19 arrested, drugs and gun seized in Pomona gang crackdown
Nineteen people were arrested and drugs and a gun seized in a police crackdown on gang activity in Pomona, authorities announced Monday.
On the heels of at least the 24th homicide in Pomona this year, 40 officers and San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies spread across the city Saturday in a gang-suppression saturation patrol.
The patrol involved officers from Covina, Baldwin Park and Rialto along with the East San Gabriel Valley AB109 Task Force, which monitors parolees released from custody early.
Police saturated the areas and stopped vehicles and people on suspicion of various law violations, said Lt. Eddie Vazquez. In all, 19 people were arrested and one gun and drugs were seized.
“This special detail was conducted as part of the department’s continuing efforts to suppress violent crime in the city,” said Pomona police Capt. Michael Ellis in a statement.
Pomona has seen a sharp increase in homicides the last two years, reversing years of decline in a city once known for its crime rate and gang wars.
Just two weeks ago, a pastor for a youth ministry was gunned down as he dropped off a boy at home after their group went out to celebrate the boy’s graduation from a youth program.
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