Fullerton : 9 Detained in Police Gang Patrol at Club

Fullerton police detained nine suspected gang members early Friday for investigation of alleged weapon violations and warned off scores of other youths near a popular nightclub that recently has been the scene of violence.

Ten officers patrolled the parking lot and inside the Diamond Restaurant and Dancing club in an operation that began late Thursday night, said Sgt. Joe Klein, head of the Police Department’s gang unit.

Capt. Lee DeVore said the Police Department had the full cooperation of the club’s management in the operation.

According to a city business license, the operators of the club are Bill Lam Nguyen and Bernard Khai Tran. Repeated attempts to talk with the owners or managers of the club were unsuccessful.

“The majority of the people go there to enjoy the music and the dancing,” Klein said. “Unfortunately, a very small percentage are gang members, and those small percentage cause a great amount of violence and potential danger in the community.”

Last weekend a man was shot and wounded in the club’s parking lot by alleged gang members. The weekend before, a man was arrested after allegedly threatening patrons inside the club with a handgun. On another August weekend, a man was shot to death after leaving the club.

During the patrol operation, police cited Huy Namsinh, 18, of Santa Ana on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a concealed and loaded weapon.

Police also detained the occupants of a second car a few minutes later, Klein said. John Vu Le, 18, of Garden Grove and a 16-year-old boy from Stanton were arrested on suspicion of possession of a concealed and loaded weapon in a vehicle.

Klein said he and other officers arrived at the club around 9 p.m. Thursday and stayed in the area until 1 a.m. Friday.

“We noted many cars that came into the lot and immediately turned around and left,” he said.