arrested Jonathan Arellano, 19, Jose Castro II, 18, and three juveniles. They could face charges of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and assisting a criminal street gang.
By noon, police also arrested a man with a parole violation and another man who they say had drugs on him. The early-morning warrants were served at homes in Old Town El Mirage, in the 11000 block of West Ash Street, the 13000 block of North B Street, the 12000 block of West Scott Drive, and the 14000 block of North El Mirage Road.
El Mirage police called DPS to assist with the crackdown after roughly a year of increased gang activity in the neighborhood south of Thunderbird Road, near the center of the city.
Residents had reported shots fired at cars and beatings. El Mirage officers recently saw a spike in graffiti, El Mirage Assistant Police Chief Steve Campbell said.
Police suspect that many crimes in the area have gone unreported as neighbors fear retaliation if they worked with authorities.
"These guys have created a pretty significant fear factor in the community," Campbell said.
So El Mirage police decided to call in additional resources.
They are pleased with the results.
"It's been a good morning for the community," Police Chief Mike Frazier said. "These are some bad guys, some bad actors."
Members of the DPS gang task force, the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission lead a program known as "Operation Eminent Domain" that assists cities in the valley with crime prevention.
Authorities believe the five arrested gang members had committed strong-arm robberies and drive-by shootings, said Bart Graves, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
Members of task force and El Mirage Police are confident the arrests will help shut down the leadership of the gang and reduce violence between rival gangs.
"These gang members were vying for control and obviously the residents were victims of the ongoing, escalating violence," Graves said.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/12/02/20101202el-mirage-suspected-gang-leaders-arrested-abrk.html#ixzz175Qrq8qX
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