Riverside gang injunction issued
Riverside officials announced the county’s first permanent gang injunction Friday, saying gang activity had eroded the community’s ability to enjoy one of its oldest parks.
Patterson Park was once a launching point for future major leaguers such as Dusty Baker, Bobby Bonds and Alvin Davis. But recently, it has become the domain of the East Side Riva gang, marked by killings and threats. “This is a park that has literally been taken over by the East Side Riva,” said Riverside County Dist. Atty. Rod Pacheco. “Those days are gone and will be gone forever.”
Authorities named 114 of the suspected 700 members of the gang, considered the county’s largest, in the injunction. Pacheco said those named have a combined 333 convictions, ranging from murder to assault, and 46 more cases pending. Several rifles and shotguns confiscated during parole searches while authorities served the injunctions were on display during Friday’s news conference.
The injunction prohibits the gang members -- under threat of prosecution -- from loitering in a swath of public areas with others named in the suit, possessing or using alcohol or drugs and disobeying imposed curfews.
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