Authorities arrested a half-dozen suspects Thursday in connection with an alleged 18-month series of gang-related offenses, including murder, in Barrio Logan.
The individuals allegedly committed the crimes as part of a protection racket that siphoned money from businesses in Barrio Logan.
The crimes – involving demands for money backed by threats of assault, burglary and vandalism – have “caused great fear” for storefront proprietors and their employees in the 1900 to 2200 blocks of Logan Avenue, according to a statement from the San Diego Police Department.
The arrests of the six unnamed individuals took place during a search warrant sweep at 16 unidentified locations.
“During the investigation, gang detectives and San Diego County District Attorney gang prosecutors learned that, in addition to the extortion to the local businesses, there were also physical assaults to (visitors to) Chicano Park, drug violations and the illegal possession of weapons,” SDPD officials said.
The alleged incidents, which led to 130 calls for police service, include two homicides and16 other violent crimes, as well as 11 burglaries – losses exceeded $100,000 – and four acts of vandalism.
Law enforcement officials believe that “there may be more cases associated with this investigation, but (that) victims may not want to report them due to fear of retaliation.”
Capt. Manny Del Toro told reporters Thursday afternoon that investigators “reached out” for potential information from 54 jail and prison inmates.
“And the reason we did this is because we believe this potentially has ties to organized crime,” he said at a briefing outside downtown SDPD headquarters.
The suspects, he said, initially would “befriend” their targets, acting “non-threatening, welcoming them to the community.
“But over time, the local gang members … would start to cause problems for the businesses, such as loitering out in front … (leaving) trash, (committing) vandalism to these businesses.”
Eventually, an “opportunistic” gang member would approach the victims and suggest that they join a “protection program” for $200 a month to ensure that “they would not be bothered,” Del Toro said. But if they didn’t pay, he explained, “the business would get vandalized” or “burglarized.”
Personnel from the SDPD, county sheriff’s and probation departments, state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and federal Drug Enforcement Administration worked together to serve the search warrants, police said.
Updated 6:50 p.m. Sept. 12, 2024
