Fight started over gang affiliation
Morgan Hill – A Gilroy teen was booked into Juvenile Hall after a gang-related fight near Sobrato High School.Â
Several officers responded to a call about the fight at 3:30pm Thursday, Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing said. School resource officer David Ray found five suspects in the Hacienda Mobile Home Estates just west of the high school campus.Â
The 15-year-old Gilroy teen – who is not a Sobrato student – was the only one arrested; a 14-year-old Morgan Hill male received medical treatment after the fight. The victim is a student at Sobrato High.
“The suspect is a Norteño, a member of BPK, Brown Pride Kings, and he had heard the victim was bragging that he was a Gilroy gang member,” Swing said. “Since (the victim) is a Morgan Hill resident, the suspect wanted to know why he was claiming to be a member of a Gilroy gang, and he confronted him about his alleged gang affiliation.”
Swing said the weapon used by the suspect was not recovered. Witnesses described it as similar to a police baton, he said.Â
The 14-year-old victim suffered a laceration on his head, Swing said. Paramedics were called to the scene to treat him; he was later self-transported to Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
“It would be very naive on my part to say we don’t have kids on our campus that identify with gangs,” said Sobrato High Principal Rich Knapp. “However, we don’t have a very active group of kids involved in gangs, whether as wannabes or actual members. Their activity on campus is certainly minimal, they tend to keep it away from school. Obviously, we don’t encourage or support any type of activity that might be at all gang-related, and we color-ban those kids whose behavior suggests that they might have an affiliation.”
