Students charged in gang murder plot

By Abe Nelson

Published: March 7, 2008

Members of the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force and Manassas police recently arrested a 16-year-old Osbourn High School student, who they said solicited local gang members to kill his father.

In a press conference Friday, Manassas police Chief John J. Skinner said the 16-year initially conspired with the members of one gang to have them burglarize his home and steal two guns to use in the planned killing.

The teen soon began to fear that he was in danger from the gang members and joined a rival gang for protection, Skinner said.

Skinner would not name the gangs involved but said they were “well-known with national affilia-tion.”

“This is the first in a long time that we have had criminal gang activity at our high school. This is far from common and routine,” Skinner said."I’m confident in saying that it is not a huge problem. This is more of an isolated incident.”

Manassas police Capt. Art Dennis said the16-year-old had second thoughts about being in a gang. He told his father that he had been “jumped into” or initiated into the gang after school on Feb. 29 at the intersection of Main Street and Wood Drift Circle.

The gang initiation involved six other Osbourn students between the ages of 14 and 18, Skinner said.

Police identified the 18-year-old as Dwaynne Anthony Smith of 9712 Beech Place in Manassas. Police withheld the names of all juveniles involved.

On Tuesday, the boy and his father went to Manassas police Officer T.J. Rodriquez, the school resource officer, and told him of the gang initiation, Skinner said.

During the investigation that followed, Detective Wayne Bombara, a Manassas police detective assigned to the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, and Rodriquez identified the members of the rival gang who were involved in the initiation and charged them with gang participation, assault by mob, gang activity in a school zone, and recruit-ment of a juvenile for criminal street gang. All were held without bond, Skinner said.

The investigation also revealed that the plans for murder with the members of the rival gang had been planned for about a month.

The father learned of the murder plans when his son and two members from the original gang—aged 16 and 17—were brought in for questioning Tuesday, Skinner said.

The 16-year-old and one of the gang members were charged with solicitation and conspiracy to commit murder. The other 17-year-old gang member was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, with a charge of conspiracy to commit murder pending, said Sgt. Tim Neumann, Manassas police spokesman.

Police believe that Robert Lee Williams, 24, of 9053 McClellan Commons, was a co-conspirator in the burglary. He is still at large and police are looking for him, Skinner said.

“We believe that Williams may still be in possession of those firearms,” Skinner said.

Dennis said that an M-4 rifle and a Baretta 9mm were stolen from the 16-year-old’s house.

Smith is known to frequent the basketball court behind the Jehovah’s Witness church at Cockrell Road and Ashton Avenue, and the Bristoe Station and Irongate areas, Skinner said.

Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.