Police Find Increasing Number of Girls Involved in Gang Crime

Two 15-year-old girls, members of the notorious Hoover Crips street gang, are in custody in connection with two recent South-Central Los Angeles slayings, including the Aug. 23 shooting death of a nurse who refused to give up her purse, police said Wednesday.

The arrests reflect an increase in the number of girls involved in gang-related crimes in South-Central Los Angeles, police said.

“I think that the girls have always hung around with these gang members and are gang members themselves,” said Los Angeles Police Detective John Bunch.

“But what these girls are seeing are their boyfriends coming back from deals saying, ‘Yeah, I rolled on (attacked) the ‘60s’ (a rival gang), and they want to be in on that notoriety.”

The 15-year-olds were arrested Sunday, in connection with the death of Eugene Haskins, 17, a rival gang member, who was shot that day on the sidewalk at 91st and Main streets.

Police said Haskins was shot by a 21-year-old woman, after gang slogans were exchanged. The woman--who is still being sought by police--was in a car with the two juvenile girls and two men. Police would not identify the teen-agers because they are juveniles.

The girls were originally questioned as witnesses, then arrested after police spoke to other witnesses.

On Tuesday, the girls were linked to the Aug. 23 slaying when one of them was identified by a 13-year-old boy--who was also arrested in the shooting--as the person who shot Emma Jean Dorris, 28, when she refused to give up her purse.

Police said a car carrying five youths--including the two girls--pulled up beside Dorris about 11:20 p.m. as she walked past Manual Arts High School on Vermont Avenue, a block and a half from her home. Police said she was on her way to a friend’s house after an argument with her husband.

Three females--the 15-year-olds and a 20-year-old--got out of the car and demanded that she hand over her purse.

“They reached for her purse and she jerked back, then one girl took out a gun from her waistband, pointed the gun and shot her” in the face, said Los Angeles Police Detective Loren Zimmerman.

“I was totally shocked to find out that it was a (girl)” who did the shooting, Zimmerman said. “I assumed it was a male. It’s rare that you see 15-year-old girls going out with large-caliber guns and shooting people.”

But police said it is becoming less rare, as teen-age girls become more involved in gang activity.

“What we’re finding is a trend being developed where women are involved in some of these cases,” Bunch said. “They’re not only the shooters, but also the drivers. Like the case of the officer (Daniel Pratt) being shot; there was a woman driving that car.”

Police Comdr. William Booth said: “It’s not new that females are a part of the gang culture. Historically, we have not had nearly the number of females in violent crimes, but it’s not unheard of.” Police said the girls generally participate voluntarily.

“It’s easier for women to carry weapons because they’re least likely to get searched” by male officers unless it is a serious case where police know a gun is involved, Sgt. John Rice said.

In the Dorris case, two teen-age boys also have been arrested--the 13-year-old who led police to the girls and the alleged driver, 18-year-old Eric Mixon, who police said was found hiding in the attic of his home Monday morning. Police said they were identified by a witness who saw the car fleeing the shooting and recognized the two youths.