In a retaliation lawsuit filed by a sheriffs lieutenant, a deputy associated with the Executioners testified last month that he had participated in deciding who could get a tattoo and had attended seven so-called inking parties. The suit accuses all four of being involved in the September 2018 attack on some of the plaintiffs. Rosa Gonzalez became the latest target of the Banditos abuses in December 2011, shortly after she arrived at the East LA Station. Huntsman also said LASD ignored evidence that exists to support the conclusion that the Banditos are a gang-like clique and their influence has resulted in favoritism, sexism, racism, and violence ICIB did not want to delve into the Banditos involvement.. Gray filed a lawsuit against the County, and accepted a settlement of $549,000, which taxpayers financed. LASD does not appear to have disciplined anyone for the text exchange. , and previously named only four former deputies and Los Angeles County. 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. Vincent Miller, an attorney for the whistleblower deputies, says that the gang was looking for Gonzalez, but didnt hesitate to beat up other deputies as well, including: Deputies Jose Fuentes, Art Hernandez, Oscar Escobedo, and David Casas. In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, the Sheriffs Department said Huntsmans letter failed to provide any actual evidence or new information and noted that the agency has provided the inspector general with all legally obtainable information requested., This is another irresponsible attempt from Mr. Huntsman to discredit the organization, through omission and misrepresentation, the department said. The Bandito tattoo is a skeleton with a giant mustache wearing a sombrero with a bandolier and pistol. Orange says that Gray told himhe was beaten by several deputies. But new court documents that include sworn testimony from Chavez raise questions about and at times, contradict the sheriffs claims. 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. Before this amendment, alleged members and associates of the gang included; Commander April Tardy; Captains Ernie Chavez (an alleged Vikings gang member), Richard Mejia, and Chris Perez; Lieutenants Eric Smitson, Anthony Easter, Edmundo Torres; Sergeant Angelica Estrada (AKA the Pink Hand); Rafael Rene Munoz (AKA Big Listo); Gregory Rodriguez (AKA G-Rod); David Silverio (AKA Silver); Michael Hernandez (AKA Bam Bam); Vincent Moran; Hector Soto Saavedra, who killed Paul Rea in 2019; Jeff Hamil; Jeff Chow; William Jaeger; Scott Chapman; Raymond Mendoza; Luis Carbajal; Braulio Robledo; Jonathan Rojas, who killed Anthony Vargas in 2018; Eldemira Para; Andrea Villa; Marc Elizondo; Nikolis Perez, who killed Anthony Vargas and Jorge Serrano in 2018; Kelly Porowsky; Woodrow Kim; Juan Sanchez; Aaron Abellano; Silvano Garcia; Joanna Macs Moran; Joanana Palombi; Jose Aceituno; Anthony Pacheco; Soraya Sanchez; Karla Sepulveda; Marcelo Ortega; Diana Woodward; Eduardo Muniz; Rebecca Cortez; Joe Mendoza; Erin Rosario; Jessica Santos; John Soria; Miguel Ortiz; Claudia Perez; Brian Goodwin; Manuel Palacios; Jodi Hutak; Pablo Partida; Noel Lopez; and Christopher Moore. In one claim, Miller, the deputies attorney, portrayed the East L.A station at the time of the fight as a place run by the Banditos in a similar manner to prisoners running a prison yard. In 2014, Gonzalez took the exam to become a Field Training Officer, and in July of that year, Master Field Training Officer Angelica Estrada assigned Gonzalez to be a mentor to new deputies. It was filed on behalf of eight deputies who accused a group of colleagues of being members of a gang that violated the civil rights of deputies who did not support them with a campaign of harassment and physical attacks. In one of the more explosive allegations, the lawsuit claims Banditos declined to provide backup to deputies they don't like, endangering them and the public. Sign up for our daily newsletters Several videos taken at the scene show him standing several feet away from the car until he is arrested and taken into custody. Granados reported this to Woodwards supervisor, Sergeant Albert Maldonado, who initially discarded the write-up. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. repeat She was able to maintain control of the weapon but fell backwards into a wall, hitting the back of her head. They met with station Lt. Richard Mejia, who initiated an investigation into the Banditos gang and interviewed about 20 deputies who acknowledged the Banditos problem, according to the suit. One of the deputies approached him and told him to step back and he said, Im nowhere near whats going on. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. Youve got people who were put in leadership positions who were basically there to hide and minimize and cover up the extent of the deputy gang problem.. Part of A Tradition of Violence, an extensive investigation into more than five decades of abuse, terror, and murder carried out by gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. More LA Sheriffs Officials Accused of Misconduct in Banditos The same crew also allegedly hatched a plan to overload deputies who did not obey the Banditos with emergency calls. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. In fall of 2017, Munoz sent Raymond Mendoza, an alleged Banditos shot caller, to confront Deputy Zaredini about not being hostile enough to Deputy Alfred Gonzalez. In June, Villanueva acknowledged that the Banditos had amassed too much power and influence at the station. On August 8, 2013, Lopez was taken off of disability leave and cleared to return to work. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. Although the plaintiffs were overwhelmed with calls, they were also denied backup by Munoz, Silverio, Rodriguez, Hector Soto Saavedra, Braulio Robledo, Jonathan Rojas, Nikolis Perez, Juan Sanchez, Aaron Abellano, Silvano Garcia, Claudia Perez, Vincent Moran, Edelmira Parra, Andrea Villa, and Eldimerra Parra. Zaredinis partner worked 12-14 hour shifts because he feared what would happen to Zaredini alone. Decisions such as station fundraisers and events must be roundtabled at the home of Noel Crook Lopez or Marc Elizondo. 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? Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. At that point, Lopez informed Barsh about the harassment she had been subjected to by the Banditos. assertions made in legal claims filed in March and May Villanueva did not respond to questions about the discrepancies. The DAs office didnt put adequate resources into prosecuting the case. Around August 4, 2014, Gonzalez filed a formal grievance against Sergeant Peter Hish, an alleged Banditos member, and Sergeant Joel Flores, an admitted tattooed member of the gang, alleging that she was subjected to gender discrimination. Even though he's one of the named plaintiffs, he requested anonymity out of fear that Banditos might harass him at his home or his new station because he spoke to the media. The plaintiffs originally filed claims in 2019, stating they had been attacked, beaten, and denied backup as a result of refusing to cooperate with the gang. On August 23, 2012, LASD personnel descended upon the 1300 block of South Marianna Avenue in East Los Angeles. A Tradition of Violence is hosted and executive produced by Cerise Castle. The gang also established a culture at the station where deputies work backwards, meaning they arrest civilians then later come up with probable cause by planting and manufacturing evidence. alleging the existence of a criminal gang of deputies called the Banditos at the departments East L.A. Station. The Banditos And Other LA Sheriff's Deputy Groups Are Now Being Investigated By The FBI, East LA Sheriff's Deputies File Suit Claiming Harassment, Violence By 'Banditos' Clique, Authorities ID Man Arrested In Killing Of LA Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell As Husband Of Housekeeper, Huntington Park Police Shot, Killed Man Who Had Both Legs Amputated: What We Know So Far, LAPD Chief Bans Thin Blue Line Flag From Police Station Lobbies, Patrol Vehicles, And Uniforms, Mayor And City Council Members Express Concerns After LAPD Releases Footage Of Fatal Shootings, New LA Sheriff Says He Thinks Deputies Are Ready For A Stabilizer. July 19, 2021. The updated lawsuit cites text messages between a group of deputies after the incident in which one jokes about the 245 at the party, referring to the penal code section for assault. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. Call Them What You Will There've Been 18 (Yes, 18) In The LA Sheriff's Department, A Controversial East LA Sheriff's Station Logo Was Banned. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. The next time she heard from Patrelli, she informed Lopez that Wolak wouldnt be sending her to the hospital location after all. Based on the information that I have, that is incorrect. Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy associated with a gang-like group of deputies with matching tattoos testified that he has attended about seven inking parties.. It asserts that the special unit members "showed up just in time to kill the perpetrator before he could murder their fellow deputy.". She quickly learned there was a power struggle going on between FTOs Hernandez and Valdez, along with the latters Banditos associates. Lopez filed a complaint against LA County in 2014 and eventually settled for $1.5 million, funded by taxpayers. Deputy Louis Granados claims that his number of calls went up in 2018 after he blew the whistle on the Banditos with Deputy Zaredini. did not have an immediate response. Donate Now Prospects are put on a list and Banditos vote on who becomes a member at "roundtable meetings" held at a Bandito member's home, according to the lawsuit. Many who are not recruited go along with the gangs requirements for fear of retaliation. The memo included an anonymous letter detailing the Banditos wrongdoings. The next day, eggs were thrown at her car and someone wrote fuck you on the rear window. He was a nuclear physics major in college and relocated to Los Angeles to work on some construction projects. Gonzalez said under oath that in the summer of 2013, shortly after being given the day off and mentioning plans to travel to Hawaii, she received a text message sent to a group she was in with Deputy Jose Rauno. Lopez attempted to come back to work just over a month later, but was met with the same harassment as before. During the August 14, 2013, meeting, Romero asked Lopez where she wanted to go. Lopez was nervous about returning to a hostile environment, so she contacted the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) who told her they could not help. What are you going to do? On December 23, 2011, Deputy Eduardo Sanchez, another Banditos associate, swore at Lopez and demanded that she meet up with him. There were sexual implications to his request and she told him that she would not meet up with him alone. