Major police raid targets L.A.'s notorious Avenues gang

Hundreds of police officers and federal law enforcement agents launched a major assault on the Avenues gang this morning, hoping to deal a blow to an elusive group they say is responsible for some of Los Angeles' most notorious street crime.

Under the cover of darkness around 3 a.m., roughly 1,200 heavily armed officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and several other agencies dispersed from a command post near the LAPD’s training academy in Elysian Park.

Warrants in hand, they descended on dozens of homes in search of 53 alleged members or associates of the Avenues gang wanted on an array of federal charges related to extensive drug dealing, unsolved murders and other crimes.

Forty-three suspects already are in custody on unrelated charges. The operation was aimed to bring new charges against 88 Avenues members or associates, a significant share of a gang that is believed to have about 400 members. 

Some suspects were sought elsewhere in the city, but the sweep focused on Glassell Park and other neighborhoods in the northeastern reaches of Los Angeles -- the center of Avenues territory since the gang first surfaced in the 1950s.

There were no reports of officers encountering armed resistance. San Bernardino sheriff's officers say they shot two aggressive dogs they encountered at one location.

It was not immediately clear how many of the suspects had been found at their homes and taken into custody. The names of the suspects and the crimes they were accused of also were not immediately known, pending the unsealing of the indictments.

The arrests culminated a yearlong investigation of the gang run by a unit of LAPD detectives that specializes in gang-related homicides and a DEA task force.

The Avenues came under scrutiny in the wake of the August 2008 slaying of Juan Abel Escalante, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. Escalante, 27, was gunned down outside of his parents’ Cypress Park home early in the morning as he headed to work as a guard at the Men’s Central Jail.

LAPD detectives led the murder investigation into the killing because it occurred within city boundaries. Within days of the shooting, agents from the DEA task force, which had previously investigated the Avenues, came to the LAPD with information they had gathered that indicated members from the gang may have been responsible.

That tip led to the arrest in December of two Avenues members in connection with the murder. Months later, a third member was taken into custody, and charges were brought against a fourth, who remains a fugitive. In the course of investigating the Escalante killing, however, the LAPD detectives and DEA agents delved into the inner workings of the Avenues and began compiling evidence related to a host of other alleged crimes.

Some of the information was collected during interrogations of Avenues members and others from the neighborhood who had been arrested by a special team of 54 uniformed gang officers deployed in the area. Much of the incriminating information, however, came from the suspects themselves as DEA agents secured approval from federal judges for an array of wire taps that allowed them to listen in on gang members’ phone conversations.

"They could have just stuck with Escalante," said LAPD Capt. Kevin McClure, who oversees the detective unit. “They could have said, ‘We got what we came for,’ packed it up and moved on to something that would have been easier. This operation was not a result of me telling them they have to do this. It is a result of this unit saying, ‘There is more here, let’s keep going.’ ”

Over the course of the investigation, cases were built against Avenues members for their alleged roles in six other unsolved murders and four attempted murders, said a top LAPD gang detective involved in the operation. He requested that his name not be used because of concerns over retaliation by Avenues members.

The bulk of the charges are for extortion and other crimes that Avenues members and associates allegedly committed as part of the gang’s extensive drug trafficking in the area, police say. Most of the Avenues members included in the indictment are being charged under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which allows prosecutors to pursue more serious prison sentences. At a planning briefing last week with representatives from the agencies involved, there was little question as to what had kept the group motivated.

With the auditorium at LAPD headquarters filled with a few hundred officers, a recording was played of the phone call Escalante’s wife made to a 911 dispatcher after discovering him in the street. “If anyone has any doubt about the rationale or reason behind this operation, it was this,” a detective said.

At the meeting, officers reviewed the complicated logistics involved in a gang sweep of such a large magnitude. With more than a dozen targets located on one street alone, the routes each team of officers would take and the order of their deployment had to be painstakingly planned.

Officers were instructed to bring suspects back to the command post for processing wearing only clothes and a pair of shoes. Any jewelry, cellphones or other belongings would clog up what promised to be an already hectic assembly line of alleged criminals.  Staff from the state’s Child Protective Services department would be on hand to handle children found in any of the homes, officers were told.

The gang, named for the avenues that cross Figueroa Street,  has a long, ugly history dating back at least to the 1950s, when it was linked to many shootouts and killings. It is thought by some that the group’s origins can be traced back to some of the hundreds of families displaced from Chavez Ravine, now home to Dodger Stadium, and the Rose Hill areas.

The group’s insignia, which many members have tattooed on their bodies, is a skull with a bullet hole, wearing a fedora. Various cliques of the Avenues claim Highland Park and parts of Cypress Park, Glassell Park and Eagle Rock as their territory. It is linked closely to the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which demands that the Avenues and other Eastside gangs send up a share of the taxes they collect from low-level drug dealers and others selling goods on their turf.

Today’s sweep is hardly the first time law enforcement has taken on the Avenues. In 2002, the city attorney won an injunction against the gang, making it illegal for members to congregate throughout much of Highland Park, Glassell Park, Cypress Park and Eagle Rock. A few years later, federal prosecutors won hate-crime convictions against Avenues members for the killings of three black men between 1995 and 2000.

Government attorneys argued that the Avenues launched a campaign of violence to force black people out of the Highland Park area in the 1990s and targeted the men simply because of their race. In 2007, the city used a narcotics-abatement lawsuit to shut down the home of a family at the center of the Avenues' Drew Street clique.

At the time, then-City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo called the house the gang’s “mother ship.” In February of last year, the gang re-erupted into the city’s public consciousness when policy say Drew Street members  gunned down a man as he stood on a curb holding his 2-year-old granddaughter’s hand.

They brazenly took on police in a running gun battle, firing at officers with an AK-47 assault rifle in broad daylight. Most recently, in June 2008, the DEA task force that came to LAPD detectives with information on the Escalante killing conducted a similar, but smaller, operation to the one carried out today. That investigation named 70 defendants.

