Two suspected Merced County gang members arrested

A two-month investigation into gang activity in Planada and Merced ended Tuesday with two suspected gang members in custody, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Luis A. Lua, 19, of Planada and Ricardo F. Ramirez, 21, of Merced were arrested after deputies served search warrants at their homes, Sgt. Delray Shelton said.

Lua was located and arrested on South Minturn Road while Ramirez was found in an orchard and arrested on Buchanan Hollow Road in the Le Grand area, deputies said.

Shelton praised the work done by the deputies, including lead investigator Detective Rafael Chavez and Deputies Tom MacKenzie and Javier Garcia. “Both of these suspects are known gang members with a history with law enforcement,” Shelton said.

Both men are accused of stealing a Ford pickup March 29 from a rival gang member’s family in the 300 block of Sutter Street in Planada, Sgt. Chuck Hale confirmed.

Search warrants were served in the 9300 block of Latham Drive in Planada and the 800 block of Olivewood Drive in Merced, deputies said.

Lua was booked into the Merced County Jail on a warrant charging him with vehicle theft and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and brandishing one. He was still in custody Tuesday afternoon on $140,000 bail, according to booking records.

Lua was listed by the jail as a parolee, but details of his prior prison conviction were not available. He was previously arrested April 7 on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor, according to jail records.

Ramirez was booked on suspicion of vehicle theft. He also remained in custody Tuesday afternoon in lieu of $40,000 bail, according to booking records. Jail records show Ramirez was convicted in 2013 of making criminal threats, a felony.

Deputies said the Planada community has been “relatively quiet” in recent months in terms of gang activity and said the arrests Tuesday underscore the department’s desire to continue that trend.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Two suspected Merced County gang members arrested."