Thee Rascals 13

Thee Rascals 13, also known as TRS, RSCS, and ATW, is a predominantly Hispanic criminal street gang based in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Atwater Boys, who later became "Thee Rascals" were originally formed in the late 1980s by kids in Atwater for protection from two larger and older street gangs, Toonerville Rifa and The Avenues. Some were the children of a third gang Frogtown, whose fathers and families discouraged gang involvement. Even to this day rival gang members will shoot it out with one another when the time calls for it.

Thee Rascals control the southern portion of Atwater Village in the area between Los Feliz Boulevard, San Fernando Road, the Los Angeles River and the southbound 2 freeway. Over the years Thee Rascals have even developed numerous "sects" or "crews" that claim and protect the gang's name, some of which include the Los Angeles River Drunks (LARD), the With Out Sleep Crew (WOS), and there's even allegations that a Rascal "click" was established in Hesperia, California, more than 80 miles north-east of their home territory. Thee Rascals have managed to establish a sort of truce with 2 neighboring Sureño sets, Highland Park and Cypress Park. Though not truly "allies", Thee Rascals with occasionally team up with members of these gangs if it comes to dealing with rival gang members or to conduct business with each other. As with all other Hispanic street gangs in California, whenever a Rascal is sent to prison they must forget any rivalry they had back on the streets and pledge their allegiance to the Sureños prison gang, who in return for loyalty will provide unlimited protection from other prison gangs, mainly from the Norteños prison gang. In recent years many high-ranking Rascals have been sent to prison for an array crimes but still manage to retain control of the drug & arms trade in the southern-half of Atwater Village.

History

Thee Rascals (TRS) territory in black, among other Northeast Los Angeles gangs.

1980s

The Atwater Boys originally formed in the late 1980s as a group of local juveniles led by a mysterious man named "Silent", rumored to have connections to Mexican drug cartels. Within a few years of their formation The Atwater Boys took the name "Rascals" from a connection to other gangs under the "Rascals" name, giving them a broader base of power and territory needed for a small hood. At first they had one rival, Toonerville Rifa 13. The main reason was to protect themselves and property from the established gang.

1980s

As with all gangs in Los Angeles in the 1980s, the distribution of cocaine led to fighting and a growing list of enemies including a previously accepted gang in their turf, Pinoy Real. Eventually as the original members became less active, the next generation of youth saw everyone as an enemy including the gang Frogtown. An influx of immigrant youth didn't understand the history of the neighborhood and painted over a 25-year-old piece of art depicting a "Cholo Frog" on the side of the LA River. The turning point was the 1989 then secretive gang meeting were leaders of a prison gang now required all gangs with Latino members to pay a "tax". Those that accepted got protection, those who did not were given a "green light". Previously unacceptable, the second generation took anyone who was not a Rascal as an enemy, and the violence escalated.

The Rascals criminal enterprises included operating numerous vehicle "chop shops", prostitution and they established a drug distribution network that dealt mainly in cocaine and marijuana. Throughout the 80s The Rascals continued to sell drugs and viciously defend their turf, with a gang of Filipino youths known as "Pinoy Real". As in fighting grew a few shootings occurred which led to some Rascals to identify themselves as "Thee" Rascals. An insult to the Filipino's Rascal gang.

1990s

In the early 1990s the main drug of choice on the streets of Atwater changed from cocaine to methamphetamine, mainly due to meth's widespread availability and high-potential for addiction. Many Rascals who began dealing the drug developed addictions of their own, leading to a rise in both drug addiction and violent crime in Atwater Village. In 1997 two Rascal members, Juan Cardiel and Pedro Sanchez, were shot by Toonerville "shotcaller" Timothy McGhee. Juan "Listo" Cardiel was shot in the back and paralyzed from the waist down. Pedro "Santos" Sanchez a gifted skateboarder who left a promising amateur career to gangbang, took cover in a gas station, standing behind glass that he thought was bulletproof. McGhee fired repeatedly through the glass door, hitting Sanchez in the back who would later recover from his injuries.

