Baldwin Village gang raids net 15 suspects, guns, drugs

BALDWIN VILLAGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In an early-morning raid, Los Angeles police arrested 15 senior gang members in the Baldwin Village area and seized an array of weapons, drugs and even body armor.

The raids Thursday involved more than 70 officers hitting 12 different locations to target senior members of a known street gang.

Police say they seized more than 20 firearms and two kilograms of rock and powder cocaine with a street value of $50,000. They also confiscated ammunition, marijuana, PCP, cash and military-grade armor.

Most of the arrested suspects have prison records and the gang they belong to is responsible for committing 25 percent of gang crime in that area, according to LAPD Capt. Darnell Davenport.

"The crimes included but were not limited to murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assaults, mayhem, burglary just to name a few," Davenport said.

He added that he hopes the arrests will bring some degree of peace to the neighborhoods.

"Our hope is that for a long period of time we can see a significant reduction in violent crime in that community and the sales of narcotics," Davenport said.