Thread: L.A. mayor seeks federal aid to combat gangs

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... -headlines
January 4, 2007

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday appealed to U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales for additional funding and prosecutorial help to combat rising gang-related crime, kicking off what officials say will be a yearlong push to tackle one of the region's most intractable problems.

Citywide, gang crime increased 14% in 2006 — the first rise in four years and an uptick that Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William J. Bratton say threatens to overshadow last year's overall 8% drop in serious and violent crime.

"We agreed that Los Angeles is the epicenter of the nation's gang crisis and an effective assault on gang crime will require increased suppression, intervention and prevention measures," Villaraigosa said after his 40-minute meeting with Gonzales in Washington, D.C.

The mayor sought millions of dollars in federal grants to target gangs in trouble spots such as South L.A., parts of the San Fernando Valley and Boyle Heights. He also asked Gonzales for continuing help from the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles in prosecuting gang members for federal crimes and focusing attention on foreign-born gangs such as Mara Salva Trucha, a gang from El Salvador.

In addition, the mayor said he would like the attorney general to provide help in prosecuting gang-related racial crimes.

Bratton met with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca earlier this week to discuss the rise in racially motivated gang violence and map out ways to better coordinate their gang units, particularly where gangs have shown a pattern of targeting victims because of race.

"It's getting to where those rivalries are … racially motivated and innocent people are getting shot," Baca said Wednesday.

There have been numerous anti-gang initiatives over the decades — none doing much to diminish the influence of and damage done by the region's scores of active street gangs.

A recent report by prominent civil rights attorney Connie Rice concluded that Los Angeles' gang efforts, costing $82 million annually, have floundered because of a lack of coordination among the 23 anti-gang programs spread throughout city departments.

"What the city is doing is designed to fail," Rice said Wednesday, again calling for a dramatic change in anti-gang efforts. "It's not about altering a program. It's about a paradigm shift…. We need smart suppression, not blanket suppression."

Support has grown for creating a "gang czar" to coordinate efforts, something sources say Rice is expected to recommend in a follow-up report due out this month. Bratton and others have said they would back such a move.

"It's more than just raiding gangs and gang injunctions," Councilman Herb Wesson said. "Its about stopping kids before they join gangs."

Los Angeles Police Department officials blamed the jump in gang crime in part on racial tensions in the L.A. County jails, which led to riots last year. They said some of those disputes between Latino and black gangs spilled into neighborhoods.

At the same time, efforts to get gang members off the streets for minor crimes have been hampered by conditions in the county's jail system, the largest in the nation.

While gang injunctions and computer modeling have helped reduce gang activity in some areas, the early release of inmates from Los Angeles County jails — where officials say the vast majority of those booked admit a gang affiliation — has put many charged with lower level offenses, such as weapons violations or simple assaults, quickly back on the street.

More than 150,000 inmates sentenced to County Jail have been released since mid-2002 after serving small fractions of their sentences due to budget cutbacks and federal orders against overcrowding.

Baca acknowledged that early release probably plays a role in street crime, but called it one of many factors.

The specter of gang violence has shadowed Bratton since his first days as L.A. police chief in fall 2002, when he made a dramatic appeal for the public's help in stemming the bloodshed and crime.

"Get angry," he demanded of city residents after 16 homicides in six days.

For the next three years, gang crime in the city fell — a point of pride for the department. But last year, gang crimes rose 42% in the San Fernando Valley, 24% in South L.A. and 3% in Central L.A. The only decline in 2006 was in the police division covering Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire and the Westside.

As the city embarks on another gang crackdown, Malcolm Klein, a retired USC professor of sociology, remains skeptical.

"We've had this gang problem for multiple decades and there is no reason to think it's going to go away," said Klein, who has studied gang issues for 40 years. "The chief has been here four years, and he's shown very little understanding of gangs."

Street gangs come out of local communities that must change and be organized to reduce gang crime, the criminologist said.

Klein was asked to advise the city on gangs after the 1995 gang killing of 3-year-old Stephanie Kuhen, who was shot in her family car after the driver took a wrong turn into a Cypress Park alley. The killing spurred talk at the time about the creation of the type of gang czar being discussed again now.

Instead, Klein said the city put millions into the L.A. Bridges after-school program to work with young people.

"As a youth services program, it's great," he said. "It's not a gang program."

