Gang charges for seven in Underground Atlanta stabbing

By Ty Tagami

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The man who was stabbed after a melee at Underground Atlanta on Sunday remained in critical but stable condition Monday afternoon, and seven people were charged with attacking him in what police are calling a gang incident.

The victim was identified by police as Jorge Rosales, 21, of Stone Mountain. He underwent surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital for a wound from a blade that nicked his heart, said Sgt. Curtis Davenport of the Atlanta Police Department.

On Sunday, the victim's chances of survival were iffy enough that homicide investigators were working the case.

The fight occurred in the downstairs shopping and food court while the Peachtree Latino Festival was ongoing at street level. The stabbing apparently stemmed from  a "verbal altercation," Davenport said.

Police initially said eight were arrested, but as of Monday only seven were charged in connection with the incident.

Seferino Martinez, 20, of Atlanta, and Mario Mondragon, 20, of Norcross, were each charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy, carrying a concealed weapon and violation of the state's gang statute, Davenport said. Five others were charged with the gang statute violation and with aggravated assault and battery: Jilverto Hernadez, 21, of Atlanta; Santiago Vacquecz, 17, of Atlanta; Omar Carronza, 17, of Atlanta; and two 16-year-olds whose identities were withheld because of their age.

The adults were taken to the Fulton County Jail and the juveniles were released to their parents, Davenport said.

Rosales stopped breathing after the attack and survived because of the intervention of an off-duty Atlanta police officer, Davenport said. The officer performed CPR while awaiting the ambulance and got him breathing again.

Downtown police and off-duty officers who were working security at the festival converged on the scene and detained the suspects, Davenport said. He said investigators assigned to the FBI Gang Task Force helped identify and talk to the suspects and witnesses.