Crime & Safety

Monte Vista Violence Slows After Shooting Arrests

Detective Rick Ortiz said it has been a quiet month for violent crimes in Highland Park.

After experiencing a rash of shootings and various other aggravated assaults throughout March and April, LAPD Northeast Division Gang Unit Detective Rick Ortiz reported that its been a peaceful month so far in Highland Park.

Ortiz said the surge of violent crime seems to have been stemmed following the arrest of two known gang members--19-year-old Edwin Celis and 23-year-old Edwin Ramirez--in connection with the shooting of a 13-year-old male on Drew Street in Glassell Park.

The two suspects were arrested on Thursday, April 26--the same day as the shooting.

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"There was an arrest made in that shooting, for some reason since that arrest we haven't had another shooting," Detective Ortiz said. "It's kind of interesting, that sort of violence is something we haven't seen in a while, but we're not sure if there is a correlation."

Ortiz said that LAPD deployed additional manpower to the area following the shooting, including officers from the Metropolitan Division.

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"We had Metropolitan resources last Friday. I don't know how many officers, but the extra presence of officers on the street helped," Ortiz said.

According to Crimemapping.com, 10 incidents of assault with a deadly weapon were reported between North Figueroa Street and Monte Vista Street between March 15 and April 26--the day of the arrest. There was a also a report of gun shots being fired into an apartment unit on April 2. 

Click here to see Patch's reports about gang violence in Highland Park.

Ortiz said with the reduction in violent crime, officers will "go back to what [they] normally do."

"Things have quieted down, so we go back to what we normally do. We know where the hot spots are--Highland park, Drew Street--different areas that have been busy in the past," Ortiz said. "We just kind of keep our eyes on that and keep our fingers crossed."


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