Teen's Hands Severed In N.Va. Machete Attack

By Maria Glod and Tom Jackman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, May 11, 2004; Page B01

A 16-year-old Alexandria area boy's hands were severed with a machete early yesterday when he was attacked by several people believed to be members of a rival gang, Fairfax County police said.

The teenager was walking alone along Edsall Road in the Alexandria area of Fairfax about 1 a.m. when he was attacked, said Officer Bud Walker, a police spokesman. Physicians at Inova Fairfax Hospital worked for hours and were able to reattach both hands, but the victim lost four fingers, Walker said.

"It's a pretty vicious attack," Walker said.

He would not say what sparked the assault, saying only that the victim and assailants were members of rival gangs. Law enforcement sources said the victim is a suspected member of the South Side Locos gang, and his attackers are reputed members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as MS-13.

The incident is the latest sign of the increasing gang activity that has plagued the Washington region. In recent years, Mara Salvatrucha, considered by police to be among the most dangerous gangs in the area, has been linked to at least five killings in Northern Virginia, as well as shootings, other machete attacks, baseball-bat beatings and stabbings.

A suspected member of the South Side Locos was slain in the parking lot of a Fairfax County hotel last month. Police said it was unrelated to yesterday's machete attack.

Although MS-13 is considered the biggest menace in the area, police across Northern Virginia count about a dozen criminally active gangs. Police have developed regional task forces that allow gang investigators to regularly meet and share information about gang crimes and members.

Gang experts said that it's difficult to gauge the intent of the attackers but that the assault could have been either a personal attack against the 16-year-old or intended as a broader attack on the youth's entire gang.

"They were trying to send a message," said Robert Walker, a former Drug Enforcement Administration special agent who runs a gang identification training program for law enforcement officers.

"Gangs deal in what we call the three R's. The first is reputation, and they want to do all they can to build that. The second is respect . . . and the third is retaliation or revenge."

Walker, the Fairfax police spokesman, said the 16-year-old was walking in a residential area near Interstate 395 when he was attacked. Neighbors heard the youth crying for help and called police, Walker said. By the time officers arrived, the assailants had fled.

The teenager's wounds were life-threatening, police said, but he is expected to survive. It is not known how much use of his hands he will regain, they said.

Walker said detectives are following some "active leads" in the case, but he declined to elaborate.

In last month's incident involving the South Side Locos, police said they believe members of three gangs who had rented rooms at the Days Inn at 6100 Richmond Highway in the Alexandria area began arguing in the parking lot about 4:30 a.m.

One of the men pulled a handgun and shot Christian J. Aranzana-Vasquez, 19, fatally wounding him. Aranzana-Vasquez, who police said was a member of the South Side Locos, and his assailants were from two smaller gangs police would not name.

Three men were charged with participating in a street gang and taking part in a homicide.


© 2004 The Washington Post Company

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15853-2004May10.html/?nav=yahoolocal

.

great, good to see gang members are regressing even further into their african/mexican roots.

Yep, if you ban guns the murders will stop.

Damn, I wonder how all those wars were fought by the Romans!

Tj

sure that wasn't a pre-ban machete?

Ban the Machette now! At least have a 10 day waiting period for them!
Do it for the children...

Over in Africa the Huto's and Tutsies(forgive me if I mispelled their names) killed over 1 million using machete's.  Banning guns only made the genocide easier.

The good news is the Doc who reattached the hands got some more training. Next time the hand the Doc reattaches maybe belong to a worth while human.

Think about it you cut your hand off and they can sew it back on , how amazing is that ?

I recently visited Bermuda, and stayed with a friend that is a parole officer.  She has dual citizenship, and can't wait to return to Colorado.  She's just there to fluff her resume, but I digress.  

In Bermuda, guns are illegal.  She stated most of her clients are in the system for domestic abuse, drugs, and yes, you guessed it, machette attacks.  

Rival gangs, huh?
I almost started to care before I saw that part.

