damm,thats the homies right there...
'Major takedown' targets members of Glassell Park's Drew Street gang
In an early morning raid, more than 500 local, state and federal investigators swarm the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood to arrest dozens of reputed members of the Avenues gang clique.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Andrew Blankstein and Sam Quinones Times Staff Writers
2:28 PM CDT, June 25, 2008
In a sweeping crackdown on a notorious street gang, more than 500 federal, state and local investigators, including 10 SWAT teams, swarmed northeast Los Angeles before dawn this morning to arrest dozens of alleged members of the Avenues gang.
The focus, authorities said, was on the gang's Drew Street clique, which has kept tenacious control over a Glassell Park neighborhood despite a series of efforts by federal and local law enforcement agencies over the years.
"This is a major case and a major takedown this morning," said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.
At about 10:45 a.m., Mrozek released the recently unsealed indictment that lead to the arrests, issued by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The grand jury indicted 70 alleged members of the Avenues gang, including 10 women, on charges of murder, attempted murder of police officers, narcotics and weapon trafficking, robbery, racketeering, money laundering, extortion and witness intimidation. Most of the crimes detailed in the 158-page indictment allegedly occurred in the last two years, although some date to 2003.
Francisco Real, also known as "Pancho," is described in the indictment as the leader of the "Drew Street clique" of the Avenues gang, authorized as a shot-caller by the Avenues and the larger Mexican mafia organization.
According to the indictment, the clique was based around the intersection of Drew Street and Estara Avenue, dominating the 3200 block of Estara and adopting "3200" as one of their graffiti tags. From there, those charged ran a wide-ranging enterprise, the indictment alleges. Gang members allegedly used coded language to "green light" murders by telephone. They allegedly sold crack cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs, robbed residents, extorted "taxes" from businesses, residents, prostitutes, competing gangs and drug dealers. Gang members also targeted black individuals on their turf for attacks, according to the indictment.
Profits from crimes were funneled to leaders, including imprisoned members of the Mexican mafia, according to the indictment.
This morning, authorities had arrested 46 people in connection with the investigation, 28 of those named in the indictment. The others were taken into custody on other charges. Another 30 people named in the indictment already were in custody, police said.
In all, the federal racketeering indictment names more than 70 people and is scheduled to be unsealed later this morning.
"It reads like a crime novel," Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said of the indictment. "Witness intimidation, drive-by shootings, hate crimes, you name it."
The sting was the culmination of a 10-month investigation that centered on the gang's activities in the area described by the indictment as roughly between Colorado Boulevard to the north, Griffin Street to the east, San Fernando Road to the south and Drew Street to the west.
"These thugs have been preying on this community for generations. This was designed to send a powerful message and we sent that message this morning," said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger. Paysinger said neighbors of the Drew Street gang had "lived so long in fear they don't know what freedom means."
Senior Assistant City Atty. Bruce Riordan, who has prosecuted Mexican Mafia and 18th Street gang members, called the allegations against the Drew Street gang "the worst witness intimidation and tampering I've seen."
He said the gang's tactics had effectively silenced neighbors and kept witnesses from telling police what they knew. Some incidents date back to 2003 and include allegations that gang members tried to murder police officers.
The action this morning included abatements served by the city attorney on seven owners of 10 houses or apartment buildings, who are now required to remove gang members from their buildings. The abatements are asking that the property owners hire security guards, set up surveillance cameras, screen tenants and even live in their own buildings for a time.
Two children were taken into custody by child welfare officials. Seized in the raids were 23 weapons, as well as unspecified amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and cash. Police used flash-bang devices and forced entries while serving the search warrants.
Children could be seen roaming the area this morning, some wearing skull and Oakland Raiders logos favored by members of the Drew Street clique, according to the indictment.
The gang also favors "Skull Camp" and "Skull Wear" brand clothing and images of a human skull wearing a fedora, the indictment said, and gang members refer to each other as "skulls."
A community meeting has been scheduled for 6 tonight at the Glassell Park Community Center, 3750 N. Verdugo Road, for law enforcement officials to talk to residents about the arrests and indictment.
