Thread: CA: 23 Arrested in Attacks on Hemet Police

23 Arrested in Booby-Trap Attacks on Hemet Police

KTLA News
9:19 PM PDT, April 20, 2010

HEMET -- Police arrested 23 people Tuesday during a series of raids at dozens of locations as part of an investigation into a series of attacks on police and city facilities in Hemet.

About 200 law enforcement personnel from federal, state, county and city agencies took part in raids at 35 locations.

Police seized 16 firearms along with other evidence and contraband, according to Hemet police Capt. Dave Brown.

The suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of narcotics, weapons and parole violations, according to the Hemet Police Department.

At this point, no charges have been filed in connection with the attacks on city and police facilities.

Capt. Brown said some of the 23 people arrested have gang affiliations, but he declined to say whether they were involved with street gangs, prison gangs, motorcycle gangs or white supremacist gangs.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said task force members believe the attacks -- including a series of booby trapping incidents and torching of city vehicles -- appear to have been perpetrated by a white supremacist gang.

Last month, authorities arrested 33 members of the Vagos motorcycle gang, which Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco called "an extreme threat to law enforcement." But an attorney for Vagos and some of its members said Tuesday that none of the people arrested in the raids were members of the Vagos motorcycle gang.

In recent months, attacks involving booby traps have been directed at the headquarters of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force.

On Dec. 31, someone rerouted a natural gas line into the task force's headquarters building, setting the stage for an explosion by a spark.

On Feb. 23, a member of the task force opened a gate at its headquarters and was nearly struck by a bullet discharged by a homemade "zip gun," rigged to fire when the gate moved.

On March 5, a member of the task force found an explosive device attached to his unmarked patrol car when he pulled into a filling station Hemet.

And in late March, four city code enforcement trucks were torched in the Hemet City Hall parking lot.

Authorities are also investigating whether an early-morning fire last week at a Hemet police shooting range was connected to the other attacks.

The City Council has voted to start awarding contracts to "harden" parts of City Hall and police department headquarters with surveillance equipment and plexiglass shields.

A $150,000 grant from the state and another $15,000 from Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone will pay for creating buffers around public areas, according to City Manager Brian Nakamura.

Police are also offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction in these attacks.

You can call the Hemet Police Department tip line at (951) 765-3897.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-h ... 0811.story

just as a point, dont believe everything you read.....this is a good example.

while it is true the motorcycle club was raided, the paper claimed a bunch of arrests, yet, when speaking to them later, they couldnt find anyone in any state that was actually arrested,detained yes, but not arrested.

also, later they clainmed in hemet it was latino illegal gangs, now its white supremist gangs...so which is it ?

or is it posturing for the media