A spokesperson for the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which represents some of the defendants, declined to comment until he saw the new court documents. Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, Monica Farias, Steven Miller, Alejandro Lomeli, and Marc Elizondo pounced. Hish told her that Gonzalez had allegedly hazed a deputy, which she denies. 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. As described by Huntsman, the Executioners Huntsman told The Times that about a third of the 41 deputies on his list admitted that they had tattoos or belonged to the groups; the rest were identified by other sworn personnel in statements to sheriffs investigators. We are dedicated to providing independent journalism and telling the real story of LA. 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. But eight deputies now accuse Sheriff Villanueva of allowing a violent group, the Banditos, to thrive in his department's ranks. 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. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. April Valentine died at Centinela Hospital. The Banditos are said to operate out of the sheriffs East L.A. station, and sport tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has downplayed the issue, saying problems associated with the groups are often the result of drunken deputies getting into fights and taking issue with those who refer to them as deputy gangs. Last month, Villanueva sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Board of Supervisors, demanding that they and others stop using the phrase. And as I understand it, she really would have liked to have all of those things.. During the course of the investigations, the complaint alleges multiple Banditos members and associates lied about their knowledge of the gang and said they did not see the attacks. This is America, Orange recounts. Subgroups? Im not bothering anybody. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? Gray is visible on the tape observing the arrest from a distance. The Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He was elected in 2018 after running as a progressive Democrat who would reform the department. But after Captain William Jaeger was named in the lawsuit, the write-up was resurrected and escalated to an Internal Affairs investigation. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. The federal probe follows allegations of beatings and harassment by members of the Banditos, a group of deputies assigned to the Sheriffs Departments East L.A. station who brand themselves with matching tattoos of a skeleton outfitted with a sombrero, bandolier and pistol. Some of these goups have been accused of violence and harassment of both residents and colleagues. lawsuit that was first filed two years ago The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. In screenshots of the messages obtained by The Times, others joke about evidence, advising each other to get rid of it and burn it., The inspector generals report last year said theres substantial evidence that the Banditos are gang-like and their influence has resulted in favoritism, sexism, racism and violence.. 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. It was never used on the department at all. 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. They were "threatened and bullied in attempts to get them to conform to the corrupt culture or leave the station," the suit alleges. The claim states that Captain Mejia wrote a memo in June of 2018 to the County recommending an investigation into the Banditos. Those who do not are pushed out. Her doctor placed her on medical leave again. She began training with Field Training Officer Eric Valdez, who deputies called the Godfather of East LA.. He wrote that the list is based on information gleaned from investigations conducted by the Sheriffs Department. Tanaka is serving a five-year prison term for trying to cover up jailhouse beatings. Lopez was also subjected to intimidation: Deputy Benjamin Zaredini once followed Lopez into the garage area at the East LA station. Going back to 2016, the lawsuit alleges, the Banditos repeatedly denied backup to the plaintiff deputies on dangerous calls, pressured them to quit or leave the station and sent hostile messages on work computers. A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. She was also regularly sent on calls with just a few minutes left on her shift. The lawsuit alleges Sgt. 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. 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. Instead, the defendants face the allegations previously laid out in the lawsuit. During her first two weeks of training, Valdez assigned Lopez to work a shift with Deputy Christopher Wargo, who was a prospect or puppy of the Banditos. The Banditos initially attempted to recruit some of the plaintiffs. On August 8, 2013, Lopez was taken off of disability leave and cleared to return to work. But Villanueva limited the investigation into the attack at the party, saying only the actions of individual deputies would be examined -- not the Banditos as a whole. Zaredini retroactively received the bonus pay, but was denied a promotion by Captain Chavez and Undersheriff Timothy Murakami. The lawsuit also alleges that the plaintiff deputies have been continually harassed through the filing of the amendment. Anthony Lowe was shot and killed by Huntington Park police on Jan. 26. Munoz, Moran, and Rodriguez cornered Gonzalez and pressured him to leave the station. repeat 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. More LA Sheriffs Officials Accused of Misconduct in Banditos LASD does not appear to have disciplined anyone for the text exchange. One deputy alleges in a complaint against the County that activities like fundraisers, training parties, and staff barbecues at the East LA station must be roundtabled by the Banditos. Privacy Policy. 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. Those who are not Banditos allegedly fail to stop them, according to Miller, or engage in covering up their wrongdoing. One of the deputies approached him and told him to step back and he said, Im nowhere near whats going on. Gonzalez developed high blood pressure and a heart condition which led to her removal from the field. Smith says that current Sheriff Alex Villanueva reached out to Gonzalez after taking office and assisted her with study for the Sergeants exam. Even Near The Hollywood Sign, Authorities ID Man Arrested In Killing Of LA Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell As Husband Of Housekeeper, Another Missing Hiker Has Been Found Dead In San Gabriels As Search For Actor Julian Sands Continues, LA Explained: How To Live Safely With Our Coyote Neighbors. Once she arrived at Century Station, Lopez was assigned to the Youth Activity League, which significantly impacted her career prospects, according to her lawsuit. 4:30 p.m.: This article was updated to include Sheriff Villanueva's June comments about the Banditos. In September 2018, two deputies were knocked unconscious at a department party at an event space called Kennedy Hall, the lawsuit says. Deputies who are members have 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 Following her complaint to Chavez, Internal Affairs opened an investigation into the matter, resulting in a two-day suspension. Twenty-four are currently stationed in East L.A. Deputy Christopher Wargo drove to the location and blocked Lopezs patrol car so she could not move and ordered her out of the vehicle. 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? The IG's report on a deputy group 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 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. Gray was charged and prosecuted for intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer from performing their duties. Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. Chief Bobby Denham moved to initiate a fake investigation into the attack. Valdez appears to currently work as a sergeant at a different station. draft a policy regarding cliques Several members of the Banditos showed up, which was uncommon, according to court documents. The Banditos now ran East LA. The gang also denied Zaredini and Lemus backup. Bandito FTOs would demand taxes, handing their trainees empty envelopes and telling them to fill them with money, sometimes up to $2,000, by the end of the day. 