Two suspected MS 13 gang members are charged in the Satanic kidnapping and torture of a Houston teen and murder of another.
The two men, 18 and 22, are from El Salvador. A 14-year-old girl told police they kidnapped her, drugged and raped her in their Houston apartment.
She said one girl, known only as “Genesis,” was killed and dumped in a southwest Houston street after she destroyed their makeshift Satanic shrine.
“There was some Santa Muerte involved in that, I do know that much,” says HPD Sgt. Clint Ponder. “Its part of the culture of what today's society is, and yes, we do see that here in Houston.”
Sgt. Ponder would not speculate if the mayor's “welcoming” policy toward immigrants has contributed to gang-related crime.
“We do have an increase of what you would call illegal immigrants joining gangs, specifically from El Salvador, Hundurus and Central America, and that's becoming quite a big issue here recently.”
“I feel as a police department we have the gang problem under control,” he says. “We have a lot of investigators actively investigating things here in the city, and we do a good job of controlling the situation.”
The two suspects are being held on $150,000 bond.