At the time, LAPD officials assured residents of the area that they would work to keep the gang from reclaiming control of the neighborhoods. Drug activity in the area has slowed considerably in recent months, the detective said, but considering the size of today’s operation, the gang clearly has maintained a commanding presence in the area.

"They’ve owned that community for a long, long time," the detective said. "Only time will tell for sure, but I think this will be a blow that will finally make a lasting impact."

-- Joel Rubin

Photo: Several men suspected of being members or associates of the Avenues gang are held in a booking area after being arrested during a predawn raid. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[windu]

"With the auditorium at LAPD headquarters filled with a few hundred officers, a recording was played of the phone call Escalante’s hysterical wife made to a 911 dispatcher after discovering him in the street. “If anyone has any doubt about the rationale or reason behind this operation, it was this,” a detective said."

That statement really infuriates me. Here we finally have police showing the will to do something about a gang. An army of 1200 officers. Finally. But why now? Because one of their own was killed. Apparently the suffering and sorrow of the residents of Los Angeles neighborhoods that have been terrorized by gangs for decades don't warrant this type of response. See, here's proof that it's a lack of will to stop gangs that allows them to thrive. Are we not saved?

[jayteereal]

This article is the very reason I support my and every Police and Law enforcement departments, because without them we would never get rid of the evil low-life cowards that roam our streets killing our kids, our families, and our friends. I really feel good knowing that this is what my tax dollars pay for; Law Enforcement. Great Job Guys!!, and Thank You : )

[big picture]

Good job LAPD. Thank you for going after these guys.

[Sandra]

It's about time someone did something about the Avenues. They were a problem many years ago when I worked the Gang Unit for the Probation Department. Too bad an officer had to die before anyone gained the nerve to try to stop them.

[I'm ready]

Life sentences and/or permanent deportation.

[joe s]

good work, keep it up, be safe!
hey gang bangers keep the gang drop the bang!
raise money by doing car washes and BBCUEs, the violence is a waste of time!,AND A WASTE OF LIFE!

[Ruby Jackson]

LAPD Capt. Kevin McClure claims that "This operation was not a result of me telling them they have to do this. It is a result of this unit saying, ‘There is more here, let’s keep going.’ ”

Why did it take the death of officer Escalante to motivate these detectives when this gang has such a long history of violence?

[Nick]

Go my local law enforcement. Semper Fi!

[tango down]

GREAT work fellas! AAAAHHHHOOOOO!

[Gloria]

As a Northeast resident, I am thankful that the police have stayed on this investigation. This gang is a scourge on Northeast and prevents the community from reaching its potential as a terrific area in which to live. Let's continue the push to eradicate this mess from the community.

[Paco]

Through 35 years, I have watched these dudes evolve from street hoods whose antics were relegated to spray painted walls, pot sales with the occasional beat down of each other to become ruthless "foreign" killers. What percentage of the estimated 400 members of Los Avenidas do you believe to be illegal immigrants from Mexico? If you look at previous indictments it's easy to assess at least 30 percent if not more. The dudes who "brazenly" opened fire on officers were here illegally and one the son of a woman (Deleon) who was deported more than once.

So you tell me liberals of LA, what's the solution?

[Big Jim Slade]

So why hasn't this been done regularly over the last 50 years? An international disgrace to let this get out of hand for so long...

Why not have LAPD and the Fed put it on their schedule as a recurring item every three months for the next twenty years?

At some point perhaps our local Mexican population may start paying attention in school and get jobs instead of continuing their 50% high school drop out rate.

Talk about a non-functioning culture...

[Mr.G...]

That is NOT going to have any affect...
When will they learn...
Gangs are NOT going away,get used to it...
You can lock them up all day long and there will ALWAYS be another one there to take their place...

[Emobb]

Gangs are going to be slowed down, but just like weeds, theyll grow again and police will stay in business. As long as there is poverty, racism, and corruption, there will always be gangs.

[DIANA DANIELS]

I'M GLAD SOMETHING IS FINALLY BEING DONE. MY GRANDSON WAS A STUDENT AT IRVING AND WAS THREATENED ON A DAILY BASIS BY ONE OF THE NEW UP AND COMING AVENUES GANG MEMBER. THE BOY WAS ON HOUSE ARREST AND ALLOWED TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH THE OTHER KIDS AND USED HIS "AVENUE GANG STATUS" TO INTIMIDATE OTHER STUDENTS. MY GRANDSON AT AGE 15 HAD TO BE SENT AWAY FOR HIS OWN SAFETY. I HOPE THIS "KID" AND HIS FAMILY WERE PART OF TODAYS BUST. FINALLY!!!! THANK YOU

[JM]

Really want to get rid of these gangs? Get into the schools, fund them properly, provide them with the best computers, the best teachers, provide after school day care, arts programs, science programs, sports programs, vocational programs, and that's how you'll stop the gangs. Sound expensive? Well think of all the money we'll save when we need less gang task forces and less prisons.

[Kate]

I disagree with those who conclude from this article that the police only did it because one of their own died. What I get from the fact that the deputy's wife's 911 call was played: they played something that showed a personal, tragic loss, a senseless loss. It could have been anyone, but this investigation started when that murder took place.

What I get from the officer saying that he didn't have to spur his unit on to further work, because they knew "there was more here," is again not a spur to action due to a deputy being shot, but due to the facts stated preceding this statement, in this very article: the DEA Task Force brought the LAPD more information, investigations were leading to more than a murder case--and the LAPD pursued it.

You can't even say they only pursued this because one of their own was killed due to other facts in the article: you can see that other officers have been murdered at other times, as well as private citizens, including the grandfather mentioned here.

Months-long and years-long cases don't come about to avenge an officer's death. What's being described here is real police work.

[Julie Peña]

It has been hard work and dedication by many Officers of LAPD!

[MIKE]

GOOD JOB LAPD.

GOD BLESS YOU!!

