Thread: 3rd man is arrested in death of L.A. County sheriff's deputy

3rd man is arrested in death of L.A. County sheriff's deputy

The suspected gang member was in custody on an unrelated probation violation charge. A fourth man is still being sought in last year's shooting of Juan Abel Escalante.

By Richard Winton
April 23, 2009

A third suspected gang member has been arrested and charged with capital murder in the shooting of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Abel Escalante outside his parents' Cypress Park home, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators said a fourth man wanted in connection with the Aug. 2 slaying remains at large.

Jose Renteria, 18, an alleged Avenues gang member, was arrested April 16 at the East Lake Juvenile Detention Center, where he was being held on an unrelated probation violation charge. He pleaded not guilty Monday to killing Escalante, who was shot in the back of the head.

In December, prosecutors charged two alleged gang members, Javier Velasquez, 24, the suspected gunman, and Guillermo Hernandez, 20. They were charged with one count each of murder with the special circumstance that the killing was carried out to further a criminal street gang, making it a potential death penalty case.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton and City Council members appealed for the public's help in finding the fourth suspect, Armando Albarran, 26, a.k.a. "Chivo," who was charged Tuesday with Escalante's murder. The three men in custody are scheduled to be back in court later this month. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.


Escalante, 27, was preparing to go to work about 5:40 a.m. when he was fatally shot. His wife, Celeste, heard the gunfire, looked out her window and saw him lying on the ground.

Escalante was a 2 1/2 -year veteran of the Sheriff's Department and had served in the Army Reserve. He worked at the Men's Central Jail. The motive remains unclear, although investigators have speculated that the suspects may have mistakenly believed the deputy was a rival gang member.

The suspects are alleged members or associates of the notorious Avenues gang, which has long feuded with Cypress Park gang members, whose territory includes the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood where Escalante lived.

richard.winton@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 5148.story

The Avenues (gang)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references (ideally, using inline citations).

Avenues

In Los Angeles

Territory Los Angeles, Highland Park, Cypress Park, Glassell Park and Eagle Rock

Ethnicity Mexican

Criminal activities Murder, Assault, Drug trafficking, Racketeering, Motor vehicle theft, Robbery, Extortion, Burglary, Vandalism and Theft

The Avenues, also known as Avenidas or AVE's, is a Mexican street gang.

The Avenues are under the direct control of the Mexican Mafia.

History
The Avenues gang has been the target of a series of landmark prosecutions by the Federal government of the United States and by Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney Anthony Manzella. Members have recently been prosecuted under the Federal Hate Crimes Statute for using violence and intimidation to drive all African-Americans out of the territories it controls. Several of these trials are related in Tony Rafael's true crime bestseller "The Mexican Mafia". The Avenues claim Highland Park, Cypress Park, Glassell Park and Eagle Rock as its turf. A portion of Glassell Park between Fletcher Drive and the Glendale Freeway has been controlled by the Avenues for many years, and even the police have found it hard to get a foothold there. [1] The Avenues took their name from streets that cross Figueroa, such as "Avenue 57."[2]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 5148.story

RELATED
Members of Violent Mexican Mafia Arrested in Undercover Sting

KTLA News

April 22, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- Two dozen members of the notorious Mexican Mafia were arrested in a series of early-morning raids throughout the San Fernando Valley.

A combined FBI, LAPD, DEA and ICE task force served search and arrest warrants targeting numerous locations and seized weapons, drugs and money . . .

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-886962.html#886962

Americans are dying in "VAIN" in our country!

And here I thought that Mexican illegals were only here to earn an honest living and support their families. Silly me.

Still some A-hole is going to say enforcing immigration law would not prevent this type of crime.