Those tactics were immortalized in a mural of the logo in the East LA Station floor. At at Civilian Oversight Commission meeting in May, Villanueva said the Banditos clique no longer exists at East L.A. station. The trainees were reportedly told that if they stole anything from a suspect, they should dispose of it outside of the 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. She was placed on medical leave. LA Sheriff Villanueva Toughens His Policy On Deputy Cliques. The Banditos control the East Los Angeles station "like inmates running a prison yard," the lawsuit alleges. Hernandez told investigators the truth. However, he was found not guilty by a jury. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. Deputy Christopher Wargo drove to the location and blocked Lopezs patrol car so she could not move and ordered her out of the vehicle. Lopez told Patrelli that she would go anywhere except for East LA. 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. 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. 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 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. I dont know who the Banditos are, Chavez, who is now a commander, said under oath in March. Deputy Zaredini was allegedly left without backup for most of the summer of 2018 under the direction of Munoz, Eldemira Parra, Andrea Villa, and Claudia Perez. I went to the trial for a day or two and the Deputy DA who was trying the case had no partner. Gray was charged and prosecuted for intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer from performing their duties. Villanueva has generally downplayed the problem, saying cliques are nothing more than "hazing run amok" and "intergenerational rivalry. Mejia later lied in a deposition and claimed he didnt see the letter until 2019. Several neighbors came out of their houses and filmed the incident. Denham was later promoted to assistant sheriff by Sheriff Villanueva, and retired in 2019. She also told Lopez she would contact her on August 11 with a work schedule, which Lopez received. 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.. Gang culture is reinforced by older employees who reward newer recruits who subscribe to it. In his letter, Huntsman requests that the Sheriffs Department cooperate with his investigation into the groups by providing investigative files and other documents. 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. Deputy gangs have a significant impact on the operation of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, and East Los Angeles Station is the clearest example. Rodriguez was discharged from the department as a result of the charges, but later was given his job back and returned to the department. 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. Other new Latino deputies have faced similar treatment court documents allege Bandito member Jose Aceituno shoulder checked another employee inside the East LA station. Lopez went to Area Command to request a copy of the paperwork and discovered it had never been filed. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. Hernandezs former FTO Marcelo Reaper Ortega and Contreras former FTO Elizondo also told him not to speak about what had happened. ", Villanueva did Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. 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. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. A look at years past when snows creeped into our citified neighborhoods, away from the mountains and foothills. Hernandez pointed at her body and turned to another male deputy saying, Look at these! and, What do you think, bro? He said to Lopez, What are you going to do about it? But I dont think she had a choice on this one because the video and the report were all over the news and the internet [she] wasnt interested in winning the case in my opinion. A number of the allegations in 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. The group embraces the tradition of violence passed down by the gangs that came before them and turns on anyone who questions them. 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. Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka was a tattooed member of the Vikings, which a federal judge called a "neo-nazi white supremacist" group. Moore allegedly reported the attack directly to Banditos shot caller Raymond Mendoza. The Sheriffs wife, a retired LASD employee, allegedly put out messages telling deputy gang members to keep their heads up. Those 36 individuals would simply reflect general transfers, Chavez responded. Twenty-four are currently stationed in East L.A. Instead of investigating her claim, the department began investigating her. Chief Bobby Denham moved to initiate a fake investigation into the attack. 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. Current leaders include Rafael Rene Munoz AKA Big Listo, Gregory G-Rod Rodriguez, David Silver Silverio, Michael Bam Bam Hernandez, Silvano Cholo Garcia, Vincent Moran, and Raymond Mendoza, who call themselves shot callers. Many who are not recruited go along with the gangs requirements for fear of retaliation. 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. . Lopez filed a complaint against LA County in 2014 and eventually settled for $1.5 million, funded by taxpayers. 17 New Defendants Identified in Ongoing Suit Against the Banditos and LASD, deputy gang at the East Los Angeles Station. Deputy gang members, or those seeking membership, have shot at least 19 County residents to death in that time. At the time, then-interim Sheriff John Scott announced he would share the results of an investigation into claims of bullying by the Banditos, yet the probe has lawsuit that was first filed two years ago Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. LASD has never thoroughly investigated allegations of gang corruption, and this case is no exception, Huntsman told The Times. A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. Youve got people who rigged internal affairs bureau investigations, Miller told LAist. 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. The Banditos logo (Courtesy of Vincent Miller). 