On June 6, 2006,[2] a teenage boy named Gabriel Granillo also known as Pelón was stabbed to death at Ervan Chew Park, in the Neartown district in Houston, Texas.

[3] In 2008 Skip Hollandsworth of Texas Monthly referred to Benton as "Houston’s most famous teenage killer" and stated that the fact that the stabbing took place in the central city, and the fact that Ashley Benton was a white, Anglo teenage girl involved in gangs shocked Houstonians.

Ashley Benton is of English descent, was a student at Lamar High School and socialized with members of the gang "Crazy Crew."

[6] Marilyn D. McShane and Ming-Li Hsieh, authors of Women and Criminal Justice, noted that Benton had "a history of disruptive behavior" including various conflicts with school rules such as fighting and possession of weapons, and family issues.

[6] Gabriel Yban Granillo also known as "Pelón" (Hairless in Spanish) was of Salvadorian origins, 15 at the time of his death, was the child of Salvadoran immigrants.

Granillo became a member of MS-13 at age 14,[9] and he was previously incarcerated in the Harris County Youth Village,[7] a juvenile detention facility in Pasadena, Texas,[10] near the city of Seabrook.

"[13] The members of the two gangs met at a CVS pharmacy and chased each other around before they stopped at Ervan Chew Park,[12] located in the Neartown district, in proximity to Montrose.

[17] Avelardo Valdez, a University of Houston professor of social work, stated "It's very unusual for a woman to be involved in this kind of violent gang confrontation.

[21] Sue Lovell, a member of the Houston City Council who represented the area, and someone who knew Benton,[13] described it as "an isolated incident".

[21] Rich Wilson, an HPD sergeant operating from the Neartown Storefront, told residents that the stabbing was an "isolated gang activity" and that the park is safe and surveilled.

[23] The following Saturday HPD arrested an MS-13 member attempting to create a memorial at the site of Granillo's death, citing graffiti as the reason.

[3] She was transferred from the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center to an adult jail, but was allowed to post bail and stay under house arrest one week later.

The defense would have cost $150,000 (equivalent to $220,000 today), but DeToto, Schaffer, and Wice agreed to represent Benton pro bono due to the low income status of her mother.

[3] Brian Rogers of the Houston Chronicle stated that the "basic facts" surrounding Granillo's death "were undisputed".

[28] The prosecutors offered a plea deal calling for a murder conviction with no prison time and 10 years of deferred adjudication.

[4] Craig Malislow of the Houston Press wrote that the decision from the appeals court had "an in-depth exploration of state and federal case law regarding gag orders and freedom of speech.

As part of the deal she was to receive five years of deferred adjudication probation, perform 300 hours of community service, and obtain a high school diploma and/or GED certificate.

[12] After Benton accepted the plea deal in 2007, Schaffer stated that the girl had continued to receive death threats from MS-13, so she needed to have a "fresh start" and move to a new place.

[13] In a 2009 opinion piece in The Daily Cougar, University of Houston communication major student Jared Luck wrote that people dismayed by youth crime should try to help troubled teenagers, and that "probation for all but the most hardened criminals is only going to become more commonplace.