By MATT MILNER

Courier staff writer

OTTUMWA — The courts usually take some time to deal with alleged crimes. Even an immediate confession can take a while to turn into a conviction.

But the teen accused by Ottumwa police of attacking another teenager in a video posted on YouTube was sentenced only eight days after being arrested. It was a blindingly fast turnaround for the system.

Police identified Jose Herrarte, 16, as the primary aggressor in a clip that was posted to the popular video-sharing site earlier this year. The clip showed him fighting with Luis Mejia.

Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark said after the arrest that Herrarte was charged because of the unusual brutality shown when he stomped on Mejia’s head and kicked him in the face.

The initial charge was willful injury causing bodily injury, a felony under Iowa law. Herrarte was adjudicated guilty, the equivalent of a juvenile conviction, on a lesser charge of assault causing bodily injury. The lesser charge is still a serious misdemeanor.

Judge William Owens sentenced Herrarte to placement in the Eldora boy’s training school. Herrarte is also on probation and faces a formal review of his case on Jan. 26, 2010.

The case drew authorities’ attention because it was one of several fights uploaded to YouTube from Ottumwa early this year. The investigation began in February and the site removed the videos after being contacted by the Ottumwa police.

Police also believe this incident was gang related because onlookers were heard yelling “Sureños,” during the fight. Sureños is a street gang with ties to southern California. The gang, also called “Sur 13,” is known to operate in Iowa.

The 18 months has seen several major incidents involving gangs in Ottumwa, beginning with the raids against the Insane Deuces cocaine ring. An attempted murder last December and the August assault on an Ottumwa police officer are believed to be related to the Latin Kings.

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com