The alleged crimes included 18 violent crimes — among them two homicides — as well as 11 burglaries with losses exceeding $100,000, and four acts of vandalism.
SAN DIEGO — Four people on Monday pled not guilty in connection with an alleged protection racket that siphoned money from businesses in Barrio Logan.
One of the suspects is accused of attacking people in Chicano Park. The others are accused of terrorizing business owners along Logan Avenue, trying to force them to pay for so-called security for their businesses.
Authorities arrested a half-dozen suspects last week in connection with the alleged 18-month series of gang-related offenses, including murder. The crimes — involving demands for money backed by threats of assault, burglary and vandalism — have “caused great fear” for storefront proprietors and their employees in the 1900 to 2200 blocks of Logan Avenue, according to a statement from the San Diego Police Department.
“During the investigation, gang detectives and …