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"This investigation has been an unqualified success," Hanna said in a statement. The hole, 3 feet by 5 feet by 10 inches deep, was first discovered about 4 p.m. Wednesday near mile marker 2.92 along Big Tujunga Canyon Road, near Sunland. On March 6, 2017, according to the indictment, the rival gang member was abducted, choked, and driven to a remote location in the Angeles National Forest, where six people attacked him with a machete. The reason for the victims punishment, according to authorities: He crossed out MS-13 graffiti. June 28, 2019 / 9:45 AM This is a place for fellow hikers and backpackers in Southern California to A month later, another victim, identified as G.B., was struck on the back of the head with a pistol and hacked to death with a machete, according to the court filing. U.S. Forest Service employees were clearing debris about 10:30 a.m. when they found the body alongside Angeles Crest Highway, near mile marker 31, Deputy Armando Viera Jr. of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Information Bureau said in a written statement. We were hiking and found a half dug hole with a Pip-boy at the head of it, and realized there was a dead dog in . When the two children did not return there was a massive search launched of the area by a joint force of police and Navy personnel, as well as hundreds of volunteers, who scoured the wilderness looking for any sign of them, but after days of searching they were only able to recover Brendas bicycle and Donalds jacket, which were found near Morris Dam, around a quarter-mile away from where they had last been seen. Skeletal remains of Pandelios were found in a shallow grave in the forest in March, 1993. Authorities say Kevin Wolfe Pochter shot and killed Dean Ron. 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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) Nearly two dozen Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members who operate in the San Fernando Valley have been charged with a series of ruthless murders, some of which involved hacking people to death with machetes in the Angeles National Forest. One defendant in that case Sergio Alexander Galindo, also known as Killer remains a fugitive. Gerardo Alvarado and Bryan Alberto Ordones used a fake Facebook profile, purporting to belong to a girl, to lure another alleged victim to Angeles National Forest, according to the indictment. on official, secure websites. MS-13 members are escorted by National Police officers in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on February 19, 2021. On the day of the murder, one of the suspects, Walter Chavez Larin, sent a message to another gang member over Facebook Messenger, authorities said. The Angeles National Forest is an urban national forest in the center of an ever-changing population and provides a place for surrounding communities to experience solitude, quiet, and enjoy unique recreation opportunities. Arcadia, CA 91006 Another victim, identified in court papers as J.S., was believed by the Fulton clique to be a rival gang member whod crossed out the cliques graffiti. The remains of Cindy Lee Hudspeth, the 10th Hillside Strangler victim, were found there. The federal RICO case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joanna Curtis of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Deputy District Attorneys Eric W. Siddall and Carmelia Mejia, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorneys who have been designated as Special Assistant United States Attorneys. Some victims are never found. Officials believe the gang is attempting to establish a foothold by directly challenging rival gangs in the area.. The buried remains of Sobek, 27, were discovered in November 1995 in the twisting trails and plunging canyons of the Angeles National Forest, 25 miles north of Los Angeles. In a March 6, 2017 killing, five members of the Fulton clique choked a rival gang member in the river wash at Fulton Avenue and Vanowen Street, then kidnapped him and threw him into their car, prosecutors say in the indictment. The U.S. Department of Justice considers MS-13 to be one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations with a presence in the country, and the gang is often referenced by President Trump when he calls for stronger immigration enforcement. But the indictment also details how those charged also used horrific violence to control members, protect territory and intimidate rivals. He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America. Rene Compean of Palmdale was reported missing . Just Wednesday, the coroner and homicide detectives were probing a shallow grave found in the forest near Sunland. United States Attorneys Office It's where most of the things happen.". When the boy had just about reached the camp, the supervisor turned to continue on with the other kids, but Bruce never did reach his destination. (909) 450-2700. When Government Agencies Secretly Work in the Field of the Supernatural and the Occult, About That