Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Here Are The New Claims About A Violent Group Of LA Sheriff's Deputies Acting Like A Gang

Los Angeles County is again faced with allegations that a group of sheriff's deputies operates as a criminal gang.
Seven sheriff's deputies have filed claims against the county saying they've been harassed, bullied, intimidated and physically attacked by members of the Banditos gang of deputies.
All of the deputies who filed claims -- and the deputies they're accusing -- work out of the East LA station, which services communities of unincorporated East Los Angeles, City of Commerce, City of Maywood, and City of Cudahy.
The attorney for the claimants, Vincent Miller, of the Law Offices of Vincent Miller, states that "the hostile environment at the police station has led to the deputies fearing their fellow officers more than the criminals in the street."
The claims assert that by failing to discipline and covering up the gang's actions, the county encouraged its gang member employees to retaliate against deputies.
The claims say things came to a head at a party last September, where members of the Banditos attacked several deputies. One deputy said he was punched multiple times in the face before being knocked out. Another said he was choked until he passed out.
The deputies' union and the sheriff's department had no comment on the claims, which are a precursor to lawsuits. Altogether they're seeking tens of millions of dollars from the county.
In a statement, the Sheriff's Department noted the allegations outlined in the claims arose before Sheriff Alex Villanueva took office. It said he replaced the unit commander and "key supervisory personnel."
The allegations "are being fully investigated," said the statement, which added that the East L.A. Station's new unit commander "has met with staff members, and has made it abundantly clear that activities which violate workplace policies or the law will be immediately addressed with swift and appropriate action."
Villanueva has at times defended deputies with tatoos. During last year's election campaign he said, "I worked with many people with these tatoos at different stations, and they were the most honorable, ethical people I have ever worked with."
The sheriff has also accused his predecessors of failing to crack down on a culture of hazing.
The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the union that represents deputies, had no comment on the claims, said President Ron Hernandez.
The group "fully supports a detailed, fair, timely investigation, with an interest in due process for all parties said to be involved," he added in a statement.
There have been charges for years about violent deputy gangs, often marked by members wearing similar tatoos.
Deputy cliques have been around since 1971, when a gang was first established at the East L.A. Station, said Sean Kennedy, a Loyola Law School professor who studies deputy cliques.
There was even a white supremacist gang called the vikings at the Century Station back in the early 90s, he said.
Altogether, Kennedy has identified 13 gangs that have operated within the Sheriff's Department.
Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, who was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to six years in prison for covering up jailhouse beatings by deputies, had a Vikings tattoo.
He said the Banditos have been active at the East L.A. Station for at least a decade.
In 2014, Deputy Guadalupe Lopez sued the county, claiming she was assaulted and harassed by the Banditos gang. The county settled Lopez' lawsuit for $1.5 million.
In July of last year, former Sheriff Jim McDonnell told the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission that he had launched a comprehensive probe into secret cliques, and was looking into whether criminal gangs were operating within the ranks.
His announcement followed a Los Angeles Times report that as many as 20 deputies at the Compton station had matching skull tatoos.
Frank Stoltze contributed reporting to this article.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
-
Hexavalent chromium is the same carcinogen Erin Brockovich warned about in the 1990s, but researchers say more study is needed on the potential health effects of nanoparticles detected earlier this year. Experts will answer questions at a webinar this evening.