FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. GET THE BEST OF LAIST IN YOUR INBOXSign up for our daily newsletter to receive the latest on local politics, food, culture and the absurdities of L.A. life. The deputies who filed the lawsuit include seven men and one woman. The DAs office didnt put adequate resources into prosecuting the case. Several members of the Banditos showed up, which was uncommon, according to court documents. He was elected in 2018 after running as a progressive Democrat who would reform the department. This is America, Orange recounts. Munoz, Moran, and Rodriguez cornered Gonzalez and pressured him to leave the station. 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. They were treating her like a housewife, says Gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney. WebThe East Los Angeles Sheriffs station has the most documented history of deputy gangs. ", Villanueva did 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. "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. In September 2018, two deputies were knocked unconscious at a department party at an event space called Kennedy Hall, the lawsuit says. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. Privacy Policy. In December 2018, Banditos "secretly removed the bullets from Deputy Zaredini's shotgun," the lawsuit claims. The charges were dismissed at a pre-trial hearing by the prosecutor after reviewing the cell phone video of Grays arrest. On social media, the deputies have been mocked as rats.. She was placed on medical leave. The disciplinary letters stemmed from an internal investigation into an East L.A. Sheriff's Station clique called "The Banditos," accused of operating like a gang. 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. However, he and Deputy Louis Granados reported harassment that they had observed at the hands of Banditos to Captain (then Lieutenant) Richard Mejia. 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. Eight L.A. County sheriffs deputies allege in a lawsuit that they were routinely harassed by a gang of deputies at the departments East L.A. station who have matching tattoos. Donate Now Smith says that current Sheriff Alex Villanueva reached out to Gonzalez after taking office and assisted her with study for the Sergeants exam. Valdez appears to currently work as a sergeant at a different station. Her case settled for $1 million in 2019. The Banditos consist primarily of Latinx LASD personnel, and allegedly do not allow women to become full-fledged members. In December 2013, Lopez was informed that if she didnt immediately request a transfer to Century Station, she would have to return to East LA. 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.. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. Villanueva blamed the situation on "a leadership team that fell asleep at the switch.". While under oath in a deposition, Rauno confirmed that he sent the message to the group. As she was completing a victim interview, Hernandez began cursing at her. He slammed his hands on the side of the vehicle and said, What the fuck is wrong with you? Based on the information that I have, that is incorrect. None of them appear to have been disciplined for the shootings. He ended up fiercely resisting oversight and clashing with watchdogs and the rest of the countys political establishment. Chavez said he left East L.A. station in November 2019 after his promotion to commander. She attempted to contact Romero about the status of her transfer request, but he was allegedly unavailable. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? Gonzalez was transferred to the Norwalk Station, but no action was taken against the sergeants. She was not in a good way. Many of the people who violently harassed Lopez are still with the department. LA Sheriff Villanueva Toughens His Policy On Deputy Cliques. 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. LASD does not appear to have disciplined anyone for the text exchange. Deputies Christopher Wargo, Benjamin Zaredini, Andrew Hernandez, and Eduardo Sanchez, who were also mentioned, were loaned out to other stations. Villanueva has said he transferred 36 people out and brought a new captain, Ernie Chavez, to the helm of the station to quell the Banditos problem. 17 New Defendants Identified in Ongoing Suit Against the Banditos and LASD, deputy gang at the East Los Angeles Station. Subgroups? Cliques? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Deputy cliques in L.A. 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When one says that a person is in the car, it means that person is one of them. She signed up to take the sergeants exam to seek a promotion in July 2013, but was unable to take it because of continued harassment, despite her not coming into the station regularly. To support our non-profit public service journalism: His return, along with the elevation of other Banditos associates, solidified the gangs grip on the station. Member activities allegedly include leaving dead rats for enemies and killing teenagers. 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. into that and other alleged cliques within the department. Gray filed a lawsuit against the County, and accepted a settlement of $549,000, which taxpayers financed. SEE MORE OF OUR COVERAGE ON LA'S DEPUTY GANGS: Our news is free on LAist. Terms of Use Banditos "intentionally fail to provide back-up during emergency situations and other dangerous calls to purposely place deputies in dangerous circumstances," the suit says. 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. Theyve been called "gangs" because they wear matching tattoos, operate in secrecy, and have initiation rituals. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. The next evening, LASD held a department-sponsored party at Kennedy Hall. Deputies Garcia, Rodriguez, Munoz, and Silverio fled the scene in Garcias car and drove to the East LA Station. 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. Escobedo and Hernandez were brutally beaten and went to the emergency room for treatment. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit And that was on purpose because they had failed in their job to lead the station.. LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy received an alleged "Banditos" tattoo six months after a new policy banned cliques in the alleging the existence of a criminal gang of deputies called the Banditos at the departments East L.A. 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. repeat The money has been used for legal fees for some defendants in the claim and vacations for Banditos members to Thailand. The lawsuit estimates 15-20% of the department's more than 9,000 sworn personnel are members of these cliques. A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. The Sheriffs Department may not refuse to produce the records requested below by unilaterally declaring that no deputy sheriff is a member of a law enforcement gang, Huntsman wrote, adding that the Banditos and Executioners may fall within the states definition of such a gang. A new study finds that 16% of L.A. County Sheriffs deputies and supervisors said in an anonymous survey theyve been asked to join a secret clique. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. No one had any knowledge of that name, Villanueva said. 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. 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. The lawsuit describes in detail how members of the "Banditos" clique allegedly control station operations. the suit At East L.A., Gonzalez discovered, there was a shadow government: a secretive group of sheriffs deputies known as the Banditos. is investigating the Banditos A report by Loyola Law School found 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. Twenty-four are currently stationed in East L.A. According to the complaint, Mendoza also conducted personal business while on duty and ordered her to do his work. Lopez was later contacted by ALADS union representative Julie Patrelli, who told her that East LA Captain James Wolak was willing to send Lopez to Cerritos Station. People familiar with the schism described it to Knock LA as similar to the movie American Me (1992), which depicts the creation of the Mexican Mafia: Valdez was pushed out of the gang by younger, more aggressive deputies. Thirty-one of these allegedly are themselves Banditos, associates, or prospects for the gang, he said. In 2014, L.A. County paid $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a female deputy who said she was bullied and harassed by Banditos. A number of the allegations in She said it's time the department take the elimination of deputy gang membership seriously.. Deputy Lemus was stormed by Bandito associate Rebecca Cortez at a County detention facility. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. They have been broken up in accordance to the law, and constitutionally permissibly, he said. The deputies, who do not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, claim the most prevalent are called the Banditos comprised of mostly Latino deputies who 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. Prospects like Deputy Hector Little Listo Saavedra sent texts laughing about the 245 (assault and battery) and advised others to burn and destroy evidence. . Mejia also claimed to have forgotten texts and phone calls he received from Deputy Oscar Escobedo reporting the hostile work environment. Anthony Lowe was shot and killed by Huntington Park police on Jan. 26. There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. She left the department. "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. 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. A deputy grabbed him and cuffed him. Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. Murakami instructed Wolak to uphold the suspension on Villanuevas orders. Gang culture is reinforced by older employees who reward newer recruits who subscribe to it. When Zaredini did not follow the Banditos orders to pressure Gonzalez to leave the station, Mendoza knocked him unconscious behind the East LA Station. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. The L.A. 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