Law enforcement officials say police presence remains key to improving dangerous communities. They point to Compton, where an aggressive Sheriff's Department crackdown last year led to a dramatic drop in killings.

In 2006, there were 45 homicides in areas patrolled by the Compton sheriff's station, which includes the city of Compton and nearby unincorporated areas. The year before there were 75. Within the city of Compton itself, last year there were 39 homicides, equaling a 20-year low in 2004.

"I think the more gang members realize that that level of field force is present, it's going to cause them to back off," said Capt. Ray Peavy, who heads the sheriff's Homicide Bureau. "Everyone says: 'What are we going to do about the gang problem?' It's the same thing you do about cockroaches or insects; you get someone in there to do whatever they can do to get rid of those creatures."

Despite successes in Compton, Baca acknowledged that underlying problems there and throughout the region persist. He said a substantial turnaround in local gang activity would "take some significant transformation within the policing community itself."

"Bratton and I have both said you can't arrest your way out of a gang problem," Baca said. "The real problem is these young people don't have an alternative for gangs."

Wes McBride, president of the California Gang Investigators Assn., agreed that suppression can only do so much.

"When the cop goes down the street in his car, he may own that street for that moment," McBride said, "but once he's off the street, the gangs fill in behind them unless there's another cop car right around the corner."

Top Ten Most Wanted

Name: Akopyan, Vahagan
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
On May 1, 1994, Vahagan Akopyan, and other members of the street gang "Armenian Power," were in the Hollywood area. They became involved in a verbal dispute with a rival street gang, which included displaying gang signs. Akopyan pulled a 9mm handgun out and fired indiscriminately at the rival gang members killing 1 and wounding 2 others. Akopyan then fled the area and has not been seen since.

Name: Bonilla, Pedro Antonio
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
On January 6, 1993, Pedro Bonilla, is riding in a car with fellow gang members when he shoots one of the occupants in the back of the head and then shoots the driver in the jaw. He then flees, carjacks and kidnaps additional victims and forcing them to drive him out of the area.

Name: Campos, Fausto Adalberto
Date Added: Oct 10, 2005
On May 15, 1998, Fausto Campos and two companions were driving in a 1979 Datsun when they came upon the victim who was seated on the curb in front of his house. Campos mistook the victim for a rival gang member, walked up to the victim and shot him in the head with a 30:30 caliber rifle.

Name: Contreras, Byron Adolfo
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
On October 1, 1989, Byron Contreras and four additional members of a street gang came upon the two victims of a rival gang. Contreras’s group threw gang signs and then fired rounds from their car at the victims who were on a bicycle. The first victim fell to the ground and Contreras walked up to the victim and fired additional rounds as the victim was laying on the ground. Contreras then fired at the second victim who was running away and missed. Contreras left the area and has not been seen since. All other suspects were taken into custody

Name: Monarrez, Jesse Enrique
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
Suspect and victim became involved in a verbal argument. Suspect chased victim through the Ramona housing project firing his handgun at the victim. One round struck the victim killing him.

Name: Nistal, Cesar Augusto
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
The suspect is wanted for molesting a family member for a period of over ten years. The crimes occurred in Los Angeles. The suspect has duel citizenship in both Guatemala and the United States. It is believed that the suspect knows he’s wanted and resides in Guatemala. Suspect has a residence at Kilometer 49 Exactos Chimaltenango, Guatemala. He also has a ranch at an unknown location inside Guatemala that is only reachable by plane. Guatemalan police have been unsuccessful in locating the suspect. Family members in Guatemala have been

Name: Perez, Demecio Carlos
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
Suspect is wanted for two counts of murder.

Name: Reyes, Ramon
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
On October 19, 1992 Ramon Reyes and his accomplice entered the Ralph’s Market in Van Nuys. The pair robbed the market at gunpoint and then on the way out, Reyes shot and killed a Coca Cola delivery driver.

