5 suspects arrested in Bay Area raids targeting San Francisco gang members
SAN FRANCISCO -- Five alleged San Francisco gang members have been arrested in a series of Bay Area raids and were being held on a variety of firearm violations.
San Francisco Police said since January, detectives have been conducting a lengthy investigation into a criminal street gang that is based in San Francisco but has several ties all over the Bay Area. They are known to have committed multiple violent and property crimes in several communities.
Search and arrest warrants were obtained and series of raids were staged in April.
Police identified the five suspects taken into custody as 29-year-old Maurkece Johns, 29-year-old Eric Jones, 34-year-old Dajaun Menifee, 23-year-old Johnnie Leonard and 34-year-old Kameron Kaywood.
On April 19, SFPD detectives located Johns in the area of Harbor Road and Bertha Avenue where he fled from the officers on foot. After a brief pursuit, he was taken into custody.
Officers served a search warrant at Johns' residence which resulted in the seizure of two firearms, ammunition and other evidence related to the investigation.
He was taken to San Francisco County Jail and booked on multiple gun-related charges and resisting arrest.
On April 27th, SFPD detectives along with multiple law enforcement agencies simultaneously served six search warrants throughout the Bay Area that resulted in the arrest of Jones, Menifee, Leonard and Kaywood. Officers also seized multiple firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition and other evidence.
Jones was booked at San Francisco County Jail for an outstanding warrant for five counts of auto burglary and for a charge of felon in possession of a firearm.
Menifee was booked at Martinez County Jail for an outstanding warrant out of Oakland for numerous firearm-related charges. He was also booked for additional charges of felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm while on probation, felon in possession of ammunition, two counts of possession of a large capacity magazine, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and two counts of possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.
Leonard was booked at Santa Rita County Jail for an outstanding warrant out of Oakland for numerous firearm related charges and gang enhancement. He was also booked for an additional charge of possession a large-capacity magazine.
Kaywood was booked at Alameda County Jail for an outstanding warrant out of Contra Costa County for numerous firearm-related charges.
He was also booked for additional charges of possession of an assault rifle, possession of a firearm when convicted of a violent crime, felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm as a prohibited person, felon in possession of ammunition and possession of a large capacity magazine.