2 Arrested in Assault, Gang Confrontation

Police arrested two alleged San Fernando gang members Friday after they allegedly chased two rivals into a Chatsworth business and then assaulted two employees of the firm, authorities said.

Jesus Escalante, 18, and a 16-year-old boy, whose name was not released, were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles police said.

The incident began about 1 p.m. when the San Fernando youths were using a pay phone at Lassen Street and De Soto Avenue and two members of a rival Canoga Park gang walked by, Police Officer Bill Vaughan said.

The youths exchanged gang hand signals and then began shouting insults at each other, Vaughan said.

One of the San Fernando youths then pulled out a handgun, pointed it at his rivals and shouted, “I’m going to kill you,” along with a series of obscenities, Vaughan said.

“They ran into a building at 9825 De Soto seeking refuge,” he said. “The gang members followed them and got into a fight with the owners inside.”

The assailants fled when an employee of Federal Manufacturing Corp. pulled out a handgun during the fight, Vaughan said. The two youths, including one who was carrying a handgun, were arrested running down a nearby street, he said.