CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES COUNTY

More than 50 people were arrested Wednesday in a massive sweep of taggers in the San Gabriel Valley and southeast Los Angeles County, said Sheriff Lee Baca. Authorities also seized weapons, narcotics and tools used for tagging.

During the early morning sweeps led by sheriff’s deputies, 51 people were arrested for a variety of crimes, including weapons and drug possession, while probation or parole violations were discovered at the homes of 36 others, officials said. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said they were not at home but are now being sought by authorities

County social workers also took nine children into protective custody as the massive task force raided 174 locations looking for parole and probation violations by known offenders. Whitmore said those targeted were “gang members with a history of vandalism.”

-- Richard Winton