2000s

On June 3, 2000 Rascal member Ryan Gonzalez was shot by McGhee on the 3300 block Silver Lake Boulevard while walking home from a party. Gonzalez shared McGhee's nickname Huero and investigators believe McGhee's motive was simply that the neighborhood wasn’t big enough for two people with the same street name. On June 11, 2001 Rascal member Manuel Apodaca Jr. and his pregnant girlfriend Nina Guerrero were driving down Los Feliz Boulevard when their vehicle came under fire from McGhee. Apodaca was killed and Guerrero suffered severe brain damage but their baby was delivered successfully. On November 8, 2001, McGhee was allegedly prowling the streets with fellow gang members seeking revenge over the death of a comrade hours earlier. Armed with handguns and assault rifles, they came upon rival Rascal gang member Duane Natividad on the 3100 block of Hollydale Drive, a mere six blocks south of the Gonzalez murder in 2000. Natividad was driving his Mitsubishi Montero with his girlfriend Marjorie Mendoza and her friend Erica Rhee. Mendoza and Natividad had three children, Mark, Justin, and Nathan, who were not with them at the time. At 12:01 AM, November 9, as Natividad pulled up to a residence, McGhee and an affiliate allegedly pulled in front of them, exited their vehicle, and opened fire on the Montero without warning or any verbal altercation. Natividad ducked and was struck in the right hand while Rhee ducked in the back seat avoiding injury. As her boyfriend threw the car in reverse and accelerated away, Mendoza was hit multiple times and was driven to Glendale Memorial Hospital where she later died. Toonerville gang member Eduardo Rodriguez was arrested the following day and a warrant was issued for McGhee's arrest on November 27, 2001. For the next two years McGhee remained on the run from the law, shifting between Atwater Village, Las Vegas, and Arizona. On February 12, 2003 McGhee was arrested in Bullhead City, Arizona after his vehicle was pulled over by more than 25 officers of the LAPD, Bullhead City Police Department, and federal law enforcement.

After McGhee's arrest Toonerville was left without a strong leader which weakened the gang and gave Thee Rascals a new advantage over their old rivals. McGhee's arrest gained a great deal of notoriety among law enforcement which caused the LAPD to develop the Northeast Gang Unit, which specifically targeted gang members from northeast Los Angeles gangs, including Thee Rascals. Many high-ranking Rascals were arrested for an array of crimes stemming anywhere from drug distribution to murder, however these high-ranking members could be replaced by younger members. Gang violence in Atwater dropped after the formation of the Northeast Gang Unit, but it did not weaken gang power in the area to the extent the LAPD hoped it would.

On December 31, 2002 alleged Rascal affiliate Michael "Miker" Romo was gunned down in front of his residence by rival Toonerville gang members on his birthday. His father, who witnessed the shooting, attempted to resuscitate his son but was unsuccessful in his attempts. Shortly after the Romo murder a Toonerville gang member was found murdered, shot multiple times in the head and torso with a semi-automatic handgun, near Chevy Chase Park in north Atwater Village. On March 15, 2008 Rascal member "Nasty-Boy", actual name withheld, was murdered by rival Toonerville gang-members while sitting alongside a curb on Carrilon Street in south Atwater Village. "Nasty-Boy" was shot multiple times by his killers, but, one Toonerville gang-member was shot by an unidentified gunman as they attempted to flee the scene of the murder in a car. The four Toonerville gang members then drove to Glendale Memorial Hospital seeking help for their wounded comrade, but, were instead arrested by the LAPD shortly after arrival and all four gang-members were charged with First-degree murder, all of whom were later sentenced to life in prison. Later that day, in retaliation for "Nasty-Boy"'s murder, three different people were gunned down in cold blood by loathing Rascal gang-members seeking vengeance for their murdered comrade. Unfortunately, the three people who were shot had no ties to the Toonerville gang and simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The three Rascal gunmen responsible for carrying out retaliation were arrested by officers of the LAPD shortly after shooting their third victim. The shooter, a well respected Rascal member who goes by the alias "Demon", was charged with 3 counts of Attempted murder and given a 36-year prison sentence, while the two other gang members who were in the car during the shooting spree were each given 32-year sentences and are all currently serving out their sentences at the notorious Pelican Bay State Prison.

An anonymous Rascal gang-member showing off his ink.