Name: Vargas, Victor
Date Added: Nov 1, 2004
The suspect is wanted for the murder of two rival gang members and the assault with a dangerous weapon on an additional rival gang member

Name: Villa, Ruben
Date Added: Mar 15, 2006
On October 14, 2005, the victim was confronted in his vehicle by suspect, Villa. Villa walked up to the victim, who was seated in his vehicle, and shot the victim multiple times. Villa fled the location in his vehicle (which is in custody). Villa and the weapon remain outstanding.
Villa is also on parole.

http://www.lapdonline.org/top_ten_most_wanted

LOS ANGELES, MEXICO

"We agreed that Los Angeles is the epicenter of the nation's gang crisis and an effective assault on gang crime will require increased suppression, intervention and prevention measures," Villaraigosa said after his 40-minute meeting with Gonzales in Washington, D.C.

HOMOCIDES IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY FOR 2006

http://www.dailynews.com/homicides

Victoria Ramirez, 21 Sunday, January 1, 2006 13036 Chandler Blvd.
Julio Grande, 19 Friday, January 6, 2006 13500 Van Nuys Blvd.
Blake Crawford, 20 Sunday, January 15, 2006 8427 Balboa Blvd.
Aaron Maldonado, 19 Wednesday, January 18, 2006 14729 Blythe Street
Filiberto Figueroa, 20 Saturday, January 21, 2006 6300 Beck Avenue
Lee Carter, 25 Tuesday, January 24, 2006 21031 Parthenia Street
Sofia Gomez, 92 Thursday, February 2, 2006 9034 Willis Avenue
Gustavo Ramirez, 19 Friday, February 3, 2006 5900 Cartwright Street
Maria Aguirre-Cana, 27 Saturday, February 4, 2006 11200 Dora Street
Ernesto Avena, 20 Sunday, February 5, 2006 8510 Columbus Ave
Juan Doe, 20 Sunday, February 5, 2006 8622 Langdon Avenue
Adin Godoy, 29 Saturday, February 11, 2006 15543 Rayen Street
Anselmo Sanchez-Reyes, 27 Sunday, February 12, 2006 6700 Bellaire Ave.
Margaret Chesley, 42 Monday, February 20, 2006 9116 De Garmo Avenue
Miguel Alvarez, 20 Monday, February 27, 2006 13265 Kelowna Street
Marcos Lepe, 22 Monday, February 27, 2006 13265 Kelowna Street
Harry Phillips Jr., 42 Tuesday, March 7, 2006 11241 Garden Grove Avenue
Viviano Galvin, 24 Sunday, March 12, 2006 14800 Rayen Street
Miguel de la Torre, 19 Wednesday, March 15, 2006 7249 Vineland Ave.
Abel Munoz, 26 Saturday, March 18, 2006 6534 Platt Avenue
Kenneth Brainard, 76 Friday, March 24, 2006 8332 Sophia Avenue
Edwin Gomez, 19 Wednesday, March 29, 2006 14139 Delano St.
Beverly Kass-Lucitt, 38 Sunday, April 2, 2006 16750 Sherman Way
Marcus King, 17 Wednesday, April 5, 2006 8500 Kewen Avenue
Gary Williams, 38 Tuesday, April 11, 2006 6210 Reseda Blvd.
Juan Gomez, 23 Tuesday, April 18, 2006 13477 Brownell Street
Marco Juarez, 19 Friday, April 21, 2006 14239 Calvert St.
Jaime Villalvazo, 23 Sunday, April 23, 2006 14000 Paxton Street
Jose Cervantes, 21 Tuesday, April 25, 2006 20250 Sherman Way
Betty Rock, 83 Wednesday, April 26, 2006 12473 Bradley Avenue
Mauricio Fuentes, 29 Thursday, April 27, 2006 6736 Cleon Avenue
Jose Maria Rocha, 18 Friday, April 28, 2006 14227 Vanowen St.
Chamras Thara, 76 Monday, May 8, 2006 13037 Burton Street
Anthony Sena, 25 Thursday, May 11, 2006 17308 Saticoy Street
Rodolfo Gutierrez, 28 Monday, May 22, 2006 10205 Samoa Avenue
Shayla Phillips, 22 Saturday, May 27, 2006 Reseda Blvd. and Roscoe Blvd.
Pedro Alvarez, 18 Friday, June 2, 2006 6345 Kester Avenue
Mayra Lopez, 25 Friday, June 2, 2006 20316 Oxnard Street
Jean Ochoa, 26 Saturday, June 17, 2006 17800 Oxnard Street
Ramiro Hernandez, 18 Saturday, June 17, 2006 13800 Filmore Street
Tangi Hufanga, 24 Saturday, June 17, 2006 15525 Nordhoff Street
