The other plaintiff deputies continued to face harassment from Banditos associates. The department did not respond to LAist's inquiry as to whether the policy has been formally adopted. 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. Mejia also claimed to have forgotten texts and phone calls he received from Deputy Oscar Escobedo reporting the hostile work environment. Bandito godfather Sergeant Eric Valdez told Hernandez to tell the truth, as he was horrified with the gangs behavior. LA Sheriff Villanueva Toughens His Policy On Deputy Cliques. Deputy Christopher Moore, who was on-duty and assigned to the party, stood by and watched the assault. The lawsuit Angelica Estrada, one of the few female associates of the Banditos and a woman who wielded tremendous influence at the station, "went over Mejia's head" to the captain at the time and then-Chief Bob Denham to block any discipline of the Banditos. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Following her complaint to Chavez, Internal Affairs opened an investigation into the matter, resulting in a two-day suspension. The IG's report on a deputy group Members of the Banditos can be identified by their signature tattoos of a skeleton wearing a sombrero, bandolier, and pistol. According to a lawsuit filed by eight East L.A. deputies and the A.C.L.U., the Banditos gang "controls the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard." Her case settled for $1 million in 2019. Its just smoke and mirrors, its just a pretend at reform.. Zaredini did not report the incident for fear of retaliation by the gang. Christopher Gray, who is Black, is originally from Idaho. is investigating the Banditos There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. 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. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. During the August 14, 2013, meeting, Romero asked Lopez where she wanted to go. 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. In this latest filing, the plaintiffs have identified 17 additional alleged associates of the Banditos by name: Undersheriff Timothy Murakami (a tattooed Caveman), Sergeant Hugo Reynaga, Edmundo Torres, Hugo Ramos, Mario Castro, Manny Navarro, Nikki Hanamaki, Vincent Choi, James Wolack, Chris Blasnek, Albert Maldonado, Leo Sanchez, Elizabeth Aguilera, Luis Valle, Bobby Denham, and Anthony Rivera. LAPD Chief Moore also questioned officers' actions in the fatal shooting of Takar Smith, although not in two other fatal incidents. Huntsman did not name the deputies and said his office has identified additional possible members from other sources. Dispatch refused to respond to her calls or provide backup. The Sheriffs Department has long faced allegations that the groups run roughshod over several stations, controlling commanders and glorifying aggressive policing tactics. WebThe East Los Angeles Sheriffs station has the most documented history of deputy gangs. Eight Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies are suing the county, saying they were pressured by the Banditos gang to quit their jobs or leave the East Los Angeles station. Banditos meetings are held at the home of Deputy Noel Crook Lopez. The Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, assertions made in legal claims filed in March and May, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth, A Brief History Of Why It Does Occasionally Snow In LA. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was elected on the promise of reforming the scandal-plagued sheriffs department. 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. 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. Despite ongoing litigation related to the Banditos, the gang appears confident that they can operate with impunity, and multiply. She was very damaged by what happened, he tells Knock LA. She also told Lopez she would contact her on August 11 with a work schedule, which Lopez received. Gonzalez developed high blood pressure and a heart condition which led to her removal from the field. . Deputy gangs, or 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. David Infante was a lieutenant as recently as 2019. According to the complaint, Mendoza also conducted personal business while on duty and ordered her to do his work. Chavez also said the 36 people moved from the station reflected general transfers, retirements or promotions, not a response to allegations centered around the Banditos. Instead plaintiffs Oscar Escobedo, Art Hernandez, Mario Contreras, and Ariela Lemus were disciplined for charges stemming from the party at Kennedy Hall, effectively punishing them for being assaulted. However, the inquiry did not examine the allegations of withholding backup, according to the complaint. 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. 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. 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. She left the department. 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. 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. Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. The lawsuit also alleges that the plaintiff deputies have been continually harassed through the filing of the amendment. The Countys deputy gangs also subjected him to an experience that left him traumatized. The Banditos logo (Courtesy of Vincent Miller). Several videos taken at the scene show him standing several feet away from the car until he is arrested and taken into custody. 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. He met his wife and the mother of his children in LA. 