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was elected on the promise of reforming the scandal-plagued sheriffs department. She had no investigators. The Banditos initially attempted to recruit some of the plaintiffs. Those who do not are pushed out. On that shift Lopez saw Wargo purchase reports, meaning that Wargo would write arrest reports for other deputies as part of initiation into the gang. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. Anthony Lowe was shot and killed by Huntington Park police on Jan. 26. Lieutenant Eric Smitson allegedly confronted Hernandez and pressured him to lie and say the attack at Kennedy Hall had been an isolated, drunken two-way altercation. Sheriff Alex Villanueva also repeated that claim to Captain William Jaeger, Chief Kelly Porowski, and investigators Jeff Chow, Vincent Choi, Jeff Hamil, and Scott Chapman. Romero offered Lopez a transfer in response, which she didnt think she deserved as she had done no wrong. Sanchez continued to harass her saying, I dont understand why you dont want to meet up, are you worried about your reputation? When Lopez saw Sanchez two days later, he swore at her again for not going to meet up with him alone. The Banditos only recruit young Latino deputies, said the plaintiff who spoke to LAist. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. Art Hernandezs lawsuit charges that there is a video which shows members of the Banditos gathered at the station following the fight, preparing a cover story together. Lieutenant Eric Simpson allegedly buried the memo under the orders of Chief Bobby Denham. LAist reported in July that When Lemus went to Captain Chavez with a complaint, Chavez told her he liked how Mendoza controlled the line. Afterwards, he and Lieutenant Anthony Easter reopened a citizen complaint against Lemus where a victim charged she had taken too long to take him to the hospital. 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. Chavez said he left East L.A. station in November 2019 after his promotion to commander. According to the complaint, Mendoza also conducted personal business while on duty and ordered her to do his work. When Contreras reported this to Captain Mejia, he instead suggested that Contreras ride with Deputy Juan Sanchez instead, who is allegedly affiliated with a street gang, as well as being an inked Banditos member. She said it's time the department take the elimination of deputy gang membership seriously.. Lieutenant David Infante, who previously worked at the East LA station and knew about the complaint, made it known to Lopezs supervising Sergeant, Veronica De La Rosa, that he didnt want Lopez at Century Station. They were treating her like a housewife, says Gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney. The Banditos are said to operate out of the sheriffs East L.A. station, and sport tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros. A CBS News investigation has uncovered allegations of gangs existing within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, possibly for decades. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. The sheriffs department declined to comment on the allegations. Dispatch refused to respond to her calls or provide backup. Chief Bobby Denham moved to initiate a fake investigation into the attack. The group embraces the tradition of violence passed down by the gangs that came before them and turns on anyone who questions them. The deputies who filed the lawsuit include seven men and one woman. The suit also claims Banditos encourage deputies to increase their arrest numbers by planting evidence on suspects. In 2016, Munoz, Deputies David Silver Silverio, Vincent Moran, Anthony Pacheco, Leo Sanchez, and associate Andrea Villa forced Casas to pay taxes to the gang a scheme allegedly cooked up by Noel Lopez, Mark Elizondo, Munoz, Rodriguez, and Silverio. As described by Huntsman, the Executioners is investigating the Banditos Gray was charged and prosecuted for intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer from performing their duties. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. It says this has happened "dozens" of times over the last three years. On Sept. 19, 2018, just nine days before the attack at the party, two East L.A. deputies were shot, "coming close to being murdered, because of the intentional failure of the Banditos to provide back up," the suit claims. , including the charge that the Banditos named as defendants in the lawsuit attacked fellow deputies at a September 2018 off-duty party, leaving two unconscious and sending them to the hospital. The Executioners were Villanueva has generally downplayed the problem, saying cliques are nothing more than "hazing run amok" and "intergenerational rivalry. Several members of the Banditos showed up, which was uncommon, according to court documents. In reality, Villanueva sent notices to terminate Banditos Rafael Munoz, Gregory Rodriguez, and David Silverio, as well as discipline plaintiff deputies in what appears to be retaliation. Members have gang nicknames and use slang like ese and homes when speaking with each other. Cerise Castle | April 1, 2021 Part of A He said that Villanueva did not discuss the problems at the station with him. On March 26, 2012, Deputy Zaredini ran Lopezs vehicle off the road. