A Newhall man was sentenced to three year in prison Friday, the day after he was arrested in a probation sweep undertaken by members of a sheriff’s team specially assembled to monitor gang activity.
Edgar Infante, a 28-year-old mechanic who lives in Newhall, was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, by deputies of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Juvenile Team called the Career Offenders, Burglary, and Robbery Apprehension Team – or COBRA.
Infante was taken into custody following a search of his residence.
On Friday, he appeared in San Fernando Superior Court for a probation violation hearing, Sarah Ardalani, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, told The Signal monday.
“The defendant admitted the violation and was ordered to serve three years in prison to be served in local custody,” she said, noting Infante was given credit for 84 days.
Infante was arrested in a massive probation sweep carried out across Santa Clarita Thursday.
Other gang members singled out in the probation sweep were not found at the residence deputies went to, expecting them to be living there.
On Thursday, COBRA members carried out multiple probation searches throughout the city of Santa Clarita.
They went to locations of individuals who were on probation, and were identified as being involved or associated with the gang Newhall 13, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shirley Miller wrote in a news account posted on the sheriff’s Facebook page.
At some of the locations that they went to, it was discovered that the probationers no longer resided at the address, she wrote and later told The Signal. These locations were noted, and will be reported to the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
Other locations were searched and the probationer was found at the recorded address, however no violations were found.
A search of Infante’s residence revealed he was in possession of methamphetamine, Miller wrote in her news account.
Infante was arrested on a narcotics charge and for violation of his probation, she said.
It is the goal of the COBRA team to conduct more probation searches in the near future of locations that have been associated with gang activity.
The COBRA team is a specialized team at Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station that investigates juvenile and gang related crimes.
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