Three more arrests in Lynn murder

LYNN – Three more arrests were made Friday in the fatal shooting of Cristian Vargas-Martinez, 18, that took place outside of the Golden Lakes Restaurant on Bennett Street Nov. 1.Chanthik Pen Moses, 19, of 12 Norton St., Lynn, was arrested and charged with being an accessory after the fact in connection with the shooting, Kevin Keo, 16, of 21 Morris St., #1, Lynn, was arrested and charged with murder in addition to six warrants and a 14-year-old female, of 12 Norton St., Lynn, was arrested as an accessory after the fact in connection with the shooting.Bonrad Sok, 103 Warren St., was previously arrested and charged with first degree murder in the death of Vargas-Martinez, to which he plead not guilty during his arraignment on Nov. 6 at Lynn District Court.Judge Richard Mori ordered Sok held without bail without prejudice until his next court appearance on Nov. 16.In addition, two 16-year-old males were arrested for being accessories to the murder, as well as for conspiracy and assault and battery.A statement of facts filed in court by police indicated that Sok and another youth walked into the restaurant and spotted Vargas-Martinez and his girlfriend eating.According to the statement, Sok had seen Vargas-Martinez at a previous altercation, in which a friend of Sok’s was attacked with a machete on Sept. 26.During that altercation, an Asian male in his late teens was stabbed with a machete outside of Sok’s home on Warren Street around 5:30 p.m.Prosecutors, however, did not say whether it was the attack they were speaking about.Sok summoned two other youths to the restaurant and one of them told Sok that he had a gun with him. The group of four then confronted Vargas-Martinez and his girlfriend in the parking lot where a fight ensued.Vargas-Martinez ran into the restaurant and began fighting with another one of the youths who was with Sok.The fight was then stopped and the participants went outside, where a single gunshot was fired. The bullet struck Vargas-Martinez in the chest and killed him.Sok then surrendered to police, who identified him as an “admitted member of the insane gangster bloods.”A police report filed in court identified Vargas-Martinez as a member of the Asian Street Walkers, a gang affiliated with the Crips, a major gang at odds with the Bloods.Sok’s attorney, James Krasnoo, said Sok was arrested in 2006 as a juvenile on trespassing and vandalism and Vargas-Martinez was arrested for possession of marijuana in 2006.Krasnoo said Sok is a junior at Classical High School and Vargas-Martinez graduated last spring from English High.The two were apparently trying for new starts in their lives: Vargas-Martinez had found a job and was looking forward to being a father, while Sok planned to move to Ohio with his mother.