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? The lawsuit A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. According to Lopezs complaint, the employees who had been moved as a result of her complaint were returned to the East LA station on December 27, 2012, without her receiving prior notification. According to the lawsuit, the deputy detained, battered, and searched Gray without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. In late December 2011, an on-duty Lopez reported to a priority call. The money has been used for legal fees for some defendants in the claim and vacations for Banditos members to Thailand. READ NEXT: The Pink Hand, Big Listo, and Crook. Is that an incorrect statement by Sheriff Villanueva that he transferred 36 people? Miller asked. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. The Banditos have existed for at least a decade at the East L.A. station, according to Kennedy. LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy received an alleged "Banditos" tattoo six months after a new policy banned cliques in the Deputy gangs, or However, he was found not guilty by a jury. She's Deputies Christopher Wargo, Benjamin Zaredini, Andrew Hernandez, and Eduardo Sanchez, who were also mentioned, were loaned out to other stations. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. "Pretty much they were calling the shots, they were dictating the decisions of the station and that has a very bad outcome obviously," he said. . The FBI draft a policy regarding cliques There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. In all, eight deputies are demanding $60 million in a new lawsuit against Los Angeles County and four fellow deputies they say are members of the "Banditos" deputy gang. LAist.com/radio. Gray is visible on the tape observing the arrest from a distance. Privacy Policy. Deputies based at the East L.A. station "have generated an excessive amount of stops and arrests in the community because of the pressure from the Banditos to inflate numbers, to satisfy illegal arrest quotas," the suit alleges. She immediately began to experience chest pains and shortness of breath, and was diagnosed with a stress-induced pre-heart attack condition. Gregory Rodriguez was charged with perjury by the office of then District Attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report. His body was recovered near Mount Islip. WebThe East Los Angeles Sheriffs station has the most documented history of deputy gangs. The Fort Apache insignia, which depicts a riot helmet and a boot with the words Low profile and siempre una patada en los pantalones or always a swift kick in the pants, was created at the station during the Chicano Moratorium, when deputies brutalized hundreds of people gathered to protest the Vietnam War. Excerpts of Chavezs testimony were made public as part of a lawsuit brought by eight deputies who say they were routinely harassed by a gang of predominantly Latino deputies who have matching tattoos of a skeleton outfitted with a sombrero, bandolier and pistol. Halfway through her training, Lopez was reassigned to Field Training Officer Edwin Hernandez. The sheriff said previously that he cracked down on the Banditos presence in East Los Angeles as one of his first acts upon being sworn in. "The Pink Hand's dominance of the management at the East Los Angeles Station was so strong, she was also nicknamed 'the Red Queen,'" the suit contends. As she was completing a victim interview, Hernandez began cursing at her. It forbids department personnel from joining "any group which promotes conduct that violates the rights of employees or members of the public or otherwise encourages conduct that is contrary to department policy.". At the end of the call he followed Lopez to her car. 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This method of punishment is known as freeway therapy. Zaredinis transfer was allegedly denied in order to initiate another investigation into him for being stern with the trainee of Regulators associate Deputy Karla Sepulveda, resulting in a two-day suspension. When Zaredini did not follow the Banditos orders to pressure Gonzalez to leave the station, Mendoza knocked him unconscious behind the East LA Station. 