9 Accused Gang Members Held in Skid Row Rampage

Nine alleged members of a downtown street gang were arrested late Sunday after going on a rampage through skid row and beating homeless people with clubs and baseball bats, police said.

Police said the beatings began near 5th and San Pedro streets. Officers learned about the attacks at 7:30 p.m. when a witness came into the lobby of the Central Division station, said Sgt. John Radke.

Despite the arrests and eyewitness accounts, police said they couldn’t find any victims.

From 5th and San Pedro, the group of gang members moved to a park and continued the attacks, police said.

The suspects ranged in age from 16 to 25, police said. Two men were charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, said LAPD spokeswoman Angela Grant. Seven others were charged with “challenging passersby to a fight,” which is a misdemeanor.