700 Seized in Gang Sweep; 2 More Die in Shootings

A police task force completed a weekend sweep of Los Angeles gang territories Sunday, arresting more than 700 people in a highly publicized campaign that authorities said has cut the number of gang-related murders in the city by 22%.

But despite the presence of hundreds of officers taking part in “Operation Hammer,” two more people were killed and five others were wounded as a result of gang violence. The latest crackdown occurred in South-Central Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

In Sun Valley, one man died and another was hospitalized in a drive-by shooting that occurred shortly after police withdrew from the area.

“The shooting occurred three minutes after we went home,” said Sgt. Michael McKean of the North Hollywood Division.

Shots Fired From Car

McKean said four men riding in a red Chevrolet Nova fired several shots into a group of people standing on Vineland Avenue.

Jose Lopez Maldonado, also known as Juan Romero, 22, of Van Nuys, was killed at the scene at 2 a.m. Sunday. Another victim, Mario Antonio Urbina Figueroa, 24, of Sun Valley, was hospitalized in stable condition.

“There have been prior drive-by shootings at this location and it appears this was gang-related,” McKean said. But he added that he did not know if the victims were gang members.

In South-Central Los Angeles, authorities said Marvin Christy, 16, was killed and a 17-year-old boy was wounded near 89th Street and Avalon Boulevard. Investigators said the shooting occurred at 9:30 p.m. Saturday and possibly stemmed from a drug deal.

In another attack, three men were wounded in a drive-by shooting while standing on a corner in South Los Angeles at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The men, including at least one suspected gang member, were in stable condition at County-USC Medical Center, police said.

Police spokesman Lt. Fred Nixon said each new incident of gang violence “strengthens our resolve” to fight the violence by deploying the task force.

Nixon said that during the first eight months of this year, 143 people died in gang-related violence in Los Angeles, compared to 144 during the same period last year. But in the six months since the task force has been in operation, Nixon added, the number of gang-related murders has fallen 22%.

“We think that’s pretty dramatic,” the lieutenant said.

The police sweeps have grown to as large as 1,000 officers on some nights. This weekend, 240 officers were deployed each night in South-Central Los Angeles and 150 others were dispatched in the San Fernando Valley.

Nixon said more than 500 people were taken into custody in South-Central Los Angeles and another 200 were arrested in the Valley during the current sweep.

Of the 18,000 people arrested in the six months that the task force has operated, Nixon said, “just over half are gang related.”