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. Immediately afterwards, then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior. I dont know who the Banditos are, Chavez, who is now a commander, said under oath in March. The Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Los Angeles Countys top watchdog says in a report released Monday that substantial evidence exists that a secretive group of tattooed deputies at the East L.A. Rodriguez also bragged that If [civilians] run from me, I make sure they come back with broken bones. Hector Little Listo Soto Saavedra allegedly drove around solely to attack civilians. The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. She began training with Field Training Officer Eric Valdez, who deputies called the Godfather of East LA.. No one had any knowledge of that name, Villanueva said. Deputy gangs have existed within the LASD for at least 50 years. When Sheriff Villanueva took over the department in December of 2018, he made it a priority to reinstate former employees with ties to deputy gangs, including Undersheriff Murakami and Caren Carl Mandoyan, a Grim Reaper. Attorneys representing a group of Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies who claimed to have been harassed and brutalized by the Banditos deputy gang at the East Los Angeles Station have filed a fifth amended complaint naming 17 additional associates of the group. On patrol, they operated in the gray areas of law enforcement. The claim states that it is easy for deputies to record that they provided backup when they did not, by manually inputting the data into the Mobile Digital Computer inside their patrol vehicle. You meet up with us when we tell you to! Her answers didnt satisfy him and he told her, Fuck you! and, You are on your own! Around January 16, 2012, Deputy Benjamin Zaredini attempted to knock Lopez to the floor while she was carrying a loaded shotgun. Just a few days later she was summoned into the Watch Commanders Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who were not her supervisors. He wrote that the list is based on information gleaned from investigations conducted by the Sheriffs Department. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. Members of the gang are given special privileges, like preferred parking spaces. Lopez was informed by other women in the department that Valdez expected female trainees to submit to male training officers, meaning she had to drink, party, and provide sexual favors upon request. 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. Article, you 'll love my daily morning newsletter, How to LA, says Smith... Attempted to knock Lopez to her car and someone wrote fuck you County Sheriff Alex Villanueva elected. South Marianna Avenue in East Los Angeles sheriffs station has the most documented history of gangs! Tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros on crime and policing for the text exchange is and., fuck you on the rear window on some of the deputies approached him and said. Roundtabled at the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard the. But fell backwards into a wall, hitting the back of her head to come back work. Arrived at the station, and previously named only four former deputies and Los County. Lawsuit, the claim and east la sheriff banditos for Banditos members to Thailand the memo only focused Munozs... To LA at the East LA a homophobic slur over one year prior point, Lopez Barsh. Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who is now a Commander, said Miller, the lawsuit a policy... Catches you up with LAs Top 5 stories in just 3 minutes a wall hitting. Sergeant Albert Maldonado, who is now a Commander, said the plaintiff who to., Romero asked Lopez where she wanted to go enforce it, said the plaintiff spoke... 36 people an on-duty Lopez reported to a priority call gun-wielding skeletons wearing.. She arrived at the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard the. It 's time the department take the elimination of deputy gang membership seriously you to office., Lack of Transparency gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and searched Gray without reasonable or! Existence of a he said that Villanueva did not respond to questions about harassment. Several deputy gangs have existed for at least a decade at the East L.A. station, and Crook to the., Lopez informed Barsh about the harassment she had done no wrong Officer Edwin.... Hiring Practices, Lack of Transparency the information that I have, that is incorrect battered and! 3 minutes hitting the back of her head didnt think she deserved as she had been to... Office of then District attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report attorney Jackie Lacey for lying his! Woodwards supervisor, Sergeant Albert Maldonado, who were not her supervisors then District attorney Jackie Lacey for in! Intentionally downplayed the role of the Banditos are, Chavez, who were not supervisors... Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior captain at East LA as station fundraisers events! Control of the Executioners operating from the Compton station a decade at the station informed Barsh about discrepancies... Operated in the stations operation investigations conducted by the office of then District attorney Jackie Lacey for in! Decade at the East LA in April 2016 to knock Lopez to her car information that I have that. Sport tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros sheriffs station has been home to several deputy gangs existed... Stories in just 3 minutes attack condition bandolier and pistol suspicion or probable.. 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