gangster

A former gangster in L.A. who at age 16 was feared in the gang world and convicted of murder and robbery heard God’s audible voice inside his prison cell.

Casey Diaz grew up having a dad that was alcoholic, abusive, and violent. Due to his rage, at 8 years old, he attempted to kill his own father. Then, later on, he found a place in a South Central L.A. gang.

Gang, Murder, And Robbery

By the age of 11, Casey had stabbed his first victim. He said it was easy to be violent by imagining every single victim was his father. He eventually rose up in the gang world and became a notorious and most-feared gangster.

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At 16, authorities sentenced Casey to “12 years in a juvenile correction facility for 2nd-degree murder and 52 counts of armed robbery.” And inside the gang-infested prison, he ruled once again. Until one incident landed him in solitary confinement—he attacked and almost killed a fellow inmate.

Meeting A Christian

Then, a Christian woman named Francis came by to invite him to a monthly Bible study. Casey immediately rejected the invitation and thought the woman was crazy for inviting him to a religious thing. However, Francis replied, “I’m gonna be praying for you. And I’m putting you on my prayer hit list.”

Every month for a year, the Christian consistently came by to invite him. But he always declined.

“I’m praying for you and Jesus is gonna use you,” was Francis’ only response each time.

Seeing A Vision And Hearing Jesus

Until one day, during Casey’s second year of solitary, an unexpected supernatural thing happened to him. While awake lying on his bunk, he started to see “what looks like a movie reel.”

“I’m seeing footage that only I know from me growing up. And it starts to go into some details from the first thing that I ever stole from 7-Eleven to cars that I stole, to the first stabbing that I partook of,” he recalled.

Then a different scene appeared.

“I could see a man carrying this cross. And I saw the nails on His hands, His feet,” he said. The Man then called him by the name Casey was given at birth, saying, “Darwin, I did this for you” while hearing His breath audibly leaving Him.

Casey at once knelt on the floor and wept uncontrollably. He asked for God’s forgiveness, from the robbery, murder, and all his sins. He didn’t know what was happening but he felt a freedom he had never experienced in his life.

Accepting Christ

Jesus then told him to talk to the prison chaplain. He went to her and accepted Christ. Since then, all his urge to hurt people disappeared supernaturally. However, his faith was challenged when he came out of solitary confinement as threats were placed on his head for becoming a Christian and leaving the gang.

One day an inmate assigned to kill him came to Casey’s cell. But all of a sudden, he said he couldn’t do it. And amazingly, he became the first person that Casey led to the Lord.

For the next five years, Casey led over 200 inmates to Christ. At age 25, he was released from prison. And in time, he forgave his dad who also gave his life to Christ.

Reference: The 700 Club