Hemet Officers Targeted Again With Booby-Traps

HEMET -For the second time in as many months, the office of the San Jacinto Gang Task Force in Hemet was targeted — this time by someone who booby-trapped a rolling gate to fire a shot at whoever opened it, police said today.

When an officer opened the gate about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, a bullet whizzed by him, Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart said.

The booby trap was rigged to fire a bullet in the general direction of whoever was opening the gate, Wisehart said. The slug was found in a parking lot about 100 yards away, he said.

On Dec. 31, police discovered that someone had removed a natural gas line on the roof and redirected it into the building, filling it with natural gas, which could have closed an explosion.

The gang task force includes officers from the county sheriff’s department, the district attorney’s office and county probation.

Anyone with more information was asked to call police at (951) 765-2400.