San Gabriel Valley gang tied to 2 officer deaths is raided by federal authorities, 2 arrested
Federal and local law enforcement agencies carried out a series of raids Wednesday morning targeting a San Gabriel Valley gang tied to the 2022 murders of two El Monte police officers.
Officers Joseph Santana and Michael Paredes responded to a report of a stabbing at the Siesta Inn on June 14, 2022, where Justin Flores was found holed up with his wife.
The officers saved the woman, but were then ambushed and shot to death by Flores, who later shot himself in the head and died.
"While the community mourned, there was one group that actually celebrated these murders (of the officers), and that was the Quiet Village street gang. They Celebrated through posters of the killer, they celebrated through tagging graffiti in honor of the murder and they did all this to further their reputation for intimidation and violence in the community," said US Attorney Martin Estrada.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 10 members and associates of the Quiet Village gang were named in a series of federal indictments stemming from the probe that began with the officers' deaths.
Authorities said two of the 10 named defendants were arrested Wednesday morning, while four others were already in custody in unrelated cases. Four other defendants remain at large.
Several other people were arrested during the morning raids on separate local charges.
"Today, the El Monte Police Department, the FBI and all of our partner agencies told every American we will never stop in the pursuit of justice when the most heinous of crimes are committed that harm our communities," said El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher.
The main indictment announced Wednesday alleges two violations of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization, or RICO, Act. The various indictments also include firearms and narcotics charges against members of the gang, which prosecutors contend is tied to the Mexican Mafia.
The indictments also allege attempted murder of a rival gang member, the death of the woman killed during an effort to kill an informant and the operation of a "casita" that was home to illegal gambling and narcotics operations.
The lead defendant in the case was identified as Chase "Sicko" Carrillo, 34, an alleged gang "shot-caller."
The 2022 killings of El Monte Officers Santana and Paredes has sparked lawsuits filed by the officers' families against the county, alleging mishandling of an earlier criminal case involving Flores that should have resulted him being behind bars.
