Gang member kills Mr. Peanut with an attack helicopter, tattoo to prove it.
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http://www.whittierdailynews.com/crime/ci_17916051
PICO RIVERA - The gang member whose chest tattoo of a 2004 shooting of a rival helped land him a murder conviction is embroiled in another case involving his brother, mother and acquaintances.
While in custody awaiting trial for the Pico Rivera murder, sheriff's investigators alleged Anthony Garcia, 25, planned last year with his 29-year-old brother, John, and fellow Rivera 13 gang member, Manuel Bermudez, to smuggle drugs into county jail which they would then sell.
Bermudez, 32, had the drugs hidden in his rectum when he showed up at Norwalk Superior Court on an unrelated drug case, according to Detective John Clark.
"Bermudez was sentenced to four years for possession of meth for sale. He was due to turn
Rivera 13 gang member, Anthony Garcia (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
himself in to court. His sentence kept getting delayed," Clark said.
He thinks Bermudez was trying to meet with Anthony Garcia at the lockup and was timing his court appearance. He said half of the drugs were meant for Anthony Garcia.
John Garcia allegedly helped put the four golf ball-sized balloons containing heroin and methamphetamine into Bermudez's rectum. Detectives then were tipped that Bermudez would be carrying drugs when he showed up in court.
"We pulled him out of lockup. For his safety, we took him to a hospital," Clark said, adding that it's common for the drugs to leak out of their makeshift containers.
Clark said they later served search warrants and seized thousands of dollars from Bermudez's bank account which they believe are drug proceeds.
The other defendants in the case include Garcia's 46-year-old mother, Vivian, and Bermudez's 29-year-old girlfriend, Cynthia Bermudez.
The District Attorney's Office charged Manuel Bermudez, John Garcia and Anthony Garcia with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance.
All five suspects were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime (possession for sales of a controlled substance).
Bermudez and John Garcia are also accused of bringing drugs into the Norwalk Court lock-up on June 10, 2010. Vivian Garcia was also charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly trying to harbor her son, John.
John Garcia, Vivian Garcia and Cynthia Bermudez have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were in Bellflower Superior Court on April 21 for a preliminary hearing that was continued to April 26.
John Garcia is being held without bail in Men's Central Jail. Vivian Garcia and Cynthia Bermudez are out on bond.
Anthony Garcia remains in custody at Men's Central Jail while Manuel Bermudez is in an Arizona prison. Neither has been arraigned yet.
Simon Aval, who represents John Garcia, declined comment on the case.
Vivian Garcia's lawyer, Andrew Stein, said the defendants were arrested six or seven months ago and bailed out. They were arrested April 11 when they showed up to court to attend Anthony Garcia's trial.
"How convenient," Stein said. "There is no new evidence. Here's the question, why were they arrested right now? Because homicide didn't want them going to their brother and their son's trial. I'm outraged at the timing."
Stein pointed out that a trial is open to the public. He said Vivian Garcia won't even go to her son's trial because she's afraid of being arrested again.
He said the homicide detective is vindictive and he plans to file a complaint with the Sheriff's Department and will ask Michael Gennaco of the County's Office of Independent Review to investigate.
Anthony Garcia has a May 19 sentencing at Norwalk Court where he could get 65 years to life in prison. He was convicted last week of killing rival gang member John Juarez, 23, outside a liquor store on Rosemead Boulevard on Jan. 23, 2004.
He got his share of the media spotlight and bloggers' derision last week because his own tattoo helped crack the unsolved case and led to his conviction.
Four years after the murder, Sgt. Kevin Lloyd of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau saw a picture of Garcia's tattoo which depicts a helicopter blasting away at a Mr. Peanut in front of a liquor store with a curved street light to the left. The tattoo reminded Lloyd of the 2004 Pico Rivera crime scene.
In addition, Garcia's gang name is "Chopper" and Juarez was from Pico Nuevo, a gang whose members are called "peanuts" by their enemies.
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PICO RIVERA - The gang member whose chest tattoo of a 2004 shooting of a rival helped land him a murder conviction is embroiled in another case involving his brother, mother and acquaintances.
While in custody awaiting trial for the Pico Rivera murder, sheriff's investigators alleged Anthony Garcia, 25, planned last year with his 29-year-old brother, John, and fellow Rivera 13 gang member, Manuel Bermudez, to smuggle drugs into county jail which they would then sell.
Bermudez, 32, had the drugs hidden in his rectum when he showed up at Norwalk Superior Court on an unrelated drug case, according to Detective John Clark.
"Bermudez was sentenced to four years for possession of meth for sale. He was due to turn
Rivera 13 gang member, Anthony Garcia (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
himself in to court. His sentence kept getting delayed," Clark said.
He thinks Bermudez was trying to meet with Anthony Garcia at the lockup and was timing his court appearance. He said half of the drugs were meant for Anthony Garcia.
John Garcia allegedly helped put the four golf ball-sized balloons containing heroin and methamphetamine into Bermudez's rectum. Detectives then were tipped that Bermudez would be carrying drugs when he showed up in court.
"We pulled him out of lockup. For his safety, we took him to a hospital," Clark said, adding that it's common for the drugs to leak out of their makeshift containers.
Clark said they later served search warrants and seized thousands of dollars from Bermudez's bank account which they believe are drug proceeds.
The other defendants in the case include Garcia's 46-year-old mother, Vivian, and Bermudez's 29-year-old girlfriend, Cynthia Bermudez.
The District Attorney's Office charged Manuel Bermudez, John Garcia and Anthony Garcia with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance.
All five suspects were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime (possession for sales of a controlled substance).
Bermudez and John Garcia are also accused of bringing drugs into the Norwalk Court lock-up on June 10, 2010. Vivian Garcia was also charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly trying to harbor her son, John.
John Garcia, Vivian Garcia and Cynthia Bermudez have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were in Bellflower Superior Court on April 21 for a preliminary hearing that was continued to April 26.
John Garcia is being held without bail in Men's Central Jail. Vivian Garcia and Cynthia Bermudez are out on bond.
Anthony Garcia remains in custody at Men's Central Jail while Manuel Bermudez is in an Arizona prison. Neither has been arraigned yet.
Simon Aval, who represents John Garcia, declined comment on the case.
Vivian Garcia's lawyer, Andrew Stein, said the defendants were arrested six or seven months ago and bailed out. They were arrested April 11 when they showed up to court to attend Anthony Garcia's trial.
"How convenient," Stein said. "There is no new evidence. Here's the question, why were they arrested right now? Because homicide didn't want them going to their brother and their son's trial. I'm outraged at the timing."
Stein pointed out that a trial is open to the public. He said Vivian Garcia won't even go to her son's trial because she's afraid of being arrested again.
He said the homicide detective is vindictive and he plans to file a complaint with the Sheriff's Department and will ask Michael Gennaco of the County's Office of Independent Review to investigate.
Anthony Garcia has a May 19 sentencing at Norwalk Court where he could get 65 years to life in prison. He was convicted last week of killing rival gang member John Juarez, 23, outside a liquor store on Rosemead Boulevard on Jan. 23, 2004.
He got his share of the media spotlight and bloggers' derision last week because his own tattoo helped crack the unsolved case and led to his conviction.
Four years after the murder, Sgt. Kevin Lloyd of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau saw a picture of Garcia's tattoo which depicts a helicopter blasting away at a Mr. Peanut in front of a liquor store with a curved street light to the left. The tattoo reminded Lloyd of the 2004 Pico Rivera crime scene.
In addition, Garcia's gang name is "Chopper" and Juarez was from Pico Nuevo, a gang whose members are called "peanuts" by their enemies.
