Thirty-one of these allegedly are themselves Banditos, associates, or prospects for the gang, he said. FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. At least four secret cliques or gangs of sheriffs deputies with names like the Banditos and the Executioners continue to operate and recruit within the L.A. On August 23, 2012, LASD personnel descended upon the 1300 block of South Marianna Avenue in East Los Angeles. . The Sheriffs Department cited pending litigation and declined to comment other than to say Villanueva has done more to address organizational culture issues than all of his predecessors combined.. The Cavemen preceded the Banditos at the East L.A. Station. The anonymous employee told the panel a gang known as the Banditos still essentially runs the East Los Angeles station, despite Sheriff Alex Villanuevas previous insistence that he cleaned house at the station. The DAs office didnt put adequate resources into prosecuting the case. They have been broken up in accordance to the law, and constitutionally permissibly, he said. Is that an incorrect statement by Sheriff Villanueva that he transferred 36 people? Miller asked. She left the department. In May 2019, Contreras was denied backup by Deputies Nikolis Perez and Jonathan Rojas, both Banditos. Chavez said he left East L.A. station in November 2019 after his promotion to commander. Munoz, Moran, and Rodriguez cornered Gonzalez and pressured him to leave the station. Members of the Banditos can be identified by their signature tattoos of a skeleton wearing a sombrero, bandolier, and pistol. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. LAPD Chief Moore also questioned officers' actions in the fatal shooting of Takar Smith, although not in two other fatal incidents. brings new scrutiny to one of the most vexing problems at the nation's largest sheriff's agency: the existence of subgroups that date back decades and whose loyalty is more to the subgroup than law and order. Chief Bobby Denham moved to initiate a fake investigation into the attack. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. The top watchdog for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has identified more than 40 alleged members of gang-like groups of deputies that operate out of two sheriffs stations. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. Members have gang nicknames and use slang like ese and homes when speaking with each other. Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now, How 4 Words Upended A University's Journalism Program, And Stirred A Reckoning Over Race, What A Popular Yoga Teacher's Descent Into Conspiracy Theories Says About The 'Wellness To QAnon Pipeline', Ancient Lung Disease Strikes Countertop Cutters In LA, The Groundbreaking Suicide Squad That Tested Early Rockets And Flirted With The Occult. On September 26, 2018, Deputies Munoz, Silverio, Rodriguez, and Moran apparently planned to attack Deputy Gonzales in order to make an example out of him. is investigating the Banditos In the face of a drier future, that iconic piece of Americana is on its way out in Southern California. In his letter, Huntsman requests that the Sheriffs Department cooperate with his investigation into the groups by providing investigative files and other documents. Gonzalez was transferred to the Norwalk Station, but no action was taken against the sergeants. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he intends to fire or suspend 26 deputies for misconduct related to a 2018 attack by the "Banditos" deputy Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. After taking office in December 2018, Sheriff Alex Villanueva removed the captain and transferred numerous deputies out of the East L.A. station. Guadalupe Lopez started her career at LASD in 2003. His return, along with the elevation of other Banditos associates, solidified the gangs grip on the station. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, lawsuit that was first filed two years ago, 18 deputy gangs that have operated within the department, Gangs? Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, Monica Farias, Steven Miller, Alejandro Lomeli, and Marc Elizondo pounced. More LA Sheriffs Officials Accused of Misconduct in Banditos Cerise Castle | April 1, 2021 Part of A Instead, the defendants face the allegations previously laid out in the lawsuit. Between 2019 and 2020, Sheriff Villanueva lied when he repeatedly claimed he transferred 36 Banditos out of the East LA Station and directed the Captain to investigate the gang. One of the deputies approached him and told him to step back and he said, Im nowhere near whats going on. The Banditos are a group of nearly 100 deputies who wear matching tattoos of a skeleton with a thick mustache, sombrero, pistol and bandolier, according to the suit. . Munoz, Rodriguez, Silverio and Michael Hernandez were all placed on paid leave. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. In their claim, the deputies allege that Raymond Mendoza, Jonathan Rojas, Woodrow Kim, Juan Sanchez, and Luis Valle have recently served and continue to serve as field training officers (FTO). They were detaining and taking Grays brother-in-law into custody according to Grays attorney, Olu Orange. Villanueva blamed the situation on "a leadership team that fell asleep at the switch.". the suit And any time youre a Black man, somebody calling you a monkey, in my book, thats racism, Orange tells Knock LA. The Banditos extract "taxes" from young Latino deputies for clique members' parties and travel, one of the deputies who filed the lawsuit told LAist. It says they and others savagely beat and kicked Deputy Art Hernandez, leaving him unconscious, and that Deputy Oscar Escobedo was beaten by Munoz and strangled by Silverio, briefly losing consciousness. Jefferson Chow, who has been in the department for 26 years, was tasked with investigating a September 2018 fight between deputies at a department party at Kennedy Hall in East Los Angeles. Gregory Rodriguez would also allegedly advise the younger deputies to carry a bag with them to plant evidence on suspects. After Lopezs POE was filed, the harassment escalated. Patrelli refused to accompany Lopez to the meeting or send any other union representation saying, You should be grateful that Commander Romero is willing to meet with you!. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. Two weeks after the ceremony, the Banditos gang removed ammunition from Deputy Zaredinis shotgun. Gregory Rodriguez was charged with perjury by the office of then District Attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report. However Deputy Brian Goodwin, Commander Chris Blasnek, and Commander James Wolak rigged the investigation to support a seven-day suspension of Zaredini, according to the lawsuit. Mejia later lied in a deposition and claimed he didnt see the letter until 2019. Despite Gonzalezs high test performance in the Sergeants promotional exam, she was repeatedly passed over for the promotion. She also told Lopez she would contact her on August 11 with a work schedule, which Lopez received. The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. Rodriguez was rehired despite being charged with falsifying the police report concerning the unlawful detainment and beating of Christopher Gray. In a letter dated Monday, Inspector General Max Huntsman said his office has compiled a partial list that includes 11 deputies who allegedly belong to the Banditos, which operate out of the East L.A. sheriffs station, and 30 alleged Executioners from the Compton sheriffs station. ", Villanueva did Deputies Christopher Wargo, Benjamin Zaredini, Andrew Hernandez, and Eduardo Sanchez, who were also mentioned, were loaned out to other stations. She began training with Field Training Officer Eric Valdez, who deputies called the Godfather of East LA.. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. He was elected in 2018 after running as a progressive Democrat who would reform the department. and Casas also says he received several intimidating messages from the Banditos, including demands to stop working at the station and threats of assault. The L.A. County Sheriffs Department Inspector General has identified dozens of deputies who are allegedly members of gang-like groups that operate out of the East L.A. and Compton stations. At least four secret cliques or gangs of sheriffs deputies with names like the Banditos and the Executioners continue to operate and recruit within the L.A. Theyve been called "gangs" because they wear matching tattoos, operate in secrecy, and have initiation rituals. Hernandez pointed at her body and turned to another male deputy saying, Look at these! and, What do you think, bro? He said to Lopez, What are you going to do about it? Member activities allegedly include leaving dead rats for enemies and killing teenagers. Some of these goups have been accused of violence and harassment of both residents and colleagues. Moore allegedly reported the attack directly to Banditos shot caller Raymond Mendoza. She was assigned to the Los Angeles County Jail until transferring to the East LA Station in 2011 where she began training to become a patrol officer, according to court documents. While under oath in a deposition, Rauno confirmed that he sent the message to the group. The suit also claims Banditos encourage deputies to increase their arrest numbers by planting evidence on suspects. At the end of the call he followed Lopez to her car. Aceituno recently did the same thing again and received no consequences from East LA Captain Richard Mejia, according to the complaint. A deputy grabbed him and cuffed him. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. This should be emblematic that policies that allegedly ban deputies from joining gangs will not fix this problem., Solis added that these deputies "cause havoc and harm" and only traumatize the community instead of helping and serving it. Lemus, Contreras, Hernandez, and Escobedo were told they could move to another gang-dominated station, or a station far from their homes. Escobedo and Hernandez were treated at a local hospital, Escobedo for "severe neck pain and strain, dizziness, and nausea due to lack of oxygen from being choked out," and Hernandez for a concussion and cuts that required sutures, the complaint alleges. She was able to maintain control of the weapon but fell backwards into a wall, hitting the back of her head. Inspector General Max Huntsman said that the investigation almost completely ignored evidence of the involvement of the Banditos which led to the assaultive conduct at Kennedy Hall, and that the investigation into the Banditos was a cover up by the sheriff and LASD. Soon afterwards, Zaredini was removed as an FTO and lost his bonus pay. County lawyers instructed the deputy not to answer questions about whether he has the Executioners tattoo, which is a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet, surrounded by flames. One of the deputies who filed the lawsuit said federal agents interviewed him but declined to provide details. The new defendants represent a significant expansion of the civil rights and workplace harassment Her doctor placed her on medical leave again. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit But the eight deputies this week filed an updated lawsuit with new allegations, including that the Banditos recently had an inking party where 10 deputies were tattooed, raising the total number of members to 100. SEE MORE OF OUR COVERAGE ON LA'S DEPUTY GANGS: Our news is free on LAist. Once she was out, Wargo began screaming at her. the F.B.I. lawsuit that was first filed two years ago Saavedra also attempted to have Gonzalez investigated for wrongfully sitting in a car with a victim, a claim that the complaint alleges to be completely fabricated. As described by Huntsman, the Executioners To support our non-profit public service journalism: LASD has never thoroughly investigated allegations of gang corruption, and this case is no exception, Huntsman told The Times. I dont know who the Banditos are, Chavez, who is now a commander, said under oath in March. . Chavez said that the two men had been playing a game of chicken, and no investigation appears to have followed. With each other 2016, she was repeatedly passed over for the News-Press... Paid leave his letter, Huntsman requests that the Sheriffs Department cooperate with his into. The attorney representing the deputies who filed the lawsuit says, Rauno confirmed that transferred. 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