Two sentenced to prison for collecting benefits for inmates

Two people convicted of collecting unemployment benefits for incarcerated gang members -- including a man who ended up behind bars after a detective recognized the tattoo of an unsolved murder scene emblazoned on his chest -- will now serve prison time themselves.

Juan Garcia, 48, and Sandra Jaimez, 46, were sentenced Tuesday by Norwalk Superior Court Judge Robert Higa to five years in prison. They were also ordered to return the more than $20,000 they bilked from the state's Employment Development Department, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

A second woman, Cynthia Limas, pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme last year.

Between October 2008 and August 2010, the defendants cashed unemployment checks for inmate Anthony Garcia, the son of Juan Garcia, and submitted change of address forms in his name, officials said.

In a statement released last year after prosecutors filed charges against Juan Garcia and the two women, then-Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley called the case an example of money going to people “who don’t deserve these benefits.”

“It’s no wonder the state is facing such financial difficulties,” Cooley said.

The older Garcia and Jaimez each pleaded guilty to making false unemployment insurance claims, prosecutors said. Juan Garcia also pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree burglary and Jaimez to one count of possession for sale of methamphetamine and one count of felony child abuse.

The defendants kept some of the money for themselves; the rest went to the younger Garcia and other incarcerated gang members, the district attorney's office said.

The case has its roots in something an L.A. County Sheriff's Department homicide detective noticed on a lucky day in 2008.

As he leafed through a stack of photos, one mug shot caught his attention. He paused to stare at the photo of Anthony Garcia, who had been picked up on a minor offense. Soon it clicked: the detailed tattoo on the younger Garcia’s chest alluded to the unsolved murder of John Juarez at a liquor store a few years earlier.

Anthony Garcia eventually confessed to the murder and is serving a 65-years-to-life sentence.

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Parolee accused of shooting Fullerton police officer

A 29-year-old parolee gang member acquitted two weeks ago in an attempted murder and carjacking case is now being charged with shooting a Fullerton police officer multiple times at close range, the Orange County district attorney’s office said in a statement.

After being pulled over in a routine traffic stop early Sunday, Marcos Allen Bush allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the officer at point-blank range in the chest.

Bush is accused of firing at the officer several more times, hitting him twice in the arm and again in the leg, before speeding from the scene in his vehicle with an unidentified passenger.

The officer, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, fired two rounds at the vehicle as it sped away, the statement said. It was not known if he struck the vehicle. The officer was hospitalized and is recovering from his injuries.

Later Sunday, as Fullerton and Anaheim police attempted to arrest Bush at an Anaheim apartment, he allegedly ran from officers, dropping a firearm and bullets, the statement said. He was later apprehended.

That same day, California Highway Patrol officers located the vehicle Bush had been driving in Riverside County. Sjanee Duhart, 27, was arrested and is accused of attempting to get rid of the vehicle with the intent of aiding Bush in eluding the law.

Bush was charged with one felony count each of attempted murder, shooting from a motor vehicle, assault with a semiautomatic firearm on a peace officer, possession of a firearm by a felon and street terrorism.

In addition, he faces three felony counts of shooting at a residence and sentencing enhancements and allegations for criminal street gang activity, the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, the personal use of a firearm, causing great bodily injury and a prior strike conviction for criminal threats in 2009.

If convicted Bush faces a minimum sentence of 60 years to life in state prison. He is being held on  $1-million bail. He is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and domestic violence. Bush is accused of being a documented member of an Anaheim gang.

In 2010, Bush was accused of firing a gun at a man, demanding his money, and then striking him on the head and arm with a metal pipe before stealing his car.

Bush was found not guilty earlier this month in a 2010 carjacking and attempted murder case.

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Parents of girl, 2 others ordered to stand trial in pimp's killing

The parents of a teenage girl were ordered Wednesday to stand trial for murder in the shooting death of a Compton gang member they believe lured their daughter away from home and became her pimp.

San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan also ordered Lupe Felice Mercado, 38, and Barry L. Gilton, 39, to be tried on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and the discharge of a firearm from an occupied motor vehicle in the June 4 death of Calvin Sneed, 22.

Prosecutors charged that Mercado and Gilton -- who have been dating since middle school and also have three young sons -- conspired to have Sneed shot to death in May in North Hollywood, but that attempt failed.

Their daughter had left home a year earlier. But when the 17-year-old returned to San Francisco in early June with Sneed, prosecutors said, the San Francisco couple tried again, this time with the help of two convicted felons.

On Wednesday, Chan also ordered that Antonio Gilton, a 27-year-old relative of Barry Gilton, and Alfonso Williams, 36, stand trial on the same charges as the couple. In addition, the men will stand trial on a charge of possessing a firearm as a felon.

FBI video, shot during an unrelated investigation, apparently showed that Barry Gilton, Antonio Gilton and Williams met less than an hour before the slaying, authorities said last year. Williams took a .40-caliber handgun from a Chevrolet Tucson at 1:18 a.m., according to authorities, and the men drove off together.

