Gang Members Indicted for Hate Crime Fire-bombings in Los Angeles
Seven suspected street gang members face federal criminal civil rights charges alleging they used firebombs in attempts to intimidate and drive African American families from their homes in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles.聽
In a 10-count indictment unsealed last week, members of the Big Hazard street gang are accused of violating the civil rights of black families and engaging in a racketeering enterprise.
The alleged fire-bombings of four residential units on May 12, 2014, was intended to drive black people from the Ramona Gardens Housing Development (RGHD), a federally and city-funded housing development in Boyle Heights occupied primarily by Hispanic residents, the 25-page indictment alleges.
鈥淭he defendants used firebombs to drive the victims from their homes because of their race,鈥� said Vanita Gupta, deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department鈥檚 Civil Rights Division.聽
鈥淭his is a hate crime,鈥� Gupta said.聽鈥淪uch violence and intimidation have no place in our society.鈥�
The grand jury indictment, returned after a two-year federal investigation, alleges the defendants conspired to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate black residents in violation of their constitutional rights, including the right to 鈥渙ccupy a dwelling free from injury, intimidation and interference based on race and color.鈥澛�
Named defendants are: Carlos 鈥淐reeper鈥� Hernandez,聽 31; Jose 鈥淟il鈥� Moe鈥� Saucedo, 22; Francisco 鈥淏ones鈥� Farias, 25; Joseue 鈥淢alo鈥� Garibay, 23; Edwin 鈥淏oogie鈥� Felix, 23; Jonathan 鈥淧elon鈥� Portillo, 21; and Joel Matthew 鈥淕allo鈥� Monarrez, 21, all of Los Angeles.
Each is charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights, as well as: conspiracy to use fire and carry explosives to commit another federal felony; attempted arson of federal property; using fire and carrying explosives to commit another federal felony; aiding and abetting; violent crime in aid of racketeering and interference with housing rights.聽Additionally, Hernandez and Farias also were charged with possessing firearms during a crime of violence. Felix also was charged with lying to FBI agents.
The indictment says the defendants are members of Big Hazard, 鈥渁 multi-generational gang鈥� that originated in the early 1940s, taking its name from Hazard Park, and eventually claiming territory in East Los Angeles.
鈥淗azard is part of a network of Latino gangs in the greater Los Angeles area controlled by senior gang members who are also members and associates of an organization known as the 鈥楳exican Mafia鈥� or 鈥楲a Eme,鈥欌�� the indictment said.
The Justice Department estimates the gang to have about 350 members.
To identify territory controlled by Big Hazard, and to instill fear in black people and others residents, gang members would spray paint or 鈥渢ag鈥� their gang monikers and symbols on businesses, residences and property in Ramona Gardens, the indictment says.
Members of the Hazard gang also would confront black residents, including mixed-race children, 鈥渁nd individually and collectively threaten them by telling them that they were not welcome in Hazard gang territory, namely, Ramona Gardens, and that they risked harm if they remained as residents,鈥� the indictment says.
In May 2014, Hernandez is accused of calling a meeting where he told his fellow gang members the group was going to use聽 鈥淢olotov cocktails鈥� to firebomb residential units occupied by black families, including children, the indictment says.
Hernandez told the gang members that the firebombs were intended to 鈥済et the n------ out of the neighborhood,鈥� or words to that effect, the indictment says.
On May 11, 2014, Hernandez gave instructions to gang members on how to split into two teams and carry out the fire-bombings. Gang members were each given assignments to break windows of the residences to allow the firebombs to make clean entries, as well as igniting the firebombs and throwing them through the broken windows in order to maximize damage.
The indictment says conspirators 鈥渄eliberately left behind their cellular telephones prior to engaging in the firebombing in order to thwart law enforcement鈥檚 ability to track their movements through their cellular telephones.
鈥淭his crime was particularly heinous because they attacked people鈥檚 homes, where children were sleeping,鈥� Eileen Decker, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told the . 鈥淭he fact that children were endangered made this a particularly disturbing type of crime.鈥�
