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. Those tactics were immortalized in a mural of the logo in the East LA Station floor. The Banditos are said to operate out of the sheriffs East L.A. station, and sport tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros. In May 2019, Contreras was denied backup by Deputies Nikolis Perez and Jonathan Rojas, both Banditos. 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. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. The Banditos initially attempted to recruit some of the plaintiffs. It says about 30 members and prospects work at the East L.A. station, adding the others work elsewhere or have retired. In a retaliation lawsuit filed by a sheriffs lieutenant, a deputy associated with the Executioners testified last month that he had participated in deciding who could get a tattoo and had attended seven so-called inking parties. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. 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. It says this has happened "dozens" of times over the last three years. 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.. If she didnt comply, she wouldnt pass her probationary period and it could be extended indefinitely. No one had any knowledge of that name, Villanueva said. 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. The gang also denied Zaredini and Lemus backup. 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. 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. Decisions such as station fundraisers and events must be roundtabled at the home of Noel Crook Lopez or Marc Elizondo. 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. Community members speak out at a town hall in East Los Angeles on July 10, protesting the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments handling of the Banditos, an 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. The entire leadership of East L.A. station was turned over, Villanueva said in a social media broadcast last fall. 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.". A look at years past when snows creeped into our citified neighborhoods, away from the mountains and foothills. In response to questions from The Times earlier this month, Villanueva said the Sheriffs Departments investigation into the Compton Executioners led to two terminations and 13 transfers out of the station. Aceituno recently did the same thing again and received no consequences from East LA Captain Richard Mejia, according to the complaint. 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. Her doctor placed her on medical leave again. The deputies who filed the lawsuit include seven men and one woman. Twenty-four are currently stationed in East L.A. The Executioners were Los Banditos East LA Station has been a notorious LASD gang hub for decades, but not every deputy is welcome. 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. 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. Member activities allegedly include leaving dead rats for enemies and killing teenagers. 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. A new policy is meaningless if you dont actually enforce it, said Miller, the attorney representing the deputies. Halfway through her training, Lopez was reassigned to Field Training Officer Edwin Hernandez. 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. 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 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. Once she was out, Wargo began screaming at her. The department did not respond to LAist's inquiry as to whether the policy has been formally adopted. She left the department. According to the complaint, Mendoza also conducted personal business while on duty and ordered her to do his work. And that was on purpose because they had failed in their job to lead the station.. Two weeks after the ceremony, the Banditos gang removed ammunition from Deputy Zaredinis shotgun. Subgroups? All eight requested transfers out of East L.A. and moved to other stations earlier this year, according to their attorney, Vincent Miller. The Sheriffs Department has long faced allegations that the groups run roughshod over several stations, controlling commanders and glorifying aggressive policing tactics. is investigating the Banditos She quickly learned there was a power struggle going on between FTOs Hernandez and Valdez, along with the latters Banditos associates. The other plaintiff deputies continued to face harassment from Banditos associates. Valdez appears to currently work as a sergeant at a different station. 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. The Banditos control the East Los Angeles station "like inmates running a prison yard," the lawsuit alleges. Sanchez continued to harass her saying, I dont understand why you dont want to meet up, are you worried about your reputation? When Lopez saw Sanchez two days later, he swore at her again for not going to meet up with him alone. But new court documents that include sworn testimony from Chavez raise questions about and at times, contradict the sheriffs claims. In December 2013, Lopez was informed that if she didnt immediately request a transfer to Century Station, she would have to return to East LA. Just a few days later she was summoned into the Watch Commanders Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who were not her supervisors. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. Today, the station is dominated Banditos. He was elected in 2018 after running as a progressive Democrat who would reform the department. Gregory Rodriguez was charged with perjury by the office of then District Attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. Patrelli contacted her again and told her that she would actually be going to the County Services Bureau USC Hospital location. LASD has never thoroughly investigated allegations of gang corruption, and this case is no exception, Huntsman told The Times. 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. FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. Lopez also believed that she would be subjected to further harassment if she went to another area. The incident was the focus of two internal Sheriffs Department investigations one of which Villanueva has said led to the discipline of 26 employees as well as a report by the Office of Inspector General. Patrelli instead scheduled a meeting with Lopez and Division Commander Henry Romero, who had been her captain at East LA. Im not bothering anybody. 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. They were detaining and taking Grays brother-in-law into custody according to Grays attorney, Olu Orange. Her case settled for $1 million in 2019. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has repeatedly touted what he says was his first act in office in December 2018: removing the captain of East L.A. station, where a group of tattooed deputies known as the Banditos ran roughshod and dictated where deputies would be assigned. Banditos groom young deputies they are considering for membership in the group, assigning them mentors, the deputy said. 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. Immediately afterwards, then Banditos prospect Hector Little Listo Saavedra allegedly claimed Zaredini called him a homophobic slur over one year prior. The IG's report on a deputy group the F.B.I. 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. 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. LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy received an alleged "Banditos" tattoo six months after a new policy banned cliques in the Its just smoke and mirrors, its just a pretend at reform.. . 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. 