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. One of the deputies who filed the lawsuit said federal agents interviewed him but declined to provide details. And any time youre a Black man, somebody calling you a monkey, in my book, thats racism, Orange tells Knock 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.. Granados reported this to Woodwards supervisor, Sergeant Albert Maldonado, who initially discarded the write-up. The current undersheriff, Tim Murakami, has a "Cavemen" tattoo, according to the lawsuit. As described by Huntsman, the Executioners On August 10, 2012, Deputy Troy Krautkramer, who had also been loaned out as a result of Lopezs POE, drove up to her in the rear parking lot of the East LA Station and used his vehicle to spray dirt on Lopez. None of them appear to have been disciplined for the shootings. Leaders, known as "shot-callers," determined deputies' hours, promotions, even days off. 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.. Gonzalez was transferred to the Norwalk Station, but no action was taken against the sergeants. 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. Deputy Woodrow Kim, who was listed as a witness, stated Saavedra was lying about the claim in the IA investigation. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. the F.B.I. The Bandito tattoo is a skeleton with a giant mustache wearing a sombrero with a bandolier and pistol. alleging the existence of a criminal gang of deputies called the Banditos at the departments East L.A. 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. Just a few months later, Deputy Gregory Rodriguez made one final attempt to recruit Deputy Mario Contreras to the gang. Chavez said he left East L.A. station in November 2019 after his promotion to commander. 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. 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. In late December 2011, an on-duty Lopez reported to a priority call. 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. 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? , and previously named only four former deputies and Los Angeles County. And that was on purpose because they had failed in their job to lead the station.. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. Cliques? Did you investigate the Banditos? asked Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the eight deputies, according to a transcript of the deposition excerpts. Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, Monica Farias, Steven Miller, Alejandro Lomeli, and Marc Elizondo pounced. 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. Is that an incorrect statement by Sheriff Villanueva that he transferred 36 people? Miller asked. Deputy Lemus was stormed by Bandito associate Rebecca Cortez at a County detention facility. 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. According to a complaint, Lopez wasnt given adequate time to prepare administrative paperwork, supervisors at the East LA station refused to sign off on her reports, and detectives didnt file or investigate her cases. 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. LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy received an alleged "Banditos" tattoo six months after a new policy banned cliques in the Just a few days later she was summoned into the Watch Commanders Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who were not her supervisors. But eight deputies now accuse Sheriff Villanueva of allowing a violent group, the Banditos, to thrive in his department's ranks. Lemus, Contreras, Hernandez, and Escobedo were told they could move to another gang-dominated station, or a station far from their homes. 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. Immediately afterwards, then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior. Privacy Policy. 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. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. Prospects like Deputy Hector Little Listo Saavedra sent texts laughing about the 245 (assault and battery) and advised others to burn and destroy evidence. Contreras and the other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station, which were denied without explanation for weeks. In this role, the FTOs are able to abuse their trainees without any accountability. He said he did not know how many deputies were identified as having tattoos and said the name Executioners was coined by an attorney. Deputy Christopher Moore, who was on-duty and assigned to the party, stood by and watched the assault. At that point, Lopez informed Barsh about the harassment she had been subjected to by the Banditos. She contacted the Back to Work Unit but was told they could not help her, and advised her to contact the station Director. Several members of the Banditos showed up, which was uncommon, according to court documents. 3:20 p.m.: This article was updated to note that the Sheriff's Dept. 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. She had no investigators. Current deputies out of the East Los Angeles station say the existence of gangs within law enforcement has been a problem in the area. FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. She was not in a good way. Many of the people who violently harassed Lopez are still with the department. 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. Lopezs lawsuit states that the harassment continued after she complained. A deputy came to his home as Gray was moving a car into his driveway. 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 The deputies who filed the lawsuit include seven men and one woman. Banditos also pressure deputies "to ignore constitutional protections which require there to be probable cause to stop and arrest civilians," which leads to the "planting and manufacture of evidence and other illegal acts," the complaint claims. Lopez was also subjected to intimidation: Deputy Benjamin Zaredini once followed Lopez into the garage area at the East LA station. To support our non-profit public service journalism: The refusal to provide backup created "close calls" that almost got deputies killed, according to the suit. Once she was out, Wargo began screaming at her. Villanueva blamed the situation on "a leadership team that fell asleep at the switch.". Valdez appears to currently work as a sergeant at a different station. Instead, the defendants face the allegations previously laid out in the lawsuit. 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. 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. To make sure you get our coverage: The list includes 11 deputies allegedly belonging to the Banditos and operating out of the East LA sheriff's station. LAPD Chief Moore also questioned officers' actions in the fatal shooting of Takar Smith, although not in two other fatal incidents. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. 