Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

REGION - A man described as a career criminal with a violent past was slapped with a slew of charges Wednesday in the shooting of a uniformed deputy.

Raymundo Duran, 47, was charged with one count of attempted murder on a peace officer. He also was charged with one count of using a semiautomatic weapon to assault a peace officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Statements made by Duran during interrogation, combined with surveillance video at the crime scene, witness accounts and the gun seized from his vehicle lead investigators to strongly believe he is the suspect in Monday’s shooting.

Duran was detained and eventually arrested by California Highway Patrol officers who booked him on suspicion of DUI and weapons possession. He was found parked at an undisclosed location by CHP officers from the San Onofre inspection facility. A firearm was recovered from the 2008 silver four-door Toyota Camry Duran was seated in.

Duran did two stints in prison: in 2019 and 2022. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna also described his as a current gang member.

Investigators do not believe that there are additional suspects involved in the shooting of Deputy Samuel Aispuro, a nearly 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The case is being filed for warrant as Duran remains in the custody of San Diego authorities, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The DA will recommend that Duran be held without bail. If convicted as charged, he faces life in prison.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EAST LOS ANGELES - A known gang member who reportedly frequents the West Covina area is being sought for an April 18 shooting in East Los Angeles the left three people wounded, investigators said.

Investigators are searching for Edward Figueroa, who is a member of the Harpys 13 gang. An argument inside a bar located in the 5200 block of Pomona Boulevard in East Los Angeles led to Figueroa reportedly revealing a handgun and opening fire, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Figueroa is known to carry a weapon and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on Figueroa’s whereabouts is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Operation Safe Streets bureau at 323-264-4151. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - More than 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of heroin and eight unregistered firearms were seized during a search warrant operation at two El Monte locations December 1.

Two men were taken into custody during the operation and both were booked on suspicion of being felons in possession of loaded firearms and possessing narcotics for the purposes of sales, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspects are described as current gang members and ex-felons, according to Lt. David Auner of the Operation Safe Streets Bureau.

Three of the eight weapons seized are described as assault rifles, Auner said in a December 3 news conference.

Initially, the OSS investigation dealt with weapons offenses, but good timing allowed for the discovery of the narcotics. OSS detectives are in contact with the weapons manufacturers to trace where they were distributed to, Auner said.

OSS credits the work of Sheriff’s gang detectives and community members for making the arrests and seizure of contraband possible. More arrests are anticipated.

“It was information provided by community members who have contact with our detectives. Many of those community members are crime victim families ... through those contacts, developed information about trying to reduce violent crime activity,” Auner said.

Weapons include a 12-gauge shotgun, two M4 assault rifles, AK47, MAC-12, a .45-caliber 1911 semi-automatic pistol, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm assault pistol, Auner said.

Auner declined to provide the names of both suspects, citing the ongoing investigation.

The Operation Safe Streets Bureau works to investigate crimes committed by gangs in Los Angeles County, assists in gang suppression operations and works to discourage youth from engaging in gang activity.

In 2020, OSS teams have arrested 461 suspects in violent crimes, have seized 305 firearms and have conducted 471 search warrant operations.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

REGION - Federal authorities arrested 12 people tied to a local street gang in a widespread investigation into narcotics, fraud and identity theft.
 
A total of 17 tied to the Puente 13 gang were named in a series of indictments returned by a federal grand jury. The investigation was a collaboration between the United States Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
 
The investigation involved wiretaps that revealed to investigators criminal activity by gang members, gang associates and others, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
 
The 12 arrests were made over Tuesday, August 14 and Wednesday, August 15.
 
Crimes allegedly committed include possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal possession of access devices (credit cards), possession of access device making equipment, and possession of stolen mail, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
 
The investigation is five months in the making, having begun when authorities learned that Puente 13 gang member Victor Ponce De Leon, 26, was involved in drug trafficking after communications were intercepted, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
 
In an indictment, Ponce De Leon, also known as “Dopey,” alleged he was involved in selling an ounce of methamphetamine while armed with a 9-millimeter handgun.
 
A scheme to smuggle narcotics into the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic was also uncovered, according to an indictment naming 39-year-old Glendora man Ricky Lee Thornburg, also known as “Shorty.” Thornburg is currently incarcerated at Pitchess.
 
Thornburg planned to receive the methamphetamine and heroin, hidden in plastic drinking straws, from a woman who was to visit, but the shipment was intercepted in May, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
 
An identity theft ring was also uncovered during the investigation, with stolen credit cards and personal identifying information from numerous common victims were found in the possession of multiple defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
 
Arrested were:

• Victor Ponce De Leon, a convicted felon also known as “Dopey,” 26, of La Puente
• James W. Butcher, 54, of Covina
• Ricky Lee Thornburg, also known as “Shorty,” 39, of Glendora
• Beatris Gomez, 39, of Glendora
• Patricia Marie Jimenez, 32, of La Puente
• Melody Basye, 38, of San Bernardino
• Joseph Anthony Castro, 37, of Azusa
• Matthew Burciaga, also known as “Porky,” 32, of La Puente
• Yvonne Marie Estrada, 35, of Covina
• Maribel Gomez, 25, of Azusa
• Elizabeth Joyce McDowell, also known as “Lilly,” 23, of West Covina
• Priscilla Telles, also known as “Babydoll,” 31, of La Puente
• David Ortega, also known as “No-No,” 23, of Hacienda Heights
• Ulices Ramon Soto, also known as “Uli,” 36, of Whittier
• Thomas Arroyave, 34, of Azusa
• Edward Padilla, also known as “Spunks,” 24, of Chino Hills
• Ruby Escarcega, 22, of Chino Hills