Suspects Linked to Gang in Gardena 3 Arrested in Burglaries of Free Clinic, 2 Businesses

Three alleged members of the G 13 gang of Gardena were arrested Tuesday in connection with burglaries at the South Bay Free Clinic and two Harbor Gateway businesses, police said.

Two typewriters, three adding machines and a television set were taken from the free clinic, said Los Angeles Police Detective Herb Maples. Several windows were smashed and about 7,000 files were strewn about.

“They took everything valuable the clinic has for the most part,” said clinic spokesman Craig Jones.

It was the third break-in this year at the nonprofit health care center at 742 W. Gardena Blvd. said Jones, who added that nothing was taken and vandalism was minor in the previous break-ins.

The clinic, which provides general medical services to from 50 to 70 low-income people a day, was closed Tuesday to allow employees to clean up. Patients who showed up at the center were referred to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance or to the center’s main clinic in Manhattan Beach.

The clinic reopened on Wednesday.

Maples said two of suspects were arrested by officers about 1:30 a.m. after they were allegedly seen breaking into a gas station near Figueroa Street and Alondra Boulevard. Their statements to police led to the arrest of a third suspect, Maples said.

Two of those arrested are teen-agers who are on probation for previous burglaries, the detective said. Their names were not released because they are juveniles. The third person was identified as Eusebio Calderon, 20, of Los Angeles. Calderon was in custody Wednesday in lieu of $2,500 bail.

In addition to the gas station, where the suspects are alleged to have taken cigarettes, they are also suspected of breaking into a car wash in the 16000 block of Figueroa Street and taking $60 in cash, Maples said.