Marines Attacked, Stabbed By Gang Members (in San Diego) Four Servicemen Jumped By 15 People

NBC San Diego ^ | 8.01.2003 | Staff

[RedBloodedAmerican]

SAN DIEGO -- Two off-duty Marines were stabbed, one critically, when they and two companions were attacked by more than a dozen alleged gang members early Thursday.

The fight took place in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., a small Orange County town north of Camp Pendleton. The four Marines, dressed in civilian clothes, left a bar shortly before 12:30 a.m. When they walked past a group of young men near a gas station at Del Obispo Street and Camino Capistrano, they got into an argument, according to Lt. Lloyd Downing of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Downing said the local men left and came back in cars with reinforcements. About 15 men attacked the servicemen, some wielding knives, he said.

Carter Douglass Caroom, 23, was stabbed seven times in the back and chest, Downing said. Randall Roach, 22, was stabbed once and sustained other, less serious wounds.

Both men were taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, where Caroom was listed in critical condition, Downing said. Roach's condition was not immediately known, but he was expected to survive, he said.

Steven Brown, 22, and Jason Mack, 27, were able to get away, according to Downing.

Investigators from a sheriff's gang unit were searching for the attackers, Downing said.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Find them and feed them to the dogs.

[NittanyLion]

Police suspect a gang that calls themselves the "Young Democrats"...

[battlegearboat]

Just Damn!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Probably not far from the truth! Let's not give them any ideas!

[Growler]

Sounds like it's time for what in the old days the Navy used to call "Dungaree Liberty." I bet most of the guys at Camp Pendelton would like a little payback.

[Kenton]

Back in my day, we had a wonderful way of dealing with this sort of event, and old tradition called "dungaree liberty". I wonder if the powers that be have the balls for that anymore?

[Kenton]

High '5s, Growler, sounds like we served in the same Navy...

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Ya'll know each other? Sounds like "Urban Hunter" time.

[ishabibble]

You bet! My dad was USMM in WWII which must have seemed like a cakewalk after he became the father of five daughters! He told us about "dungaree liberty" (probably the edited version) and showed us a few basics. I still carry a roll of nickels! When I was younger, I had to use them more than once but I never did have to meet a "counseler" or "crisis" person, neither did my sisters.

As for those Marines, where's the goofball with the camcorder when you really need him? I'll bet this doesn't make Page One anywhere. My prayers today are for them and their families.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Hey, I missed this with the keywords I used. It was posted yesterday evening. This has additional info, but there is already a thread on it.

[joesnuffy]

I remember back when Clinton first took over..he held a giant "gang conference" (which the tax payers funded of course)
A big dog and pony show ... I think the only thing that came out of it was that the gangs were able to hook up and network

Gangs in America seem to pretty much go unchecked...with all the Homieland Security we have and all the gun toting agents we field..
We just dont seem to bother getting rid of the gangs...

Now that Marines have been attacked with knives I think its time to wipe street gangs out
for that matter
...bring our troops home from protecting people that hate us anyway and put them on our borders..

Of course as soon as gangs are attacked the civil rights people will jump in claiming racist discrimination and the local officials fearing lawsuits and bad PR will back off and the gangs will be free to go back to terrorizing the good people of their various neighborhoods..

Marines on liberty had better go armed from now on

[StoneColdTaxHater]

I have heard that among the street gang sub-human culture that kicking a Marine's ass is a way to get street credentials. I agree with the earlier poster, these guys are not the Sharks & Jets. Gangs have had their way for too long it's time they were wiped out.

[skeeter]

I bet most of the guys at Camp Pendelton would like a little payback.

There's a whole new generation of gangland trash who need to be educated on the alternative use of a Sam Brown belt.

[ought-six]

Gangs are on eof the biggest scourges we face. It's time to get down and dirty with them, because the authorities won't. I've had it with these miscreants. It's time to lock and load.

[D1X1E]

Two off-duty Marines... and two companions were attacked by more than a dozen alleged gang members early Thursday.

2 Marines and yet it took 12 gang members to do any damage. Sounds about right.

[FITZ]

They talk about too many people in prison, there needs to be more. The violent gangs need to be kept locked in prison.

[Growler]

My guess would be that the "powers that be" don't; too many years of sensitivity training and too many examples of what happened to others who took some initiative. In fact, I imagine that they're busy today instructing the grunts how to look less like Marines when they're on liberty (pretty hard to do when you're sporting white sidewalls!), telling them to stay out of dangerous areas, making threats about what will happen if they engage in any off-duty "recreation," etc.

But I doubt that is going to stop all of the jarheads looking to avenge their brothers. Could be an interesting weekend in San Diego.

[stainlessbanner]

stabbed seven times in the back

Unbelievable.

[Kenton]

But I doubt that is going to stop all of the jarheads looking to avenge their brothers. Could be an interesting weekend in San Diego.

Yeah, considering that "dungaree liberty" was pretty much a "grass-roots" phenomenon requiring little more than for the jarheads at the gate to ignore all those sailors and Marines heading out to town in dungarees and fatigues... well, let's just say I have faith that the grunts haven't changed all that much...

[SoCal Pubbie]

If I heard the news right last night both the Marines in the hospital are going to be alright, although one was originally termed critical. And for what it's worth Capistrano is about an hour north of San Diego!