Gwinnett police arrest 6 for street gang activity

LAWRENCEVILLE - Gwinnett County police have charged two men and four juveniles with 150 felony offenses linked to suspected gang activity.

Police spokesman Cpl. David P. Schiralli said Wednesday that Daniel Cardenas, 18, and Dennis Pineda, 17, both of Lawrenceville, along with four unnamed juveniles, have been charged with 19 burglaries, 35 car break-ins and stealing two vehicles, among other charges. The offenses underlying these criminal charges occurred in and around unincorporated areas Gwinnett County, including areas of Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Norcross and Duluth.

"We believe it was a very significant arrest," said Schiralli. "We actually uncovered incidences that were not actually reported. So we were able to close out cases."

Police believe the suspects are members of a gang known as the ``South Side Jokers.''

Schiralli said some of the crimes date back to January. He said Pineda was already in the Gwinnett County Jail on charges of bringing a weapon to school and street gang activity.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Judd Hickinbotham contributed to this story.)