SWAT teams raid Santa Ana cyber cafe suspected of gang connections

(FOX 11) - SWAT teams and members of Santa Ana PD's gang unit raided a cyber cafe with suspected gang connections in Santa Ana Thursday afternoon.

54 people were detained, and at least 8 were arrested, many of them on outstanding warrants.

It happened at Happy Times Cyber Cafe, a location neighbors told FOX 11 they've complained about to police, and city council.

They claim it is a front for criminal behavior, prostitution, drug use, and gambling.

"We started looking into it starting about 10 days ago," said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of Santa Ana PD.

"We started making multiple arrests of documented gang members at this location both day and night, five of them had guns and drug paraphernalia. Based on that investigation, today we served the search warrant, 54 people were inside."

Police took some people to jail on outstanding warrants, while others who were clean were released.

Some of them spoke to FOX 11.

"We were just gambling having fun and out of nowhere the SWAT team came in breaking the windows and started escorting everyone out in handcuffs," said Robert Thomas.

"It was scary, we all got really scared, we all pretty much threw ourselves on top of one another because we were literally inches away from the glass window where they broke in," said Jessica Doucet. "They handcuffed us all and treated us like criminals pretty much."

Police told FOX 11 the building will soon be red tagged, and boarded up.