Time Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Supposedly Saw Aliens on the Moon. Images showed the alleged gang members posing with weapons and in gang attire, and some of the pictures were taken close to the murder scenes and body dump sites. On February 29, 1992, a dedicated off-road enthusiast, who we'll call Jeff, was exploring a campground area in the Angeles National Forest when his curiosity led him into a mystery. More Controversy on the Roswell Affair: An Alien Accident? Family members of the victim spoke at Tuesday's. A resident of the Westside of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for using websites and apps such as Snapchat to meet and entice children to engage A South Bay man who along with three other accomplices victimized a 15-year-old girl by creating sexually explicit videos of her has been sentenced to 220 months in Central District of California SoCal man convicted of rape, molestation attacks, Weekend clouds make way for sunshine by midweek, CA awaits key decisions from reparations task force, LAPD looking for autistic man last seen in downtown, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Ducks assistant coach diagnosed with melanoma, LAPD searching for driver in fatal San Pedro hit-and-run, 1 killed amid turbulence event on business jet, Grizzlies Morant to miss Clippers, Lakers games, Festival of Whales returns to Dana Point Harbor, AlienCon attracting space enthusiasts to Pasadena, Folks near Jack Daniels facility see whiskey fungus. A game warden with the Department of Fish and Wildlife on patrol in the area of Upper Big Tujunga Road and Colby Ranch Road discovered a man's partially decomposed body hidden in a large brush area of the forest Sunday, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. 701 N. Santa Anita Ave. According to the indictment, each murder was committed for the purpose of gaining entry to and maintaining an increasing position in MS-13 Los Angeles.. While there, the gang members beat the boy to death, according to prosecutors. It was unclear whether Mendez had retained an attorney. 22 suspected members of MS-13 charged in, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 22 suspected members of MS-13 charged in Angeles National Forest machete murders, Valley Glen park shooting, LA man arrested, suspected ofcarjackinga vehicle in Corona and firing shots at police during pursuit, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, McOsker introduces motion to speed up 911 call response in Los Angeles, 7 house fires prompt fears about gas meters buried in snow. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Federal and local authorities on Tuesday announced a racketeering indictment against 22 alleged members of the notorious MS-13 gang, 16 of whom are accused in the murders. Edwards death was not the end of the investigation for the many people, both with the police department and independent researchers, who firmly believe in light of the evidence that he was responsible for the mysterious vanishings of Howell, Baker, Bowman, and Kremer, and they continue to research it. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice), U.S. prosecutors said MS-13 members tagged numerous structures at Whitsett Sports Park in Valley Glen with graffiti in an attempt to control the park, according to an indictment against 22 members of the gang for racketeering and murder charges released July 16, 2019. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice). website belongs to an official government organization in the Federal prosecutors unsealed a grand jury indictment on Tuesday bringing the total number of defendants named to 31 after four more arrests were made this week in the case that has focused on the gangs more extreme Fulton clique subset, according to the Department of Justice. Heres what we know, Governors declaration allows Los Angeles County to get reimbursed, location of one of the other murders outlined in the indictment, the Jan. 14 killing of a homeless man, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. These cases would remain complete enigmas, with no new leads or evidence turned up until March 6, 1970, when a man named Mack Ray Edwards, 51, walked into the Los Angeles Police Departments Foothill Station and calmly confessed to sexually abusing and killing 6 children between the years of 1953 and 1970, with two of the names he mentioned being the missing Brenda Howell and Donald Baker. