Guard Peacekeepers Also Included a Few Troublemakers : Discipline: A traffic accident and a robbery charge are added to the usual AWOL cases and military misdemeanors.

Thousands of National Guard members poured into Los Angeles as peacekeepers, but a few turned out to be troublemakers.

The offenses range from a robbery and hate crime at an El Monte convenience market to a Humvee vs. Mercedes fender-bender on the San Diego Freeway.

In addition, 13 Guard members are under investigation for being AWOL and a handful of soldiers are facing disciplinary action for offenses best seen as military misdemeanors.

“That would include being found asleep on duty,” said Maj. Alex Devorkin, an attorney with the Guard’s Judge Advocate General’s office. “In view of the circumstances, that is a touchy and sensitive offense.

“The rest would be insubordination, telling a superior officer: ‘You can take this job and shove it.’ ”

Devorkin said the most serious charge leveled against a soldier on active duty involves Guardsman Frank Mendoza, 26, of Azusa.

According to El Monte police, Mendoza was on a 24-hour pass from his Coliseum staging area Tuesday afternoon. Although not carrying a weapon or riot gear, Mendoza was dressed in camouflage fatigues.

“He was kind of drunk when he walks into this 7-Eleven on Peck Road,” reported Police Lt. Ken Jeske. “He gets some chips, dips and a hot dog and says (to the clerk): ‘I am U.S. Army and I don’t want anyone to stop me. Especially you, you (expletive) Iranian.’ ”

Mendoza then threw the food on the counter and walked out. The clerk, Sukhpal Sing, who is from India, called police and Mendoza was arrested a block from the store.

Mendoza was charged with robbery and a hate crime, and was jailed pending a preliminary hearing.

Guard attorney Devorkin said it was likely that Mendoza’s prosecution and punishment would be left to civilian authorities.

Incidents of AWOL Guard members, he continued, are still under investigation. Some soldiers may actually have abandoned their units. But others may be victims of communications failure who, in the haste of mobilization, could not be contacted to report for duty.

Depending on circumstances, Devorkin added, punishments could vary: “These, quote, dirty, rotten scoundrels, unquote, could be incarcerated in local jails or face non-judicial punishment . . . a fine, reduction in rank, an oral reprimand, extra duties. Or an administrative discharge.”

For several thousand law-abiding Guard members, Wednesday was the first day of the rest of their mobilization. After two weeks of street duty in Los Angeles, they were sent back to their home armories, where they will remain at least through today. They were returned home under Gov. Pete Wilson’s order to demobilize 4,000 of the 10,000 citizen soldiers in the city.

The runway at Los Alamitos Reserve Center was busy Wednesday as California Air Guard C-130 transport aircraft landed and took off, carrying weary soldiers back to armories in Alameda, San Jose, Modesto, Salinas and Fresno.

“Yes, it was worth it, and I’d do it again if called up,” said Sgt. James Moore, 22, of Orland. “People relied on us. And we came together and worked like a good team.”

Other departing Guard members expressed concerns for the future.

“We heard a lot of talk on the streets when we were there,” said Cpl. Bill Reed, a police officer in the Northern California town of Weed. “These guys would walk by and tell us: ‘Hey, when you guys leave, we’re going to go again.’ ”

Times staff writer Nieson Himmel contributed to this story.