Thread: TX-'Young Guns' Are Growing Threat in Two Violent Street Gan

'Young Guns' Are Growing Threat in Two Violent Street Gangs

Bill Leger
April 24, 2008 - 8:02PM







Both parts of this series are included on this page. Be sure to watch the video versions of the story in the right column. We also would love for you, the viewer and audience, to leave your comments about the story to generate discussion on Port Arthur. Just scroll down to leave your remarks on this piece.



They're young, armed and dangerous, and Port Arthur Police say the people in two gangs are the city's most violent because they equate guns with power and are always looking to expand their arsenal.



Home invasions, drive by shootings, a store clerk shot in the face.



They're just a few of the violent crimes Port Arthur Police are pointing to, to describe a gang problem that's growing.



Hispanic leaders in Port Arthur are meeting with police to discuss the problem.



Authorities have asked us not to disclose the location for the safety of those taking part.



They're talking about strategies to combat the city's gang problem.



While there are gangs made up of people from many other ethnic backgrounds, Port Arthur Police say two Hispanic gangs have emerged as the most violent.



"It's a huge problem. It's a huge problem," said an undercover officer who didn't want to be named. "In the last five years I've seen it escalate."



The undercover officer in Port Arthur's Gang Unit estimates there are more than a dozen organized gangs in the city and as many as 40 smaller, loosely organized gangs.



"Seems to be the most violent gang we have right now is the Sur 13," said Sgt. Scott Gaspard



Street Crimes leader Sgt. Scott Gaspard says the Hispanic gang Sur 13, or Sorenos 13, which means south, originated in Southern California.



"Sur 13 is real violent," said Sgt. Gaspard. "They've been doing everything from robberies to assaults."



A quick internet search turns up a wealth of information about the original gang and its rival, Norte 14, which originated in Northern California. Gang members posted the video.



Both are operating in Port Arthur, and the majority of Nortes are surprisingly young. Many are in their early to mid teens - some even younger.



"These kids are usually starting at 8, 9, 10 years old, and it's usually influenced by an older brother, older cousin or a neighbor," said Sgt. Gaspard.



"This is a classic sign," said Ofc. Mike Hebert. "All the stop signs you see start popping up with '14' all over the place."



Ofc. Mike Hebert and Heather Primm, two Street Crimes officers, are taking us to a Hispanic neighborhood where the gangs thrive.



"The majority of the people there are good, hard working people," said Ofc. Hebert. "Even though a lot of them are illegal immigrants, they still want to live the American dream."



But Hebert says about ten percent of the illegals here bring their vices from Mexico with them, primarily drugs and gangs.



How are people affected by these gangs infiltrating their neighborhoods? You don't have to look very far to find out. One house has been shot up seven times in recent years.



"You're sitting at your dinner table and all of a sudden you hear gunshots and stuff," said Johnnie Constanzo.



Johnnie Constanzo has been living here 30 years. He refuses to leave, even though his house has been the target of seven drive by shootings. So far, no one has been hurt.



"I've been here all my life, made Port Arthur my home, and I'm going to let some punks, thugs run me out? I'm not going to move somewhere else only for this to happen there," said Constanzo. "I'm going to stand my ground."



Friday night at 6 we'll find out what unusual method Port Arthur Police used to solve this most recent drive by shooting in only a matter of days.



You'll also see how the gang unit is using technology to help battle the problem, and why its close relationship with federal agents is so important.



Why are these young people interested in gangs in the first place? What's in it for them?



In Port Arthur, it's more to attain social status than anything else. In fact, police tell us many of the teenagers have after-school jobs and wait until they get off work to commit crimes, primarily burglaries, to get guns they can't get anywhere else.



But it starts at a very early age. One of the most disturbing pictures police showed us is one of a young girl who couldn't be more than three or four, and someone has already started dressing her in gang colors.



===================================

PART TWO


Port Arthur Police say they're not only using manpower, but technology and federal resources to combat a growing gang problem.



