Santa Ana : 8 Arrested in Week in Crackdown on Gangs

Police have arrested eight suspects, including two for probation violations, in the week since investigators launched a forceful campaign to curb the city’s escalating gang-related violence, a Police Department official said Friday.

Maureen Thomas said police officers and gang investigators arrested three male juveniles on July 11 for possession of firearms in the 600 block of East Pine Street. The same night, another three juveniles were arrested at a residence on West Highland Avenue and charged with possession of the drug PCP.

The two probation violators were arrested in separate incidents Thursday, Thomas said.

Still in custody, Thomas said, are Joe Guzman, 24, arrested at a South Birch Street address, and Peter Fuerte, 21, on South King Street.

“We cannot confirm that (Guzman and Fuerte) are gang leaders. But they have prior gang-related affiliations,” she said.

Previously, three reputed gang leaders were also arrested.

Thomas also said the Police Department’s “aggressive enforcement” would continue as a way to halt the escalating gang violence. In a 16-day period last month, there were five separate shootings that police attributed to gang violence.

Authorities have said that territorial conflicts between traditional youth gangs and an expanding illegal alien group know as the Lopers have contributed to the recent escalation of gang violence in the city.