2010s

In 2010 members of both Thee Rascals and Highland Park gangs teamed up to stage a home-invasion, led by a high-ranking Rascal shot-caller who goes by the alias "Bad-Boy", actual name withheld. During the home-invasion the gang members were confronted by the home owner who attempted to subdue them, only to be knocked unconscious in one punch by "Bad-Boy" himself. After fleeing with whatever they could get there hands on, the gang members split-up and attempted to lay low but, unbeknownst to the home invaders, one of the participants was in actuality an LAPD informant who, in a failed attempt to gain leniency from a previous offense, gave up the names of all those involved in the burglary. The informant also released evidence that indicted a large majority of active Highland Park gang members in a wide array of criminal activities. "Bad-Boy" was sentenced to 13 years for Armed robbery and Assault and was at first sent to California State Prison, Corcoran before being transferred to the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary for a short period of time and is now currently serving out his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles.

On July 13, 2012 Rascal member Carl Hutchinson was shot in the chest by rival Avenue gang members while eating at a fast food restaurant on Fletcher Drive. Buckshot missed the victim's internal organs by mere inches and he later recovered from his injuries. Less than a week after the Hutchinson incident, an Avenue gang member was fatally gunned down in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Although no suspects were ever arrested, it is almost certain that Thee Rascals were carrying out retaliation for their wounded comrade. On July 19, 2012 two Rascals shot a rival Toonerville gang member in the leg on Perlita Ave after a short verbal altercation. One suspect was arrested later that day but released soon after due to a lack of evidence.

On June 4, 2015 a Frogtown gang-member was shot 3 times in the leg on Carillon Street after desecrating a memorial to dead Rascal member "Nasty-Boy". Fellow Frogtown gang-members opened fire on the gunman but failed to hit the shooter. The three Frogtown gang-members attempted to accelerate away, but, instead crashed their car into a light-pole after the wounded member's leg gave out, causing him to loose control of the vehicle. The two Frogtown gang-members who were in the car abandoned their wounded comrade and attempted to flee back to Elysian Valley after intimidating a witness to the incident with a handgun. The two gang-members were arrested by the LAPD as they were running down Fletcher Drive, the wounded gang-member was also arrested and taken to a nearby hospital to treat his injuries. All three Frogtown gang-members involved, including the shooting victim, were charged with Attempted murder, Witness intimidation, and Vandalism while the original shooter was never identified.

In late-August 2015 officers of the LAPD responded to a report of multiple gunshots fired along Ferncroft Road in south Atwater Village. Upon arriving at the scene of the shooting the officers discovered the dead bodies of two Toonerville gang members, their bodies riddled with bullets. According to a local resident who claims to have witnessed the incident, a car containing 3 or 4 Toonerville gang members confronted a lone Rascal gang-member, and after a short verbal confrontation two Toonerville gang members began running towards the lone Rascal before a series of shots rang out. The two Toonerville gang members who instigated the melee were stopped in their tracks by a volley of 9mm bullets, before dropping to the ground in a pool of their own blood. Both sides then quickly fled the scene of the crime before vanishing into the night.

In response to this cold-blooded double-homicide, the LAPD called in the Northeast Gang Unit and began an effort to crack down on gang violence in Atwater Village. After a two-week effort to locate the suspected shooters, only a single Rascal gang member was arrested on a separate parole violation for possession of narcotics and a firearm, while those responsible for the Ferncroft shooting remain unidentified. In early-December 2015 a suspected Rascal gang member led the LAPD on a high-speed chase down California State Route 2 after failing to pull over for a routine traffic stop. After an hour long pursuit the gang member attempted to turn onto a freeway off-ramp, but, managed to flip the SUV he was driving after making too sharp a turn. The suspect was arrested without resistance by officers of the LAPD and taken to a nearby hospital to be treated after suffering only minor injuries. A .38 caliber handgun was found in the wrecked SUV when LAPD officers inspected the suspect's vehicle. The suspect is currently being held on $100,000 bail due to the fact that he is a parolee in possession of a firearm.

Even after multiple raids, injunctions, and incarcerations Thee Rascals continue to operate a vast network of drug and weapons distribution in Atwater Village ranging from Los Feliz Boulevard to Carillon Street, a territory which they will defend viciously through beatings, stabbings or, if necessary, shootings.

Currently, "Bad-Boy" and two other high-ranking Rascals are under investigation by the FBI on racketeering charges after a female informant revealed information linking the three high-ranking members to the Mexican Mafia, as well as a stolen cell phone discovered in 2010 by LAPD detectives that contains "incriminating evidence" that remains undisclosed and, if convicted, all three gang-members face possible life imprisonment under the federal RICO Act. The trial is scheduled to take place in a federal court sometime in late-2016.

See also

• Gangs in Los Angeles, California

References