Operation Royal Flush leads to arrest of 77 in South Valley

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Armed with 52 searched warrants and a thrust to marque Kings County safer, the Sheriff's Office teamed up with much than a twelve agencies from crossed the authorities for Operation Royal Flush.

This associated cognition began successful September. To date, 52 hunt warrants person been executed, 77 radical person been arrested, and 32 firearms person been seized.

Three homicides were besides solved, spanning Avenal, Kettleman City, and Corcoran, dating arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2021.

Authorities accidental 1 of those homicide victims was a bystander killed during a random enactment of pack violence.

In April 2021 instrumentality enforcement says 29-year-old Jonathan Sanchez was gunned down adjacent Fifth and General Petroleum successful Kettleman City 4 radical are present charged successful his murder.

More than 2 years later, successful October 2023, Juan Carlos Alonzo, who was successful a wheelchair, was changeable and killed successful Avenal.

Just the time earlier the property conference, the Sheriff's Office released sketches of 2 suspects successful the case.

Thursday morning, the 2 were arrested for the murder, though their names person not been released.

Ten radical successful full person been charged successful the case, including 8 minors, each who look murder, gun, and pack charges.

District Attorney Sarah Hacker said they're not amazed by however galore minors are progressive successful the gangs, but determination was an facet that shocked them.

"What is astonishing is that determination is simply a ample fig of juveniles retired successful the streets with shade guns oregon unserialized weapons and that are openly trading these guns with different pack members," said Hacker.

The astir caller homicide was successful December 2023 31-year-old Charles Van Wolfgang Black was changeable and killed successful Corcoran astatine Whitley and Josephine Avenues.

To this time a memorial sits astatine the country of the intersection. Thursday, the lawsuit moves person to justness with 3 radical charged with murder, gun, and pack allegations successful his death.

Two of them are already successful situation connected different charges. The 3rd was retired connected parole.

"Many of the radical that were progressive were radical that person anterior felony convictions, peculiarly the homicide suspects retired of Corcoran. All 3 of them person been sent to prison, and each 3 of them person had anterior weapon charges," said Hacker.

Hacker and the Sherriff's Office are hopeful this cognition is simply a important disruption to weapon and amerciable narcotics trafficking.

Hackers said they would beryllium capable to support astir of the suspects successful jailhouse pending their trials due to the fact that the charges were serious.

She besides said that the transition of Prop 36 would let them to manus down much important sentences.

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