By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – It’s not just the boys who end up in trouble.
With the release of new episodes of “Orange is the New Black” on Netflix, perhaps it is fitting that we have an article regarding teenage girls getting wild.
Recently, a police report detailing a series of events involving multiple juvenile females and at least one mother came to light regarding filming an intoxicated teen in a state of undress, distributing said video, assault, mutual combat, and filming the fight.
According to a Safford Police report, officers were dispatched at about 7 p.m. on July 24 to a residence in the 1100 block of S. Heritage Place regarding a video of an intoxicated juvenile female, “K”, passed out on the ground with her pants and underwear around her knees. Apparently, “K” fell while attempting to urinate and was not sexually abused. Another juvenile female, “J”, filmed the intoxicated girl’s exploits. The incident reportedly took place at the St. Rose of Lima Church on July 6 or 7.
After a fight involving “K” and “J” occurred July 23 and in which “J” was referred to juvenile probation, “J” allegedly sent the intoxicated video to “K’s” sister, “A” and another female. That encouraged the mother of “K” and “A” to call the police to ask “J” to not share the video with anyone else.
While that was transpiring, a subplot of a fight was being arranged between “A” and yet another juvenile female, “B”, who wanted to fight “A” for “J” since “J” had already been referred for assault. The juveniles told the officer that one of the girl’s mother, Ashley Gentile, had offered to drive her daughter to a place where they could handle the situation “one-on-one” to ensure her daughter was not “jumped.”
Later that night, at about 10:52 p.m., officers were dispatched to the Pinaleno Apartments at 2500 S. 17th Ave. regarding a fight between two of the juvenile girls listed above.
Upon arrival, “A” reported that she had been getting messages stating the girls’ desire to fight her, so she gave them an address and went outside to confront them when they arrived. She was joined by several other people who were also at the scene.
According to “A”, a silver sedan driven by Gentile arrived at the apartment with “B”, “J”, and two males in tow.
“A” said “B” started to fight with her and Gentile was cheering for “B” during the excursion. Various people in the crowd filmed the fight on their cell phones, according to “A”. The officer reviewed two videos of the fight, in which Gentile could be seen clenching her fists and cheering. The officer attempted to locate Gentile, who is on probation, throughout the night without success.
The following day, the officer located “B” at a residence in the 400 block of W. 24th Street at about 9:40 p.m. After initially denying any involvement, “B” allegedly said she fought “A” because “A” wanted to fight “J” for assaulting her sister.
The officer informed the parents of the two combatants that they would both be referred to juvenile probation for disorderly conduct.
The officer also reported he would forward his report to the Graham County Attorney’s Office for review to charge Gentile with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and facilitation.