Quoted: Rival gangs, huh? I almost started to care before I saw that part.

No kidding.

What a waste of effort in the part of the surgeon.

I would LOVE to have seen the face of those thugs as they pulled-out their machete and I raised my cocked and [now] unlocked Officer's .45ACP.  Mmmm... savoring the thought right now...

Quoted: The teenager was walking alone along Edsall Road in the Alexandria area of Fairfax about 1 a.m. when he was attacked....

My first thought on hearing this on the news was, "What's a 16 y/o doing out at 1 A.M.?

...saying only that the victim and assailants were members of rival gangs. Law enforcement sources said the victim is a suspected member of the South Side Locos gang, and his attackers are reputed members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as MS-13.

Then the next thought was gangs.... though to hear some of the pols and police, it's not that much of a problem. Hell, we finally
got the sheriff in Loudoun to admit that there are gangs in the county!) (Even though we'd been running calls to drag, bag,
patch up & transport these idiots for a while before that in the county. The deputies would tell us who (the bangers) belonged
to, but the sheriff only came out recently with a public statement.

No sympathy... he knew the risks....

Less than 4 blocks from my house.

Great

Quoted: great, good to see gang members are regressing even further into their african/mexican roots.

These are more than likely Salvadoran gangs.

Quoted: Quoted: great, good to see gang members are regressing even further into their african/mexican roots. These are more than likely Salvadoran gangs.

MS-13 is confirmed for the kid (supposedly), with the attackers' ID's in question

I was unaware that gangs had such good health insurance plans as to allow one to have said hands re-attached. Must be nice.

They should have left the hands unattached to serve as a lesson to others. Join a gang, get whats coming to you.

Quoted: Less than 4 blocks from my house. Great

I got a buddy right at the bottom of the hill on Edsall, between 395 and Van Dorn, in those upscale townhouses.  Sounds like right near ground zero on this one.  

Don't militarize the borders whatever you do. It's racist after all.

Quoted: Less than 4 blocks from my house. Great

I lived on Van Dorn when I 1st moved here,,,I guess the neighborhood has changed.  Now I'm in muslim heaven (Herndon)

Quoted: I lived on Van Dorn when I 1st moved here,,,I guess the neighborhood has changed.  Now I'm in muslim heaven (Herndon)

You've got a pretty big hispanic population there too - have you seen the spanish section at Blockbuster?

Quoted: You've got a pretty big hispanic population there too - have you seen the spanish section at Blockbuster?

Don't know about the Blockbuster, but I pulled into the 7-11 there on Elden the other morning, slowed to look for a parking
space, and all the work-seekers thought I was a project manager looking for laborers. Talk about mobbed! It's ridiculous!

Quoted: I was unaware that gangs had such good health insurance plans as to allow one to have said hands re-attached.

Oh, but they do.... our tax-dollars!

Quoted: Don't know about the Blockbuster, but I pulled into the 7-11 there on Elden the other morning, slowed to look for a parking space, and all the work-seekers thought I was a project manager looking for laborers. Talk about mobbed! It's ridiculous!

Forgot about that - yea they are there all day, every day.  At least they're working/looking for work.

As long as they are just killing each other... who cares?
Now as soon as they attack an innocent....

[cluelessliberal]Well, thank goddess they didn't use any guns. Just think how many people would have died from more thrusts per squeeze of those awful assault revolvers[/cluelessliberal]

Hey we got tons of MS-13 running around up here.Not to mention all kinds of other Gangbangers.
That's why I been saying for a long time now we need to deport these people.They just don't care.
Awhile back these MS-13 gangers were marching in a Central American Day parade here in a town called Hempstead.Well the parade route is going right past a Hell's Angels clubhouse,and these guys are taunting the Bikers.They have no regard for anyone.And yes they've shot and killed innocent people here.I should know I deal with them at work.

Cut off two hands with one machette?!?!?!?!?   Why, that makes it an assault-machette!!!!!

Aren't machetes sold for $7 at Wal-Mart?