SMPD responds to rash of shootings in neighborhood
Police arrested four people and recovered weapons Thursday and Friday in connection to the recent gang-related shootings in an eastside Santa Monica neighborhood.
Santa Monica Police conducted searches at three apartments in Santa Monica, resulting in the arrest of three people.
A fourth suspect, identified as Ashia Boldwar, 20, was arrested separately on a robbery warrant. Police believe he was allegedly involved in one or more of the three shootings that occurred earlier this week and one earlier this month — all within a three-block radius in the Pico neighborhood.
Also on Thursday at about the same time, SMPD arrested Terrence Brown, 23, in front of his residence in the 1800 block of 17th Street. Brown, who police believe was allegedly involved in the shootings, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and outstanding warrants.
After Brown’s arrest, SMPD issued a warrant and searched his apartment, where officers recovered a firearm and about 100 bullets. Brown was booked into the Santa Monica Jail. His bail is set at $53,000.
Santa Monica Police SWAT teams and dozens of other officers descended on one apartment on 17th Street and one on 11th Street early Friday morning, resulting in two arrests.
The first search, which occurred at 7 a.m., resulted in the arrest of Richard DeLa Cruz, 30, who lives at 1963 17th St. He was arrested and charged with probation violation after police found evidence in his apartment that allegedly links him to the recent shootings in the neighborhood. His bail was set at $12,500. Police wouldn’t elaborate on what the evidence was.
The second search occurred about an hour later in the 1400 block of 11th Street, and resulted in the arrest of Richard Hernandez, 19. Police searched Hernandez’s apartment where they found evidence allegedly linking him to the shootings. Hernandez has no bail because he violated his felony probation, police said.
The search
Up to 14 SWAT team members, loaded down with sub machine guns, sidearms, bullet-proof vests, shields and gas masks, descended upon DeLa Cruz’s apartment. After making initial contact with DeLa Cruz inside via telephone, police ordered him, his wife and their 8-year-old son out of the residence.
Tactical officers then secured the apartment so four SMPD detectives could search for weapons and ammunition. Police describe DeLa Cruz as a “subject of interest” in the rash of shootings.
507,SMPD has been gathering intelligence on the locations and their occupants for the past several days as part of its on-going investigation into the shootings that occurred last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. None of the shootings resulted in injuries.
“(SMPD Chief James T. Butts Jr.) wants to make a significant impact here,” said SMPD Deputy Chief Phil Sanchez, who was Friday’s tactical commander. “As a community, we will not tolerate youth violence so he authorizes these types of deployments to show the predators that we won’t tolerate this behavior.”
Before Friday’s searches, more than 40 officers were briefed at 6 a.m. by SMPD Lt. Ray Cooper. SWAT teams were then deployed to a staging area near the locations, where they distributed their tactical gear and prepared for the raids.
A second briefing was conducted at the staging area by Sanchez. Once SWAT teams were set with their gear and instructions, officers shut down 17th Street and surrounded DeLa Cruz’s residence.
Officers called DeLa Cruz’s residence and initially got voice mail. After a second call, DeLa Cruz answered and said he would exit the apartment. After a few minutes, DeLa Cruz, his wife and child came out. They were detained in the alley while SWAT members searched the apartment for additional people.
4F2,“It gives them the opportunity to get out because our main goal of the special entry team is to bring the incident to a peaceful resolution, especially when a child is involved we want to minimize our actions,” said SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega. “Prior to doing this, we always get intelligence on these locations so we aren’t surprised.”
By 7:20 a.m., detectives entered the apartment and searched for weapons and ammunition for about an hour.
In about 90 percent of the search warrants issued by SMPD, police first call the location and allow the occupants a few minutes to surrender.
“The destruction of evidence is not likely to occur... you can’t flush a gun down the toilet,” Fabrega said. “If this was a narcotics search, we wouldn’t be waiting for them to come out.”
The searches involved personnel from three offices of the SMPD, as well as officers regularly assigned to the neighborhood. The operation also included personnel from members of the crisis negotiation team, which remained at the staging area. They stood ready to deploy to either location in case the searches became hostage or barricade situations.
“These are high risk warrants and the subjects may be armed,” Fabrega said. “So we bring ample personnel to anticipate what is going to happen.”
As detectives searched his apartment, DeLa Cruz was questioned by police while his wife and child stood nearby with other officers. The child wore a police jacket to stay warm.
A troubled neighborhood
The Pico neighborhood is part of the city’s eastside and has been plagued with gang violence and drug-dealing for years. Most of the tension is territorial — between the Graveyard Crips and the Santa Monica 17th Street gang — as well as racial. One gang is black, the other Latino.
For the past decade, most of the gang activity has been in a relatively small section of the neighborhood — 17th Street and Michigan Avenue. And many of the gangmembers are youth or young adults who are on parole or probation, police said.
“These parents need to realize that by them not getting involved, their sons and daughters that are involved in gang activity may end up dead,” Fabrega said. “You can’t tell me that these parents don’t know what’s going on.
6FD,“They need to open their eyes and they need to start being parents.”
The latest shooting happened at 5:18 p.m. on Tuesday, when residents called the SMPD to report shots being fired in the alley on the 1800 block of 17th Street.
On Monday at about 4:50 p.m., SMPD responded to a call from residents in the 1900 block of 20th Street, who said they heard shots fired and then saw two black men fleeing the scene in a small vehicle. No other details could be provided by witnesses, police said.
On Sunday, a group of people were shot at in broad daylight at the corner of 17th Street and Michigan Avenue. SMPD officers responded to the call at 1:55 p.m. from residents who reported that a group of men standing at the intersection were the victims of a drive-by shooting.
SMPD officers spoke to several witnesses who said two male Hispanics drove by the group of three or four men and fired several shots. The car, described as late-model Chevy Suburban with alloy rimmed wheels, headed south on 17th Street after the shooting, police said.
Another shooting occurred on May 9 in the 1800 block of 17th Street. At about 9:10 p.m., SMPD officers responded to the area and spoke to the person who reported the shots to police. The witness said at least two shots were fired, but no suspects were seen in the area.
Evidence, including bullet casings, has been recovered from all of the scenes. That evidence will be matched up with what was recovered at the three locations searched Thursday and Friday, police said.
More suspects are being sought in connection with the shootings and SMPD is working closely with Los Angeles County probation officials and state probation authorities.
“They’ve scared a lot of people in the area,” Fabrega said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 24, 2003. Read the original PDF.