Thread: H.S. stabbing linked to gangs

http://www.thesentinel.com/283982056197136.php

H.S. stabbing linked to gangs



By Ryan Gallagher

Staff Writer


County police have arrested 11 following stabbings at Springbrook High School and the nearby Shoppingtown Wheaton mall Friday.

Those arrested allegedly include adults members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, juvenile gang members who will be charged as adults and members of a rival, unidentified gang.

Officer Rob Musser of the Gang Task Force in Wheaton said police are uncertain if the two incidents are related, but said he has never seen any gang activity like Friday's attacks occur in the county. "We haven't had two back-to-back incidents like this, but [gang activity] always seems to come in waves. I don't know if there will be anything else," said Musser, who stated there had not been much gang activity until Friday. Currently an ongoing investigation into both incidents is under way.

Two students, ages 16 and 17, were stabbed Friday afternoon in the Springbrook High School parking lot that borders Valley Brook Drive.

Police say the victims, both gang members, got into an argument inside school with other unidentified teens. Then upon leaving school they were confronted by rival gang members and stabbed. The victims told police they could identify some of their assailants but not all.

Assistant State's Attorney Jeffrey Wennar said the attackers affiliated themselves as gang members prior to the attacks. "The attackers shouted, 'MS-13, Mara Salvatrucha,' before stabbing the victims," for the purpose of "telling everyone who you are, who you represent," said Wennar.

Approximately four hours later, four more teenage boys were stabbed inside the Target store in the Wheaton mall after a fight broke out with another group of up to six males. The fight was captured on surveillance footage.

Police arrested four Silver Spring men in connection to the Springbrook attacks. Kevin Macklin Mendoza, 18, Luis Guzman, 19, Jose Conejo, 25, Harris Hauffen, 17, and Rolando Velasquez, 16, were all charged as adults with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, first degree assault, three counts of second-degree assault and six counts of conspiracy. Santos Maximo Garcia, 28, and Virginia resident Alfredo Sanchez, 28, were arrested Monday, charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second degree assault and conspiracy to commit murder.

Henry Caballero, 20, was arrested Saturday for the Wheaton mall stabbing. Caballero, of Hyattsville, was charged last Saturday with four counts of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree assault. Three more suspects were arrested in the mall stabbing Monday. Alexis Rodriquez-Marquez, 15, Jorge A. Arbaiza, 15, and George Soto, 16, were all charged as adults with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, four counts of conspiracy to commit attempted murder and two counts of concealed deadly weapon.

In addition to his charges, Conejo was issued an immigrant customs enforcement detainer by the Department of Homeland Security. As a potential illegal immigrant, an administrative hearing will be held to possibly deport Conejo, who has pleaded guilty on two previous charges of possession of a handgun and assault.

Judge Stephen P. Johnson denied bond for six of the charged suspects in a bond hearing held Monday. Preliminary hearings will be held on Aug. 19 and Sept. 2. The judge denied their bond after prosecutors argued that as gang members, they posed a flight risk with the possibility of seeking refuge with other MS-13 members in Central America.

Wennar said the victims did not initiate, retaliate or use any weapons in the two incidents. All six victims are expected to survive their injuries.

County Executive Douglas M. Duncan issued a statement Saturday regarding Friday's attacks. "This is a tragic reminder that we are not immune from the kind of gang violence that other communities in this region - and across the nation - have had to deal with," read the letter. Duncan also stated his disappointment regarding the Montgomery County Council's decision not to fund his full budget requests for the county's gang task force.

"Somebody needs to let the county executive know that there is a gang unit in place right now that has sufficient resources," said County Councilmember Phil Andrews (D- District 3). In June, the council approved $466,000 of Duncan's recommended $1,442,410 gang prevention initiative and additionally approved his full recommendation of $3,976,232 for gang prevention within MCPS.

On July 19, the council held a public hearing discussing prevention and intervention strategies with a panel composed of non-profit groups. The council plans to implement their ideas to further reduce gang activity. Andrews believes that the police are effective, but said other agencies such as Identity Inc. and CASA of Maryland, which were both on the panel, would be more effective in handling gang prevention. He said the police have potential setbacks including the lack of Spanish speaking officers in the county in addition to some Latino immigrants exhibiting a "general mistrust" toward police stemming from many of their experiences with law enforcement in their home country.

Though MCPS does not have many reports on gang activity infiltrating school's, school administrators say they have to keep a close watch on students to keep them out. "I wouldn't call it Springbrook's problems, I think it's a community problem," said Suzanne Maxey, principal of Seneca Valley High School. "In terms of gangs, we've been very vigilant about gang involvement and so far so good, but like any school, we have to be very careful with that issue."

Where did this occur?

Whenever someone posts a news article they should say what state it occured it.

It says in the article, Montogomery Co., Maryland.