David De A\'Morelli, 26 Saturday, June 24, 2006 10535 Lindley Avenue
Fernando Zavala, 18 Sunday, June 25, 2006 13255 Calcutta Street
Filimon Ramos, 38 Sunday, June 25, 2006 10164 Woodley Avenue
Alejandro Bueno, 28 Monday, July 17, 2006 14190 Oro Grande Street
Michael Celis, 19 Tuesday, July 18, 2006 6623 Woodley Avenue
Ignacio Perez, 42 Tuesday, July 25, 2006 10424 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
Alfonso Basulto, 43 Thursday, July 27, 2006 6733 Haskell Avenue
Renato Martinez, 20 Saturday, July 29, 2006 21430 Valerio Street
David Menard, 56 Friday, August 4, 2006 17024 Stare St.
Toni Menard, 55 Friday, August 4, 2006 17024 Stare St.
Ashley Menard, 16 Friday, August 4, 2006 17024 Stare St.
Brian Stansfield, 17 Saturday, August 5, 2006 12727 Sherman Way
Nelson Ramirez, 20 Monday, August 7, 2006 14950 Vanowen Street
Jesus Garcia, 25 Monday, August 7, 2006 20700 Hartland Street
Pablo Enrique Gonzalez, 18 Saturday, August 19, 2006 15100 Parthenia Street
De Angelo Bolla, 17 Sunday, August 27, 2006 12600 Pierce Street
Shaminder Singh, 19 Saturday, September 2, 2006 11900 Hart Street
Juan Baca, 30 Sunday, September 3, 2006 8800 Orion Ave
Guadalupe Castaneda, 29 Friday, September 8, 2006 11798 Foothill Blvd.
Alejandro Perez Lopez, 19 Sunday, September 10, 2006 Lankershim Boulevard and Saticoy Street
Joel Cortez Alonzo, 19 Sunday, September 10, 2006 Lankershim Boulevard and Saticoy Street
Dazohn Tony Roberts, 17 Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Balboa Avenue and Haynes Street
Michael Torbron, 26 Saturday, September 16, 2006 6100 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Jose Alfredo Morales, 21 Thursday, September 21, 2006 4100 block of Farmdale Avenue
Dina Ellen Canale, 37 Thursday, September 21, 2006 7900 block of Lindley Avenue
Fernando Nuno, 21 Saturday, September 23, 2006 12700 block of Encinitas Avenue
Luis Andrade, 25 Sunday, September 24, 2006 8400 Lankershim Blvd.
James Woodson, 52 Tuesday, October 3, 2006 4900 block of Kester Avenue
Hiran Ediriweera, 55 Friday, October 13, 2006 2000 block of Devonshire
Nevil Vega, 24 Monday, October 16, 2006 7200 block of Irvine Avenue
Walter Lopez, 18 Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11500 Sylvan Street
Jessica Vasquez, 26 Friday, November 3, 2006 20258 Roscoe Blvd.
Raymond Uribe, 26 Sunday, November 5, 2006 13800 Eustace Street
Shirley Jackson, 45 Monday, November 6, 2006 6236 Denny Ave.
William Miller, 22 Thursday, November 9, 2006 14000 Oxnard Street
Edgar Maldonado, 45 Tuesday, November 14, 2006 8800 San Fernando Road
Francisco Garinca, 15 Thursday, November 16, 2006 7200 Lankershim Blvd.
Wayne Moyer, 36 Sunday, November 19, 2006 16040 Sherman Way
Juan Manuel Alonzo, 23 Tuesday, November 28, 2006 6600 Woodman Avenue
Daniel Hernandez, 19 Sunday, December 3, 2006 15800 Marlin Place
David Cejas, 20 Sunday, December 3, 2006 8700 Aqueduct Avenue
Joey Sandoval, 15 Thursday, December 14, 2006 11900 Foothill Boulevard
Mario Rodriguez, 20 Friday, December 15, 2006 13100 Reedley Street
Gabriel Garcia, 30 Sunday, December 17, 2006 7000 Fulton Avenue
Christina Marie Valenzuela, 49 Friday, December 29, 2006 19800 Hart Street

How Are Gangs Identified

http://www.lapdonline.org/get_informed/ ... view/23468


Most gang members are proud of their gang and freely admit their membership. Many display tattoos openly and dress in a style identifying their particular gang. Their personal belongings are frequently covered with graffiti and bear the gang’s logo and the member’s gang name.

