Four people were in custody today after being arrested for alleged witness intimidation in a case involving a San Gabriel Valley street gang, police said Wednesday.
One suspect, identified as Anthony "Knuckles" Pelliccino, 29, allegedly scrawled gang graffiti at a San Gabriel car wash and was arrested after the vandalism was reported by a witness, according to San Gabriel Police Department spokesman Jonathan Fu.
"Days later, Pelliccino approached the witness and threatened the individual by claiming the area belonged to the Sangra gang and that the gang was going to resolve the matter," Fu said.
Pelliccino was arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation and while in jail, allegedly hatched a plan with 31-year-old Jennifer Duran of San Gabriel to solicit two other suspected Sangra gang members -- 30-year-old Franklin "Machete" Orellana of Alhambra and 39-year-old Sergio "Yogi" Diaz of San Gabriel -- to dissuade the witness from testifying, Fu said.
San Gabriel detectives learned of the alleged conspiracy and, working with prosecutors from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, were able to obtain arrest warrants for Duran, Orellana and Diaz, Fu said.
Duran and Diaz were being held in lieu of $1 million bail while Pelliccino and Orellana were being held in lieu of $200,000, Fu said.
"We take the safety of our community seriously," said San Gabriel Police Department Police Chief Gene Harris. "The department will make every attempt to protect community members, businesses and those reporting criminal activity.
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"We will be relentless in our pursuit of mitigating crime in San Gabriel. This case exemplifies the great working relationship the San Gabriel Police Department has with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office."
