There are tight-knit groups throughout Los Angeles county that have their own nicknames, hand signs and code of behavior. Investigators recently found evidence that one of these groups glorifies members who are involved in shootings. We're not talking about Bloods, Crips or the Mara Salvatrucha. No, these are cliques working within law enforcement. more ›

Just because you don't have a job doesn't mean you qualify for unemployment checks. Take the case of convicted killer Anthony Garcia, who managed to collect more than $30,000 in unemployment while he was in jail from 2008 to 2010, according to the Associated Press. more ›

If you've ever strolled through certain parts of Burbank, you know just how quaint it is to be walking along and happen upon an equestrian. There's no reason for that scenario to be limited to playing itself out in the city's peripheral, affluent suburbs, and that's why a group called the Compton Jr. Posse launched a program to bring horseback riding to kids living just south of Los Angeles. more ›

A mother and her teenage daughter coming home from a wedding last night were caught in the crossfire of a gang battle in Watts, according to CBS Los Angeles. The mother and daughter were shot while they were inside their car on the 2200 block of East 108th Street around 11:45 p.m., said Los Angeles police Sgt. P. Johnson. more ›

The Mongols, a notorious California motorcycle gang formed after its founding members were rejected from Hells Angels in the 1970s for being Latino, caught a big break this week in federal court. U.S. District Judge Otis Wright "regrettably" ruled in favor of the Mongols on Thursday in the first-ever government attempt to gain control of a gang's identity through a court order. more ›

Seven men and one boy have been arrested on suspicion of gang-raping two girls in Ventura County, one in March and the other in April, according to LA Now. Reportedly the men met the victims on social networking sites and lured them to a home in Santa Paula. Police are seeking possible additional victims. more ›

A gang sweep early Thursday saw a busload, literally, of arrests for drug trafficking. As part of a multi-agency effort, "30 to 40 members of the Black P Stone gang in Baldwin Village, affiliated with the Bloods," were taken to the Sports Arena complex south of downtown with TV crews recording "a police bus on scene" helping to manage the quantity of arrestees, reports LA Now and a Los Angeles Police Department Advisory. more ›

At least 80 arrests were made today in the Harbor Gateway and Wilmington area this morning by a combined force of Los Angeles Police Department officers and agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other federal agencies. It was called "Operation Pirate Town," and the targets were gang members belonging to Rancho San Pedro,or "RSP," according to LA Now. more ›

Following a fight that broke out at an office Christmas party last year, six employees at the Men's Central Jail will be fired, reports KTLA. The men were "part of a gang like clique, which included a three-fingered hand sign," according to KTLA. The fight occurred in the parking lot at Quiet Cannon Restaurant, where about 100 workers had gathered to celebrate the holidays. more ›

The leader of a human smuggling ring with ties the Avenues street gang was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison this week. Eduardo "Tito" Alvarez-Marquez, 37, of Glassell Park, was sentenced by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. The 25-year sentence is one of the longest prison terms ever imposed locally in an "alien smuggling case." more ›

The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, an institution established in 1954 that ranks among the 12 largest philanthropic groups in LA, announced today $200,000 in grants to gang-intervention groups, reports the Daily News. more ›

Under a new state law, Los Angeles County will be enforcing mandatory parenting classes for all moms and dads with children convicted of a gang crime, reports FOX LA more ›

The two suspects sought in a South L.A. shooting that left a toddler dead and two of his relatives injured have been arrested, police announced today, according to the LA Times. It was around 2 p.m. on Halloween when two young men walking down an alley opened fire into a backyard where 5-year-old Aaron Shannon Jr. was showing off his Spiderman costume to his grandfather and uncle. All three were hit, but it was Aaron who took a bullet to his head, leaving him in critical condition. He died the next day. more ›

Attention is currently is drawn to protests in Westlake over the officer involved shooting that left a man dead on Sunday, but the fatal Thursday morning shooting of a 19-year-old man just a mile away has failed to see much attention. Celeste Fremon at Witness LA describes Irvin Panameno, nicknamed Smiley, as a reformed gang member. more ›

Word around city hall is that the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office has been concerned with today's release of the Spot.Us report from WitnessLA that digs deep and analyzes the $26 million spent on gang reduction and youth development. Perhaps with good reason. more ›

Well, to be exact, 255 years and eight months. When he was 15, Eric Antonio Benites, now 17, killed one man and attempted to kill five others to avenge the death of his little brother, according to the LA Times. Jose Cano was 13 when he was allegedly killed... more ›

The Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) received some gentle criticism from the Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel after an audit was released suggesting the program needed more oversight and evaluation. more ›

L.A. City Controller Wendy Gruel this afternoon teased the pending release of her audit on the city's gang reduction effort, saying that much progress has been made in the past two years, but over a half million dollars of taxpayer money dedicated to evaluating the program has not produced any results. Without that data, it's impossible to measure the success of the program, her office said. more ›

A young boy riding a bicycle with his father in a Norwalk park was shot in the torso Wednesday evening. An argument between two men outside the Holifield Park ended in up to three gunshots, missing the intended target, according to ABC7. The 7-year-old boy is expected to recover follower a surgery. more ›

Police this morning arrested an alleged biker gang member who is suspected of shooting three people shot outside a popular Echo Park music venue on June 21st. Around 2 a.m. that morning, a crowd was leaving The Echo on Sunset Boulevard when bullets were fired into the crowd. more ›

14-year-old Daisy Garcia was out with her family on the streets last night celebrating Fourth of July when bullets flew the air, killing her. At about 10:20 p.m., she and hundreds of others were reportedly watching an illegal fireworks show in the Pico-Union neighborhood when shots were fired towards the crowd on the 1300 block of South Toberman Street, just a few blocks from L.A. Live in downtown. more ›

Yo, Venice! A fight that involved some 70 people on Venice's boardwalk last night has prompted the LAPD to kick up their presence today, according to the LA Times. Around 8 p.m. a fight erupted on the boardwalk near 17th and Windward Avenue... more ›

A man was wounded in a shooting this afternoon that took place inside a parking garage in Studio City, but no suspect has been located, according to the LAPD. At 2:09 p.m., a 911 call alerted police of gunshots heard on the 12200 block of Ventura Boulevard, reportedly in the garage of California Pizza Kitchen off Laurelgrove. Upon arrival, officers and paramedics found a man suffering from two gunshot wounds -- one in his leg and another in his hand. more ›

Homeboy Industries, the organization that works on gang intervention through jobs and social services, has taken a large hit -- about 330 of its 429 employees were laid off yesterday. Father Gregory Boyle officially announced the news last night at Central Library in an event discussing his latest book, "Tattoos on the Heart," which has been on the LA Times best seller list for the past six weeks. more ›

Police are asking the public's help in yesterday's shooting that left a woman and her unborn child dead. 26-year-old Jana Collins was sitting her car when "a gunman approached the car and fired numerous shots, striking her in the upper torso," according to the LAPD. more ›

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and other public safety officials gathered yesterday to announce a plan to create an injunction in Skid Row to curb drug dealing in the area. "The single biggest criminal threat facing this area is the open and notorious drug dealing," explained Trutanich at a press conference yesterday in Gladys Park, where protestors from the L.A. Community Action Network surrounded him, chanting loudly against the proposal. more ›

Plagued city budget woes, the LAPD has been refocusing officers assigned to specialized units to the streets. In the past 11 days, 19 people have been killed--mostly cited as gang-related crimes in the Northeast Valley and Eastside--increasing the homicide rate just short of last year's, the LA Times is reporting. Chief Charlie Beck, however, told the L.A. Police Commission today that “the nature of homicide in Los Angeles" is upticks in crime and calm. Still, he'll redeploy units from more peaceful areas to violent ones. The last published crime update was for the 20th, when there were 47 homicides compared to 66, a 28.8% difference to 2009. Overall, all crime is down. more ›

On Saturday evening a man was shot while sitting in the barber's chair in what police are saying could be a gang-related incident. Domingo Reyes, 35, was at Alberto Barber Shop in Westlake near MacArthur Park when the incident happened around 6:58 p.m., according to the LAPD. more ›

Today at noon, the Farmlab Public Salon welcomes Van Zan Frater, the person behind the Jesus is My Homeboy image that graces a number of t-shirts these days. The inspiration for the image came from Frater’s terrifying brush with gang violence -- and it's not about cashing in on a kitschy image. In 2007, Frater started the Jesus is My Homeboy Foundation in LA, which provides assistance with burial expenses and grief counseling for innocent victims of gang violence. Hear him tell his harrowing and inspirational story. Admission to the Farmlab lecture is free. more ›

On Wednesday morning a team of LAPD and probation officers, along with Councilman Dennis Zine and the Department of Children and Family Services, conducted tagger probation compliance check operation. 11 West Valley homes of subjects who were on probation, with search and seizure conditions, for graffiti and related vandalism offenses were checked and one person was netted. more ›