Five members of San Fernando Valley street gangs, including Vanowen Street Locos and Elmwood Rifa 13, have been federally charged in connection with a murder-for-hire plot that went awry, injuring the intended target’s partner. The arrests are part of a federal crackdown on gang violence and organized crime.
The defendants are:
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Carlos Armando Ochoa Grimaldi (“Spanky”)
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Christopher Ayala (“Hits”)
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Edir De La Cruz (“Temper”)
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Maria de Jesus Mares (“Mary Oceans”)
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Jose de Jesus Gonzalez, Jr. (“Listo”)
Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and Mares are accused of using interstate commerce facilities to carry out a murder-for-hire, while Gonzalez faces charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Authorities also seized firearms, silencers, and ammunition during the investigation.
According to federal affidavits, the plot stemmed from a rivalry within the Armenian Organized Crime network, involving crime bosses Robert Amiryan and Ara Artuni, both currently in federal custody. In March 2025, Grimaldi and an accomplice, Vahagn Stepanyan, shot and wounded Amiryan’s partner in her car while her children were present, mistaking her for the intended target. Mares later communicated that payment would be reduced since the actual target had not been eliminated.
If convicted, each suspect faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Initial court appearances were recently scheduled in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
The investigation, part of Operation Take Back America, involved the LAPD Major Crimes Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and other federal agencies, highlighting the ongoing effort to combat organized crime in the San Fernando Valley and beyond.
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