'Major takedown' targets members of Glassell Park's Drew Street gang
In an early morning raid, more than 500 local, state and federal investigators swarm the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood to arrest dozens of reputed members of the Avenues gang clique.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Andrew Blankstein and Sam Quinones Times Staff Writers
2:28 PM CDT, June 25, 2008
In a sweeping crackdown on a notorious street gang, more than 500 federal, state and local investigators, including 10 SWAT teams, swarmed northeast Los Angeles before dawn this morning to arrest dozens of alleged members of the Avenues gang.
The focus, authorities said, was on the gang's Drew Street clique, which has kept tenacious control over a Glassell Park neighborhood despite a series of efforts by federal and local law enforcement agencies over the years.
"This is a major case and a major takedown this morning," said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.
At about 10:45 a.m., Mrozek released the recently unsealed indictment that lead to the arrests, issued by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The grand jury indicted 70 alleged members of the Avenues gang, including 10 women, on charges of murder, attempted murder of police officers, narcotics and weapon trafficking, robbery, racketeering, money laundering, extortion and witness intimidation. Most of the crimes detailed in the 158-page indictment allegedly occurred in the last two years, although some date to 2003.
Francisco Real, also known as "Pancho," is described in the indictment as the leader of the "Drew Street clique" of the Avenues gang, authorized as a shot-caller by the Avenues and the larger Mexican mafia organization.
According to the indictment, the clique was based around the intersection of Drew Street and Estara Avenue, dominating the 3200 block of Estara and adopting "3200" as one of their graffiti tags. From there, those charged ran a wide-ranging enterprise, the indictment alleges. Gang members allegedly used coded language to "green light" murders by telephone. They allegedly sold crack cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs, robbed residents, extorted "taxes" from businesses, residents, prostitutes, competing gangs and drug dealers. Gang members also targeted black individuals on their turf for attacks, according to the indictment.
Profits from crimes were funneled to leaders, including imprisoned members of the Mexican mafia, according to the indictment.
This morning, authorities had arrested 46 people in connection with the investigation, 28 of those named in the indictment. The others were taken into custody on other charges. Another 30 people named in the indictment already were in custody, police said.
In all, the federal racketeering indictment names more than 70 people and is scheduled to be unsealed later this morning.
"It reads like a crime novel," Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said of the indictment. "Witness intimidation, drive-by shootings, hate crimes, you name it."
The sting was the culmination of a 10-month investigation that centered on the gang's activities in the area described by the indictment as roughly between Colorado Boulevard to the north, Griffin Street to the east, San Fernando Road to the south and Drew Street to the west.
"These thugs have been preying on this community for generations. This was designed to send a powerful message and we sent that message this morning," said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger. Paysinger said neighbors of the Drew Street gang had "lived so long in fear they don't know what freedom means."
Senior Assistant City Atty. Bruce Riordan, who has prosecuted Mexican Mafia and 18th Street gang members, called the allegations against the Drew Street gang "the worst witness intimidation and tampering I've seen."
He said the gang's tactics had effectively silenced neighbors and kept witnesses from telling police what they knew. Some incidents date back to 2003 and include allegations that gang members tried to murder police officers.
The action this morning included abatements served by the city attorney on seven owners of 10 houses or apartment buildings, who are now required to remove gang members from their buildings. The abatements are asking that the property owners hire security guards, set up surveillance cameras, screen tenants and even live in their own buildings for a time.
Two children were taken into custody by child welfare officials. Seized in the raids were 23 weapons, as well as unspecified amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and cash. Police used flash-bang devices and forced entries while serving the search warrants.
Children could be seen roaming the area this morning, some wearing skull and Oakland Raiders logos favored by members of the Drew Street clique, according to the indictment.
The gang also favors "Skull Camp" and "Skull Wear" brand clothing and images of a human skull wearing a fedora, the indictment said, and gang members refer to each other as "skulls."
A community meeting has been scheduled for 6 tonight at the Glassell Park Community Center, 3750 N. Verdugo Road, for law enforcement officials to talk to residents about the arrests and indictment.