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. The Banditos control the East Los Angeles station "like inmates running a prison yard," the lawsuit alleges. Joshua Smilor, Benjamin Zaredini, Andrew Hernandez, Eduardo Sanchez, and Troy Krautkramer were deputies as of 2019. Those who do not are pushed out. Mejia later lied in a deposition and claimed he didnt see the letter until 2019. Lieutenant Eric Simpson allegedly buried the memo under the orders of Chief Bobby Denham. Moore allegedly reported the attack directly to Banditos shot caller Raymond Mendoza. Villanueva told ABC7 on Tuesday, May 24, that the hearing was a political stunt that allowed witnesses to testify without cross-examination. in a lawsuit You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. "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. and Deputy Christopher Wargo drove to the location and blocked Lopezs patrol car so she could not move and ordered her out of the vehicle. Commander Ernie Chavez has admitted Villanueva did not transfer any Banditos, nor ask Chavez to investigate. Is that an incorrect statement by Sheriff Villanueva that he transferred 36 people? Miller asked. Hish told her that Gonzalez had allegedly hazed a deputy, which she denies. 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. 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. Its author Professor Sean Kennedy said at least seven remain active. Deputy Lemus was stormed by Bandito associate Rebecca Cortez at a County detention facility. At East L.A., Gonzalez discovered, there was a shadow government: a secretive group of sheriffs deputies known as the Banditos. The legal action also accuses L.A. County and Sheriff Alex Villanueva of failing to eradicate the Banditos and other problem cliques, which date back decades and whose members have risen to the highest ranks of the department. 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 suit also claims Banditos encourage deputies to increase their arrest numbers by planting evidence on suspects. Rodriguez was rehired despite being charged with falsifying the police report concerning the unlawful detainment and beating of Christopher Gray. In May 2019, Contreras was denied backup by Deputies Nikolis Perez and Jonathan Rojas, both Banditos. Gray was charged and prosecuted for intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer from performing their duties. They use word on the yard, a phrase used to explain what is being said among people in prison, according to the lawsuit. . Gray is visible on the tape observing the arrest from a distance. 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. Gray filed a lawsuit against the County, and accepted a settlement of $549,000, which taxpayers financed. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. At the end of the call he followed Lopez to her car. Mejia opened an inquiry into Munoz and reported it to Lieutenant Eric Smitson and Captain Chris Perez. 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. She was also regularly sent on calls with just a few minutes left on her shift. 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. 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.. They were treating her like a housewife, says Gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney. Did you investigate the Banditos? asked Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the eight deputies, according to a transcript of the deposition excerpts. It was never used on the department at all. On patrol, they operated in the gray areas of law enforcement. Theyve been called "gangs" because they wear matching tattoos, operate in secrecy, and have initiation rituals. But eight deputies now accuse Sheriff Villanueva of allowing a violent group, the Banditos, to thrive in his department's ranks. According to court documents, Villanueva also reinstated Danny Batman Batanero, one of the original 10 Banditos, and made him head of his security detail. into that and other alleged cliques within the department. 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. The group embraces the tradition of violence passed down by the gangs that came before them and turns on anyone who questions them. 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. The lawsuit describes in detail how members of the "Banditos" clique allegedly control station operations. To make sure you get our coverage: Rosa Gonzalez, a deputy who later sued the station, said under oath that she heard Lopez referred to as The Glob.. The claim charges that Mejia admitted the action was improper, and that Commander (then Captain) Ernie Chavez and Commander Eli Vera (a candidate for sheriff) stated the action was retaliatory. 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. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit Forty-seven Los Angeles County Sheriffs officials were added Monday as named defendants LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. The money has been used for legal fees for some defendants in the claim and vacations for Banditos members to Thailand. 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. Gang culture is reinforced by older employees who reward newer recruits who subscribe to it. Deputy Woodrow Kim, who was listed as a witness, stated Saavedra was lying about the claim in the IA investigation. the suit This is America, Orange recounts. The incident was never investigated, despite it being reported, according to the complaint. , and previously named only four former deputies and Los Angeles County. Instead, it issued this statement: Sheriff Alex Villanueva was the first sheriff in the history of LASD to implement a strict policy prohibiting cliques and sub-cultures, and he has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to transparency and accountability.. 