Four marked Hemet code enforcement trucks were charred late Tuesday night outside a city building, in what authorities are considering another round of related attempts to kill officers.
The vehicle fires were reported about 11:30 p.m. at City Hall on Florida Avenue. City Hall is across the street from the Hemet-San Jacinto Gang Task Force building and the police department where previous attempts to injure officers have been made.
The vehicles were parked in an open city lot and authorities have not yet determined how the four trucks were ignited, Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart said.
Police detained one man after he was seen running from the parking lot, Wisehart said, but was released after police determined he arrived after the vehicle fires started.
“When police pulled up he took off running,” Wisehart said, adding that the man’s story that he was just walking by and got scared when the lights and sirens appeared checked out.
While Tuesday night’s incident is not directly connected to ongoing investigations into three attempts to kill officers from the Hemet-San Jacinto Gang Task Force, Wisehart said police are going under the assumption that there may be a connection due to the timing of the incidents.
“If they are related, I would think it’s gang-related. There’s an organization to it.” Wisehart added that if the violence is gang-related, it is most likely not one of the many smaller, unconnected gangs in the area.
“This is a lot more sophisticated than that,” Wisehart said, adding that in the past, dope dealers have been caught who have been connected to larger, dangerous international outfits.
“There’s been some cartelish activity,” Wisehart said, but he added that the dealers or runners caught have been two or three people removed from any bigwigs in the crime business.
The first attempt on officers was on Dec. 31, a gas line on the roof of the task force building was redirected into the building filling it with natural gas, in an attempt to set off an explosion. The second incident on Feb 23, a booby-trap with what officials said was a “home-made zip-gun,” was rigged to go off as an officer from the Hemet-San Jacinto Gang Task Force opened the gate leading to the building. The round narrowly missed the officer and he was not injured. The most recent incident on March 5, a task force member found an explosive device attached to his unmarked patrol car when he pulled into a gas station.
Hemet Police have also received several reports of suspicious packages found throughout the city including Tuesday’s most recent report of a bag on Stetson and Gilbert Avenue. The bag contained gaming equipment including wires. A few days prior to that, two packages were reported on the sidewalk in front of the old Hemet Theater on the 200 block of East Florida Avenue. The package turned out to be a set of empty suitcases.
While suspects have not been identified in any of the attempted attacks against officers, a major gang sweep on March 17 led to the arrests of dozens of members of the Vagos Motorcycle Gang. Officials refuse to say whether investigators believe the Vagos are behind the attacks or whether any suspects were taken into custody during the sweep.
“My confidence that this is related to recent attacks is high,” Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said this morning in suggesting a link between the vehicle fires and the previous incidents.
But Dana said he did not see evidence that the arson fires are the work of Vagos Motorcycle Club members, who were targeted during a multi-agency crackdown in Riverside County and other locations last week.
“To connect this to the Vagos, I’m not sure I’m ready to do that,” Dana said.
A week ago today, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies conducted a countywide sweep targeting Vagos members, arresting 30 people for weapons and parole violations.
“Operation Everywhere” also led to suspects being rounded up in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials announced March 18 the reward for information leading to the conviction of those behind the attempts has been raised to $200,000. Officials said they believe someone in the community may know who is behind the attacks and hope the money will help persuade them to come forward.
So far, officials have not received any leads from community members since the reward money was raised.
The money is a combination of funds from the city, county, state, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Yazmin Alvarez can be reached at yazmin.alvarez@swrnn.com. You can follow her @SWRNNgov on Twitter!
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Seriously, why haven’t the cops installed video cameras? Even a night watchman? After getting hit three times, you’d think they’d keep a sharper eye out.
Hey Paul.. The suspect was captured on video. So what.. You can’t see his face because it’s hidden. Now what genius?
cartelish? amg…
hey – anyone see any paperwork, any indictments, any freakin’ evidence, yet that connect these crimes to anything?
please, please just let chief goober stick his snout back in the federal-funding trough so he can re-hire back the 30 or so officers he lost and crap can get back to normal…
Hey, Joe -
Nowhere in the article did it mention that anyone was caught on video, genius.
Now what? How about a live person – you know, like a stakeout?
How come I’m the only one with ideas around here?
Cameras, Stake Outs, Are You Kidding ? Guess All
You Guys Live In TV World.
Hemet P.D. And Our City Concil Are And Will Do As Little As Possible About The Crime Wave There Focus Is On The Generals And Not The Soliders.
