Those tactics were immortalized in a mural of the logo in the East LA Station floor. Privacy Policy. Deputies Alfred Gonzalez, Oscar Escobedo, Ariela Lemus, Art Hernandez, Mario Contreras, David Casas, Louis Granados, and Benjamin Zaredini, the latter of whom was previously accused of being a Bandito, claim to have suffered at the hands of the gang for the past four years. 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. LAist.com/radio. No one had any knowledge of that name, Villanueva said. But he has also taken credit for addressing the problem by instituting a policy that prohibits deputies from joining groups that promote behavior that violates the rights of others. 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. 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. . Sergeant Angelica Pink Hand Estrada and John Soria were able to carry out the Banditos wishes with the blessings of station leadership such as Lieutenant Eric Smitson and Captain Ernie Chavez. The money has been used for legal fees for some defendants in the claim and vacations for Banditos members to Thailand. 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. LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman has accused Sheriff Alex Villanueva of promoting a code of silence'' around secret societies within his department, but Villanueva calls the IG's actions purely politically driven and an attempt to undermine the department.''. LASD does not appear to have disciplined anyone for the text exchange. He slammed his hands on the side of the vehicle and said, What the fuck is wrong with you? Two of the men are veterans with more than a decade on the job. He showed her a transfer request form with two choices: San Dimas or Walnut Stations. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. Several members of the Banditos showed up, which was uncommon, according to court documents. 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. The entire leadership of East L.A. station was turned over, Villanueva said in a social media broadcast last fall. "Other taxes take the form of sexual favors from female deputies," according to the complaint. July 19, 2021. Orange says he doesnt think Lacey was interested in prosecuting police officers. Did you investigate the Banditos? asked Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the eight deputies, according to a transcript of the deposition excerpts. 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. The other plaintiff deputies continued to face harassment from Banditos associates. Traditionally, once deputy gang membership reaches 100, a new group is introduced. Pushed him up against the police car. 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. Along with the county, the suit names four Banditos as defendants: Raphael "Rene" Munoz aka "Big Listo"; Gregory Rodriquez aka "G-Rod"; David Silverio aka "Silver", and Michael Hernandez aka "Bam Bam," who the complaint says was assigned to Men's Central Jail. The gang also denied Zaredini and Lemus backup. The Banditos of the East Los Angeles Sheriffs Station seemed not only to embrace the tradition of terrorizing surrounding communities, but celebrate the When she asked Wargo what was going on, she was told that she was a trainee and to mind her business. Deputies who don't follow the Banditos' orders are subject to retaliation that can include getting overloaded with excessive calls, being sent out for extra calls at the end of their shift and being told routine calls are emergencies, according to the suit. The expanded lawsuit comes amid increasing scrutiny of how Villanueva, who began his career at the East L.A. Station, has addressed the longstanding problem of deputy subgroups. 4 min read. One of the deputies approached him and told him to step back and he said, Im nowhere near whats going on. This is America, Orange recounts. Huntsman did not name the deputies and said his office has identified additional possible members from other sources. 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. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. 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. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. Halfway through her training, Lopez was reassigned to Field Training Officer Edwin Hernandez. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. They were detaining and taking Grays brother-in-law into custody according to Grays attorney, Olu Orange. But new court documents that include sworn testimony from Chavez raise questions about and at times, contradict the sheriffs claims. The new court filing does not attach specific allegations to each new defendant. Her doctor placed her on medical leave again. is investigating the Banditos Other new Latino deputies have faced similar treatment court documents allege Bandito member Jose Aceituno shoulder checked another employee inside the East LA station. However, he and Deputy Louis Granados reported harassment that they had observed at the hands of Banditos to Captain (then Lieutenant) Richard Mejia. When she tried to get away by getting back into the patrol car, Wargo blocked her path and said You are a product of Valdez, and he is God at East LA Station, and if you dont submit to the program, you will have problems here! In January 2012, Lopez ran into Deputy Andrew Hernandez again on another call. Immediately afterwards, then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior. 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. Deputy gang members, or those seeking membership, have shot at least 19 County residents to death in that time. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit 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 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. It says this has happened "dozens" of times over the last three years. 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. Prospects like Deputy Hector Little Listo Saavedra sent texts laughing about the 245 (assault and battery) and advised others to burn and destroy evidence. It describes members of the group as maintaining control by intimidation of other deputies and control of key positions, including dispatcher, scheduling deputy and training officer. In June, Villanueva acknowledged that the Banditos had amassed too much power and influence at the station. 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.. They were treating her like a housewife, says Gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney. Hernandezs former FTO Marcelo Reaper Ortega and Contreras former FTO Elizondo also told him not to speak about what had happened. 17 New Defendants Identified in Ongoing Suit Against the Banditos and LASD, deputy gang at the East Los Angeles Station. At at Civilian Oversight Commission meeting in May, Villanueva said the Banditos clique no longer exists at East L.A. station. Took his hands and bent them up so far behind his back that you could see his fingers behind his ears and he tore his shoulder. The report falsely described Gray as trying to open the door of the patrol vehicle. Rodriguez was rehired despite being charged with falsifying the police report concerning the unlawful detainment and beating of Christopher Gray. 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. the suit Anthony Lowe was shot and killed by Huntington Park police on Jan. 26. 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. The Countys deputy gangs also subjected him to an experience that left him traumatized. the F.B.I. I dont know who the Banditos are, Chavez, who is now a commander, said under oath in March. Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, Monica Farias, Steven Miller, Alejandro Lomeli, and Marc Elizondo pounced. Lemus, Contreras, Hernandez, and Escobedo were told they could move to another gang-dominated station, or a station far from their homes. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit LAist.com/radio. Thirty-one of these allegedly are themselves Banditos, associates, or prospects for the gang, he said. 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.. She began training with Field Training Officer Eric Valdez, who deputies called the Godfather of East LA.. The Sheriffs wife, a retired LASD employee, allegedly put out messages telling deputy gang members to keep their heads up. Two weeks after the ceremony, the Banditos gang removed ammunition from Deputy Zaredinis shotgun. Gregory Rodriguez would also allegedly advise the younger deputies to carry a bag with them to plant evidence on suspects. Gonzalez passed the exam, and Smith says she is currently a Patrol Sergeant. Gray is visible on the tape observing the arrest from a distance. Her daughter was born by emergency C-section. On March 8, 2012, Barsh filed a Policy of Equity (POE), a practice that prohibits discrimination against County employees on a variety of bases, on Lopezs behalf and told Captain Henry Romero about the Banditos threats and harassment. 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. If she didnt comply, she wouldnt pass her probationary period and it could be extended indefinitely. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? Smitson, Perez, and Sergeant Estrada informed the Banditos that Granados and Zaredini had blown the whistle. 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. The charges were dismissed at a pre-trial hearing by the prosecutor after reviewing the cell phone video of Grays arrest. Hish told her that Gonzalez had allegedly hazed a deputy, which she denies. He was a nuclear physics major in college and relocated to Los Angeles to work on some construction projects. Despite ongoing litigation related to the Banditos, the gang appears confident that they can operate with impunity, and multiply. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. alleging the existence of a criminal gang of deputies called the Banditos at the departments East L.A. Station. Rodriguez was discharged from the department as a result of the charges, but later was given his job back and returned to the department. Commander Ernie Chavez has admitted Villanueva did not transfer any Banditos, nor ask Chavez to investigate. However, the inquiry did not examine the allegations of withholding backup, according to the complaint. Munoz, Eldemira Parra, Andrea Villa, and Claudia Perez controlled the calls through dispatch, and would send Granados and other plaintiffs out at the end of their shifts, forcing them to stay past their work time. Content Warning: This series explicitly details acts of violence (including murder) carried out by law enforcement officials. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. The suit accuses all four of being involved in the September 2018 attack on some of the plaintiffs. Rafael Munoz approached Casas on at least two occasions to ask him to be his eyes and ears in the southern part of the precinct. Member activities allegedly include leaving dead rats for enemies and killing teenagers. Its author Professor Sean Kennedy said at least seven remain active. The memo included an anonymous letter detailing the Banditos wrongdoings. 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 Executioners were The Banditos have existed for at least a decade at the East L.A. station, according to Kennedy. The pair demanded she immediately resign from her mentoring position, and she was removed the following day. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. Once she arrived at Century Station, Lopez was assigned to the Youth Activity League, which significantly impacted her career prospects, according to her lawsuit. When the Internal Affairs Bureau initiated an investigation into the Banditos, lead investigator Jeff Hamil allegedly followed Villanuevas orders to complete a fake investigation. In this role, the FTOs are able to abuse their trainees without any accountability. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he is working to rebuild the leadership team at the East L.A. Sheriffs station and address denounced rogue activity by a deputy clique called Los Banditos. According to KABC 7, a new captain at the East LA station aims to hold supervisors accountable for behavior that is out of policy. . 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. ", Villanueva did In a conversation with LAist, the new sheriff acknowledges that, as an outsider, "I have my work cut out for me" in winning the support of the department's rank-and-file. 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. Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. Sgt. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. 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. "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. 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. 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. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture" beyond the Banditos. The lawsuit says Banditos are given preferred parking spots at the station and collect taxes from young deputies, including through a recent fundraiser to help four of them pay for legal expenses related to these claims. On August 23, 2012, LASD personnel descended upon the 1300 block of South Marianna Avenue in East Los Angeles. 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. Romero offered Lopez a transfer in response, which she didnt think she deserved as she had done no wrong. 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. Mejia also claimed to have forgotten texts and phone calls he received from Deputy Oscar Escobedo reporting the hostile work environment. Later he was asked: To your knowledge, you were not brought in to quell the Banditos situation, correct?. She had no investigators. Gonzalez was transferred to the Norwalk Station, but no action was taken against the sergeants. Mejia opened an inquiry into Munoz and reported it to Lieutenant Eric Smitson and Captain Chris Perez. Union Says It'll 'Wait And See', A Look Back At LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva's Tumultuous 4 Years, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. Gang culture is reinforced by older employees who reward newer recruits who subscribe to it. Lopez told Patrelli that she would go anywhere except for East LA. Sheriff Villanueva Just Brought It Back, LA Sheriff Watchdog: The First Amendment Shouldn't Shield Deputy Cliques, Tattoos From Scrutiny. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Deputy Lemus was overloaded with calls by the alleged morning Banditos shot caller, Raymond Mendoza. Instead of assisting Contreras, Perez and Rojas drove by and mocked him, according to the complaint. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Mejia also appears to have lied in the civil suit concerning the killing of Anthony Vargas by stating he only knew about the Banditos gang through media reporting, and that he was unfamiliar with the criminal associations with the word shot caller. Those statements contradicted prior testimony in internal investigations. A CBS News investigation has uncovered allegations of gangs existing within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, possibly for decades. 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. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture.". She had no assistants trying this case. The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. Today, the station is dominated Banditos. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. The lawsuit alleges Sgt. The same crew also allegedly hatched a plan to overload deputies who did not obey the Banditos with emergency calls. Murakami instructed Wolak to uphold the suspension on Villanuevas orders. 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.. Situation, correct? Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a complaint, Chavez, who been... 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