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. Prospects like Deputy Hector Little Listo Saavedra sent texts laughing about the 245 (assault and battery) and advised others to burn and destroy evidence. The current undersheriff, Tim Murakami, has a "Cavemen" tattoo, according to the lawsuit. She even contends that Hish manipulated her score in order to keep her from moving up in rank. The Banditos of the East Los Angeles Sheriffs Station seemed not only to embrace the tradition of terrorizing surrounding communities, but celebrate the 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. Smitson, Perez, and Sergeant Estrada informed the Banditos that Granados and Zaredini had blown the whistle. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. One of the deputies approached him and told him to step back and he said, Im nowhere near whats going on. Chavez said he was not told why he was being moved to the station and that he never made an effort to identify who belonged to the Banditos. 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 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. The lawsuit estimates 15-20% of the department's more than 9,000 sworn personnel are members of these cliques. 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 DAs office didnt put adequate resources into prosecuting the case. April Valentine died at Centinela Hospital. 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. Lopez told Patrelli that she would go anywhere except for East LA. Over the past 30 years, litigation related to deputy gangs at the East LA Station has cost taxpayers more than $36 million. 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 Rosa Gonzalez became the latest target of the Banditos abuses in December 2011, shortly after she arrived at the East LA Station. Attorneys representing a group of Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies who claimed to have been harassed and brutalized by the Banditos Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, Monica Farias, Steven Miller, Alejandro Lomeli, and Marc Elizondo pounced. 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? She quickly learned there was a power struggle going on between FTOs Hernandez and Valdez, along with the latters Banditos associates. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. 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. When the Internal Affairs Bureau initiated an investigation into the Banditos, lead investigator Jeff Hamil allegedly followed Villanuevas orders to complete a fake investigation. He informed her that she would be put on loan to Century Station pending the approval of her transfer, but refused to give her a copy of the paperwork. Gray was detained again on October 15, 2012. While Deputy Granados encountered other deputies firing guns at a suspect and pulled over his vehicle, he was written up for misconduct by Diana Woodward. 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. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. Pushed him up against the police car. After taking office in December 2018, Sheriff Alex Villanueva removed the captain and transferred numerous deputies out of the East L.A. station. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. More LA Sheriffs Officials Accused of Misconduct in Banditos The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. 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. Eric Valdez and Veronica De La Rosa were promoted to the rank of sergeant, which they held as recently as 2019. 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. 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. Some of these goups have been accused of violence and harassment of both residents and colleagues. 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. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy received an alleged "Banditos" tattoo six months after a new policy banned cliques in the Those allegations accused the Banditos and their associates of harassing fellow deputies who dont support them, creating a hostile workplace, and planting evidence. The sheriffs department declined to comment on the allegations. Banditos groom young deputies they are considering for membership in the group, assigning them mentors, the deputy said. The deputy kept hitting him in his testicles and calling him a monkey. 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. The new defendants include two commanders, three captains, two lieutenants and 41 deputies, according to plaintiffs attorney Vincent Miller. Gonzalez was transferred to the Norwalk Station, but no action was taken against the sergeants. 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. 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. 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. In the message, he said that Queen FUPA, meaning Fat Upper Pussy Area, was not going to make it to work today because she was going to Hawaii. 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. A second investigation into the Kennedy Hall incident initiated by Sheriff Villanueva resulted in the termination of Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, David Silverio, and Sergeant Michael Hernandez, all members of the Banditos. 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. Halfway through her training, Lopez was reassigned to Field Training Officer Edwin Hernandez. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Deputy cliques in L.A. 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