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. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. Instead of investigating her claim, the department began investigating her. There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. 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. 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. 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. We are dedicated to providing independent journalism and telling the real story of LA. In his letter, Huntsman requests that the Sheriffs Department cooperate with his investigation into the groups by providing investigative files and other documents. 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. 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. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture" beyond the Banditos. 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. Gray was charged and prosecuted for intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer from performing their duties. 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. They have been broken up in accordance to the law, and constitutionally permissibly, he said. On August 8, 2013, Lopez was taken off of disability leave and cleared to return to work. Mejia opened an inquiry into Munoz and reported it to Lieutenant Eric Smitson and Captain Chris Perez. 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. The Sheriffs Department has long faced allegations that the groups run roughshod over several stations, controlling commanders and glorifying aggressive policing tactics. 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. 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. 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. 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. A look at years past when snows creeped into our citified neighborhoods, away from the mountains and foothills. "We haven't confirmed or denied any investigation," FBI Spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told LAist. Lemus, Contreras, Hernandez, and Escobedo were told they could move to another gang-dominated station, or a station far from their homes. 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. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. When one says that a person is in the car, it means that person is one of them. Lopez states in her complaint that around this time, she became the subject of sexual harassment by male deputies. His body was recovered near Mount Islip. 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. Despite ongoing litigation related to the Banditos, the gang appears confident that they can operate with impunity, and multiply. Subgroups? Hish told her that Gonzalez had allegedly hazed a deputy, which she denies. 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. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. The Banditos logo (Courtesy of Vincent Miller). 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. Content Warning: This series explicitly details acts of violence (including murder) carried out by law enforcement officials. 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. I dont know who the Banditos are, Chavez, who is now a commander, said under oath in March. 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. 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. 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 Many of those men were also members of the Banditos. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. 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. 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. At that point, Lopez informed Barsh about the harassment she had been subjected to by the Banditos. She was moved to the day shift in an attempt to alleviate the abuse she was facing, but still worked near FTO Valdez and Christopher Valente, who had been implicated in her complaint. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. The Banditos are at least the third gang to emerge from the East LA Station. Deputies Christopher Wargo, Benjamin Zaredini, Andrew Hernandez, and Eduardo Sanchez, who were also mentioned, were loaned out to other stations. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Cerise Castle | April 1, 2021 Part of A 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. 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. Gonzalez developed high blood pressure and a heart condition which led to her removal from the field. This is America, Orange recounts. Gonzalez passed the exam, and Smith says she is currently a Patrol Sergeant. 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. Lopez went to Area Command to request a copy of the paperwork and discovered it had never been filed. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? In March and April 2018, two of the plaintiffs, deputies Louis Granados and Benjamin Zaredini, were "alarmed by the increasingly hostile and violent nature" of the Banditos' activities, the lawsuit states. Gregory Rodriguez was charged with perjury by the office of then District Attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. 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. As she was completing a victim interview, Hernandez began cursing at her. In December 2018, Banditos "secretly removed the bullets from Deputy Zaredini's shotgun," the lawsuit claims. She quickly learned there was a power struggle going on between FTOs Hernandez and Valdez, along with the latters Banditos associates. Lopez was informed by other women in the department that Valdez expected female trainees to submit to male training officers, meaning she had to drink, party, and provide sexual favors upon request. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. The claim states that Captain Mejia wrote a memo in June of 2018 to the County recommending an investigation into the Banditos. 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. Tanaka is serving a five-year prison term for trying to cover up jailhouse beatings. 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 August 23, 2012, LASD personnel descended upon the 1300 block of South Marianna Avenue in East Los Angeles. 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. Villanueva blamed the situation on "a leadership team that fell asleep at the switch.". Gray filed a lawsuit against the County, and accepted a settlement of $549,000, which taxpayers financed. Over the past 30 years, litigation related to deputy gangs at the East LA Station has cost taxpayers more than $36 million. Those tactics were immortalized in a mural of the logo in the East LA Station floor. On October 25, 2012, her car was vandalized while parked at the East LA Station. draft a policy regarding cliques Chavez said that the two men had been playing a game of chicken, and no investigation appears to have followed. 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. The lawsuit contends that even with the new leadership, the Banditos still effectively run the East L.A. station and that it remains a hostile workplace. He kicked over a garbage can in front of incarcerated people working there and yelled to Lopez, Hey trainee, why dont you come over here and clean up the fucking mess you made?. In this role, the FTOs are able to abuse their trainees without any accountability. The Sheriffs wife, a retired LASD employee, allegedly put out messages telling deputy gang members to keep their heads up. The refusal to provide backup created "close calls" that almost got deputies killed, according to the suit. 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. 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. 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. However, he was found not guilty by a jury. They were treating her like a housewife, says Gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney. 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. We had a captain that was gracious enough to take her in [his unit] and she just hid, says Gonzalezs attorney, Gregory Smith. In late December 2011, an on-duty Lopez reported to a priority call. April Valentine died at Centinela Hospital. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. In June, Villanueva acknowledged that the Banditos had amassed too much power and influence at the station. Immediately afterwards, then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior. Aceituno recently did the same thing again and received no consequences from East LA Captain Richard Mejia, according to the complaint. Those 36 individuals would simply reflect general transfers, Chavez responded. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. Deputies Garcia, Rodriguez, Munoz, and Silverio fled the scene in Garcias car and drove to the East LA Station. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. Halfway through her training, Lopez was reassigned to Field Training Officer Edwin Hernandez. 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. LAist.com/radio. Youve got people who rigged internal affairs bureau investigations, Miller told LAist. Donate Now Smitson, Perez, and Sergeant Estrada informed the Banditos that Granados and Zaredini had blown the whistle. Prospects like Deputy Hector Little Listo Saavedra sent texts laughing about the 245 (assault and battery) and advised others to burn and destroy evidence. 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. Munoz, Moran, and Rodriguez cornered Gonzalez and pressured him to leave the station. 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. Pushed him up against the police car. 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 deputy kept hitting him in his testicles and calling him a monkey. Lopez also believed that she would be subjected to further harassment if she went to another area. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. The timing of this letter suggests Mr. Huntsman is using his public office and resources to campaign against the sheriff leading up to the June primaries.. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. "Other taxes take the form of sexual favors from female deputies," according to the complaint. 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. Villanueva told ABC7 on Tuesday, May 24, that the hearing was a political stunt that allowed witnesses to testify without cross-examination. She was contacted by Lascono again, who told Lopez to report to work on August 11. In August, Villanueva announced a zero tolerance policy on deputy cliques/subgroups engaging in misconduct, according to the statement. 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. The charges were dismissed at a pre-trial hearing by the prosecutor after reviewing the cell phone video of Grays arrest. Valdez appears to currently work as a sergeant at a different station. She was able to maintain control of the weapon but fell backwards into a wall, hitting the back of her head. in a lawsuit ", Villanueva did 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. If she didnt comply, she wouldnt pass her probationary period and it could be extended indefinitely. Rodriguez was rehired despite being charged with falsifying the police report concerning the unlawful detainment and beating of Christopher Gray. Deputy Joshua Smilor, a Banditos associate, told her that she needed to call Valdez, Daddy and that she needed to submit to the program of his kids. Deputy Ortega informed her that there were were explicit photos of other women in the department having oral sex with Banditos members working as training officers. Guadalupe Lopez started her career at LASD in 2003. repeat Munoz, Rodriguez, Silverio and Michael Hernandez were all placed on paid leave. 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.". 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." Gray was detained again on October 15, 2012. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he intends to fire or suspend 26 deputies for misconduct related to a 2018 attack by the "Banditos" deputy The list includes 11 deputies allegedly belonging to the Banditos and operating out of the East LA sheriff's station. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. Lopez was also subjected to intimidation: Deputy Benjamin Zaredini once followed Lopez into the garage area at the East LA station. It also alleges that the Banditos once secretly removed ammunition from another deputys shotgun. The sheriffs department declined to comment on the allegations. 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. Murakami instructed Wolak to uphold the suspension on Villanuevas orders. All eight requested transfers out of East L.A. and moved to other stations earlier this year, according to their attorney, Vincent Miller. 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. When the Internal Affairs Bureau initiated an investigation into the Banditos, lead investigator Jeff Hamil allegedly followed Villanuevas orders to complete a fake investigation. did not have an immediate response. She was placed on medical leave. 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? 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. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. 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. 3:20 p.m.: This article was updated to note that the Sheriff's Dept. 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. He was a nuclear physics major in college and relocated to Los Angeles to work on some construction projects. She had no assistants trying this case. 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. Instead, the defendants face the allegations previously laid out in the lawsuit. Banditos groom young deputies they are considering for membership in the group, assigning them mentors, the deputy said. Zaredinis partner worked 12-14 hour shifts because he feared what would happen to Zaredini alone. 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. He slammed his hands on the side of the vehicle and said, What the fuck is wrong with you? The complaint alleges that the Banditos have controlled scheduling, assignments, and promotions at the East Los Angeles Station until relatively recently. 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. 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 FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. LASD has never thoroughly investigated allegations of gang corruption, and this case is no exception, Huntsman told The Times. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. 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 Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 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.. They use word on the yard, a phrase used to explain what is being said among people in prison, according to the lawsuit. Lopez spoke with Sergeant Betty Lascono, who placed her on the schedule to return to work the following day. "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. 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. 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. Before this amendment, alleged members and associates of the gang included; Commander April Tardy; Captains Ernie Chavez (an alleged Vikings gang member), Richard Mejia, and Chris Perez; Lieutenants Eric Smitson, Anthony Easter, Edmundo Torres; Sergeant Angelica Estrada (AKA the Pink Hand); Rafael Rene Munoz (AKA Big Listo); Gregory Rodriguez (AKA G-Rod); David Silverio (AKA Silver); Michael Hernandez (AKA Bam Bam); Vincent Moran; Hector Soto Saavedra, who killed Paul Rea in 2019; Jeff Hamil; Jeff Chow; William Jaeger; Scott Chapman; Raymond Mendoza; Luis Carbajal; Braulio Robledo; Jonathan Rojas, who killed Anthony Vargas in 2018; Eldemira Para; Andrea Villa; Marc Elizondo; Nikolis Perez, who killed Anthony Vargas and Jorge Serrano in 2018; Kelly Porowsky; Woodrow Kim; Juan Sanchez; Aaron Abellano; Silvano Garcia; Joanna Macs Moran; Joanana Palombi; Jose Aceituno; Anthony Pacheco; Soraya Sanchez; Karla Sepulveda; Marcelo Ortega; Diana Woodward; Eduardo Muniz; Rebecca Cortez; Joe Mendoza; Erin Rosario; Jessica Santos; John Soria; Miguel Ortiz; Claudia Perez; Brian Goodwin; Manuel Palacios; Jodi Hutak; Pablo Partida; Noel Lopez; and Christopher Moore. into that and other alleged cliques within the department. Those who are not Banditos allegedly fail to stop them, according to Miller, or engage in covering up their wrongdoing. 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. Privacy Policy. 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. Engage in covering up their wrongdoing of hidden behind paywalls that if [ civilians ] run me! Hernandez were all placed on paid leave wrote a memo in June of 2018 to the statement head... Her like a housewife, says gregory Smith, Lopezs attorney Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter the. Heads up immediately respond to a request for comment District attorney Jackie Lacey for in! 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