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Suspect arrested after 6 stabbed in downtown L.A. Commission blasts former sheriff on alleged deputy, 3 arrested for nearly $1 million in stolen student, Over $38M stolen from low-income SoCal families, Newport Beach home dangling after cliffside collapse, Carjacking suspect shot in wild chase in L.A. County, High-speed rail from L.A. to Vegas: What we know, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The victim was dismembered, and his body parts were thrown into a canyon after one of the defendants allegedly cut the heart out of the victims body. Five of the victims named in the indictment were allegedly killed with machetes or knives, while six others were allegedly shot to death. Five of the seven killings outlined in a new indictment involved the victims' bodies being dumped in Angeles National Forest, according to court documents. M-F 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Prosecutors have not said whether they intend to seek it. Tuesdays indictment detailed allegations of the killings, as well as hundreds of others crimes, including numerous attempted murders and assaults, by 22 suspected members of MS-13. When many of those original members were deported back to El Salvador, the gang proliferated in Central America, prosecutors say. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is always willing to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure public safety, said Sheriff Alex Villanueva. When detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office became aware of the discovery, they worked with Los Angeles County agencies to identify the remains as Houston Auer. The indictment also contains allegations that the six VICAR murders were committed in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner in that [they] involved torture or serious physical abuse to the victim. The 16 defendants charged in relation to those six murders are eligible for the federal death penalty, although the government has not indicated whether it will seek such a sentence for any of the defendants if they are convicted. Spokesperson/Public Affairs Officer In one case, a rival gang member was dismembered and his heart was carved out, U.S. District Attorney Nick Hanna said in a news conference Tuesday. If this was the work of Edwards, then he was very good at what he did to so decisively time his crimes and abduct these children practically in full view of witnesses. Sixteen charged in connection with six murders charged as violent crimes committed in aid of racketeering are eligible for the death penalty, but federal prosecutors have not made a determination as to whether to seek the penalty if those people are convicted, the U.S. attorney's office said. San Dimas Sheriff's Station. Working with our local partners, we expect to impact MS-13s influence in gang-occupied communities., The greatest tragedy in these cases is that these young victims likely left their homelands hopeful that in the United States they would find safety and prosperity, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna at a news conference in Los Angeles on March 25, 2019. a 2018 report by the Congressional Research Service. They found 34-year-old Bradley Hanaway sleeping on the ground. The Angeles National Forest Fuels Program mission is to manage fuels at the landscape scale to restore and maintain fire-resilient landscapes that are compatible with their historical fire return interval, a core goal of the Cohesive Strategy. It also sponsors and manages a small number of internships for local newspapers, online news publications and radio stations. Just outside Los Angeles, nearly seven hundred thousand acres of wilderness covers the sprawling Angeles National Forest. The murders were dubbed the Hillside Strangler killings because in nearly all of the cases, the victims nude bodies were dumped along Los Angeles-area hillsides. Six of the slayings described in the indictment unsealed Tuesday were committed to join or advance within the Fulton clique, authorities said. Was it someone else? Kraft, a graduate of prestigious Claremont Mens College, was convicted in 1989 of committing 16 murders. AFP via Getty Images Nine additional MS-13 gang members have been charged in a spate of. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This investigation has been an unqualified success. Eighteen had been apprehended over the last year on a range of federal and state charges, authorities said. Last month, the LAPD arrested several suspected members of the gang as part of a broader investigation into a series of violent events in North Hollywood, including the slaying of Hanaway, the homeless man staying in Whitsett Fields Park. US diplomat claimed it was 'safe' to travel to Kabul airpo Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, I'm a professional cleaner ditch these 4 household products immediately, Tom Sandoval speaks out on Raquel Leviss affair: I deserve your anger, Shoeless Ariana Madix awkwardly tries to avoid cheating Tom Sandoval, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Inside Scheana Shay, Raquel Leviss' 'heated confrontation' about Tom Sandoval affair. Jackie Lacey said. It can only be accomplished through the shared vision of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners.. Later that night, three Fulton clique members arrived at the sports park with a gun. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. "So, as you can see, they are preying on their own community and that's what we're here to stop," he said. Four people were killed in the Angeles National Forest by members of the Fulton clique wielding machetes, baseball bats and knives, the indictment alleges. MS-13 is a dead end, and it shouldnt be a part of your decision-making process.. If convicted as charged, some of the suspects could be eligible for the death penalty. The key difference between MS-13s traditional Los Angeles program and MS-13s Salvadoran program was that the Salvadoran program required a prospective member to have committed at least one homicide before becoming a [full-fledged member].. Many had recently immigrated from El Salvador and Honduras. 312 North Spring Street Explore and help protect this 700,000-acre wonderland! Edwin Isaac Mendez, who had taken pictures of the mutilated body, was given the name Predator after taking part in the killing, the indictment says. But instead they met their demise quickly at the hands of gang members who preyed upon them.. PEARBLOSSOM A 45-year-old hiker who was reported missing after texting a friend that he was lost in the Angeles National Forest was found Tuesday. However, their stories often are. He was just gone, and it was as if he had stepped off the face of the earth, leaving police utterly baffled. "The collaborative law enforcement effort solved several murder cases and dealt a severe blow to members of the gang who engaged in acts of brutality not seen in the region for over 20 years.". There are not that many human remains found in remote areas, certainly not any more than found in any other areas, said Detective Gerry Biehn of the Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau. The victim, identified as G.B.,, was driven by Alvarado and Ordones into the forest, where three other MS-13 affiliates were waiting, the indictment says. Elvira Moreno Valencia, the 33-year-old West Covina woman who was her legal guardian, told authorities that she had gotten carried away while disciplining the girl. The only possible clue in the case came 2 weeks after the inexplicable vanishing, when an eerie anonymous letter arrived at the Bowman family home claiming that the boy was still alive and in the company of an unidentified adult male, and yet another letter would say that he was living in Oklahoma, but it is unclear if these were genuine leads or not, and they ultimately led absolutely nowhere. Your national forests hold the evidence of more than 10,000 years of human history. Nineteen of the defendants are currently scheduled for trial on September 24. The Fulton clique is accused of primarily operating from Whitsett Sports Park in Valley Glen, the location of one of the other murders outlined in the indictment, the Jan. 14 killing of a homeless man. (CBS2), Another was a homeless man who was shot and killed. Seated in front of his laptop, Rodney Alcala representing himself listened as the prosecutor provided graphic details of the murders of four women and a. Cameron Lykins, was arrested on suspicion of his murder last month. We've received your submission. On July 12, 1960, Bruce was allegedly hiking with some other children and an adult supervisor around 300 yards from camp when he became tired and was sent back to rest at camp, which was still within site. The expanded indictment was unsealed just before scheduled arraignments for three of the new defendants, all of whom were arrested in the LA area. In the mid-1990s, Mara Salvatrucha became associated with the Mexican Mafia and added the number 13 to its name, as M is the 13th letter of the alphabet. Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancers first intellectual loves. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at . The 78-page indictment charges all but one of the 22 defendants with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. In October 2017, two MS-13 members lured a 16-year-old boy to Lake Balboa Park, where other members took him to a part of the Angeles National Forest just north of San Fernando. Los Angeles, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. Hanna said that many of the people indicted are "extremely young" only three of the 22 named in the indictment are older than 24 and many came into the country within the last four years. The targets of their violence were also young newcomers to the U.S., authorities said. Many of the victims are also recent immigrants to the U.S., Hanna said. MS-13 was named a transnational gang in 2012 during the administration of President Barack Obama. Los Angeles, California 90012. Here unsolved mysteries, vanishings, and deaths haunt the landscape and hold evasive clues that continue to perplex and baffle. Cause of death is unknown.. Before joining the Southern California News Group in Aug. 2018, Jonah worked at ABC7, freelanced for Voice of San Diego, and interned at The San Diego Union-Tribune. When it was realized that he was missing just minutes later, extensive searches were carried out by the group, who would then be joined by police and volunteers, but no sign of him was found. The Angeles National Forest covers over 650,000 acres and is the backyard playground to the huge metropolitan area of Los Angeles. In one murder detailed in the indictment, several