Police point to gang in beating

By Amy Wallace, Portsmouth Herald Staff Writer

KITTERY, Maine — Police believe the Dec. 27 beating of a 33-year-old man on Badgers Island goes beyond those arrested and points to a possible gang problem in this community.

After a two-week investigation headed by patrolman Russell French and Detective William Hackett, three minors and Ryan LeBlanc, 18, of 8 Page St., were arrested last week and charged with aggravated assault, a Class B felony.

Sources reveal there may have been more beatings the night of Dec. 27 that could be attributed to a local gang of teens known as the Infamous-12. One Traip Academy student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says the group could have as many as 22 members, most of them minors.

"I know for a fact that the 33-year-old was not the only one those boys assaulted that night," the student said. "In fact, there were three other guys, all with broken bone-type injuries, and two were admitted to the Portsmouth Hospital the very next day. Neither of them came forward for fear of repercussion."

Calls placed to the hospital to inquire about possible additional victims were not returned by presstime.

Kittery police are taking the charges seriously.

"We are investigating the possibility of other assaults occurring around the same time frame and area that may involve some of these youths," Detective Sgt. Ronald Avery confirmed on Thursday. "We are very concerned and intend to thoroughly follow up on all activities of this kind."

In Maine, being associated with a gang is not illegal, as it is in some states such as California. In that state, individuals can be questioned even for wearing colors associated with specific gangs. In Maine, however, an individual is not breaking any laws by being in a gang unless there is identified criminal activity.

"We're concerned that the activity we're seeing is gang-like," Avery said. "It poses a threat to the general public when kids organize in this way and we're hoping the recent arrests will pose a deterrent to future activity of this kind."

The victim was walking home from work about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 27. While crossing Badgers Island, which is just over the New Hampshire border, he was allegedly attacked by six teen-age boys. After he was beaten to the ground, two of the assailants fled the scene while the other four allegedly continued to kick him repeatedly in the head and torso, according to French.

The two teens who fled the scene are not being charged at this time, Hackett said.

The victim, who suffered broken bones in his face, is now experiencing numbness in his right arm, constant headaches, and blurred vision that may never go away. Police say he may never fully recover and was lucky he wasn't killed.

The six teens who allegedly attacked the victim yelled obscenities and told him, "Get off our island," Hackett said, alluding to the possibility of "turf protection" — a common characteristic of gangs. Another common characteristic of gangs is initiation rituals, which, according to the Traip student, exist for the Infamous-12.

"You pretty much get severely beaten, in some cases half killed, by the guys, and then they 'tea bag' you," the student said. "Sick as it is, to 'tea bag' someone is when they have to allow the guys to put their testicles in their mouth."

Most gangs also have leadership and symbols, which in this case are known to Kittery police. The alleged leader, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, was one of the four arrested in the assault. He scratched the gang symbol on the cell door at the Kittery police station — the capital letter I and the number 12, standing for Infamous-12. He also scratched "V-Dog" on the door, which is a name he calls himself, Detective Hackett said.

The student, who knows the gang leader, described him as mostly friendly, but with a bad temper.

Taking the case seriously

Police are not treating the case as a routine juvenile matter. At their arraignment in York District Court on Tuesday, the juvenile suspects, one in tears, were escorted in and out of the courtroom with chains around their ankles and handcuffs around their wrists.

One was released to the custody of his parents, while the other two were held without bail and sent back to the Maine Youth Center.

"It's very unusual that they are being detained," Hackett said. "But this happened because of the serious nature of the charges, because it's a gang environment, and also because threats were made to kill some of the witnesses."

Priscilla Guy, Kittery Chemical Awareness Prevention chairwoman, is also aware of the "gang environment" alluded to by Hackett. She says many kids have told her they are afraid to walk the hallways at school.

"Parents and other community members need to pull together to put a stop to violence and gangs and to say 'not in our town,'" Guy said. "We do have a problem and unless we work together, it's not going to be solved."

The gang activity revolves around drinking and drugs, Guy said. "I'm quite certain that underage drinking is the root of the problem. The kids who don't drink and use drugs are a minority in school. Even parents are frightened to come forward because they're afraid their kids will be harassed in school."

The problem, however, is not limited to drugs and alcohol. A survey conducted by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse in the 1999-2000 school year revealed that some Traip Academy teens admitted to carrying guns on school campus.

"Even one kid with a gun in school should be alarming to parents and officials," Guy said.

Superintendent Larry Littlefield said the fact that some children say they do not feel safe in schools or in their neighborhoods is always a concern for him.

"Based upon information we've gathered through parent and student surveys," Littlefield said, "we have important information that helps us understand why some of our juveniles are involved in violent behaviors. As a school system, we have students for six and half hours a day and the problems and issues we're dealing with clearly are societal issues."

A recent survey conducted with Traip students reveals that 81 percent of students do feel safe at school, while 18 percent do not feel safe, Littlefield said.

At Wednesday night's Town Council meeting, Councilor Dennis Estes said the violence must stop.

"What are we doing to address these violent situations?" Estes asked the other councilors.

Councilor Ann H. Grinnell said after she read about the attack in the Portsmouth Herald, she visited with Police Chief Edward Strong and the lead investigators in the case to go over the investigation.

Councilors plan to organize a workshop in collaboration with police and school officials on the enforcement of existing laws and school regulations. Kids have said publicly that new laws are not needed, but rather existing laws and regulations need to be equally and aggressively enforced, regardless of a student's social, economic, athletic or academic standing, Guy said.

Parents who wish to become more informed on the problem should start coming to K-CAP meetings, she said. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the Kittery Youth Connection. The center is located at 10 Shapleigh Road, next to the post office.

Looking for information

Avery is hoping more people will come forward to help put an end to gang-like violence in Kittery. People with information about the Infamous-12 should contact the police at (207) 439-1638. Anonymous tips can be made to the Seacoast Crimeline at (207) 439-1199.

The three juveniles are scheduled to appear before for their first hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 20 in York District Court. Hackett said the juveniles may face a trial at a later date.

"It's a very serious offense so it's likely there will be a trial," Hackett said.

LeBlanc was being held at the York County Jail in Alfred and his bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 single surety. But on Thursday, LeBlanc was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond. Because he turned 18 on Dec. 20, LeBlanc could be facing up to 15 years in prison, if convicted.

LeBlanc and the juvenile who was released are forbidden to have contact with several minors named by police and are not to have contact with the victim. They cannot possess alcohol or illegal drugs or possess dangerous weapons. They must submit to a residence, motor vehicle and/or body search at any given time. They are not permitted to leave Maine at any time and must stay off the premises of Hunter Avenue and Badgers Island.

The other two juveniles have been transferred to the Maine Youth Center and, if convicted, could be remain there until their 21st birthdays, Hackett said.

All four teens are students at Traip Academy.

"A lot of these kids are OK by themselves, but put them together and you have a gang mentality," Hackett said.

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