Problems Identifying Gang Members in Jail? From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

BY MICHELLE BRADFORD
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

BENTONVILLE — The Benton County sheriff’s office failed to record the gang tattoos on a murder suspect booked at the jail May 6 — an omission that worries an area anti-gang group.
Manuel Enrique Camacho-Ambriz, 21, has tattoos on both arms and his neck, yet the jail staff noted none on booking records. The omissions come in an election season in which critics of Sheriff Keith Ferguson claim that he’s soft on gangs, which Ferguson has denied. Ferguson couldn’t be reached Friday for comment.

Camacho-Ambriz has the number “13” tattooed on his right arm — a symbol of the Hispanic gang Sureno-13 — and “831” on his neck — a California area code that’s shown up locally in graffiti, said Steve Metheney, chairman of the Anti-Gang Task Force of Northwest Arkansas.

Jail officials routinely document an inmate’s tattoos, scars and other distinguishing marks, in the event the prisoner escapes and for other identification purposes. Rey Hernandez, vice president of the Anti-Gang Task Force of Northwest Arkansas, worries that the failure to document Camacho-Ambriz’s tattoos is a sign of denial. “The concern is law enforcement might be living in denial about gang activity or even withholding information from the public for fear it might stir concern or bad publicity,” Hernandez said.

Benton County jail commander Capt. Hunter Petray said absence of information about Camacho-Ambriz’s tattoos from records is a rare mistake, possibly because of a poorly trained employee. “We don’t have an explanation, other than it was an oversight,” Petray said. “It’s common practice for us to document all tattoos, and I’m confident it’s done accurately.”

Camacho-Ambriz of Rogers was the driver in a May 6 shooting in Lowell that left a father of four dead, police said. He faces a charge of being an accomplice to murder in the slaying of Daniel Ray Francis, 32, of Little Flock.

Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Robin Green said that although Camacho-Ambriz is suspected of being a gang member, the shooting wasn’t related to gang activity. The Arkansas State Police said Camacho-Ambriz is a member of Sureno-13, a Hispanic gang with origins in Mexico and California and a violent history.

The misinformation went beyond booking records. Three times on Tuesday, Capt. Tom Brewster, the sheriff’s spokesman, gave the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette incorrect information about Camacho-Ambriz’s tattoos.

First, Brewster relied on the book-in sheet that said Camacho-Ambriz had no scars, tattoos or distinguishing marks. When presented with information to the contrary, Brewster said he went to the jail, checked Camacho-Ambriz and saw no tattoos. When asked again, Brewster said Camacho-Ambriz did have a tattoo — one on his neck that said “831.”

He didn’t mention the number 13 tattooed on Camacho-Ambriz’s arm. A police affidavit issued Wednesday mentions the “13” tattoo. A reporter saw a third tattoo, on Camacho-Ambriz’s left arm, when Camacho-Ambriz appeared in circuit court Wednesday. Brewster didn’t return a call Thursday seeking further comment.

Metheney said police have linked Rogers graffiti and drug crimes to Sureno-13. Gang members are known to have tattoos in visible locations on their bodies that represent their affiliations, he said.

Hernandez said the task force tries to assess area gang activity. It includes members from the community and law enforcement, he said. The task force is working on after-school and faith-based programs to provide youths with alternatives and to “choke out” gang recruiting efforts, he said.


This story was published Saturday, May 13, 2006