Many individuals on the fringe of gang involvement are reluctant to identify themselves as gang members. They often state that their friends are gang members but they are not. However, rival gang members, shooting from a speeding car, do not make a distinction between a gang member and his associates.

Gangs share common characteristics such as the wearing of distinct clothing or using particular hand signs or signals. Although details will vary, the following overview provides general information about the identification of gang members (if outside the city of Los Angeles, check with your local law enforcement agency for current information):


Graffiti. Gangs use graffiti to identify themselves and mark their gang’s "turf" or territory. They also use it to advertise the gang’s status or power and to declare their own allegiance to the gang. The graffiti may include the gang’s name, a member’s nickname, a declaration of loyalty, threats against rival gangs or a description of criminal acts in which the gang has been involved.

Gangs frequently gather in dark areas to avoid being seen. In these locations they will often drink, use narcotics, and deface property with graffiti.

Clothing. The uniform of Hispanic gangs is standard and easily recognizable. Most gang members adopt a basic style that includes white t-shirts, thin belts, baggy pants with split cuffs, a black or blue knit cap (beanie) or a bandana tied around the forehead similar to a sweat band.

Black gang members are individualistic in their dress. Black gangs tend to identify themselves by adopting certain colors. The "Crips" identify themselves with the colors of blue or black or a combination of the two. "Blood" gangs generally use red accessories, such as caps or bandanas, to identify themselves.

While clothing alone cannot positively determine membership in a street gang, color and style serve to identify each gang. Green can either mean the gang member is declaring neutrality for the moment or is a drug dealer. Black is worn by some Hispanic gangs and Heavy Metal Anglo gangs. Other common gang colors include brown or purple.

Note: Some gangs are starting to change their clothing style by no longer wearing their colors in an effort to deceive law enforcement and conceal their gang affiliation.

Gang clothing styles can be easily detected because of the specific way gang members wear their clothing. Examples are preferences for wearing baggy or "sagging" pants or having baseball caps turned at an angle. Gang members often prefer particular brands of shoes, pants or shirts. For example, some gangs like to wear plaid shirts in either blue, brown, black or red. These shirts are worn loosely and untucked. Gang graffiti, symbols, messages or gang names can be written or embroidered on jackets, pants and baseball caps. Other identifying items include belt buckles with the gangs initials, key chains, starter jackets (team jackets), and red or blue bandannas commonly called "rags".

Excessive amounts of dark clothing or a predominance of one-color outfits, white t-shirts and levis with upturned cuffs are also indicators of possible gang involvement.

Jewelry. May be expensive or cheap, but the gaudy type is preferred. Examples are heavy gold rope chains, earrings and other large rings.

Weapons. These can include shaven-down baseball bats, sections of pipe taped at the ends, spiked wrist bands, mace, knives, or semi-automatic firearms such as an "Uzi", "AK-47", or "MAC 10."

Other signs that youngsters may have joined gangs include crude and elaborate tattoos, females wearing heavy eye make-up and dark lipstick, fingernails painted a certain color, certain undergarments, gang-colored shoelaces in their athletic shoes and specific hairstyles (such as shaving their heads bald, hair nets, rollers or braids).

Young teens drawn to violence
BY RICK COCA, Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 01/02/2007 10:02:24 PM PST

Valley homicides

An interactive map gives you the who, what, when and where for all of this year's homicides in the Valley.
http://www.dailynews.com/homicides
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GRAPHICS: Los Angeles city versus county crime | Overall crime
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Teens - particularly Latino boys - are joining street gangs at ever-younger ages, and police and community activists are scrambling to create more diversion programs to stem the growing violence.

The Los Angeles Police Department recorded 48 gang-related homicides in 2006, up nearly 30 percent from the previous year - including the slayings of two 15-year-olds. Equally disturbing, activists say, is that 85 percent of the victims of San Fernando Valley gang violence were Latino - even though Latinos comprise only about 42 percent of the area's population.

"This has been the roughest year ever," said Bobby Arias, president of Community in Schools, a Valley-based gang-intervention and prevention program. "Any time you're burying 36 kids, that's unacceptable."

