Deputies Arrest 20 Teens on Peninsula in Two Incidents

Five youths were arrested while allegedly burglarizing Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes on Sunday night, just hours after 15 other teen-agers armed with shotguns and a rifle were detained while cruising through the city, sheriff’s deputies said.

The arrests in the separate incidents were unusual for the tranquil Palos Verdes Peninsula, particularly since the suspects came from as far away as Lancaster, Koreatown and North Hollywood, sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Sheumaker said.

“They were from all over, and we don’t know what they were doing here,” Detective Don Mihovil said. “We sure would like to find out.”

In the cruising incident, sheriff’s deputies were contacted about 7:30 p.m. by a motorist who reported seeing a gun barrel protruding from a Ford Mustang.

Deputies said that when they pulled over the Mustang and a pickup truck it was following, they found two shotguns, a rifle and ammunition.

Deputies arrested 11 juveniles and four 18-year-olds--Chung Hon Lee of Carson, Steven Song of North Hollywood, Jessie Son of Los Angeles and Hyun Nak Lee of Sun Valley--for various weapons violations. All 15 were released pending filing of formal charges.

Most of the youths were cited for carrying bullets and shotgun shells in their pockets, Mihovil said.

Gang Shorthand

Some of the youths wore T-shirts emblazoned with “T.B.S.,” gang shorthand for a group called “The Boys,” Mihovil said.

There were no reports of shots fired Sunday on the peninsula, and the youths did not explain what they were doing with the guns, deputies said.

Three hours after those arrests, at about 11:15 p.m., deputies responded to a silent alarm at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, where they found five other teen-age boys who apparently had just broken into the chapel’s gift shop, Detective Marty Weirich said.

The five allegedly broke a gift shop window, took a few trinkets and T-shirts and were walking back toward their car in a parking lot when deputies arrived, Weirich said.

One youth carried a pocketful of wet change, a total of $4.05, which Weirich said he pulled from the chapel fountain.

Four juveniles and Hyun Taek Chun, 18, of Koreatown were charged with burglary. The juveniles were being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. Chun posted $2,500 bail and was released pending arraignment.