In part one, we told you about two gangs, the Sur 13's and the Norte 14's. They are Hispanic gangs police have identified as the most violent in the city.



Part two focuses on explaining how police solved the case of a man whose home has been the target of multiple drive by shootings.



Bullet hole have been carved out of Johnnie Constanzo's house.




"Yes there's one here.. There's two there," said Constanzo.



His house has been the target of seven drive by shootings.



"There's lots of reasons why.. To name one would be hard," he said when asked why he thinks he's been attacked.



Mike Hebert from the Port Arthur Police Department said, "We know the reasons why they come to this particular house. He had a step son who was at one time associated with the gang. Even though kids want to get out of these gangs it's not that easy."



But police were able to quickly solve the most recent drive by shooting last month thanks to video cameras officers installed on the outside of Constanzo's house.



Hebert said, "And we were able to videotape the drive by on camera.. The next day we were able to locate the suspect vehicle and within 48 hours we had three in custody including 1 being a juvenile."




"The only think I have to offer the Port Arthur community is do not be afraid to get on the phone and work with the Port Arthur Police Department if they have any information," said Constanzo.



Another recent victory police point to is the sentencing last week of a 13-year-old gang member to ten years in custody for the armed robbery of a neighborhood store.



Police say in December 2007, the 13-year-old held a knife to the throat of the elderly store owner's wife while a 14-year-old ggand member who has not yet gone to trial, shot the owner, Minh Trahn, point blank in the face.




Trahn believes the suspects were on drugs when they came into the store. He said they didn't say anything to him, they just shot him in the face.



Police say the teenager shot Trahn with an old Saturday night special but loaded the gun with the wrong kind of bullets. The gun misfired which spared his life.



Officer Hebert said, "It's so sad, they are two of the nicest human beings I've ever met in my life and they're terrified."



Police hope the young gang member's stiff sentence sends a message.



Sgt. Scott Gaspard with PAPD said, "When we get a kid ten years in prison, the rest of the kids say I don't want that for me."



To help prosecute gang bangers, police have installed video cameras across the city and watch the feeds on a huge wall at police headqaurters via the internet, but not all of the cameras are visible to the public.



"We can put them up anywhere so gang members listen up we're going to be watching and you never know where we're going to be watching from," said Gaspard.



Even something as simple as a police flashlight is now a tight tech tool that can record audio and video even in total darkness.



Gaspard, "I don't have to get out my note pad.. When I'm getting names and dates of birth and locations and gang affiliations. I just film it all."



Even with all of the technology, the most important weapon against gangs is still public cooperation.



On undercover officer said, "We've been lucky to develop a rapport with some of these gang members and their parents to where we get phone calls. It helps a lot when we know what is going on before the fact. Sometimes we win.. Most of the time they win."



Port Arthur police report that six of the most violent gang members are now in custody with the Texas Youth Commission awaiting trial on various charges.



A major development in the war against drugs in Port Arthur is the police department's close working relationship with federal agents.. Both Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Immigration and Customs.



Since man of the gang members are not legal citizens, Port Arthur police provide federal agents with the evidence they need to deport them as quickly as possible.



By the way, we did not give away any secrets tonight, all of the information in our report was provided by police for public consumption.

Port Arthur Police tell us they expect the gangs to begin moving north into the relatively quiet areas of mid-Jefferson County.

http://www.kfdm.com/news/guns_25734___a ... gangs.html

Well folks all the reason to start bearing arms for self protection. Since Presidente Jorge Bushsh*t doesn't want to do nothing about this and so does the rest of the government.

I guess it is us citizens that will have to do the dirty job. My fear is when the economics gets far more worse crime will rise no doubt. I doubt cops will be around answering our cry for help because of the overload. Do bad that store owner wasn't armed and was darn lucky that the moron didn't know nothing about guns to have place a wrong bullet.


Where is Charles Bronson