Full Name: Big Top Locos (BTLS)
Also Known As: Big Top Locos 13, BTLS, BTL
Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Ethnicity: Mexican-American
Affiliation: Sureños
Police Division: LAPD Rampart Division
Established: Early 1980s
Major Legal Action: 2013 Echo Park Gang Injunction
The Big Top Locos (BTLS), also known as Big Top Locos 13, are a Mexican-American street gang based in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, California. The gang is affiliated with the Sureños and operates within the area covered by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division.
The Big Top Locos are one of several neighborhood gangs that have operated in Central Los Angeles. Over the years, the gang has been involved in conflicts with nearby gangs including Echo Park Locos, Diamond Street Locos, as well as 18th Street.
Foundation and Early History
The Big Top Locos trace their origins back to the early 1980s, but gained prominence as a gang in Los Angeles records during the late 1980s.
The name Big Top Locos is believed to have originated from the former Big Top Liquor store located on Temple Avenue in Echo Park. Before becoming a street gang, the group reportedly began as a neighborhood football team that took the name from the local business.
The gang came into existence in the Echo Park area during a period when several Mexican-American street gangs operated throughout Central Los Angeles. Like many neighborhood gangs in Los Angeles, Big Top Locos formed around local streets and residents.
Territory
The Big Top Locos are based in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, California. Their neighborhood roughly stretches from Alvarado Street to Glendale Boulevard, between U.S. Route 101 (Historic Route 66) and Temple Street, with the area extending toward Union Avenue and Court Street.
A section of their territory is known as the “Dead End” side, a hillside area located across the 101 Freeway bridge from the Temple Street corridor. The area included narrow residential streets above Echo Park, including areas around Cortez Street and Dawson Court.
The gang’s territory includes the area around Echo Park Lake and nearby residential streets. Their location places them near several other Los Angeles street gangs operating in Echo Park, Westlake, and the Rampart area.
The 1990s and 2000s
During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Big Top Locos remained active in Echo Park while becoming involved in rivalries with several nearby gangs.
The gang operated near several rival gangs, which all had a presence in the surrounding area. These rivalries resulted in shootings, assaults, and other acts of violence.
The Big Top Locos also became involved in conflicts with 18th Street, a larger Sureño gang with a presence in nearby Westlake and Rampart neighborhoods.
In September 2013, a permanent gang injunction was approved against Big Top Locos and five other Echo Park-area gangs. The order created a safety zone covering parts of Echo Park and surrounding neighborhoods and restricted individuals identified by law enforcement as gang members from certain activities within the area.
Documented Incidents
Leonardo Pulido Case (2005)
In October 2005, a confrontation between the Big Top Locos and 18th Street resulted in a fatal shooting in the Echo Park area.
Leonardo Pulido, a documented Big Top Locos member known as “Bandit,” was inside his home when several armed 18th Street members attempted to confront him. During the confrontation, Pulido fired a shotgun, killing Jesus Lorenzo.
The surviving 18th Street members were later convicted under California’s provocative acts doctrine, which holds individuals responsible for a death that occurs during a crime they started. The case became one of the more notable examples of the violence between Big Top Locos and 18th Street.
Emmanuel Medina Case (2011)
In 2011, Big Top Locos member Emmanuel Medina was convicted for his involvement in a series of violent crimes in the Rampart area.
Medina and an associate were accused of carrying out an armed carjacking, robbery, and kidnapping of a taxi driver. Police recovered a firearm and stolen property during the investigation.
Medina was convicted of carjacking, kidnapping to commit robbery, and first-degree robbery, with gang enhancements added to his sentence.
Echo Park Gang Injunction Lawsuit (2017)
The Big Top Locos became part of a major legal challenge involving gang injunctions in Los Angeles.
In 2015, Echo Park resident Peter Arellano challenged his placement on the Echo Park gang injunction list after police identified him as a member of Big Top Locos. Arellano denied being a gang member and argued that the restrictions placed on him violated his rights.
The Youth Justice Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California later joined the case. In 2017, a federal judge ruled that Los Angeles had violated due process rights by placing individuals under gang injunction restrictions without giving them an opportunity for a hearing.
Rivals and Alliances
The Big Top Locos have been involved in feuds with several gangs operating around Echo Park and Central Los Angeles. Their main rivals include Echo Park Locos, Diamond Street Locos, Crazys, Frogtown Rifa, and Head Hunters. These gangs were all included with Big Top Locos in the 2013 Echo Park gang injunction.