Nine gang members arrested in Long Beach sting

May 20, 2010 | 3:17 pm

Long Beach police have arrested at least nine gang members, including the reputed leader, in an early-morning sting across three cities.

The gang members were wanted in connection with 12 shootings, two of them fatal, that occurred from July 2009 to February of this year, officials said.

Police executed search warrants in Long Beach, Lakewood and Signal Hill.

Reyes Rios, 32, of Long Beach, the reputed leader of the East Side Longo Street gang, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.

Also among the arrested was Ruhani Bustamante, 28, of Long Beach, who was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with two slayings, police said.

Both were being held at the Long Beach city jail. The others arrested were booked on suspicion of witness intimidation, being an accessory to murder and other charges.

All of the shootings targeted rival gang members over territory or narcotics disputes, authorities said. The East Side Longo Street gang is one of the most violent in the area and has been entrenched in the city for more than three decades, they said.

As police conducted probation and parole checks during the sting, they found a woman who was wanted in connection with a 1992 killing. They arrested Lisa Sedillo, 34, of Long Beach.

“To all gangs, you will not find a comfortable home in Long Beach,â€