Ex-gang member now leads church, shelter in Juárez
22.05.12
›› Photo gallery: Pastor Pedro Martín Nuñez
Pastor Pedro Martín Nuñez doesn't hide the tattoos on his arms. In his line of work, he said, they open doors. And they do - in a strange way.
A former gang member once saw Nuñez's tattoos and almost started a fight with him, thinking he had recognized someone from a rival gang. In more than one ocassion, federal and municipal authorities have detained Nuñez upon seeing the marks on his arms.
For Nuñez, those incidents were opportunities to connect with those willing to listen.
"People judge you by how you look. It's like a hook to get close to other people who are like we were," he said.
Nuñez's tattoos are permanent stamps that attest to his life sinking into the darkest depths of vice and violence. He spent most of his childhood in prison with his mother, who was convicted for the murder of his father. The brutal homicide of a rival gang member put him back behind bars when he was 19. He is 36 years old and
Source: El Paso Times