New York Street Gang threatened to "kill any white guys they see walking in the street".

[Lucinda F. Boyd]

Torrington police on alert for gang activity

BY KEVIN LITTEN REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

TORRINGTON -- Police were put on alert Sunday after two men told authorities that a New York street gang had threatened to come to the city early Sunday morning and "kill any white guys they see walking on the street."

Police were told as many as 50 gang members were headed to Torrington with machetes and planned to launch their attack in the area of East Main and Maud streets, near the city's downtown. The threats, which were not carried out, apparently came in response to a series of fights over the last few months between two groups in an ongoing conflict that police Lt. Mike Emanuel said may have originated at Torrington High School.

Emanuel said police plan to meet with schools Superintendent Christopher G. Leone to discuss the issue today, but it is unknown whether any high school students are involved with gangs.

"The issue is, can we identify them as (gang members), and can we corroborate whether these are Trinitarios," Emanuel said. "The answer right now is no."

Emanuel also confirmed that a fight Thursday at the city skate park was one of several that led up to the threats reported to police early Sunday morning. He said police are close to bringing charges against some of the people involved in the fights.

In police documents, officer Kenneth Brouillard described the series of brawls as occurring when "one group would jump a member of another group and vice versa." Brouillard filed the report just after 2 a.m. Sunday.

The ages of the two men who reported the threat -- 19 and 26 -- indicate the violence extends beyond Torrington High School. The Republican-American is withholding the names of people named in the document because no arrests have been made and police believe releasing the names could result in retribution.

Brouillard's report said the most recent fight involved a 16-year-old Dominican boy, and police said Trinitario gang members were apparently alerted to the fight. The 19-year-old said a friend whom he refused to identify had told him gang members said: "If grown men want to beat up a 16-year-old, then we'll show them what we're about."

To read the complete story see Tuesday's Republican-American or our electronic edition at http://republicanamerican.ct.newsmemory.com.