Sultan meeting to point out gang signs
Published 10:20 pm Tuesday, June 30, 2009
SULTAN — Enigmatic hand signs. Scrawls spray-painted on fences and walls. Color combinations.
They all have meaning in the gang world. Gang tattoos, graffiti and clothing all will be discussed at an informational meeting tonight.
The meeting was organized in response to the June 17 fatal beating of a Marysville teen and the arrest of five young people from Sultan in connection with the killing. The suspects are believed to be members of a Sultan-based gang. The victim also had ties to a rival gang in south Snohomish County, according to authorities.
The meeting is schedule for 6:30 p.m. at Sultan Middle School, 301 High Ave. Information will be provided in both English and Spanish.
Members of the county’s Gang Community Response Team will discuss the 51 gangs known to be in Snohomish County. Police will talk about identifying gang activity. Youth advocates will provide information about why kids join gangs and what can be done to help young people stay away from gangs.
A similar meeting was held last week in Monroe. Leaders in the Hispanic community requested the meeting weeks before the fatal attack in Sultan.
Approximately 60 percent of the gangs found in Snohomish County are traditional Hispanic gangs, according to police. Those gangs are committing about 80 percent of gang-related crimes in the county, police say.
The five Sultan teens charged with murder in the slaying of Antonio Marks are believed to be members of Brown Pride Soldiers, or BPS. Authorities saw a spike in criminal activity among some of the gang members in the weeks before the killing.
The crimes were primarily property crimes, including shoplifting and vandalism.
Marks was attacked just feet from City Hall. He was repeatedly kicked in the head and stabbed several times in the torso. All five suspects, ages 16 to 19, have been charged with second-degree murder. They are being prosecuted as adults.
Sultan officials continue to ask young people in town to be home by 10 p.m.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
Gang tip line
A tip line has been set up for anyone with information about gang-related crimes or anyone who wants help getting out of a gang. Call 425-388-6666.
For more information, go to www.wevaluekids.org/gangs.
