MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The Seattle teenager who was found floating dead in Lake Ballinger last week was a member of a criminal street gang that is expanding, including into Snohomish County, according to a Seattle-based gang expert.
Mountlake Terrace police on Monday continued the investigation into the death of Britney Galindez, 17, Sgt. Doug Hansen said. They are treating it as a homicide.
She was last seen Oct. 13 at a fast-food restaurant in the Lake City area, Hansen said. The teenager told friends she was headed to the Everett area to visit other friends.
Relatives filed a missing-person report with Seattle police and on Oct. 20 alerted the media with posters.
On Oct. 21, police were called to Lake Ballinger, where they pulled Galindez’s body from the water. The Snohomish County medical examiner is investigating the cause of death and is waiting for toxicology results, Hansen said.
Detectives believe the teenager was a member of the gang Vatos Locos 13 based on her clothing at the time of death and writings on her MySpace Web page.
“When you run with a gang, you have all the attendant problems that come with gang life,” Hansen said. “You risk getting yourself into criminal situations, assault or death.”
Since the investigation began, police have received dozens of tips, including a few that have proven useful, Hansen said.
On Friday, police divers combed Lake Ballinger for more clues but came up empty, Hansen said. Now, detectives are looking into Galindez’s cell phone records and Internet postings and continue to interview people who knew the girl.
The teenager told Seattle police earlier this year she was harassed by Sarah Black, a notorious MS-13 gang member, Hansen said. Black is now behind bars for her part in a June 11 drive-by shooting in Everett.
Galindez apparently told police Black was trying to recruit her to run with MS-13, a gang that has a history of violent confrontation with Vatos Locos, Hansen said.
Police do not have evidence that the teenager’s death was a result of a gang rivalry, he said.
Vatos Locos 13 is one of several active gangs in the Northwest and is rapidly expanding, said Gabe Morales, who has worked in gang prevention for 30 years. He runs the Des Moines-based Gang Prevention Services and is vice president of the International Latino Gang Investigators Association.
Typically, Vatos Locos 13 is made up of Mexican nationals, he said.
“You also have a lot of white kids in that gang that may be attracted to that lifestyle,” he said.
Girls in gangs often answer to the men and sometimes experience sexual violence, including rape, Morales said.
In gangs, Morales said, girls also can be forced to keep pace with men when drinking or taking drugs, often leading to overdoses and other problems.
Violence against gang members can be triggered from within or from rival gangs, he said. The reason can be as simple as jealousy.
Morales said he is working with law enforcement on the Mountlake Terrace homicide investigation. He couldn’t comment on the specifics of the case, including the report that Galindez had taken concerns about MS-13 to police.
In general, he said, for gang members “that’s a no-no. You don’t talk to police, no matter what.”
If a gang member has a problem, it’s supposed to be taken care of within the ranks.
“The homeboys and homegirls are expected to take care of it,” Morales said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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