Rafer Alston Jr., the son of the former NBA player known as “Skip to my Lou,” was arrested in the “Operation No Fly Zone” gang-bust in Fresno, California.
The details surrounding the arrest are horrific.
The operation surveilled the alleged gang operation that included the murder of Jovante Askew in March of 2021. Court documents say Marcello Della told Rafer Alston Jr. to “shoot Askew in the face” while Della was serving time behind bars.
He did much more than that as Alston picked up another man and they both killed Askew, shooting him 18 times as he was taking out the trash. The following day, Alston texted Leonard Smith, an employee of Advance Peace a local organization with a goal to reduce gun violence in Fresno, claiming that he murdered Askew.
He was then informed to delete the text messages as Leonard would find out Alston was a suspect in Askew’s murder.
Smith has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a penalty of 25 years to life. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Smith has a criminal history including an arrest back in 1997 for attempted murder.
Smith spent over 20 years behind bars after he was convicted of a murder in 1998. He was released and was on parole when he was arrested for the new charges in 2022.
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Documents say that Smith “who did unlawfully, and with malice aforethought conspire to murder rival gang members.”
Some may remember Rafer Alston for the 11 seasons he played in the NBA, averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 28.9 minutes per game. Others may remember him as streetball legend Skip 2 My Lou, whose incredible handles made him a fan favorite.
