8 Held in Series of Shootings; Military Weapons Are Seized : Gangs: Police on stakeout in Panorama City make the arrests. A night-vision rifle sight may tie suspects to recent sniper fire on a patrol car.

Los Angeles police arrested eight people--including two U.S. Marines--Friday in connection with a series of gang-related shooting incidents in Panorama City and recovered weapons that may have been stolen from the military, including a night-vision rifle sight.

The discovery of the sophisticated telescope sight made the eight suspects in a Wednesday sniper attack on a police car in Panorama City, police said.

The suspects, seven men ages 18 to 21 and a 17-year-old Chatsworth girl, were being held without bail after their arrests early Friday, Deputy Chief Mark A. Kroeker said at a news conference.

The arrests followed a series of drive-by shootings at the home of Shapoor Kajar, whose son, Kanon Kajar, 20, is believed to be a member of a rival gang targeted by the eight because of a drug-related dispute, police said.

After shots were fired into his home in the 16000 block of Tupper Street near Gloria Avenue from passing cars on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Shapoor Kajar sought help from police, Kroeker said.

Seven officers on a stakeout at the home saw a car drive by slowly and return, and a shot then was fired from the auto into the Kajar home.

Police followed the car a few blocks to a house used by the gang in the 9300 block of Burnet Avenue.

There police arrested driver Brian Kinsler, 20, of Sepulveda and passenger Peter Dougherty 18, of Northridge on suspicion of attempted murder.

At the house, Jason Bautista, 20, of Thousand Oaks, and Van Doan Nguyen, 20, of Los Angeles also were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Pansit Charupoon, 21, of Arleta, Steven Tunstill, 21, of Coronado and Brian Schofield, 20, of Sepulveda were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

The 17-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of making a terrorist threat.

Tunstill and Schofield are on leave from the Marine Corps detachment at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado, police said.

Marine Lt. Kevin Potts at the air station declined to comment on the arrests or release information on the two suspects.

Another officer in the same detachment, who asked not to be named, said Tunstill is a lance corporal assigned to a security detail.

Four weapons--a sawed-off shotgun, a mini-14 assault rifle, a .22-caliber handgun and a 9-millimeter handgun--and an assortment of ammunition were recovered, police said.

A rifle telescope designed to be used at night was also found, police said.

Police spokesman Dennis Zine said the night scope led police to believe the gang may have some connection to the sniper who fired two shots Wednesday night into a patrol car in the 8500 block of Willis Avenue in Panorama City, apparently from the roof of an apartment building as two officers stood nearby.

“We wonder if a night scope was used in the sniper attack,” he said. “We haven’t definitely linked the incidents, but there may be a connection.”

Police also said Shapoor Kajar has an unrelated lawsuit pending against the Los Angeles Police Department over an alleged illegal search of the Tupper Avenue residence for evidence linking his son to gang and drug activity.