Ashley Paige Benton was born around 1989 and raised in Houston, Texas. She came from an upper-middle-class background, attended a private Christian school in her early education, and later enrolled at Lamar High School, a public institution known for its academic and cultural diversity. By her teenage years, Benton had distanced herself from her conservative upbringing and adopted a rebellious persona. She became known for her interest in alternative subcultures, wearing dark clothing, experimenting with gothic fashion, and expressing herself in ways that stood out from her peers.

At Lamar High School, Benton gravitated toward a group of friends known as the “Westside Locos,” an informal and racially diverse clique inspired by Hispanic street gangs but not considered a formal gang under law enforcement definitions. The group used gang-like symbols and engaged in turf disputes with rival cliques but largely consisted of high schoolers seeking identity and camaraderie. Benton, a white girl with no Hispanic background, stood out as one of the few females involved in the subculture and often socialized with male members.

While Ashley Benton had no prior criminal record or history of violence, her association with a fringe youth subculture brought her into proximity with street-level conflicts. She was known to carry a knife, and her behavior became increasingly unpredictable in the months leading up to the fatal incident. Family members later said she had a troubled adolescence marked by emotional instability and behavioral changes, though no mental illness diagnosis was publicly reported.

On June 6, 2006, a confrontation between the "Crazy Crew" and the MS-13 gang occurred at Ervan Chew Park in Houston, Texas. During the altercation, Benton stabbed 15-year-old Gabriel Granillo, a member of MS-13, resulting in his death. Benton was arrested at her residence shortly after the incident.

In 2007, Benton was tried as an adult for murder. The trial concluded with a hung jury, leading to a mistrial. In December 2007, Benton accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She received five years of deferred adjudication probation, was required to perform 300 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $4,000 towards Granillo's funeral expenses. Upon successfully completing two years of probation, a judge terminated her probation early in 2009, and the charges were dismissed.

Following the completion of her probation, Benton expressed gratitude and a desire to move forward with her life. She changed her surname, relocated to another state, and started a family, seeking a fresh start away from the events of her past.