OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- More than a dozen people were arrested in a gang sting prompted by the fatal shooting of a police officer.
Police raided a dozen locations, including the neighborhood where Officer Dan Bessant was slain Dec. 20.
Shortly after the killing, authorities charged two alleged gang members with murder, including a 17-old who, prosecutors say, told detectives that he used a rifle with telescopic sight to shoot the 25-year-old policeman. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.
Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy said Bessant's killing sparked an investigation that culminated in Thursday's raids. He declined to name any gangs targeted but the operation focused on a neighborhood that is home to The Deep Valley Bloods, a mostly Samoan gang.
The 13 people arrested were charged with crimes including drug sales, possession of a stolen credit card and parole violations.