MIKE FROM GLENDALE

[Angela]

Go LAPD!! Has William Bratton left yet? Don't go! He's the best thing ever. Stay safe and please continue to help rid our beautiful neighborhoods of these local terrorists. As a community member and teacher who sees the impact that these bullies have on our little kids - I thank you for doing such a difficult job of dealing with people who have never had anyone hold them accountable.

[Farbie]

I will have to agree with the comments that refer to the fact that an OFFICER HAD TO BE KILLED BEFORE THE POLICE GOT THE NERVE TO FIGHT ANY GANG VOILENCE ON A GRAND SCALE. It is not enough for neighborhoods to take the streets back themselves, although there are several that have done a great job. Neighborhoods are very small compared to the police force and the anti gang units have not done a damn thing it seems.
The cops need to back up neighborhoods in order to keep these gangs from re-organizing, because you know that the gangs will continue to gather new members every day with the downturned economy there are less programs to keep kids occupied after school so they do not fall prey to the gangs and ruin their chances of becoming a productive adult.

[DR]

Getting to the root of the gang problem is the only lasting way to effectively these gangs existance. LAPD good work on continuling in your attempts to dismantle what has been a scourge on the communities of LA.
I am now in my fiftys and remember when you could just about travel anywhere in the city without much cause for concerns. that day is long gone and sadly, many people will never know what thats like.
Dismantle the hierarchy that inbeds itself into this impressionable young vatos (ie La Eme) instead of glamorizing them will go a long way to returning back to any sembalence of decency in the city of LA.

[CK]

There's one thing I don't understand:

"Warrants in hand, they descended on dozens of homes in search of 53 alleged members or associates...."

BUT, in the very next paragraph,

"Forty-three suspects already are in custody on unrelated charges"

At first I thought the article was saying the police caught 43 of the 53 but, it says they were already in custody. So they sent out 1200 police to look for 53 people, 43 of whom were already accounted for (in essence 10 people)?

[Sean]

Woke up to a loud distant banging sound at 4am followed by helicopters. Wonder where in Los Feliz they were hitting.

[Alex]

I am grateful to the LAPD for reacting; I can view by the comments that many believe this raid was prompted only after one of their own was killed but in reality Escalante was “one” of the community BEFORE he ever became one of “them” as he grew up in Cypress Park and probably attended school in the same neighborhood where he was gunned down. I believe that only the community can rise up and prompt change, enough with witnessing a crime and hiding behind FEAR if you see something report it otherwise you have turned your home to the gang members that terrorized your community. Bravo! It’s about time but there is still much work ahead for all of us…

[j-Dub]

My only problem with this raid is now we (the taxpayers) have got to house and feed these dreads of society. Boot them out of the country.

[notfooled]

i'm not fooled. it's clear that if it wasn't for that deputy being killed, none of this would be happening. all of a sudden federal agencies (in recent years) determine that rico charges should be brought up against this organization??? i grew up in this neighborhood. lapd never gave a crap about the people there. some other group or subunit of the avenues will fill the void. it's basic economics, people. go to west hollywood clubs - check out the scene. there is no scene without cocaine and other nighttime pleasures. my heart goes out to the deputy's family, especially his children. whether he was targeted for being a deputy or looking like a gang member himself, it wasn't justified. as for entire families, including senior parents, being hauled away at 3:00 am, this action doesn't entirely get my seal of approval. but then again, i'm a common citizen - what do i matter. crime and criminals don't hesitate to laugh at authority, including parents. parents, more often than not, are also victims.

[Jesco]

Well done LAPD and other agencies. Some may question your motivation for going this far but as far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter as long as you take them down. Gangs like the Avenues are a cancer on this city and they need to be dealt with. I just hope that this isn't a one time thing and that you take care of the kids left behind when the parents go to jail or the cycle will repeat. Use what ever resources you need to get rid of these guys but don't forget to strive just as hard to support the community that's left so the next generation has the option and ability to make a better choice.

[grism]

I have to agree with Windu. The only time there is any real police action is when one of their own or some one of high prominence is effected. Justice is suppose to be blind, but that doesn't mean that the police force acts different depending on the individuals status in the community.

[cam]

Windu: do you really think the only reason the cops targeted the Avenues was because of the dead sheriff. If you read the article tips led to this phone taps lead to this. Cops can't just wire tap phones. Don't be so narrow minded and allow your brain to work. One thing lead to another and down with the Ave.

[KK]

These guys are the same rank as the Taliban or Al Qeada. Their goal is taking over the city or country. We spent billions in other war and nothing on the gangs. Send in the national guard and wipe every one out then we can be America again.

[sAnTiAgO]

wanted to make a comment to this part of the article,

"The Avenues came under scrutiny in the wake of the August 2008 slaying of Juan Abel Escalante, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. Escalante, 27, was gunned down outside of his parents’ Cypress Park home early in the morning as he headed to work as a guard at the Men’s Central Jail".

why the hell did it take this one person for the cops to really open their eyes & move in, this should of have been done long time ago. i mean, yes he was a sheriff's deputy who put his life on the line. but come on, the other people who have lost their life's to these punks they are just as important as the next guy. whatever, i'm just glad this was done.

[Chris]

1200 heavily armed police officers to go after 53 gang members...of which 43 were already in custody. So that means there were 1200 officers going after 10 people? Seems like a tad bit overkill to me.

[Sancho]

Posted by: windu
"Apparently the suffering and sorrow of the residents of Los Angeles neighborhoods that have been terrorized by gangs for decades don't warrant this type of response."

Windu, the suffering and sorrowful residents allow the gangs to thrive. They allow it by their silence because a large portion are illegal aliens. And many allow it because they are the family members of the scum. The heart of the problem is illegal immigration and the fact that our government will not seal the border. There deported and they come right back.

Thank you LAPD for your hard work!

[LisaLisa]

God bless the LAPD. However, this gang sweep should not be the sole responsibility of the police...it's the neighborhood, churches, schools, parents and the community who also must take responsibility! The fear of reprisal will only bring these hoodlums back into the community if nothing is done.

