Attorney for southern Indiana man charged in brutal stabbing denies MS-13 gang ties

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- New details emerge about a suspected gang member in southern Indiana charged with a brutal attack.

Clarksville Police Chief Nathan Walls said Mario Rios is a member of the notorious MS-13 Gang, but his public defender said he is not affiliated with the gang.

Rios is accused of stabbing a man in Clarksville over the weekend. He was in court Tuesday to be formally charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery.

The charges stem from an incident Saturday night near Blackiston Mill Road and Marlowe Drive. Police responded to a "confrontation that escalated into a serious event." Police called it a "targeted attack." The victim arrived to Clark Memorial Hospital with stab wounds Saturday night. His wounds were so severe that one laceration across his abdomen exposed his intestines.

Despite the statement by police linking Rios to MS-13, Public Defender Mickey Weber said on Tuesday that Rios is not in a gang. He said Rios was acting in self-defense and that the man who was injured had been harassing him.

"None of it's true. Mario has never been part of a gang. He's never been accused of having any gang related activity. He has a tattoo of a 13, which police evidently assume is part of some membership of a gang, which he's had since he was 14 years old. He's not a gang member. He doesn't know any gang members," Weber said.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, MS-13, is a well-organized gang that is heavily involved in illegal activities that is known for its use of violence.

Weber also said Rios is a U.S. citizen who was born in Chicago, moved to Mexico as a child, and has been back in America for about eight years working as a roofer. "I don't know any gang members that want to climb a roof and install shingles, if they can make different money with criminal enterprises."

Rios is expected back in court next month.

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