Authorities blame the increase in violence on rivalries and retaliation between Latino and black gangs, as well as Latino gangs battling one another for turf.

Arias and William "Blinky" Rodriguez, executive director of Community in Schools, have organized dozens of events and marches for members of feuding gangs to ease tensions.

Gang crimes up

Authorities estimate that the Valley is now home to 20,000 gang members, with many of the newest members barely in their teens. Authorities say their eagerness to impress older counterparts is one reason the Valley recorded 1,343 gang-related crimes through November - up nearly 43 percent from the previous year even as overall violent crime ticked up just 3 percent.
Deputy Chief Michel Moore, the LAPD's commander in the Valley, said his officers plan to work with federal agents and probation officials this year to clamp down on gang activity.

"The troubling Valley homicides

An interactive map gives you the who, what, when and where for all of this year's homicides in the Valley.

"The troubling trend we have seen is the resurgence in the instances of gang violence, particularly in homicides, but also shootings," Moore said.
He praised community groups involved with the San Fernando Valley Coalition on Gangs, including those working on gang intervention such as Rodriguez's program.

"I think they're one of the best intervention groups in all of the city," Moore said.

Rodriguez started the program after his son was killed in a gang-related drive-by shooting in 1990. It relies on former gang members to reach out to current ones and help them forge more-positive relationships.

Moore said they and his officers have forged an understanding that they both play important roles in reducing gang violence.

"We don't put them in the same room, make peace and go out and have a beer," Moore said. "People are involved in solving a problem. They honor and respect that this is the playbook we're dealing with."

While most gang members target only their rivals, innocent victims can get caught in the crossfire, veteran LAPD Detective Mike Coffey said.

"The clothing, the shaved head - that's just the style," Coffey said. "Some of those kids are on the football team for North Hollywood High School, but if they're walking in that neighborhood ... they could be mistaken for gangsters and get shot."

Turning lives around

Coffey and other police officials said "tag bangers" - graffiti crews that have become violent - contributed to the increase in gang-related homicides last year.

While Coffey said many gang members are deeply troubled, he also said some have been able to turn their lives around.

Steve Martinez is one of them.

A gangster while growing up in Pacoima, Martinez said he left the gang life and now has worked for years in gang-prevention and other programs for at-risk youths and their families.

In some cases, gang culture is passed from generation to generation in Latino communities, so breaking the cycle is difficult, he said.

"You need to have the dedication of counselors who are willing to knock on doors and say, `Why didn't you come to school today?"' said Martinez, 40. "You have to hold their hands at first."

Some conflicts are surfacing between recent Latino immigrants and Mexican-Americans with generations of ties to L.A. and the Valley.

In some immigrant families, Martinez said, the children are more knowledgeable about American culture than their parents, so parents might not know their kids are gang members.

Helping parents

At Casa Esperanza, an agency that serves economically disadvantaged Latino families of the Blythe Street area in Panorama City, project director Maritza Artan said parents in her program are savvy about figuring out whether their children are gangsters. The area was the first in L.A. to have an injunction imposed against members of the Blythe Street gang.

"On Blythe Street, parents know about gangs," Artan said. "Our parents know how to differentiate between a child dressing in gang attire and wearing regular clothes."

Casa Esperanza offers after-school programs and summer camping trips and serves more than 300 families a year. It recently opened a 6,700-square-foot facility on Blythe.

"What we try to do is get our kids into something positive and get them off of the streets," Artan said. "Some of these kids who join gangs, they don't have the opportunity to participate in these type of programs.

"If they would have these opportunities, they would probably choose to be part of something positive."

rick.coca@dailynews.com

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_4939839

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The Mayor wants LA to be part of Mexico and has offered safe haven to illegals, he deserves all the gangs from rest of the country and we the American taxpayers should not have pay for his problems. I feel sorry for the people who have been unable to vote this individual out of office but anyone who has voted for him deserves the problems also. Why should the federal government help them out of this mess. LA is being to look like those cities in the "Escape" movies that came out a couple of years ago.

Just a glimpse of our future as illegal immigrants expand their boundaries throughout the United States.

Maybe if LA would eliminate their sanctuary laws which prohibits their police from asking about immigration status, it would help to cut down on the illegals that make up the majority of gang members.

Until then, forget giving them federal aid to resolve a problem that they created, and are continuing to abet.