SANTA ANA : Gang Sweep: 11 Arrested, Arms Seized

Eleven reputed gang members were arrested and 16 firearms were confiscated Tuesday morning during a gang sweep that police described as the most extensive in the city’s history.

Authorities said they hope the raid will send a message to the 40 city gangs that police believe are largely responsible for the record number of homicides in Santa Ana this year. Thirty-eight people have died in gang-related homicides so far this year, shattering the city’s previous one-year record of 22 gang-related slayings with two months still to go in 1993.

The gang-related violence is largely responsible for the city’s record total of 67 homicides so far this year.

“We wanted to demonstrate to gang members that they never know when we will be knocking on their door,” said Police Lt. Robert Helton. “We have to continue to apply pressure to the gangs because the violence is increasing, not decreasing.”

Armed with 22 search warrants, Santa Ana police officers, assisted by officers from nine other law enforcement agencies, descended upon the alleged gang members’ homes on various streets in the central part of the city at 7 a.m.

A suspected gang member, a minor, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with an Oct. 16 incident in which more than 100 shots were fired in a running gun battle between two vehicles, police said. The other suspects were arrested on suspicion of probation violation, drug or weapons offenses.

Arrested on suspicion of various drug offenses were Edward Trujillo, Alfonso Cabrera, Paul Silvas and Gabriel Hernandez. All were taken to County Jail except Trujillo, who was cited and released.

Art Amezcua was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, Charles Castro was arrested on suspicion of burglary and Robert Beltran and Alvaro Gomez were picked up on outstanding traffic warrants. All were taken to County Jail.

A male juvenile was arrested during the sweep for alleged probation violation and another was arrested on unspecified charges.

The raid “went very smoothly,” Helton said. “We are ecstatic with the number of weapons we seized and the arrests we made. You’d like to make more, of course, because we didn’t find everyone we were looking for.”

Among the weapons seized were handguns, rifles and semiautomatic weapons. Helton said ballistics tests will be conducted to determine whether any of the weapons were used in shootings.

Police also confiscated 19 grams of cocaine and one pound of marijuana, Helton said.

Helton said the raid had been planned for weeks but came after a dramatic increase in gang violence in recent weeks.

“We felt it was very timely . . . (considering) the amount of gang violence we’ve had,” Helton said. “This is the largest amount of search warrants we’ve ever served at one time.

“We are very busy and gang members don’t think the Police Department has the time to organize these types of activities. Well, we do have the time. We are making the time.”