Police in Maryland report 3 dead in gang-related violence
BALTIMORE (AP) - Three bodies, the victims of gang-related violence, have been found in the county that surrounds Maryland's capital, and several arrests have been made in the case, police said.
Those were the only details Anne Arundel County Police Chief Timothy Altomare offered about the crimes at a news conference he conducted Friday, which he said at the beginning might be "an exercise in frustration."
But the chief repeatedly urged that anyone who is in fear of gangs, which he said are present in each Anne Arundel community, should contact police immediately.
"If you're in fear, if you think a gang wants to hurt you, I beg you to come talk to us," Altomare said. "We will move heaven and earth to get you the help you need."
Altomare refused to answer most questions about the crimes, such as who the victims were, when and where they were found, and how they were killed. "I can't talk about case information, geography, dates, names, no concrete numbers."
The chief said that giving more information would increase the chances of someone getting hurt.
Altomare urged anyone with any information about gang activity in the county to come forward. A reporter asked if police would be checking on the immigration status of anyone who came forward; the chief said, "I couldn't care less about people's status."
There's a gang presence in each Anne Arundel community, but police won't let gangs take over, Altomare said.
Annapolis is Anne Arundel's county seat and the capital of Maryland.