VENTURA : Homes Searched for Links to Gangs

Law enforcement personnel searched the residences of 10 suspected gang members in Ventura Wednesday, looking for evidence of gang affiliation in a Santa Barbara slaying, authorities said.

Last week, police searched the Ventura residences of five suspects arrested after the Aug. 5 stabbing death of Robert Mitchum, 16, of Santa Barbara, said Santa Barbara Deputy Police Chief Jacque McCoy.

Arrested were Benjamin Huerta, 18; Gregory Lawrence Dominguez, 19; Ricardo Cervantes, 20, and two boys, ages 15 and 16, not identified because they are juveniles. The five are reputed members of a Ventura street gang.

The five are being held without bail, although a bail reduction hearing has been scheduled Friday in Santa Barbara.

The stabbing occurred on State Street on the first night of Santa Barbara’s popular Old Spanish Days Fiesta, after an exchange of shouts and gang gestures. The attack occurred within sight of patrolling police officers.

The search Wednesday was conducted without incident by more than 50 officers from Santa Barbara and Ventura police departments, the district attorney’s offices from both counties and the Ventura County Probation Department.

Detectives were looking for evidence that would link the five suspects in custody to a street gang, allowing prosecutors to file additional charges under the Street Terrorism, Enforcement and Prevention Act, McCoy said.

They found newspaper articles involving gang activities, as well as photographs, rosters, clothing and clubs that implicated the suspects in gang activities, said Santa Barbara Police Lt. John Thayer.

“It appears that they were collecting news accounts of their criminal acts to document their roles,” Thayer said.

No arrests were made in connection with the evidence sweep, which was conducted at 7 a.m. Thursday, he said.

Neither the identities nor addresses of the residences searched were released.