Weekend Gang Sweep Nets Arrests

A squadron of law enforcement personnel fanned out across South County on Friday to contact gang members who were on parole or probation.

Eleven arrests were made when officers tried to contact 45 parolees and probationers on Friday, according to Mario Sulay, commander of the county's Gang Task Force.

In one case, Alejandro Souza, he and his girlfriend Daisy Leonor, allegedly had credit cards that had been reported stolen in Capitola earlier this month. The victim had also discovered that her stolen credit cards had been used at Macy's in Capitola. Officers recovered about $250 worth of Macy's merchandise with tags and labels still attached from Souza's residence, according to Sulay.

During this operation four illegal knives, eight grams of meth and two unprescribed methadone pills.

Here are the stats Sulay broke down about the police action:

• Of the 45 attempted contacts 18 were on parole. 
• Twelve of those 18 were contacted.
• Six were in compliance and the other six were not and were arrested. That included four who were not living at their address of record.
• Of the six who who were arrested, one was arrested for an additional crime.
• One associate to one of the parolees also was arrested.
• Of the 45 attempted contacts 27 were on county probation. 
• Fifteen of those 27 were contacted and 10 were in compliance.
• Eight were found not to be residing in their address of record.   
• Five were found to be in violation of their probation terms and arrested. 
• One was a 14-year-old boy who also was arrested for delaying a police officer.
• One associate to one of the probationers was arrested.

Those arrested for a violation of parole or probation were found to be in violation of terms such as a restriction from possessing alcohol or gang paraphernalia or weapons, according to Sulay.