In addition, cellphone records apparently placed the men together near the scene of the killing when the shooting occurred.

The four suspects, who have all pleaded not guilty to the charges, are being held on $2-million bail each. They are scheduled to be arraigned March 27.

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Antelope Valley gang suspects arrested in assault case

Two suspects who authorities believe were among about a dozen gang members who assaulted three victims earlier this year have been arrested, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

The arrests were made after gang units and other teams from the department served five warrants across the Antelope Valley, according to a statement from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. The warrants were related to a Jan. 17 incident in which authorities said 10 to 12 gang members attacked two people and beat a third victim “to near unconsciousness” when that person tried to help the first two.

David Holmes, 21, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property following the search of a home in the 3100 block of Tourmaline Lane in Palmdale, authorities said. Investigators found a stolen computer, a rug and a lockbox containing identification of the assault victims, officials said. They suspect Holmes was involved in the January assault.

During the search of another Palmdale residence in the 37600 block of Harvey Street, authorities said they found evidence indicating a second suspect’s ties to a local gang. The person’s name was withheld because the suspect is a minor.  

Lt. Larry Gregg, coordinator for  the Antelope Valley Crime Fighting Initiatives, said most of Thursday’s warrant searches were related to juvenile gang members, who were not only involved in January’s assault but were also “very possibly responsible for a recent rise in burglaries in the Palmdale area.”

Authorities declined to name the gang suspected of the robberies and violence.

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Two more charged in fatal shooting of Westlake church deacon

Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged two more people in the fatal shooting of a Westlake man outside a church, they said Thursday.

Pedro Martinez, 24, and Ivy Navarrete, 31, are scheduled to be arraigned on charges of murder, attempted murder and vandalism Thursday in the Nov. 4 killing of Adres Ordonez outside Iglesia Principe de Paz.

The two join Janeth Lopez, 22, in facing murder charges in the case.

According to prosecutors, Lopez was spray-painting the walls of the Principe de Paz, which means “Prince of Peace,” at about 6:30 p.m. when she was confronted by a parishioners, including Ordonez.

During the confrontation, Martinez emerged from a waiting car and started shooting, fatally wounding Ordonez and wounding one other person, according to authorities. Navarrete was behind the wheel and helped Martinez escape, prosecutors said.

Martinez, Navarette and Lopez all face additional charges for allegedly being gang members.

Ordonez was a cook, church deacon and father of a 1-year-old boy with another child on the way. He had been attending the church since he was 10, the Times reported.

Lopez pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and is due back in court Feb. 19.

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Photo: Iglesia Principe de Paz at Beverly Boulevard and Reno Street, where one church member was killed and another was wounded in a confrontation with a tagger. Credit: Katie Falkenberg / For The Times

Black man in Compton reported earlier hate crime by Latino gang

Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives said they are re-opening an investigation into a second incident in Compton in which a black man reported being threatened by Latino gang members and forced to move.

That move comes after the arrest of two gang members on Thursday, Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, of Compton, and Efren Marquez, 21, a resident of Riverside County, on suspicion of a hate crime by allegedly repeatedly attempting to terrorize the family, which moved into the neighborhood on New Year's Eve.

Lt. Richard Westin, who has worked in and around Compton since 1989, said that case was reported late last year.

“It was exactly the same scenario," Westin said. "He made a police report, but he was too scared at the time to follow through."

Westin said the man was approached by various gang members and informed that blacks don't live in the neighborhood. They used numerous racial slurs and told him to move, Westin said.

Although the ferociousness of the racially motivated attacks is unusual, Westin said it is a known aspect of the gang's behavior.

"This gang has always made it clear they have a racial hatred for black people," Westin said. "They repeatedly used racial epithets, they use racial hatred graffiti and they tag up the black church a lot."

Compton Councilwoman Yvonne Arceneaux said she was troubled to hear about the incident.

"I'm floored," she said. "That's blatant to tell a family you can't live in this area because you are black. That's just shocking."

Gang targeted 'typical American family' in hate crime, officials say

Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials say they are continuing to investigate alleged efforts by two Latino gang members to drive a black family from their Compton home.

“This is a typical American family,” said Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker of the victims who recently moved into a home on 153rd Street in Compton. “It is unsettling at the very least."

Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, of Compton, and Efren Marquez, 21, a resident of Riverside County, were arrested Thursday on suspicion of repeated attempts to terrorize the family, which moved in to the neighborhood on New Year's Eve.

Marquez, 21, allegedly pointed a gun at one of the family members and threatened to shoot him while he was allegedly being beaten with a metal pipe by Aguilar on New Year's Eve, authorities said.

The two were among a group of gang members who allegedly repeatedly rode by the family’s house yelling racial insults and threats and insisting that they move out, sheriff's officials said.

"It is tragic that it can happen in America, let alone L.A. County," Parker said. "We are not going to tolerate it. We are going to hold accountable everyone involved. We are not done with this investigation.”

Parker said the alleged attacks and threats by local Latino gang members were clearly racially motivated. The harassment and violence began the day the family moved into the house. That day, one member of the family, walking on the street, was confronted by four Latino gang members who drove up in a black SUV, Parker said.

They told the man that they were gang members and that his family was not allowed to live in their area because they were black, a sheriff's report said. The gang members shouted racial insults and violent threats until the man ran for home, according to the report. He was chased by the gang members, who then climbed from the SUV and began beating him with metal pipes, according to the report.

"They repeatedly used the 'n' word, then threatened violence before using a pipe to beat the man and pointed guns at him,” Parker said. “Later they repeatedly drove by the home threatening family members with racial epithets and warning them to get out of the neighborhood.”

During the incident Marquez pointed the gun while Aguilar beat the victim with a pipe, the sheriff's report said.

Sheriff’s detectives have searched 11 locations and say an investigation into the attacks is continuing. During one search of a Compton residence Thursday, they arrested a juvenile gang member, who fought with a deputy and attempted to remove the deputy's pistol.

Compton, with a population of about 97,000, was predominately black for many years. It has gone through enormous demographic change, and is now 65% Latino, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The city is 32.9% African American.

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Photo: Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, of Compton, and Efren Marquez, 21, a resident of Riverside County, were arrested Thursday. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Latino gang members accused of terrorizing Compton black family

Two Latino gang members have been arrested on suspicion of hate crimes after allegedly waging a campaign to force a black family to move from Compton, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.

The suspects allegedly beat a family member with metal pipes and gathered gang members in front of the family's house to threaten them, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, of Compton, and Efren Marquez, 21, a resident of Riverside, were arrested Thursday.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives said the two also rode by the family’s house repeatedly yelling insults and threats and insisting that they move.

The confrontations allegedly began on Dec. 31, the day the family moved into a house on 153^rd Street in Compton. That day, one member of the family, walking on the street, was confronted by four Latino gang members who drove up in a black SUV, according to a sheriff’s report.

They told the man that they were gang members and that his family was not allowed to live in their area because they were black, the report said. They shouted racial insults and violent threats until the man ran for home, according to the report. He was chased by the gang members, who then climbed from the SUV and began beating him with metal pipes, according to the report.

Marquez allegedly pointed a gun at the man, while Aguilar allegedly beat the victim with a pipe, the sheriff's report said.

The gang members drove off, but returned to the family’s home accompanied by 15 to 20 more gang members who swore at the family, used racial insults and told them that blacks were not allowed in the neighborhood, authorities said. One gang member allegedly threw a beer bottle through the family’s front living room window.

Sheriff’s detectives have searched 11 locations and say an investigation into the attacks is continuing. During one search of a Compton residence Thursday, they arrested a juvenile gang member, who fought with a deputy and attempted to remove the deputy's pistol.

Compton, with a population of about 97,000, was predominately black for many years. It has gone through enormous demographic change, and is now 65% Latino, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The city is 32.9% African American.

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Photo: Jeffrey Aguilar, 19, of Compton, and Efren Marquez, 21, a resident of Riverside, were arrested Thursday. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

L.A. Now Live: Charges dropped against anti-gang activist

Times staff writer Richard Winton will join L.A. Now Live at 9 a.m. to talk about the dismissal by a federal judge of charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder against well-known anti-gang activist Alex Sanchez.

The dismissal came Wednesday at the request of federal prosecutors, who acknowledged the original indictment contained "errors." But Judge Dale S. Fischer made the decision to dismiss the charges against Sanchez without prejudice, a move that would allow prosecutors to refile charges.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Garth Hire said prosecutors will review the evidence and make a decision by March on whether to refile.

Federal authorities alleged in the original 2009 grand jury indictment that Sanchez — who they claim went by the street name "Rebelde," or "Rebel" —- helped leaders of the gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, plot the 2006 killing of a man in El Salvador and other crimes.

Judge to consider dismissing charges against anti-gang activist

This post has been corrected, as noted below.

A judge will consider dismissing federal racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder charges Wednesday against one of the nation’s most well-known anti-gang activists.

The U.S. attorney’s office filed a motion in December to dismiss charges against Alex Sanchez, who they alleged was a former gang member or associate who went by the name “Rebelde” or “Rebel.” He is the director of Homies Unidos, a gang intervention nonprofit and was one of several anti-gang workers charged with gang-related crimes in recent years.

Federal authorities alleged in a grand jury indictment that Sanchez helped leaders of the gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, plot the 2006 killing of a man in El Salvador and other crimes.

But the 2009 indictment contained errors that made it necessary to dismiss the charges, federal prosecutors wrote in court documents. Prosecutors did not elaborate on the errors.

In the dismissal motion, prosecutors said they plan to refile some charges against Sanchez, Sanchez's lawyer, Amy Jacks, said in a statement. She said the motion has been “a long time coming.”

“If the court grants the government's motion, Alex can focus on what he has done so well for many years: helping our community with gang intervention and prevention and promoting peaceful solutions to our conflicts,” she said.