Notorious Los Angeles gang member added to FBI Most Wanted list

A Los Angeles gang member and Mexican drug cartel enforcer who authorities say has killed four people, including the mother of his child, is now on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted fugitive list.

Law enforcement officials say Jose Luis Saenz, a Cuatro Flats gang member, a decade ago shot to death two rival East LA Trece gang members in a Boyle Heights housing project. Then he allegedly kidnapped, raped and killed his girlfriend, the mother of his infant daughter, because he feared she would talk to authorities.

For more than a decade, LAPD detectives searched for the elusive Saenz, who also goes by the name Joe.

Then last year a video emerged of a smiling man calmly walking up to the front door of a Whittier-area home, rubbing his hands together like he was there for a friendly visit.

Moments later the gunman executed a 38-year-old victim who apparently owed money to a drug cartel. When sheriff’s homicide detectives showed the video to LAPD investigators, they recognized the gunman as Saenz.

Saenz "is one of the worst offenders I have ever seen," according to Special Agent Scott Garriola, a 22-year veteran of the FBI. "He’s got a long career of killing, and that’s just what we know about." 

Federal agents and detectives say Saenz, who also has called himself "Zapp," "Smiley" and "Toro" during a decade on the run, has transcended from gang member to enforcer for a drug cartel and travels with apparent ease over the border.

Police say he has previously vowed to kill any police officer coming after him.

Authorities allege Saenz executed Josue Hernandez and Leonardo Ponce in 1998 . Saenz then fled from the scene and hid at the apartment of his girlfriend, Sigreta Hernandez.

Police say he then kidnapped Hernandez and drove her to a house in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. Authorities claim he raped her and shot her in the head. His grandmother discovered the woman’s body. Prosecutors charged Saenz with three counts of murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of rape, and secured a warrant for his arrest.

Despite a hefty reward from the L.A. City Council, Saenz was not seen again until last year.

In August 2008, two members of the Lott Stoner gang were stopped by a Missouri state trooper while driving a rental vehicle. A search turned up $620,000 in cash in a hidden compartment, wrapped and marked with the name "Toro" -- Saenz’s street name, according to the FBI.

Two months later, one of those gang members was killed at his Whittier-area home. Saenz is seen on a home security tape arriving at Torres’ house, chasing the victim out of his front door and then shooting Torres in the head.

-- Richard Winton

Photo: FBI

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Comments

[Jess]

Damn, that guy is ruthless. Forget Bin Laden, bomb this guy. Never understood why we're fighting wars on the other side of the world when these terrorists kill people everyday on our streets.

[buz]

But who will pick the lettuce?

[Questioner]

Who is Torres?

[Dr__Squires]

thats what i was thinking. it must be the dead guy

[Figgins]

Good question. I think we are expected to make the connection that Torres is one of the two Lott Stoner gangsters that were stopped in Missouri.

Shouldn't have to make the connection - this is not a mystery novel, but this sort of writing (I won't call it "journalism") is on par for the LA Times. The quality of editing at this paper has dropped to lower than high school. At least in high school, someone reviews the work before it's published.

[Jenn]

@questioner...I think they slipped and gave the name of the gang member who was stopped in the rental car and then later killed at his home.

[Pita]

It is the other bad guy-come on do you really expect the Times to proofread their
stuff? Its all recycled and written overseas anyway.....Zell needs more profits!
On to Brazil to ruin other peoples lives!

[Verballistic]

This guy is living proof of why we still need the death penalty!!

[eric nord]

good question

[Saul Alinsky]

"has transcended from gang member to enforcer for a drug cartel and travels with apparent ease over the border."

Open borders are good borders.

[Questiner2]

Who is Torres? The Times should stick with the Polanski story so as not to confuse the media and television educaded reader crowd....

[Wake Up America!]

Who is Torres indeed? In any event all of this of course has nothing to do with Mexicans and illegal immigrants. Nothing at all. Just like Muslims have nothing to do with 9/11.

[Walt]

Go and thank your neighborhood liberal letting this kind of human garbage run wild in our society and constantly having excuses for this trash... when will we stand up against these liberal bleeding heart morons permitting this?

[KK]

This terrorist was able to cross in and out over the border eluding law enforcement. Open border ...that's what we need.

[Whatthe]

Why is one of the top ten? It might mean alot to the family but he should not be on there. There are more ruthless criminals out there who would make this guy look as harmless as a lady bug. Real smart move.

[Devils Advocate]

You live by the sword, you die by the sword. One of the reasons cartel enforcers are well paid is because of the high risk involved. The same risks if not grater than any contractor working in Iraq. Both work for high salaries and both run the risk of being killed on the job. The difference is, when working for cartel's, you put up your life as collateral. You fail to deliver, you pay with your life.

[Verballistic]

This guy is living proof why the death penalty needs to be an option in cases like this.

[Fed Up]

I'm waiting for some liberal to say what a horrible childhoood he had.

[Robert Garcia]

Im from East La I know these streets I love these streets but,unfortunatly this on going violence will never cease. A product of our environment.Sad times, happy times, just never enough time.