By Brian Day, SGV Tribune Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 05:27:45 PM PDT

A year-long investigation by a multi-agency task force resulted Wednesday in the arrests of 15 tagging crew members who scrawled their "OCP" moniker in Rosemead, El Monte, Whittier and dozens of other cities, authorities said.

Sheriff's deputies, police officers, probation officials and federal immigration agents served warrants at 31 locations in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, arresting member of "Out Causing Panic," or OCP, officials said.

Authorities have designated the decade-old group a criminal street gang and linked it to hundreds of graffiti incidents that have caused "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in damages, officials said in a statement.

Warrants were served in West Covina, El Monte, Whittier and Pico Rivera, said Lt. Erik Ruble of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transportation Services Bureau. In all, authorities served 20 warrants in Los Angeles County and 11 in Riverside County, he said.

"This crew came to our attention back last year, June 14, 2009, during the Lakers disturbance," Ruble said.
OCP member came under scrutiny after contributing to the havoc that broke out following last year's Los Angeles Lakers championship victory at Staples Center, authorities said.

OCP members were suspected of damaging and scrawling graffiti on a Metro Blue Line train and an MTA bus during the downtown L.A. melee, Ruble said.

"Through the investigation, we learned they've been involved in other crimes," he said.
Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Meadows, in a written statement, said OCP mostly engages in vandalism.
"However, the investigation revealed members of this tagging crew are involved in assaults, illegal weapons, robberies and drug sales," he said.

"Law enforcement has documented approximately 700 incidents of vandalism within Los Angeles County, costing taxpayers and and private entities hundreds of thousands of dollars," Meadows said.

Those arrested Wednesday ranged in age from 17 to 30, he said. They were booked on suspicion of numerous crimes, including felony vandalism, participating in criminal street gang, recruiting and soliciting members of a criminal street gang, possessing narcotics for sale, receiving stolen property, auto theft, possession of stolen property and immigration violations.

Their names were not immediately available Wednesday, Ruble said.
Four people already behind bars on suspicion of theft- and robbery-related crimes also were charged with new crimes as part of the investigation, officials said.

One of the suspects arrested Wednesday is accused of selling methamphetamine, after he was found with about an ounce of the drug, Ruble said.

Another is suspected of possessing stolen property, including bullet-proof helmets believed to have been stolen from a police car.

Officials also confiscated marijuana during the operation Wednesday, along with items of clothing from an OCP-supported clothing line.

Two of those arrested are Mexican nationals suspected of being in the country illegally, officials said.
To identify crew members, investigators gathered samples of the "OCP" tag and members' monikers, Meadows said.
Officials believe OCP has more than 200 members who have committed crimes in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties, Ruble said.

Sheriff's officials in Los Angeles and Riverside counties spearheaded the investigation after investigators detected OCP members traveling heavily between the two counties.

The investigation is continuing, Meadows said, and officials continue to seek five additional suspects