8 alleged gang members arrested, including rapper
Eight alleged members of a San Francisco-based gang — including a popular local rapper — were arrested last week after a multi-agency arrest and search warrant sweep, according to authorities.
Ajay Balaoro, 25, of Vallejo; Amari Green, 18, Xavier Garcia, 18, Daniela Eaton, 36, all of San Francisco; Reno Fiapoto, 23, of Fairfield; Ramone Fiapoto, 21, of East Palo Alto; and Tahmon Wilson, 20, of Richmond were arrested on Nov. 16 after seven search warrants were served simultaneously in seven different Bay Area cities, San Francisco police stated in a Friday news release.
An unidentified 22year-old woman was also detained and her custody transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service for “numerous outstanding warrants,” police said.
Four of those arrested — both Fiapotos, Green and Balaoro — are at San Mateo County's Maguire Correctional Facility and appeared in court on Friday and Monday, according to San Mateo County jail records.
Reno Fiapoto is charged with possession of a firearm by a narcotics addict, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of ammunition and felony committed while released on bail; Green is charged with carrying a loaded firearm in public, attempted homicide, attempted second-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime; and Balaoro is charged with possession of an assault weapon and carrying a loaded firearm in public, San Mateo jail records show.
All three are also charged with added gang enhancements.
Wilson is at the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, according to Contra Costa County jail records. He is expected to appear in court on Dec. 2.
It is unclear where the three others were jailed.
Last week's arrests and search warrants were a result of seven-month investigation following the seizure of several firearms, ammunition and electronic devices during an April 6 search warrant in East Palo Alto, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
During the search in East Palo Alto, five individuals — including both Fiapotos — were found in possession of firearms, a spokesperson for the office said, adding that the crime lab analyzed the weapons seized and allegedly found DNA from each person on “one or more” of the weapons.
Reno Fiapoto is a popular rapper from San Francisco's Sunnydale neighborhood known as TearItOffGreezy.
Fiapoto has previously been arrested in San Mateo County in 2019 on charges stemming from a February 2018 robbery outside the Millbrae Pancake House and on an outstanding homicide warrant in Richmond from 2021, according to various press releases from the San Mateo County Sheriff 's Department.
The San Mateo Sheriff's Office identified Reno Fiapoto as a member of a street gang with ties to Sunnydale.
According to the San Francisco Police Officers Association and a music video posted to the popular Bay Area Hip Hop website Thizzler.com, both Fiapotos were involved in stopping traffic on the Bay Bridge in October 2021 to honor their brother, who had been killed.
The video — released in November 2021 — showed Reno Fiapoto and others stopping their cars in the middle of the bridge to throw money and film a music video.
Reno Fiapoto is held on $800,000 bail, jail records show, while Balaoro is held on $630,000 bail. Both Green and Ramone Fiapoto are held without bail.
Green is expected again in San Mateo County court on Nov. 29, according to jail records. Both Fiapotos and Balaoro are expected to appear on Nov. 30.