[roy]

Good!!
Now go after the rest of these gangs who plague LA county.
Put our hard earned tax dollars to work!

[Quench Rise]

Don't sit there are rest on your laurels now.

Go after EVERY OTHER GANG in the city.

You don't need to wait for Sheriffs to get shot to go after these guys.

This was a good thing, but way late. Better late that never, keep going.

[gm]

LAPD is again acting like a gang; they only retaliate when an office is killed.

[NELA resident]

Unfortunately, it took the LAPD to act on the gangs when one of their own got killed. I find this rather sad all around but truthfully I'm just glad it's happening. Yes, it's not ideal but at least they're finally doing something about it. Thanks guys and let's get their kids some education so they'll see that being a part of a gang is a dead end future.

[bill]

let's not forget the tragic killing in 96 by the "ave's" of the family that took a wrong turn down an alley and were killed in broad daylight for no reason at all.

[woody]

Too bad cop had to get killed for all this to happen but that's the way it is. And to all you people who praise the cops and then go blow a few rails over the weekend, you are keeping these gangs in business. From here to Sinaloa all the way down to the Columbian rain forests. Think about that next time you go score an 8 ball. It's just another good reason to stop doing drugs y'all.

[Warren]

"The sweep focused on Glassell Park and other neighborhoods in the northeastern reaches of Los Angeles -- the center of Avenues territory since the gang first surfaced in the 1950s."

I wonder how many of these people mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles were members of these gang. How many of these idiots grow up in this gang seeing their elders in prison for selling drugs and the killing of others? If they choosed to the follow in the foot step of their elders, they belong in jail with them.

[Mollye]

I live in Glassell Park and the raids DO make a remarkable difference.

The large raid last year and for a very long time graffiti and other outward signs of gang presence had decreased up until the last few months. For us who live in the community, I don't think it matters about the motivations of the LAPD. If they want to focus on the Ave's and Glassell, then great! It makes our little pocket of LA safer.

Police presence in the neighborhood has always been high since I moved to Chapman St. (I've been there for 4 1/2 years), the northeast station is just a few blocks away. The problem is, that without due investigation and obtaining warrants, there is little the LAPD can do on a daily basis. It takes something BIG to make real changes.

I'm a petite, white girl who lives alone and though I'm not going for walks around the neighborhood, I've never really had an problems with living in Glassell. I don't bother them and they don't bother me. I hate to say this, but gang activity is one of the things you have to be passively comfortable with if you want to live within the city limits. If the LAPD make a dent in my opinion, I'm all for it!

I support the LAPD even though they wake me up with flash-bangs every once in a while. I like to say, it's my tax dollars at work.

[Highland Park]

Kudos to the LAPD for taking these scumbags off the street. My only concern is that the city council's cut in police funding will prevent such strong action in the future. Why not cut their own staffs, perks, and slush funds back a bit to keep a few extra cops on the street? Is it because they all live in Mt. Washington and look down (literally and metaphorically) on the rest of Northeast LA? We need viable opposition to force these incumbent slugs to compete for their seats. Only then do we have a chance of getting representatives who are in office to serve their constituents rather than simply line their pockets with taxpayer cash.

[Chris]

So the people rounded up will spend a little time in prison, where they'll still be able to communicate with each other. Meanwhile, over 300 of the estimated 400 members are still on the street. I fail to see how this will have a significant impact. We continue to drain resources away from the schools in the area. We ensure that no one growing up in these neighborhoods can ever find a job with a living wage. What other alternatives are there? Unless we can offer community, stability, and good-paying work to young residents, they'll continue to turn to gangs.

[tom]

Reroute the 10,000 troops that are scheduled to go to Afganistan and set up a permanent command post in Los Angeles county. Send them on patrols 24/7 in armored humvees with the authority to shoot to kill if attacked. Give them air support with Apache helicopters. Anybody dumb enough to try and outrun a helicopter or crazy enough to attack an armored humvee gets the .50 caliber treatment.

Done.

[Brian Elhardt]

Finally, helicopters I didn't mind waking up to! Way to go guys! Hit 'em - hit 'em hard!!! I'm sick of school-kids doing "pancake drills" to protect themselves from stray bullets. Pour it on 'em, let 'em have it!!!

[X OFFICER]

ME AS X OFFICER OF NORTHEAST LA! I'M A SHAME OF ALL THE ILLEGAL STUFF WE DONE TO THESE AVENUES GANG MEMBERS! WE PLANNED STUFF ON THEM LIED ON THE STANDS AND LEFT THEM IN OTHER AREAS WERE IT WASN'T THERES! IT ALL ABOUT PAY BACK TO THOSE MEN WHO KILLED THE OFFICER! THE FELLOW OFFICERS BEAT THE MEMBERS OF AVENUES UP IN JAIL SET THINGS PLANNED ON THEM ! IT'S REALLY UGLY! SO TO ALL THE PEOPLE THEREE A LOT TO THIS STORY YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT! I HAD TO GET OUT CAUSE I COULDN'T AND I WASN'T GOING TO BE NO MORE INVOLED IN THE LIES! I CAME TO SERVE NOT TO BE A SHAMED! THERE WERE MEN DOING NOTHING AND THE GANG UNIT WOULD DO ANYTHING TO PUT THEM AWAY! A LOT HAS TO DO WITH CAMACHO WHO IS AN X CYPRESS PARK MEMBER WHO HAS IT IN FOR THE AVENUES!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE COMMUNITY FORGIVE ME!!!! THE AVENUES DON'T DESERVE THIS! JUST LIKE WHEN THE LIL GIRL DIED THEY KNEW IT WAS OVER A DRUG SALE GONE BAD BUT WE AS THE POLICE DEPT HAD TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE A WRONG TURN WHICH IT WASN'T! SO WE AS COPS ARE REALLY OUR OWN GANG PUT JUST GET AWAY WITH CRIMES DUE TO THE INFORM !!!! THAT'S VERY SAD AND SHAMEFUL

[Anny Nonny Mouse]

I live in one of the communities of NELA that is scourged by this gang and a few others. I applaud this action. I dispute the poking at liberals and conservatives regarding this issue. Much of the Los Angeles East Side gang stuff is generations old, dating back to the tomato gangs in the earlier part of the 20th century.

