Gang sweep in San Gabriel Valley targets parole violators

A total of 250 officers from law enforcement agencies in the San Gabriel Valley conducted a sweep Thursday morning in search of parole violators tied to a gang believed responsible for shooting and wounding an L.A. County sheriff's deputy.

Those targeted were members of the Pasadena Denver Lanes gang, known for drug trafficking, including crack cocaine, and firearm offenses. Participating officers and deputies came from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Pasadena Police Department and federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Officers planned to search the homes of about 70 gang members to make sure they were not violating terms of their parole, said Lt. Erik Ruble of the Sheriff's Department. They were specifically looking for three gang members who had violated their paroles and would be sent back to prison. The homes being searched were in Pasadena, Altadena, Los Angeles, Monrovia, Arcadia and Temple City.

One of the 22 law enforcement teams searched three homes in the Altadena area and found a shotgun, shotgun shells and a small amount of marijuana in one of the houses. The person on parole who lived there was arrested.

The shooting of the sheriff's deputy in Palmdale in July 2009 triggered a yearlong investigation that led to Thursday's sweep.

-- Johannes Boie in Altadena

Photo: Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies approach a home during Thursday morning's gang sweep. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Doug]

Sweep some real gangs like 18thst or MS-13 for a change. The police are cowards.

[Ray]

Get em all!

[kgoddess]

Course, they're only doing this sweep cause it was a fellow cop who got shot...wouldn't have happened if it would have been a civilian.