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

[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?