Crime & Safety

Update: Three Gang Members Arrested in Friday Night Shootout

The three suspects are members of a local gang.

Three members of a local street gang were arrested on Friday evening following a shootout on North Figueroa Street and Avenue 55 which injured one bystander, according to LAPD Northeast Detective Rick Ortiz.

The bystander, who was sitting inside his home, was struck in the arm during the shootout. He was listed as being stable condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital as of this weekend.

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On Saturday, Sergeant Edward Perez of LAPD Northeast told Patch that no arrests were made, despite a post on the division's Facebook page stating that the suspects had been brought into custody.

Speaking to Patch on Monday morning, Det. Ortiz clarified that the three gang members had been arrested that night.

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"We arrested one of the suspects at the scene and tracked down the other two at another location," he said.

According to Ortiz, the three suspects were standing on the corner of Avenue 55 and North Figueroa Street. According to a report given by the two security guards to police, the suspects were "drinking and flashing gang signs at passing vehicles," Det. Ortiz said.

"The security guards drove by suspects in a vehicle, at which point one of the suspects pulled a gun on the security guards," Det. Ortiz said.

Ortiz said police still didn't know who fired first, or whose bullet was responsible for striking the bystander.

"We don't have that information yet," Det. Ortiz said.

Det. Ortiz said police do not know which firm employed the security guards, but said they were responsible for driving along Figueroa and "looking after the businesses."

He added that the security guards had not been charged with any crime.

"Based on what we've been told, it appears they were acting in self defense," Det. Ortiz said.


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