Gang Enhancements Not Used in MS-13 Violence

Another transgender woman was attacked last week in MacArthur Park, making it the fourth attack by a member of MS-13. According to an article written by James Queally of the Los Angele Times, Gabriel Orellana has been arrested and charged, while his accomplice has not been identified. According to Deputy District Attorney Richard Ceballos Orellana and the other suspect, “…Yelled derogatory remarks before knocking the victim to the ground and striking her repeatedly in the head and torso.” Queally explained in the article this is another hate crime in a series of attacks against transgender women in the area by MS-13 gang members. 

Queally wrote and referenced an additional article, “Last year, prosecutors filed three counts of attempted murder against MS-13 member Donoban Fonseca, who is accused of stabbing two transgender women in separate incidents between August and October.” Ceballos is the prosecutor in both the Fonseca and Orellana cases and has filed hate crime enhancements regardless of Gascón’s directives to bar sentencing enhancements in Los Angeles County.  Ceballos is quoted in the article regarding the charges against Fonseca, “It was clearly a gang case. The gang allegation should have been filed. But I wasn’t allowed to do so.”

Orellana had been arrested that same week preceding the assault for attempted robbery and was released due to the uncooperativeness of the victim, according to Ceballos. With Orellana being a self-professed MS-13 gang member, it is not surprising the victim of the robbery would refuse to participate in the prosecution process.