7 Gang Members Linked to Attack on Boy

Seven gang members, including four adults, were in custody Friday after they allegedly beat a 12-year-old boy at a bowling alley, sheriff’s officials said.

The boy was playing video games Thursday night in the arcade room of the Saddleback Lanes bowling alley, waiting for a relative to get off work, Sheriff’s Lt. Hector Rivera said.

About 11:15 p.m., the seven attackers walked into the arcade room, where the boy was alone, and punched him, kicked him and struck him with a metal pipe, Rivera said. He called the beating vicious and unprovoked.

“The poor kid, 12 years old, was by himself and these older guys walk up and start beating on him,” Rivera said. “They were the tough guys and they think this is their turf.”

All seven were in custody and were being interviewed late Friday by sheriff’s investigators and members of the Gang Enforcement Team. All were expected to be charged. The four adults, all from Mission Viejo, were identified as Justin R. Landgraff, 19, Matthew J. Estrada, 18, John Siveno, 22, and Kevin C. Camp, 19. The names of the juveniles were not released.

The boy was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where he was treated overnight and released Friday, officials said. Authorities would not identify him. An attendant answering the phone at the bowling alley said managers had instructed the staff not to give out any information.

The suspects belong to a fledgling street gang of Saddleback Valley youths who mainly are known as “taggers,” gang members who spray paint their insignia and other messages on walls and buildings, Sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Cherman said.

“It is not a highly active gang or a large gang,” Cherman said. He said it consists of 20 to 25 members, about 10 of whom are on probation from previous arrests. The group has been around for about 18 months, he said.