And while I'm in support of taking violent offenders off the street, I have to say, for everyone of these guys locked up, is a brother, a cousin, a friend, a son or daughter, next in line to take his/her place.

We as a society really need to take a look at the causes of gangs, gang culture, and violent crime. Instead, we as a society tend to think in punitive and vengeful solutions. Don't get me wrong, these guys are bad bad criminals and have equal and opposite consequences coming in regards to their behaviors and actions.

Yet, we never really address the core issues when it comes to gangs. Those issues are important; poverty, lack of resources/education, xenophobia/bigotry/oppression, even issues of gentrification and pushing the poor people out, regardless of race/country of origin.

It's long past time to really do something about this issue at the source, or core. We have to collectively lift the youth up, not toss them under the bus or train, just because they are poor, brown/black, etc.

If you want a better safer community, then this is what you do. You invest.

[BORN IN DREW]

Where are the JOBS? when are the whitecollar crooks going to get arrested? Where is the opportunities for youth in north east L.A.? or SO CAL?

[BORN IN DREW]

the funny part is that the LAPD has killed more people of color than this or any other gang in socal.................where is the outcry?

[joel]

I got pulled over years ago by a LAPD patroll they said they are the biggest strongest GANG in the world ... well that make sense now , they kill one of their own and they retaliate like a real gang .

[Matt]

In regards to earlier posts that 43 of the 53 were already in custody and that it was overkill for 1200 officers to go after the remaining 10. You were wrong, 43 were in custody from the previous investiagtion several months earlier. This operation was targeting over 50 locations and 40-50 suspects. With Escalante being murdered it did up the ante and cause the LAPD and FBI to increase their efforts to put the Avenues out of business. So the answer to the question, "Did it take the police to act because one of their own was killed," is "Yes!" If this gang is so ruthless and brazen to kill Police Officers then this is the kind of response it would expect. If they have the guts to shot and kill police then they would no doubt shot and kill anyone else they see fit.

[HaveaClue]

43 were detained at the time the article was being written. The picture posted above shows 5 detained. If you want to take things so literal, then take that these gangs are dangerous and organized. Since we have a democratic society with a legal system in place, facts and evidence have to be present in order to obtain search warrants. Since many people are afraid to get involved, law enforcement has to wait for verifiable information to proceed in obtaining arrest warrants to arrest these gang members and their associates. Verifiable information is in this example, through wire taps to name one. This is not easy and unfortunately takes a long time because of all the red tape and civil rights. Have a clue or two....

[me]

Hey Bill, that family that was killed for "No reason", was with thir kid looking for drugs. They werent some innocent family who just happened to take a wrong turn. These fools were looking to score with the kids in hand.

GOOD JOB LAPD!! Keep it up. You have my support all the way, be safe and GOD BLESS you all!!

Glendale PD is just next door, you should get these guys to do something too instead of constantly handing out chick as* tickets.

[ItsOnlyTheBeginning]

I agree with everyone that this was a long time in the making. I really hope the police have solid evidence to keep these gang members behind bars. Although, if they are already run by the Mafia, what is going to become of these small timers once they have been regrouped (in prison), retrained and released back onto the streets? Then we are really in trouble.

I grew up in Highland Park but moved my family out of there 5 years ago before my kids got either dragged in or beat up by this gang. When I go visit family in the area it still scares me. Helicopters and gun fire seem to be an everyday sound around there.

[Human Waste]

How sad! Why do we need to send so many cops after only a few dozen bad guys? Why do we need so many cops, period? This area has a much greater police presence than the parts of the City that have lower crime rates. Why?

A few comments suggested we need to throw more money at public schools and such. Why? The schools in this area already receive more money per capita than almost any other public schools in the country, yet have some of the worst graduation rates and test scores anywhere. Why?

Other comments suggested that the gang problem relates to illegal immigration. Yet, criminal gangs operate among groups that are all US born, too. Why?

I cannot suggest answers that solve all these problems. I will state unequivocally, however, that I see these gangs proliferate in communities where people believe it's up to the government or society to solve all their problems. Communities where there is an enourmous sense of entitlement. I don't see this level of gang activity in communities where residents take pride in their families, homes, and neighborhood. When something goes bad, they work together to fix it. Why does this not happen in Northeast LA?

[MOTAE]

Not enough.. Nice headline but wont make a dent in the problem. Just wish every illeagle was deported instead of becoming a burden to the US taxpayers.

[Mike]

Illegals flooding our schools and exploiting our resources welfare, section 8 etc that the truly needy can't get it. So the city and state don't have the resources to fund the Police Dept to protect the people LA. Illegal immigration is the root of most gang problems here in CA if you cant prove citizenship no schools no medical no support dont buy oranges, maid service, and the such and they will not come here because most of the money they make goes back to MX, CR,GT etc and not back into the community.

[Unbelievable]

X OFFICER: Are you seriously trying to defend this gang saying they did not deserve this? They "tax" local drug dealers for the mafia and their blatant disrespect for authority or society. The reason this has gone on for as long as it has is because they have the city intimidated with their trigger happy members.

Officer Camacho doesn’t even work in the NE area, he hasn’t for years. If it took the death of one of their own to get them engaged in finally ridding the streets of these hoodlums then so be it. Better late than never! If you were an actual police office with those juvenile writing skills, that’s a shame.

[YOYOYO!]

Gangs are like the flu, you get rid of it and it comes back.
Instead of wasting time arresting people. why dont you start little clubs and stuff for the young ones in trouble. Its the teens that matter the most

[RLugoR]

Perhaps the reason that gangs continue to multiply like a virus is because major assults like this are not done as frequently as they should be.these gangs think they can get away with anything because they have a "purpose" and theres no show of strength against them. I aplaud the Police for acting in such a decisive manner but they have got to keep it up! get rid of these embarrassments of latino culture. it makes me ashamed to share the same roots with parasites like the Avenues and the Mex. Mafia.