The Cops That Work Here Are Slow (Very Slow)!!!
And If You Are In Need Of Them “DON’T CALL FROM A CELL PHONE” Once They Do Arrive They Will Do As Little As Possible To Help You !!!
Oh ! And Be Standing In The Street Waving Them Down As They Roll On By You Because They Cant Find A Address Because The City Of Hemet Came Down Your Street And Painted The Addresses On The Curbs.
What We Really Need Is Some Real Kick Ass Cops Who Still Use Brass Knockle Tacktics And Put The Fear Of God Back Into The Criminals So They Dont Want To Live And Do Their Thing In Hemet Or Surounding Citys.
Added Note: I’d Like To Say That This Is Just My Personal Opinion BUT !!! A Family Member Was Murdered Here In Hemet By Gang Related And Has Not Been Solved Like On TV !.
I Say Kill Them All And Let God Sort It Out !!!
Screw Hemet 13, San Ja 1st St. And All The Other Punk Ass Want-Ta-Be’s.
Ah, yes, a move towards a fascist police state. Nice. Mussolini and Hitler must have a prominent place on your bookshelf – assuming you’ve ever read a book, which is doubtful, judging by your spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Well PaulM I Expected A Comment Like That From Someone like You ! No I Don’t Have Any Books By Eather One Of Your Friends However maybe You Could Loan Me a Copy Of Yours.
As I See It Bloging Someone’s Opinion Down is Your Life You Sit In The Safty Of Your Home And NEVER Get Involved To Solve Any Problems In Your Own Town Or Country.
Thanks For Your Verble Diarea And As For My Grammar, Spelling, And Punctuation OH WELL !!
I Still Got My Point Through To Someone Like You.
So Now You Can Get Back To Playing With Your Ding-o-Ling And Play Some More Dungons And Dragons.
John-
LOLOLOL!!! You’re too funny.
I see you didn’t address the fascist police state you’re proposing.
Or are those words too big for you?
I think I’d like to meet you sometime and buy you a cup of coffee!
Well Paul thanks for the offer of a cup of coffee BUT one cup a day is my limit and i enjoy it all by my self.
I don’t'think California or th USA have ever been fascist.
However looking back at history in the 60′s there were people and groups that made that very same claim. the black panthers, P.L.A., The Weathermen, Dr. Tim Leary … Were They Right?
I’m not in favor of these tacktics just that hard times call for hard messures.
The USA has and will use these types of tacktics on other countrys “Black Op’s” Seems to me Americans are mostly OK With This. BUT what not on our own soil? you can’t fight Guerilla Tacktics by playing by the rules.
does your cup runnith over yet?
John, the problem is that hard-line police tactics only work for a very short time.
There was a front-page piece in today’s LA Times. One guy is quoted as saying, “The cops come in and want to be hard… and they are surprised when people get sick of it.”
The people, no matter how victimized they are, won’t put up for long with jackbooted thugs as their police.
I do agree with you, though, on a point: These are difficult times for Hemet. I don’t, however, think that shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later is the right track. The people themselves need to get involved.
I’ve lived in Hemet for about 10 years now, and I have never seen a Vago, or any other biker gang. But if I did see one, I’d wonder just what the hell he’s doing in my neighborhood and keep an eye on him and whoever he’s hanging out with.
The other gangs are just punk kids who are too stupid to keep from getting caught sooner or later.
Hey, aren’t civil conversations nice?
Well Paul seems “maybe just maybe” You need to ceoss over to the gray zone. shoot frist ask questions later. I’ve lived in this area much longer than 10 years and I can tell you every year the punk ass kids you refer to recruit new mal ajusted kids in high school who are getting more bizzar with their crimes These are Not Well Orginized Crimes. Think? well orginized criminals want to atract less attension and fly below the radar Killing Cops Is Bad for business and would take it to the next level And Has Now! FBI, ATF, Justice Dept. OH and by the way the vago’s Arest Raids Happened all through riverside not just in hemet The people who are doing this blend in and slip into hiding right under the noses of H.P.D. Think About It ?? Sounds Like Your A Good Guy Paul BUT You cant keep beleaving that it will get better that people will unite and fix the problem Americans are lazy by Rights , Finger Pointers, Boat Rockers, And Flag Wavers And a new issue will come up tomarrow.
John,
It’s just that I’m not paranoid.