STOCKTON-
Police arrested 12 people during a gang sweep on Wednesday, members of a notorious street gang in Stockton.
“You got a lot of young ones that are coming up who are misled,” longtime Stockton resident Primo Vasquez said.
Following a several month investigation, the SWAT and gang suppression team tried to give the communities back to the people.
They served arrest warrants in the hot spots including the Cal / Park area, taking 10 into custody. Two others were already in custody on separate charges..
“They were arrested for human trafficking, robberies, burglaries, weapon charges;” Stockton Police Officer. Joe Silva said.
Cops said the gang has caused havoc for years, and are behind much of the unsolved violent crime.
A motel along North Center Street is one of four hot spots targeted in Wednesday’s raid.
“We fight this all the time. It disturbs our business,” manager Connie Barbeau said of the gang activity in the area.
By day, things are quiet. Most of the trouble comes at night.
Now with gang leaders behind bars, police hope witnesses will now step forward and help solve those cases.
“We wanna give some relief back to the good citizens of that neighborhood, so they could take their kids out in the front and just walk down the street,.” Silva said.
See each arrestee’s booking photo below:
