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<br />
<br />bloody;
<br />6 110spitalized
<br />
<br />
<br />By KIM BRADLEY
<br />
<br />Staff Reporter
<br />
<br />Six youths were hospitalized for
<br />stab wounds after a "free-far-all"
<br />turned bloody downtown Satur-
<br />day night, but local authorities
<br />are denying rumors that youth
<br />gangs were involved.
<br />"It was absolutely not a gang
<br />fight," San Marcos Police Depart-
<br />ment juvenile officer Rodney Van
<br />Oudekerke said.
<br />SMPD officer Sheni Peyton, as-
<br />signed to Criminal Investigation
<br />Division, is handling the case
<br />along With Van Oudekerke. She
<br />said the brawl was a "free-for-all"
<br />involving about 20 kids from Kyle
<br />and San Marcos.
<br />None of the kids involved were
<br />wearing gang clothing, Peyton
<br />said, adding that all of them scat-
<br />tered as soon as the fight erupted.
<br />"I want to dispel any rumors that
<br />it was gang-related," Peyton said.
<br />'There is nothing to indicate that
<br />these kids were in a gang," she
<br />added.
<br />The fight was apparently be-
<br />tween youths from Kyle and San
<br />Marcos, who got into a fight over a
<br />1 ~-year-old girl, who is a girl-
<br />fnend and an ex-girlfriend of
<br />some of the youngsters involved
<br />in the fight
<br />Although police are not sure if
<br />the fight was between kids from
<br />Kyle and San Marcos, indications
<br />point to that explanation. "I have
<br />not corne to a decision about
<br />that," Peyton said. "All we know is
<br />that a fight occurred and that one
<br />half of the group, from San Mar-
<br />
<br />(See Fight page 2)
<br />
<br />
<br />(Continued frem page 1)
<br />
<br />cos, drew knives," she said.
<br />Three of those injured in the
<br />fight, which occurred in front of
<br />Domino's Pizza on North LBJ just
<br />before midnight Saturday, are
<br />still at Central Texas Medical
<br />Center, where they will be for
<br />about a week. The hospitalized
<br />victims are all from Kyle.
<br />One I9-year-oId remains in
<br />good condition with stab wounds
<br />to his back and side and his lower
<br />abdomen. A I6-year-old is in fair
<br />condition with stab wounds to the
<br />upper ann and lacerations to his
<br />forearm.
<br />A final victim, a 14-year-oId, is
<br />also in serious condition with a
<br />puncture wound to his abdomen.
<br />Three youths were released af-
<br />ter treatment at the hospital, Pey-
<br />ton said. A 20-year-old received
<br />stitches in his head and ann. A
<br />17 -year-old was released after his
<br />stab wounds were stitched, and
<br />another 17 -year-old received
<br />stitches after he was hit over the
<br />head With a broken bottle.
<br />A couple of college students
<br />were also victims of the incident,
<br />Peyton said, The two students
<br />had parked their cars along LBJ,
<br />she said, adding that windows
<br />were kicked out of the cars, which
<br />also sustained heavy body dam-
<br />age.
<br />Two suspects have been arrest-
<br />ed and charged with aggravated
<br />
<br />assault, polIce said, One I5-year-
<br />old youth remains in Seguin in
<br />the juvenile detention center after
<br />a hearing yesterday, Van Oudek-
<br />erke said. A I7-year-old suspect.
<br />who was also injured and received
<br />stitches in his head. was also ar-
<br />rested.
<br />Another juvenile was arrested
<br />at the scene. Van Oudekerke said,
<br />for violation of probation. The
<br />youth was released to his parents
<br />after it was determined that he
<br />was not involved in the stabbings.
<br />The melee lasted about two
<br />minutes, ~ Peyton said, judging
<br />from reports of witnesses, vic-
<br />tims, and suspects.
<br />It will be some time before the
<br />investigation is complete because
<br />of all the witnesses that are still
<br />being interviewed. PolIce are try-
<br />ing to sort out events of the night.
<br />Peyton said, adding that she has
<br />identified six kids from Kyle and
<br />10-20 local kids that were either
<br />spectators, victims, or partici-
<br />pants. "We're not sure how many
<br />there are, but there are a couplerof arrests pending, ,. she said.
<br />Seven police officers, a detec-
<br />tive, Van Oudekerke, and three
<br />ambulances responded to the
<br />scene, Peyton said. One victim,
<br />who bolted from the area with se-
<br />rious wounds, was tracked to an
<br />area several blocks away by the
<br />trail of blood that he left .
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