It could almost be a fairy tale, but four young children, ages 9 to 12, are far from that. In fact they represent one of the most feared gangs in Santiago. Called the “Meneitos” after their father, a well-known criminal whose nickname is “Meneito”, the four have stolen vehicles in Puerto Plata and Santiago as well as assaulting publico drivers who had given the little group a lift. The children’s parents are both in jail: the father for robbery and assaults, and the mother for using and selling drugs, according to local police spokesman Jesus Cordero Paredes. A publico driver who lives in the same neighborhood told El Caribe reporter Miguel Ponce that “the problem is that their parents send them out to steal.” According to Cordero Paredes, the area by the overpass in Santiago, near the intersection with 27 of February, is their main operations base. One of the problems, besides the existence of this little gang of criminals, is that because of their very young age, there is nowhere to put the hoodlums, at least until they reach the age of 13. There is not one facility for treating and re-education young offenders in the entire country.<\/p>\n
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It could almost be a fairy tale, but four young children, ages 9 to 12, are far from that. In fact they represent one of the most feared gangs in Santiago. Called the “Meneitos” after their father, a well-known criminal whose nickname is “Meneito”, the four have stolen vehicles in Puerto Plata and Santiago as … <\/p>\n