[boba bowie]

I wonder how many of these gangmembers are illegal aliens, i'd wager most of these creeps were actually born in Mexico. Time to call INS.

[Colin Wright]

Don't ever kill a cop. That was the message, and it was sent.

I'm not too shocked by this. I am a little cynical when it comes to those who are outraged that this is how it works.

Look: the police don't mind criminals. I mean, they try to stop them, but that's just their job. When they do get upset is when one defies them, resists them, or -- God forbid -- kills them.

And that's just the way it is. How could it be otherwise?

[Nick]

Anyone notice that guy is wearing one sock?

[NOBUKO OBAKA EZAKI]

GOOD JOB LAPD !

[Big Richie]

Not to sound old fashioned cause I'm not that old, but this all comes down to parenting. I was pressured into joining gangs since I was 10 till I was 17 and never did cause I'd have to answer to my mother. I went to school and had alot of gang member friends, and when I'd go to their house the parents were never around. Either they were both at work or the mom was out running the street and the dad was drunk at the bar. Why is it in this day and age we need a license to drive a car or catch a fish, need to be 18 to vote and 21 to drink, but there's NO RESTRICTIONS on becoming a parent!?!?!?! You against abortion? Think about that kid you're trying to save growing up and killing your kid on the street cause their momma never wanted them. And don't down the Mexican culture, we've been here longer than all the others except for Natives.... PEACE.

[mostnot]

@ Human Waste, You have some very valid points, the truth of the matter is, we have all allowed the problem to grow so large that most are afraid to do anything, and as a result good teachers don't want to take the jobs bad teachers are given because of the risk associated with it.

Law Enforcement has pretty much taken a hands off approach for fear of the ACLU, and other organizations that promote civil responsibilities when reporting abuses perceived by LE, but say nothing about citizenry doing the same for local criminal activity, that will not only raise the value of the community, making it desirable for more than just junk food eateries, corner storefronts, barber and beauty shops, pawn shops, half baked medical clinics, under staffed, and under qualified hospitals, run down churches, and air polluting blowers and lawnmowers that make life almost hopeless.

Elected officials are happily self serving, giving the community a bone every now and again to prop them up until the next event that steams them. These people are simply collateral damage in the war to political high stepping.

Education, Law Enforcement, Political Office, etc. is all just a job now, it has nothing to do with making life better for its citizens. There was a time when the law took pride in breaking up criminal enterprises, they paraded the big catches in front of the cameras to warn potential followers this is what happens to you. Elected officials wanted to bring the best out of every American, made sure each had the ability to reach the American dream, that is now a nightmare, because there is no floor to stop people dirty practices that took people under. Civic organizations promised a brighter future for people, making sure the constitution applied to them, and rightly so. Churches taught on moral fortitude and salvation, not prosperity.

Teachers did what it took to make sure as many as would work hard, that higher education was at the doorstep. Today they just babysit the 99% that sit outside the magnet arena.

[michael miller]

Thank god for the LAPD! Now its time for Mayor Villaraigosa to step up and start reducing the illegal immigrant population in Los Angeles, we've dealt with violent drug dealing gangs crowding our neighborhoods, schools and emergency rooms long enough! He needs to remember who voted him in.... it wasn't the millions of illegal immigrants he likes to host here in Los Angeles.

[Neil]

I am not from Los Angeles, I am from Chicago, but I have learned a lot about LA gangs by watching the movie "Colors" and the one thing I learned is that gangs in LA they never die, just multiply. But seriously those Avenue guys in the pic look like some bad ass dudes. Remind me to stay out of that hood on my next trip to LA.

[SaveLA]

As a hispanic Angeleno in college, this makes my day. Maybe getting rid of this scum will make the American people that some of us are proud Americans and not all latinos are like these SOB's that have no respect for anything. This is exactly what I want to do when I get out of college.

[no longer there]

"Let's not forget the tragic killing in 96 by the "ave's" of the family that took a wrong turn down an alley and were killed in broad daylight for no reason at all.
Posted by: bill | September 22, 2009 at 09:51 AM "

Bill – first off, it was in 1995, almost 14 years to the day. Secondly, it wasn’t “in broad daylight”; it was around midnight or so. Third, they DID NOT take a wrong turn...they clearly knew exactly where to go to find what those crack heads needed. The driver had a criminal record for drugs, if I remember correctly. It was very unfortunate that an innocent life was taken, but the adult occupants in the vehicle should’ve been charged, too, along with the avenues members. I was a young kid living in the neighborhood when this occurred and I remember the extensive media coverage. Anyone from the area could tell you what to expect when driving through the dead end street of Isabel…come on now!!! One thing I still think of til this day is had that little girl been any other color (aside from white), there would not have been world media covering the event. Anyways, that is said and done…

There are plenty of untold motives behind these raids or retaliations. The media always sheds light on the ‘good guy’ version of the story. But as long the streets are free of these pieces of work, so be it. Don’t be fooled by the ‘good guy’ image of the LAPD. A few months back, while visiting a childhood friend still living in the neighborhood, I was harassed by the fine men in black and white. I was never involved in any gangs, don’t have a criminal record at all, nor do I even look like a thug, for that matter. This “Sgt.” was very rude and unprofessional; using curse words when I was being courteous and polite. He was a total prick! I realize he has to deal with plenty of douchebags, but when someone doesn’t fit the ‘profile’, is it really necessary?!?!

[XXX]

"These guys are the same rank as the Taliban or Al Qeada. Their goal is taking over the city or country. We spent billions in other war and nothing on the gangs. Send in the national guard and wipe every one out then we can be America again. "

KK

"Reroute the 10,000 troops that are scheduled to go to Afganistan and set up a permanent command post in Los Angeles county. Send them on patrols 24/7 in armored humvees with the authority to shoot to kill if attacked. Give them air support with Apache helicopters. Anybody dumb enough to try and outrun a helicopter or crazy enough to attack an armored humvee gets the .50 caliber treatment.

