Spread of Latino gangs has police trying to slow their influence on youths

Tania E. Lopez:

Again and again, two numbers are scrawled in spray paint from a West Washington Street fence to apartment gates on 34th Street: 13 and 18.

They are a mystery to many people, but police understand exactly what they mean.

The numerals signal teens are starting to mark their turf as members of either the Sur 13 or Primera 18 gangs, local versions of the Latino groups that have been a vortex of violent crime in Los Angeles.

The number of homegrown members in Indianapolis is unclear, but the fatal shooting of Juan Luis Espinoza in late February underscores the brewing danger as gangs coalesce in the city. Police say they have no exact figures for gang-related crime, but point to other shootings, the graffiti and a rash of robberies as signs that Latino gangs are becoming established and are growing.

While recent headlines have been dominated by accusations that a white gang set a racially motivated fire in May, experts say the growth of Latino gangs makes them a more dangerous problem.

"The thing about the Latino gangs in the Central Indiana and Indianapolis area is that they are increasing," said Edward Cohn, executive director of the National Major Gang Task Force. The nonprofit organization, based in Indianapolis, helps police and other groups combat gangs.

Police aim to bridge gap

Schools, businesses reporting gang activity

Members take cues from past groups