MS-13 members allegedly targeted a rival gang member who was believed to have defaced MS-13 graffiti. Smith's remains were found in a shallow grave in the Angeles National Forest in the Antelope Valley about 2 1/2 years after he disappeared. A lock ( Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Among the seven murders at the center of the 12-count indictment was the killing of an individual identified as "J.S.," who federal prosecutors said was choked and dismembered in March 2017 for crossing out MS-13 graffiti. Sixteen of the 22 people indicted are charged in connection with those six slayings, which authorities called so heinous, cruel or depraved that the defendants are eligible for the death penalty. Jack Barnes of the Crescenta Valley sheriffs station. Indeed, during his trial and while in prison Edwards openly and persistently claimed that he was behind all of these, and often boasted that he had killed up to 18 children across Los Angeles County, where he operated heavy-equipment as a highway construction worker. Its remote and theres not a lot of people around, so it supplies the seclusion these people are looking for.. Auer's body has been transferred to Ventura County, where an autopsy will be conducted by the local coroner. Voters will soon get a say, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroners investigators responded to the scene, official said. Although the 1,000-square-mile forest is increasingly viewed as a repository for some of the worst urban horrors, the number of people murdered and then discarded there is not staggering. Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles field office, walks past photos of suspected MS-13 gang members during a news conference where federal authorities announced that nearly two dozen people related to the gang had been indicted on charges including racketeering and murder. Anyone have strange/creepy Angeles National Forest stories? One alleged gang member "carved out J.S. Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former sheriff's deputy who falsely claimed that he had been shot outside the Lancaster sheriff's station was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and one year of . Authorities say it is impossible to determine how many bodies are dumped in the forest. MS-13 gang members in Los Angeles hacked to death seven people in the last two years, including a rival gang member who was dismembered and had his heart cut out by six MS-13 soldiers in the. Most of the defendants are young, officials said, with many about 20 years old. In 1986, authorities found the headless body of convicted swindler Arthur Lee Evans, the owner of what was once Orange Countys largest brokerage firm, in the forest. He told inquiring neighbors that Young had met a woman in Las Vegas and had moved to Mexico, leaving him to take care of the older mans business affairs. Since 2016, he's worked at what would become the Southern California News Group, first as a digital editor for SCNG's San Gabriel Valley newspapers, then as a crime, cops and courts reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News.He's affiliated with the Asian American Journalists Association, Los Angeles chapter, for which he was elected a board member in 2019. Despite the recent surge in bloodshed, MS-13s standing in Los Angeles has weakened somewhat. Four occurred in the Angeles National Forest above Sylmar, authorities said, with a fifth murder committed in the Malibu hills and a sixth at Whitsett Sports Park in Valley Glen. Suite 1200 Or did these kids just get lost and succumb to the elements and the many natural perils of the area? Adventure & Interagency Passes sold on weekdays. One of the victims was 15-years-old, the indictment reads. Another was a homeless man who was shot and killed in January while he slept at a rec center in North Hollywood, an area controlled by MS-13. Indeed, he has not been seen since. In addition to the RICO case announced today, there are two under-seal cases pending against juvenile defendants in United States District Court. "The collaborative law enforcement effort solved several murder cases and dealt a severe blow to members of the gang who engaged in acts of brutality not seen in the region for over 20 years.". was an informant. In some of these cases, such as those of Bowman and Kremer, the victims were out of sight for mere minutes, yet were unable to be located despite immediate intensive search efforts. No remains were found, but leading to the hole were drops of blood, burnt cloth. Lykins is being held on $2 million bail and will make his next court appearance on July 10. "The 'shallow grave' was processed, and . The superseding indictment announced today, which was returned by a federal grand jury on July 9, adds 15 defendants to an indictment filed in March. Perhaps in time we will have the answers to what became of these lost children, but until then they will continue to haunt the annals of strange, unresolved missing person cases, and the Angeles National Forest will keep its dark secrets close.