Done."

Chris
I agree what KK and Chris said. It seems to me that they're just trying to take over cities or states or even country. C'mon man...anyone that has that kind of mentality has the same kind of instinct as these terrorists. Why the hell you wanna take over america or cities or streets? ..it's ridiculous. My opinion is that these guys should get permanently deportations. These people are just like a disease infecting the community and I believe they should get eradicated for good. I really believe that without these types of people that the community would be much safer. Police needs help....Send in the national guard or at least 5000 marines/troops to LA county. Like what Chris said.

[george rodriguez]

hey this is so awesome o

[C Cliveden]

Anyone else support sterilization (male and female) for these criminals (once convicted)? No more babies!

[Take'em all down!!]

Great job LAPD!!

Being Mexicano Americano myself, I can tell you it is this scum who have given our raza a bad name! Most stereotypes come from idiots like these who have nothing better to do! If our parents came to this country to better our lives; then we need to take advantage of it!

I say we send all these gangbanger back to Mexico or their countries of origin along with their parents because there were not watching over their kids. Why would anyone bring a child into this world, if they are not capable of taking care of them. This is the root of the problem! You have some of these gangbanger parents who are absence all day. Some of these parents work as many as three jobs, just so that little johnny can have a better life. Problem is who is watching johnny while you are at work? Yeah!! No one!! Free to roam the street and do whatever he wants.

I say there be a law for anyone caught gangbanging; if they can't prove they are law abiding citizen then we send them all back to the motherland including their parents!

I tell say to all the scum out there, if you have nothing better to do then gangbang; why don't you start by cleaning up your so called turf? Man it is flithy!! Should be ashame to even let people know that you live there!! Man even maps.google.com pickups up all the trash in your neighborhood!! What a dump!!

[Krystek]

...I participated in the operation this morning. On behalf of all the law enforcement agencies and the hundreds of officers that were there, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Reading your comments just gave me a boost of energy to keep it up. For those who said that law enforcement is only reacting because a cop was killed, I say this... We're working the problems every day, in every way....but it's the ultimate ofront on our civilized society when a law enforcement officer is killed. The hills have to shake when that happens....or we'll loose our hold. Once the cops are hiding, we've all lost.... Just look at what Mexico is going through...

[Tee]

I agree with Emobb.... yes gangs will always be-its social arena that will only slow down and starting with children in Jr High- that's the most crucial point... too bad how much to bring them all down wasn't used decades ago on programs.. then when a program is in place - City pulls the funds... you cannot save them all but with mentors you can save plenty...

Peace & Thank you LAPD - I know it is not easy the revolving door...

PS: They are NOT all mexicans... you have all of Latin America mixed and they come from VIOLENT places -

[BORN & RAISED IN DREW.]

I THINK THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE OPPORTUNITES TO ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE NOTHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN SO IN MY PERSONAL OPINION ITS THE POLICE & THE GOVERNMENTS FAULT FOR NOT BEING EQUAL.SO TO ALL THAT ARE SAYING THAT ITS A GOOD JOB THINK IF ITS REALLY THE GANG MEMBERS FAULT.

[Learn how to spell]

Hooked on phonics didn't work for 'X OFFICER'

[David]

These gangs profit from the illegal drug trade. Take away that profit with drug law reform and the gangs will hurt.

It doesn't matter how much you spend on schools or give kids self esteem. The money and power that come from trading in illegal drugs will always be strong enough to create an endless supply of criminals. It's all about supply and demand. Maybe if our schools focused on economics we'd learn that.

Drug reform is the only long term solution. But this was at least some relief to the people of that community. For that the police deserve a thanks! Who cares what their motive was...

[Ichigo kurosaki]

Man I always hated that gang it's about time that someone did something about them terrorizing our neighborhood.

[Ichigo kurosaki]

I'm glad they did this to those low lives I hope they all go to jail and stay there. Good job LAPD . Oh and by the way this is an alias

[Avenues Paint Sniffer]

We love to steal rob and bullie innocent people. Of course when somebody does this to us, we cry and throw tantrums of unjustice.

We expect the Police to treat us with utmost respect and be perfect. While we destroy innocent peoples lives.

We are hypocrites. Most Gang members are. We treat others like garbage, yet we want to be treated like royalty.

We are insecure macho wannabees who really like to dress and wear pink underwear.

[Bruin_Bry]

Can we just dump these worthless animals in the pacific ocean? Too cruel? Not for these cowards!

Remember Pablo Escobar? The LAPD should hunt these losers down in similar fashion. But it's America. We're just going to spend millions to house, feed, and provide them healthcare for their short trips in prison.

[Chris]

Life in prison. These total scumbags live in the greatest country in the world and spit on it. To hell with them. Go cops! The only thing to match this scum are our worthless gutless leaders who allow these creeps to exist amongst us.

[Bob Marlin]

I live in the area and have personally witnessed two dead bodies on Figueroa Street while driving to or from home. No significant police response in either case. As a middle school teacher I've had contact with these gang bangers. Most are not illegals but are rather members of families that are made up of gang members. There's an entire sub-culture out there and frequently the entire neighborhood supports it.

