Three plead guilty in NLV gang initiation beating death

By Jeff Pope

Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 4:39 p.m.

Three men arrested for murder in the fatal beating of a 21-year-old North Las Vegas man during a gang initiation agreed earlier this week to plead guilty to lesser charges.

Edgar Ginez, 19, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and faces one to 10 years in prison.

Jacob Hoffman, 18, could serve one to five years on a charge of reckless disregard of persons, resulting in death.

Xavier Gonzalez, 24, who police said recorded the assault on Armando Castro and briefly posted it on YouTube, pleaded guilty to the same charge as Hoffman but faces a sentence of 14 months to three years.

The three men had been booked on murder charges and were scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday. Instead, they entered their pleas and were scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 24.

They remain in the Clark County Detention Center without bond.

According to police reports, on March 14, the three men were initiating Castro into the Vicky’s Town gang through what is known as a “court in” or “jump in” in which the prospective member is beaten for a certain length of time. In Castro’s case, he was punched, kicked and stomped on for 13 seconds -- a symbolic number for the gang. Afterward, Castro was driven home unconscious. His sister called for an ambulance the next morning and he underwent surgery at Valley Hospital.

Castro died March 17 from his injuries.

The beating was uploaded to YouTube but later removed by the same poster, according to police reports.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding 24-year-old Dwayne Romero, also known as “Smokey,” in connection with the beating. He is 6-feet tall, weighs 180 pounds and has VST TRESA tattooed on his back and VICKYS TOWN tattooed on the back of his head, police said.