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. According to court documents, Villanueva also reinstated Danny Batman Batanero, one of the original 10 Banditos, and made him head of his security detail. 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 Internal Affairs investigator Eric Barron, allegedly a member of the Regulators, argued with plaintiff Deputy Mario Contreras counsel that the Banditos conduct did not constitute racial discrimination, because Latinos were targeting other Latinos. 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. At that point, Lopez informed Barsh about the harassment she had been subjected to by the Banditos. Huntsman did not name the deputies and said his office has identified additional possible members from other sources. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. 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. 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. Attorneys representing a group of Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies who claimed to have been harassed and brutalized by the Banditos Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. 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. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Lemus supervisor, Hugo Reynaga, initially marked the matter as resolved. Sources within LASD told Knock LA that the Banditos recently held an inking party to add 10 new tattooed members to their ranks and take membership to 100. In an interview with KPCC/LAist, Murakami denied that he's a member of the group. According to the complaint, Mendoza also conducted personal business while on duty and ordered her to do his work. 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. Murakami instructed Wolak to uphold the suspension on Villanuevas orders. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture" beyond the Banditos. . She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Deputy Louis Granados claims that his number of calls went up in 2018 after he blew the whistle on the Banditos with Deputy Zaredini. After taking office in December 2018, Sheriff Alex Villanueva removed the captain and transferred numerous deputies out of the East L.A. station. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. Just a few days later she was summoned into the Watch Commanders Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who were not her supervisors. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents East L.A., said in an emailed statement: "It is shameful to learn that the number of deputy gang members, specifically from the Banditos, have increased and now include those who have enabled and hid their misconduct. The Countys deputy gangs also subjected him to an experience that left him traumatized. Lopezs lawsuit states that the harassment continued after she complained. His body was recovered near Mount Islip. The money has been used for legal fees for some defendants in the claim and vacations for Banditos members to Thailand. Once she rejected them, they retaliated against her. In November 2011, Deputy Andrew Hernandez, a Banditos associate, leered at Lopezs breasts in the hallway as she was leaving the womens locker room. 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. Bandito godfather Sergeant Eric Valdez told Hernandez to tell the truth, as he was horrified with the gangs behavior. A CBS News investigation has uncovered allegations of gangs existing within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, possibly for decades. Deputy gang members, or those seeking membership, have shot at least 19 County residents to death in that time. The Banditos have existed for at least a decade at the East L.A. station, according to Kennedy. Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. 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. The Banditos logo (Courtesy of Vincent Miller). I went to the trial for a day or two and the Deputy DA who was trying the case had no partner. 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. Sgt. opened an investigation 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. And that was on purpose because they had failed in their job to lead the station.. The new defendants include two commanders, three captains, two lieutenants and 41 deputies, according to plaintiffs attorney Vincent Miller. Villanueva has generally downplayed the problem, saying cliques are nothing more than "hazing run amok" and "intergenerational rivalry. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. No one had any knowledge of that name, Villanueva said. 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 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. The Banditos extract "taxes" from young Latino deputies for clique members' parties and travel, one of the deputies who filed the lawsuit told LAist. the F.B.I. 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. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. is investigating the Banditos None of them appear to have been disciplined for the shootings. In early March 2012, someone posted a phony Department Personnel Transfer Request at the East LA station with Lopezs name on it. WebThe East Los Angeles Sheriffs station has the most documented history of deputy gangs. On October 25, 2012, her car was vandalized while parked at the East LA Station. Today, the station is dominated 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. She also told Lopez she would contact her on August 11 with a work schedule, which Lopez received. did not have an immediate response. 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. 4 min read. 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. However, the inquiry did not examine the allegations of withholding backup, according to the complaint. Lopez attempted to come back to work just over a month later, but was met with the same harassment as before. Her daughter was born by emergency C-section. The inspector generals new figures add to a growing body of information about the secretive groups, which have existed in the Sheriffs Department for decades. Denham was later promoted to assistant sheriff by Sheriff Villanueva, and retired in 2019. 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. into that and other alleged cliques within the department. During the August 14, 2013, meeting, Romero asked Lopez where she wanted to go. Several neighbors came out of their houses and filmed the incident. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. Later he was asked: To your knowledge, you were not brought in to quell the Banditos situation, correct?. The lawsuit describes in detail how members of the "Banditos" clique allegedly control station operations. alleging the existence of a criminal gang of deputies called the Banditos at the departments East L.A. Station. Villanueva has said hes the first sheriff to have implemented a policy that prohibits membership in illicit groups. He met his wife and the mother of his children in LA. In one incident, "a deputy was shot twice, including in the face," and the suspect "would have murdered the fallen deputy if not for two special units coincidentally being [in] the area trying to talk down a mentally ill person," the complaint says. 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. They have been broken up in accordance to the law, and constitutionally permissibly, he said. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. His return, along with the elevation of other Banditos associates, solidified the gangs grip on the station. 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. July 19, 2021. Deputy Woodrow Kim, who was listed as a witness, stated Saavedra was lying about the claim in the IA investigation. It says about 30 members and prospects work at the East L.A. station, adding the others work elsewhere or have retired. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. 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