6 arrested in San Diego on kidnapping, other charges; they took orders from Mexican Mafia, officials say

SAN DIEGO —  A three-month investigation in San Diego resulted in charges against five men and a woman who authorities say planned violent crimes, sold drugs and stored guns in a house at the behest of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, officials announced Tuesday.

The defendants were arrested last week in San Diego and National City during a 24-hour operation that involved several law enforcement agencies, including San Diego police and the FBI.

During the takedown, dubbed Operation Scrapbusters, law enforcement officials recovered nine assault rifles, six handguns, more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition, two explosive devices, drugs including fentanyl pills and methamphetamine, $2,800 in cash and two stolen vehicles, San Diego police Chief David Nisleit said.

Investigators said the operation uncovered illegal activities at a house in the Encanto neighborhood in southeastern San Diego. Nisleit said the home was used to sell drugs, store guns and plan violent crimes, including kidnappings.

San Diego County Dist. Atty. Summer Stephan described it as a house “full of plans to cause murder” and other crimes.

Three of the defendants — Rafael Castro, 41, Samuel Diaz, 35, and Daniela Wilson, 39 — were charged in San Diego Superior Court with kidnapping for ransom. According to a criminal complaint, the kidnapping occurred in early October, but no further details were available.

Wilson also was charged with soliciting someone to commit murder in early October, according to the complaint.

Other charges in the case include drug and gun offenses. The defendants also face allegations that they committed the crimes for the benefit of a gang. The other defendants are Daniel Contreras, 23, Eddie Quintana, 41, and David Quintana, 44.

The entire group has pleaded not guilty to the charges in San Diego Superior Court. Almost all of them are being held on a no-bail status. David Quintana is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, according to jail records.

An attorney representing Castro did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The other defendants are being represented by the county public defender’s office.

Stephan called the case “unique,” because the investigation revealed evidence of a direct link to the Mexican Mafia, which is known to direct several street gangs.

“We do know cases are linked to the Mexican Mafia, but to be able to connect them directly as we did in this case does not happen very often,” she said at a Tuesday morning news conference.

According to prosecutors, Ronaldo Ayala, a California death row inmate, is a leader in the Mexican Mafia. Prosecutors said he used cellphones in prison to issue commands to people on the outside.

“How he obtained that cellphone is not known to us at this time,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Lazar said.

The San Diego County district attorney’s office said Ayala was not charged because he is on death row. He has been imprisoned since 1989 for the execution-style slayings of three men in southeastern San Diego. The victims were shot and killed in the garage of an auto repair shop in 1985. A fourth victim survived.

According to court documents, Ayala and his brother, Hector Ayala, intended to rob the victims, who ran a heroin distribution business out of the repair shop.

Hector Ayala was convicted in the killings in a separate trial and sentenced to death.

Officials did not share details about how the recent investigation began, although they said police received information from community members as part of the investigation.

“Today represents law enforcement and the community coming together to take down the underbelly that causes crime and violent crime across San Diego County,” Stephan said. “It hides in plain view — in this case on a block where there are families and kids.”

He added that “getting in there and cracking this case depended on community trust.”

A seventh suspect was also arrested last week as part of the investigation. Prosecutors are reviewing evidence for potential criminal charges against that person.