Gang Troubles Force Rink to End Thursday Skating Parties

Recurring gang-related troubles at a Reseda roller rink have forced cancellation of popular Thursday-night skating parties, which draw crowds of up to 500 young adults, because, the rink manager said, he can no longer guarantee their safety.

The cancellation was prompted by violence early Friday morning that started when about 30 people thought to be gang members congregated in the parking lot, Los Angeles police said. The youths dispersed when a police car drove by, then engaged in a car chase and shooting on the San Diego Freeway, police said.

Witnesses said the youths began shouting gang slogans at about 12:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Sherman Square Entertainment Center at 18430 Sherman Way. Several reportedly began to fight and shots were fired, but apparently there were no injuries on the property, police said.

When a police car entered the lot, the youths fled onto the freeway.

Two men and a 17-year-old boy were injured in a freeway shooting, which police believe occurred as the cars raced south between the Moraga Drive and Wilshire Boulevard off-ramps.

The names of the three injured and the hospitals at which they were treated were not released because police fear gang retaliation against the victims and other members of their gangs. The shooting victims are all from South-Central Los Angeles, police said.

The two men, 21 and 19, were still hospitalized Friday in stable condition. The 17-year-old was treated and released, police reported.

No arrests have been made in the shootings, which are being investigated by the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit of the West Valley Division.

Charles Siegmund, manager of the Reseda rink for 19 years, said the incident was the last straw in a series of recent gang-related problems, including drug dealing, fights and car thefts. He decided Friday to stop the weekly skating parties for those 18 and over, he said, because “I don’t want to jeopardize anyone’s safety.”

“I don’t like to do this, but I want to keep this place safe,” Siegmund said. “In the past three or four months, things have been getting out of hand. . . .

“We have one of the largest skate crowds around, college kids. Ninety-eight percent are nice people. Unfortunately, 2% are troublemakers and, when the gangs start showing up, there are problems.”

Siegmund said the crowd is made up predominantly of young blacks who come from as far away as Pomona, Inglewood and Long Beach to skate.

“A lot of girls come here because they feel safe, I guess,” he said. “I want to keep it that way. I don’t know much about gangs, but unfortunately they want to take over and make this their territory, but I’m not going to let it happen.”

Peddling Began in Summer

Police said members of Los Angeles gangs began gathering in the parking lot of the rink in early summer, attempting to sell drugs. In an undercover operation in June, police arrested three people allegedly selling drugs to an officer and another five who police said were carrying concealed weapons.

“All of a sudden the gangs showed up and started invading the place, making life miserable for everyone else,” said Lt. Bill Gaida.

Although police did not have statistics available on the number of arrests at the rink attributed to gang members, Gaida said incidents of car thefts and drug dealing have increased.

Siegmund said he will either reserve Thursday nights for private skating parties or turn them into membership nights, when only registered members of a private club will be allowed to enter. On other weeknights the rink is used for private teen dances, “Christian skating night,” and bingo, he said.