOING TO
BE?
IS IT GOING TO BE YOUR
FAMILY OR IS IT GOING TO BE
THEM?
BASICALLY I SAID,
WELL, IT'S
GOING TO BE THEM.
I FELT LIKE I FOUND MY NEW
FAMILY WITH THE GANG.
Reporter: JOHN'S LIFE
GOALS OF BECOMING A GANG
MEMBER AND A FELON CAME
EARLY.
BY THE AGE OF 30, HE WAS IN
AND OUT OF COUNTY JAIL 30
TIMES.
NOW HE HAD THE RESPECT OF
HIS FELLOW GANG MEMBERS AND
PLENTY OF ENEMIES.
IN 1997, A RIVAL GANG MEMBER
SHOT JOHN AT POINT-BLANK
RANGE IN THE BACK OF THE
HEAD.
I REMEMBER SOMEBODY
JUMPING OUT OF THE BUSHES.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, I
REMEMBER THE GUN TO MY
HEAD.
IF I WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED, I
BELIEVE IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN
TO MY TEMPLE.
INSTEAD, IT WAS EN LODGED IN
THE BACK OF MY SKULL.
I KNOW THERE WAS BLOOD ALL
OVER THE PLACE.
I STARTED THINKING ABOUT GOD
AT THAT MOMENT.
I DON'T THINK I WAS READY TO
DIE.
I THINK THAT'S WHY I CALLED
OUT TO GOD.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, GOD,
FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I'M
DOING.
Reporter: JOHN SURVIVED
THE GUNSHOT WOUND AND WAS
ABLE TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL
THREE DAYS LATER, BUT
FRAGMENTS OF THE BULLET WAS
STILL IN HIS HEAD.
IN 2002, HE WAS SENT TO
STATE PRISON FOR ANOTHER
CRIME.
BY NOW HE HAS LEARNED ABOUT
SOME OF HIS FRIENDS BACK
HOME WHO HAD BECOME
CHRISTIANS.
I HAD ACCEPTED THAT MY
LIFE WASN'T GOING TO CHANGE,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF
THERE WAS A GOD AND IF HE
SAVED MY OLD FRIENDS, MAYBE
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT
THAT MIRACLE COULD HAPPEN IN
MY LIFE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, REALLY,
I STARTED PRAYING.
Reporter: JOHN WAS
RELEASED ALMOST 40 DAYS
LATER.
INSTEAD OF GOING TO HIS OLD
GANG, HE WENT TO SEE HIS
MOTHER.
REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER I
WENT THROUGH IN MY LIFE, MY
MOM WOULD ALWAYS ENCOURAGE
ME.
SHE WOULD TELL ME -- MAKE
LITTLE COMMENTS LIKE ONE DAY
GOD IS GOING TO CHANGE YOUR
LIFE.
Reporter: THIS TIME SHE
ENCOURAGED HIM TO CHECK INTO
HIS PAROLE OFFICER INSTEAD
OF RETURNING TO HIS OLD
HABITS AND ADDICTIONS.
JOHN STARTED THINKING ABOUT
THE EFFECTS OF HIS LIFESTYLE
AND KNEW HE WOULD BE KILLED
IF HE RETURNED TO THE
STREETS.
THIS FEAR CAME OVER ME
LIKE I HADN'T HAD BEFORE.
I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO
DIE.
I TOLD MY MOM, YOU KNOW
WHAT, IF I GO BACK, I'M
GOING TO GUY.
Reporter: JOHN'S PAROLE
OFFICER GAVE HIM THE NUMBER
OF A CHRISTIAN HALFWAY
HOUSE.
AND DURING HIS STAY IN THE
HOUSE, TWO MEN STARTED TO
TALK WITH HIM ABOUT GOD.
I REMEMBER THESE TWO GUYS
COMING TO ME AND THEY'RE
ASKING ME IF I KNEW JESUS
CHRIST.
I TOLD THEM NO.
WHEN I READ THE SCRIPTURE
AND IT SAID MY SINS WOULD BE
WASHED AWAY, AND THERE WAS
NOTHING TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
THAT COULDN'T BE BE
FORGIVEN.
THAT'S ALL I NEEDED.
Reporter: AFTER THREE
MONTHS IN THE PROGRAM, JOHN
WAS STUDYING THE BIBLE AND
PRAYING REGULARLY.
IT STARTED TO CHANGE MY
DESIRES.
MY DESIRES -- I CAN SAY THEY
BECAME GODLY DESIRES.
I WANTED A FAMILY.
I WANTED TO GET MARRIED.
THINGS I DIDN'T HAVE
BEFORE.
I WANTED TO WORK.
I MEAN, I NEVER HELD A JOB.
I NEVER EVEN WORKED.
IT REALLY STARTED
MINISTERING TO ME ABOUT
THINGS I WANTED TO DO, ABOUT
BEING A MAN IN MY LIFE.
Reporter: ONE DAY
DURING A PRAYER TIME AT THE
MEN'S HOME, JOHN ASKED GOD
TO HELP HIM WITH HIS DRUG
ADDICTION.
I FEEL LIKE I CHALLENGED
HIM.
I SAID, GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL,
I WOULDN'T DRINK NO MORE OR
SMOKE NO MORE.
I WON'T GO BACK IF YOU'RE
FOR REAL.
I REMEMBER HIM TELLING ME
THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GO
BACK.
I BELIEVE GOD IS THE
ONE-STEP PROGRAM.
Reporter: JOHN NEVER
RETURNED TO THE GANG LIFE OR
ADDICTIONS.
TODAY HE HAS MARRIED AND IS
REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY.
AND HE IS THE PASTOR OF A
CHURCH AND RUNS A STREET
MINISTRY.
I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST
PART IS HE WILL FORGIVE
YOU.
GOD HAS JUST NOT DELIVERED
ME, BUT HE HAS BEEN MY
STRENGTH IN THE TIME OF MY
STORM.
I WOULD SAY THAT YOU CAN
CHANGE.
IT IS POSSIBLE.
GOD IS FOR REAL, AND I COULD
BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT.
THAT MIRACLE CAN HAPPEN IN
SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