[Glenda London]

My son was 13 not even a month when he was gunned down. Because his face was shown on lapd he spent 2 months in juvenile for a crime he didn't commit. yet no one cares it took me over 11 years to figure out that my child was dead. yet he was gods child and no one cared. he's been gone since 1995. I lived in hoover hood not by choice but to put a roof over my children's head I was a single mother of 7 and i was there 2 days exactly 2 days when the police showed up I had sent my son to take out the trash neighbors hollered up the police had my child they (as in lapd) had a gun to my son holding up to the brick wall and told him he would be a gang banger and they would be back to get him. my son was 8 years old then and never knew anything about a gang.. I pray the violence stops not only with the gangs but also with the authorities. I am from a mixed family and have be crucified by the police since the beginning. I know you are probable asking why am i writing to you about my dead child he didn't deserve it as no one deserve to die by the hands of another. I don't have to worry though because god will judge everyone who has harmed my child and children . thank you for your time.. My heart goes out to all who have lost a love one weather they was your child or your mother, brother or sister who ever they might be. I don't think anyone has the right to play god. the police act like gang banger, not all of them but a lot of them. they are not helping to solve the situation. Give the gang banger jobs educate them make them have other things on there mind other than getting high and killing people. most haven't even been off the street they grew up on.and know nothing but the street.life. some have a generation of their parents and their parents before them ect of being gang bangers. the system need to help the problem not keep it going. a person has to love and like themselves and even respect themselves before they can change their thoughts about others. your locking up these young gang bangers and still your not teaching them nothing.instead of using these prison to lock them up turn the prisons into a business of teaching them a trade and placing them on a job when they get through. teach then self respect. But thats the system for you.Again thank you for your time.sincerly grannyglenda

[dolores]

I am truly a girlfriend of one of the avenues gangmembers and my oponion to this artical is that I feel this raid wasn't a bad thing but at the same time it wasn't a good thing for those gangmembers out there who did commit crimes sell drugs and other law breaking rules desreved what they got... but for the guys who are avenues gangmembers and completely changed there lives around this really does suck... I'm now a single parent with a newborn child who's gonna have to raise my child on my own when my child had a great father who has a great job,goes to church reguarly and left his hood behind him!!!!! I'm very dissapointed because if these cops been investigating then they should have know which guys to take and which guys to just leave alone!!!!

This raid isn't going to slove anything because now that the big guys are gone it just gives a younger child that has been studying the gang an opportunity to step up create a new gang and become someone powerful as he use to look at that one gangmember before he was arrested!!!!

[Alma]

Great job, LAPD, DEA & everyone else involved! Seems that in last several months the hammer's come down hard on these uneducated lowlife thugs considering that other than today's raid, there was the one back on May 21, which was one of the largest in recent times, and there have been numerous other arrests inbetween. I live on a street where two doors down from me, someone was arrested in the May 21 raid, and he's been gone from the area for the last four months. Funny(but tragic)thing is that his dysfunctional family pretty much acts like nothing embarrassing happened. As if he only went away on some vacation or something. As if this is a commonplace occurrence(well, perhaps to families like this, it is). Since this guy looked like he was the major breadwinner in the family, once he got arrested, he was replaced with another relative who came to live with them with his wife and kid to contribute money to the household! That house already had various relatives coming and going and staying there temporarily, etc. so guess it wasn't a big deal. Amazing.

[Americans first]

Why don't the LAPS bust all the companies who hire illegals>? It's hard to find a job when you don't speak English.

[JB in P-Town]

The comment; "1200 heavily armed police officers to go after 53 gang members...of which 43 were already in custody. So that means there were 1200 officers going after 10 people? Seems like a tad bit overkill to me." Many have missed portions of the article. There were 96 warrants issued, 43 are already in custody, (they will be served in custody} The assembled law enforcement personnel were looking for 53 outstanding thugs and picked up almost all of them. The combined mutual-aid effort by law enforcement took a bite out of what has proven to be a blight on the northeast communities targeted. Avenues have been around for 50+ years and however they have evolved, either through original dynastic presence or recruitment of new members over the years, the fact remains that this scourge in these communities have been dealt a blow. They will regroup, however, not to the extent that previously led them to ply their deadly ways on these weary communities. Great Work brothers and sisters - continue to be safe, my thoughts and support are with you.
JB

[Anthony]

There will be no significant change in the Los Angeles environment. LA Street Gangs is a Culture and can not be rubbed out with just a simple police raid.
With thousands of gangs throughout Los Angeles the raid will only create a vaccum for young and up-and-coming cholos.
I don't live in Los Angeles anymore but from what I remember, LAPD was the largest gang in Los Angeles.
LAPD might have won this one battle but the AVENUES will win the war. Los Angeles belongs to the Chicanos. Viva La Raza. Y que?

[Timothy]

Seems like the only thing that really works is allowing responsible citizens to defend themselves and their neighbors. How many more decades of bloodshed of the innocent does it take to convince people that the police cannot be the hired gun watching over every home, every child and every citizen. It is not physically nor economically feasible. Neither is is feasible in every community to flood schools with every conceivable program under the sun hoping it will catch on somehow meanwhile taxing the citizen to the point that they don't even want to live there any more.

Freedom and safety and security are only made when all good citizens are doing their part to ensure it.

I know that, where "I" live, a gangster thinks twice before busting into a house. Most of us are legally armed and the laws back us up 100%.

[steve]

how many of these people are illegals? And Obama wants to extend medical benefits to them...????? Congrats to the Feds and locals for getting these guys off the streets...

[Shawn]

Only life sentences and the death penalty will cure the gang cancer destroying our country.

[SonoranSteve]

Great job LAPD!

[SonoranSteve]

Close the revolving door at the border!!!! Cuando vamos a decir- !Bastante!

[Old Rancher]

Simple solution, Bulls to Steers.
I'm a 65 year old Oregonian who in my youth spent several years working on a large cattle ranch.
Every year we would round-up the yearling bulls and castrate them, a process referred to as nutting.

There are two reasons for this practice;
(1) a steer yields more and better meat.
(2) more importantly a steer is far less aggressive or even docile.

This procedure is common by all cattle ranches worldwide, as it would be imposable to manage multiple un-castrated bulls due to the aggressive nature of the animal, the bull thereafter is referred to as a steer.

If this practice could be applied to habitual violent offenders the results would be;
(1) Greater deterrent to violent crime for fear of punishment.
(2) Lower jail and prison population.
(3) Fewer unwed mothers (less welfare)

[JOHN C]

An accurate story of LA and its illegal alien problem.