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twitterMan dies after gang initiation; fourth suspect sought
Police say man was beaten while being ‘jumped’ into a criminal street gang
Published Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | 4:05 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | 4:28 p.m.
A 21-year-old Las Vegas man has died from head injuries after a gang initiation and Metro Police have arrested three men in connection with the attack. Detectives are asking for the public's help in finding a fourth suspect in the case.
Gang officers went to Valley Hospital on March 15 after learning that Armando Castro had suffered severe head injuries after he had been "jumped in," or initiated, into a criminal street gang on the evening of March 14.
The initiation involved Castro being punched, kicked and stomped in the face and head for 13 seconds, police said. He later died from his injuries. The incident occurred in the northeast part of the Las Vegas Valley, although police weren't releasing other information about the location.
Three of four suspects have been arrested, police said. According to Clark County Detention Center records, all three have been charged with murder with intent to promote or assist a criminal gang. Those in custody are Xavier Gonzalez, 24; Edgar Ginez, 19, and Jacob Hoffman, 18.
Police are asking for the public's help in finding 24-year-old Dwayne Romero, also known as "Smokey." 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.
Anyone with information on this crime or the whereabouts of Romero is asked to call Metro's Gang Detail at (702) 828-3309, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.
Discussion: 17 comments so far…
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Well, that kid probably was at least somewhat aware of that "Initiation" session was going to take place before it happened....
Guess between he and his Parents/Relatives, they found out what could possibly happen when one is jumped into one of those gangs, hell, those jump-ins happen all the time,...just a fact of life w/that culture or lifestyle..or, whatever is probably a better description......
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That boy ain't right. Now he is dead. Too bad, so sad.
As STUPID as this horrible thing is, the person who cares,I'm sure is, his MOTHER!
A parent can only do so much for their child, after a while, it's up them to make the right choices and being as that he was 21, what could she really do? Spank him?
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Oh, well. One less that would have eventually wound up victimizing some innocent person in another gang related offense, one less towards whom our tax dollars would have gone to pay for his public defender, and, hopefully, one less that will no longer be able to pollute Clark County with the next generation of a barely literate, under-achieving, social services using, criminal element.
Sorry, no sympathy here. Maybe if this guy's mother (I'm going out on a limb here and assuming that dear old dad isn't around) had bothered to instill some boundaries from the GET GO, her son wouldn't have been in a gang; these things don't happen in a vacuum.
I totally agree, Narcissa, although your comment will probably get censored by the MODs soon :(
gotta somewhat agree with Narcissa on that one...:((
With any luck he hasn't had any children yet and he can qualify for a Darwin award. Evolution in action.
one way to do away with gangs. more wasted life....I dont know why if these guys are so hard and want to die go to Afganistan then you'd be a hero for killing w/ no mercy
What a waste of a life!
The Death Penalty for all these gang bangers. There are no victims here. The beaten was a future gang banger. Good riddance.
One less potential gang-banger boo hoo NOT.