【N.J】 Violence in Trenton’s Chambersburg section allegedly related to MS-13 gang activity – New Jersey News

Notorious gang MS-13 has gained a foothold in the section of Chambersburg Trenton, according to an influential mayoral confidant.

Andrew Bobbitt, who serves as a high-powered aide to Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, claimed members of Mara Salvatrucha, aka MS-13, an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, now lurks in the capital city.

While many residents have suggested an MS-13 presence existed, the Bobbitt salvo represents the first time a significant government entity made such a definitive statement about the gang.

Bobbitt, considered an influential cog in Mercer County political circles with employ as an aide to former five-term Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Mayor Eric Jackson and current Mayor Reed Gusciora, made his MS-13 allegation inside South River Walk Park on Saturday while he waited for his boss to make an appearance at Trenton River Days.

Shown photos of a man brutally beaten and robbed of his week’s wages during an attack on Roebling St. on Sept. 9, Bobbitt voiced several allegations including — “That’s (the work of) MS-13. That’s why you see so many police in The Burg.”

In 2018, New Jersey State Police identified approximately 50 municipalities with at least a minimal presence of MS-13 members. The report identified Trenton with 21 to 99 gang affiliates in action here.