More than 60 arrested in Kings County operation, sheriff says. Some accused of killings

Law enforcement arrested 62 people and seized 34 guns during an operation that ended Thursday, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office said.

Operation Moovin’ Out targeted the Crip gang primarily in Hanford, but also led to search warrants served in unincorporated Kings County and also the cities of Visalia, Fresno, Delano, Corcoran, Lemoore and Tulare, the sheriff’s office said.

The operation began in June 2019 after an increase in crime related to the gang, Sheriff David Robinson said.

“This is a big case,” he said. “(In) my 28 years in law enforcement, it’s one of the biggest cases I’ve seen here in Kings County.”

Forty-six of the 62 arrests were made Thursday and include accusations of homicide, attempted homicide, sales of narcotics, human trafficking, pimping, pandering, fraud and money laundering, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Major Crimes Task Force was able to identify three homicide suspects for which the cases had become cold,” Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker said Thursday.

Robinson said the oldest homicide case was the shooting death of Martin Nava, who was gunned down April 5, 2016, in Home Garden south of Hanford. He said Aaron Sparks was arrested for the alleged crime.

Law enforcement also seized half of the guns in the operation on Thursday as well as a pipe bomb.

They also took more than $225,000 in cash obtained from fraud, money laundering and drug sales, the sheriff’s office said. More than $555,000 was also frozen in bank accounts.

They confiscated three cars, a motorcycle and $120,00 in jewelry they said was suspected of being part of a fraud and money laundering scheme.

The operation included Hanford police and a number of other agencies.