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. 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.". SEE MORE OF OUR COVERAGE ON LA'S DEPUTY GANGS: Our news is free on LAist. The lawsuit 18 deputy gangs that have operated within the department We had a captain that was gracious enough to take her in [his unit] and she just hid, says Gonzalezs attorney, Gregory Smith. Rosa Gonzalez, a deputy who later sued the station, said under oath that she heard Lopez referred to as The Glob.. In September 2018, two deputies were knocked unconscious at a department party at an event space called Kennedy Hall, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit describes in detail how members of the "Banditos" clique allegedly control station operations. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Deputy cliques in L.A. County Sheriffs Department likely growing, study finds, Sheriffs deputy testifies he attended seven inking parties linked to Compton group, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Many remain stranded in San Bernardino Mountains as snow blocks roads, threatens roofs, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Woman in her 70s found stabbed to death in Lake Forest home, Yosemite breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing national park indefinitely. Deputy gangs have existed within the LASD for at least 50 years. 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. Rosa Gonzalez became the latest target of the Banditos abuses in December 2011, shortly after she arrived at the East LA Station. LAist.com/radio. 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. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. Those who do not are pushed out. Gonzalez developed high blood pressure and a heart condition which led to her removal from the field. Attorneys representing a group of Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies who claimed to have been harassed and brutalized by the Banditos Please exercise self-care and check in with yourself before choosing to read. Lopez also believed that she would be subjected to further harassment if she went to another area. did not have an immediate response. Many of those men were also members of the Banditos. Gray was detained again on October 15, 2012. In December 2018, Banditos "secretly removed the bullets from Deputy Zaredini's shotgun," the lawsuit claims. The Countys deputy gangs also subjected him to an experience that left him traumatized. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, FBI investigating tattooed deputy gangs in Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Sheriffs deputies sue county, accusing Banditos colleagues of beatings, withholding backup, inspector generals report last year said, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Many remain stranded in San Bernardino Mountains as snow blocks roads, threatens roofs, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Woman in her 70s found stabbed to death in Lake Forest home, Yosemite breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing national park indefinitely. He met his wife and the mother of his children in LA. The Banditos of the East Los Angeles Sheriffs Station seemed not only to embrace the tradition of terrorizing surrounding communities, but celebrate the Despite Gonzalezs high test performance in the Sergeants promotional exam, she was repeatedly passed over for the promotion. , 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. 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. 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. 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. Donate Now The pair demanded she immediately resign from her mentoring position, and she was removed the following day. 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. Villanueva told ABC7 on Tuesday, May 24, that the hearing was a political stunt that allowed witnesses to testify without cross-examination. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. READ NEXT: The Pink Hand, Big Listo, and Crook. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture" beyond the Banditos. She left the department. The Banditos are at least the third gang to emerge from the East LA Station. 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 claim states that Captain Mejia wrote a memo in June of 2018 to the County recommending an investigation into the Banditos. The next day, eggs were thrown at her car and someone wrote fuck you on the rear window. And as I understand it, she really would have liked to have all of those things.. 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. On April 10, 2013, Lopez found a dead rat underneath the drivers side door of her vehicle. draft a policy regarding cliques The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture.". However, the inquiry did not examine the allegations of withholding backup, according to the complaint. 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 same crew also allegedly hatched a plan to overload deputies who did not obey the Banditos with emergency calls. It says about 30 members and prospects work at the East L.A. station, adding the others work elsewhere or have retired. Deputies who are members have Several videos taken at the scene show him standing several feet away from the car until he is arrested and taken into custody. Request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez Back to work for a week afterwards then... 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Then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a slur! Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing east la sheriff banditos whistle, according to the complaint note. Is free on LAist, to thrive in his department 's ranks a few months later, deputy gang,... A political stunt that allowed witnesses to testify without cross-examination questions them a `` Cavemen tattoo. Identified as having tattoos and said the Banditos her vehicle Executioners was by! $ 1.5 million, funded by taxpayers were reportedly told that if they anything! Other plaintiffs requested transfers out of the station Director discovered it had been. Previously laid out in the East Los Angeles County claims the department LA Sheriff Villanueva, she... Read NEXT: the Pink Hand, Big Listo, and advised her to contact the..! Clique allegedly control station operations: this article was updated to note that the harassment she had been subjected intimidation! 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