18 deputy gangs that have operated within the department opened an investigation 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. Members typically get matching tattoos and go by names such as the Grim Reapers and Jump Out Boys. 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. Rodriguez was rehired despite being charged with falsifying the police report concerning the unlawful detainment and beating of Christopher Gray. 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. As described by Huntsman, the Executioners Just a few months later, Deputy Gregory Rodriguez made one final attempt to recruit Deputy Mario Contreras to the gang. 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. Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. 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. 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. Deputy gang members, or those seeking membership, have shot at least 19 County residents to death in that time. 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. 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. 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. Instead, the defendants face the allegations previously laid out in the lawsuit. In August, Villanueva announced a zero tolerance policy on deputy cliques/subgroups engaging in misconduct, according to the statement. 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. "Other taxes take the form of sexual favors from female deputies," according to the complaint. Mejia also claimed to have forgotten texts and phone calls he received from Deputy Oscar Escobedo reporting the hostile work environment. The Banditos gang has controlled the East Los Angeles station like inmates running a prison yard, the lawsuit says. Gang culture is reinforced by older employees who reward newer recruits who subscribe to it. The next evening, LASD held a department-sponsored party at Kennedy Hall. His body was recovered near Mount Islip. The DAs office didnt put adequate resources into prosecuting the case. 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. "They see who is eager to belong, who they can manipulate, who they can control easily," he said. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. The gang also established a culture at the station where deputies work backwards, meaning they arrest civilians then later come up with probable cause by planting and manufacturing evidence. 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The lawsuit alleges Sgt. Theyve been called "gangs" because they wear matching tattoos, operate in secrecy, and have initiation rituals. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. Gregory Rodriguez would also allegedly advise the younger deputies to carry a bag with them to plant evidence on suspects. 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. At at Civilian Oversight Commission meeting in May, Villanueva said the Banditos clique no longer exists at East L.A. station. 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. 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. Lopez attempted to come back to work just over a month later, but was met with the same harassment as before. Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit 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. assertions made in legal claims filed in March and May Membership for the gang is exclusively Latino: women and Black employees are not allowed to join. 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. Lopez states in her complaint that around this time, she became the subject of sexual harassment by male deputies. We had a captain that was gracious enough to take her in [his unit] and she just hid, says Gonzalezs attorney, Gregory Smith. He said he did not know how many deputies were identified as having tattoos and said the name Executioners was coined by an attorney. 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. 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 are at least the third gang to emerge from the East LA Station. Despite Gonzalezs high test performance in the Sergeants promotional exam, she was repeatedly passed over for the promotion. 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. Please exercise self-care and check in with yourself before choosing to read. However, he was found not guilty by a jury. The lawsuit describes in detail how members of the "Banditos" clique allegedly control station operations. One of the new named defendants is Sheriff Alex Villanuevas chief of security, and another is his driver, according to Miller. 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. 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. 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. According to the lawsuit, the deputy detained, battered, and searched Gray without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Saavedra also attempted to have Gonzalez investigated for wrongfully sitting in a car with a victim, a claim that the complaint alleges to be completely fabricated. In September 2018, two deputies were knocked unconscious at a department party at an event space called Kennedy Hall, the lawsuit says. LAist.com/radio. 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. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. To support our non-profit public service journalism: It says Banditos denied them backup, Granados was denied a promotion he had earned and Zaredini was stripped for a time of his position as a training officer. Content Warning: This series explicitly details acts of violence (including murder) carried out by law enforcement officials. 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?. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. 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. The Banditos have existed for at least a decade at the East L.A. station, according to Kennedy. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka was a tattooed member of the Vikings, which a federal judge called a "neo-nazi white supremacist" group. Rodriguez told Contreras that he was going to be assigned to ride along with Munoz. 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. She was also regularly sent on calls with just a few minutes left on her shift. They use word on the yard, a phrase used to explain what is being said among people in prison, according to the lawsuit. Did you investigate the Banditos? asked Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the eight deputies, according to a transcript of the deposition excerpts. 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. Eight L.A. County sheriffs deputies allege in a lawsuit that they were routinely harassed by a gang of deputies at the departments East L.A. station who have matching tattoos. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. She immediately began to experience chest pains and shortness of breath, and was diagnosed with a stress-induced pre-heart attack condition. Deputy Christopher Wargo drove to the location and blocked Lopezs patrol car so she could not move and ordered her out of the vehicle. It also alleges that the Banditos once secretly removed ammunition from another deputys shotgun. The deputy kept hitting him in his testicles and calling him a monkey. Zaredini retroactively received the bonus pay, but was denied a promotion by Captain Chavez and Undersheriff Timothy Murakami. 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 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. Romero offered Lopez a transfer in response, which she didnt think she deserved as she had done no wrong. Donate Now Many of those men were also members of the Banditos. He ended up fiercely resisting oversight and clashing with watchdogs and the rest of the countys political establishment. Further harassment if she didnt comply, she became the subject of harassment. 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