Raids Seize 5 in Brutal Beating by Bike Thieves : Crime: An Anaheim father trying to recover his son’s property was viciously attacked by a pack of gang toughs. More than 50 outraged police bring suspects in.

In early morning raids Tuesday, police arrested five alleged gang members suspected of brutally beating a man who tried to retrieve his son’s stolen bicycle.

More than 50 police converged on seven houses at 6:30 a.m. and confiscated baseball bats and clubs believed to have been used in the assault. Also seized were loaded firearms, clothing possibly stained with blood and a bicycle that matched the description of the one stolen from the victim’s 12-year-old boy.

Jose I. Perez-Reveles, 39, of Anaheim was attacked Sept. 24 near George Washington Community Center by a group of eight to 10 people wielding baseball bats, clubs and metal pipes. One of his attackers was armed with a handgun, police said.

Anaheim Police Lt. Marc Hedgpeth said many officers are especially motivated to solve this case because of the circumstances of the attack on Perez-Reveles.

“Nobody was complaining about getting up early to do this (raid),” Hedgpeth said. “This was a brutal beating. (Perez-Reveles) didn’t do anything. . . . He is a true victim.”

In an interview from his hospital bed, Perez-Reveles said he was happy that some of his alleged assailants had been captured.

“I can’t believe there are people out there that would do things like this,” he said through an interpreter. “These type of people are not a benefit to the community.”

On the day of the attack, Perez-Reveles said, he was only trying “to find out for myself that my son’s bike was stolen. . . . It was his pride and joy. He rode it to school.”

The Anaheim man said his son, Jorge, would always buy new parts for his blue beach cruiser and took great care of it. “I told him not to buy any good things for the bike because the cholos (gang members) would see them and be tempted to do something to you.”

After his son told him that a gang member had slapped his face and took his bicycle, Perez-Reveles said, he and his brother-in-law drove over to the park to find the bike.

Upon getting out of his car, Perez-Reveles said, he was confronted by eight to 10 gang members, one of whom said he was the “ jefe ,” or chief of the gang.

At that point, Perez and his brother-in-law tried to run away, he said. After three or four blocks however, Perez-Reveles was caught. The “ jefe “ then hit him in the face with a metal pipe, Perez-Reveles said. The force of the blow ripped open his face and knocked him to the ground. When he tried to get back on his feet he was struck on his back, he said. After that, he remained on the ground and was repeatedly struck.

When police arrived, they found him battered and bloody, laying in the middle of the street. His 1968 Chevrolet Malibu had also been smashed by clubs.

Perez-Reveles was taken to a nearby hospital with multiple injuries, including a broken nose and thumb, a punctured lung, a lacerated right eye and numerous cuts and bruises. Doctors are unsure if he will regain his normal vision.

“He was hit so hard that officers could see into his sinus cavity and behind his eye,” Hedgpeth said.

Police have requested that the hospital not be identified, fearing a possible gang retaliation. Perez-Reveles, the father of four who works as a produce packager in Orange, also worries about being attacked again. Nonetheless, he agreed to have his picture taken to “show everyone things like this happen.”

Arrested were Juan Carlos Suarez, 19, on suspicion of attempted murder; Leonard Suarez, 20, for a probation violation, and Victor Moraza, 20, for brandishing a firearm. Two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were also arrested but their names were not released. They were held on probation violation and suspicion of armed robbery charges, respectively. All of the suspects are from Anaheim and all are in custody.