The leader of a nonprofit gang intervention program in South Los Angeles has been taken into custody by authorities on allegations of conspiracy to commit murder, sparking widespread outrage and disbelief among his associates.
Skipp Townsend, 62, executive director of 2nd Call, was apprehended by detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division on Wednesday at approximately 10:30 a.m. outside the organization’s office located at La Brea Avenue and Obama Boulevard.
Townsend, a former gang member, has directed one of the city’s largest intervention programs for over two decades and frequently appears in media interviews and at events with city officials. His organization aims to mediate gang conflicts and offer nonviolent alternatives within the community.
With Townsend, four others were arrested: Lenita Sinna Dee Lewis, 28; Shamond “Lil AD” Bennett, 49; Nichole Aaliyah Smith, 23; and Jeremiah Abdelhameed, 25. While Townsend and Bennett are being held with a bail set at $2 million, the others have bail at $50,000. LAPD officials have not provided details regarding the murder conspiracy case involving the five individuals.
No formal charges have yet been filed against Townsend. His attorney was unavailable for comment. A representative from the L.A. County district attorney’s office stated that the case is currently under review for potential charges.
Sources in law enforcement, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing case, informed The Times that search warrants were executed prior to the arrests.
The recent arrests follow the fatal shooting of Reginald Foreman on August 6, while he was collaborating with a team from 2nd Call on weed clearance near 59th Place and Crenshaw Boulevard in the Hyde Park area.
“It was heartbreaking,” Townsend remarked in an interview conducted in October.
In the realm of gang intervention, Townsend stands as a significant presence. He earned respect from multiple generations of rival gang members and has maintained contact with many senior LAPD officials and police commissioners. Recently, he shared images of himself on the set of “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga,” indicating his role as an advisor for FX’s new series focused on Los Angeles’ hip-hop emergence in the 1990s.
City records indicate that in addition to federal funding, 2nd Call has secured contracts worth $695,000 to $715,000 to deliver violence prevention services through Mayor Karen Bass’ Office of Community Safety. The organization has also collaborated with Destination Crenshaw, a $100-million enhancement initiative intended to revamp 1.3 miles of the Crenshaw Corridor.
Disbelief has been a common response from those who are familiar with Townsend.
Gang expert Jorja Leap from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs communicated that many individuals she has spoken to have been shocked by this development. Unlike the case involving Eugene “Big U” Henley, another interventionist charged under federal conspiracy laws, many find it hard to believe Townsend could be involved in such activities, she explained.
“Until I have detailed knowledge of the case against Skipp, I cannot reconcile this with the man I know,” Leap stated. “Prove it to me.”
Najee Ali, a well-known South L.A. activist, mentioned that police confiscated computers from the 2nd Call offices.
“My phone has been inundated with calls,” Ali remarked, adding: “This has a concerning impact on potential conflicts between gang factions, since Skipp Townsend was always that one reliable person.”
Others pointed out how this incident underscores the inherent challenges in violence prevention efforts: to be truly effective, mediators like Townsend need to remain connected to gang life.
“That’s the balancing act community interventionists must perform every single day,” stated Fernando Rejón, executive director of L.A.’s Urban Peace Institute, admitting he finds the charges against Townsend “hard to believe.”
He expressed hopes that this arrest does not weaken the overall anti-gang initiatives, which both elected leaders and certain police officials have acknowledged as contributing to reduced violent crime.
On social media, some observers noted that the arrest aligns with a long-standing trend of law enforcement targeting interventionists with criminal histories.
As for the Foreman case, police informed his family that they anticipated a significant lead soon, although no arrests have been made to date.
Foreman, known as “Big Ant” or simply “BA,” was remembered by Townsend as a compassionate, generous individual with a contagious laugh. He harbored a love for baseball, particularly the Dodgers, enjoyed making jokes, and delighted in coaching his nieces in softball at Ladera Park.
Foreman was present with a team working to clear weeds at a vacant lot near Crenshaw Boulevard and 60th Street. Reports on the incident vary, but witnesses described a youth with a medical face mask approaching Foreman and Bennett—another of the men arrested—and opening fire.
Both Foreman and Bennett fled around the corner onto Crenshaw. The shooter pursued Foreman and reportedly stood over him, firing into his chest at close range.
In July 2025, Bennett and another individual were charged with resisting arrest following a confrontation with LAPD during a candlelight vigil situated a few blocks from where Foreman was murdered. Bennett was facing three counts, including felony battery against emergency personnel.
However, the previous case against Bennett deteriorated in recent weeks. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office revealed it could not continue with the charges of resisting arrest and battery against Bennett last month, with the reasons for this lack of progress remaining unclear. A judge dismissed the case after Bennett’s attorney asserted that his right to a speedy trial had been breached.
The other individual implicated in the 2025 incident pleaded guilty to a lesser offense.
On the Fourth of July, another employee of 2nd Call, Eric Washington, was shot around 11:20 p.m. while attempting to diffuse a conflict at the New Wilmington Arms Apartments in Compton, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A $70,000 reward is currently being offered for information regarding his death.
Washington had also worked for former L.A. City Councilmember Joe Buscaino and was involved in the Watts Rising initiative alongside the city’s Housing Authority. Following Washington’s death, the mayor referred to him as a “dedicated public servant.”
Townsend, who had a tumultuous upbringing that included periods of incarceration, began his dedication to negotiating gang truces which earned him widespread recognition, along with multiple contracts with the city of Los Angeles. The Times featured him in its review of the most influential Angelenos in 2024.
Townsend was formerly a part of the Rollin’ 20s Bloods. In a Times profile about Townsend, Bennett, who previously belonged to the Rollin’ 60s, asserted: “He is a Blood. He’s entering a Crip neighborhood. There’s no greater sacrifice than that.”
Bennett was referenced in the original gang injunction against the prominent gang in the early 2000s. According to the injunction, Bennett relocated to L.A. from Sacramento and has reportedly had numerous encounters with LAPD throughout the years alongside other known members of the Rollin’ 60s. Townsend and fellow interventionists have stated that Bennett has transformed his life as he has aged, dedicating himself to eliminating gang violence.
Nithya Raman, who recently won an election against Bass on Thursday to become the next city mayor, announced plans to enhance her predecessor’s setup of a stand-alone Office of Community Safety, aimed at innovating strategies for increasing city safety that go beyond conventional law enforcement methods. In its second year, the office has been focused on securing funding and distributing it among the network of nonprofits managing the city’s gang intervention and anti-violence initiatives.
For years, the city has aimed to professionalize the ranks of interventionists, introducing new oversight and training. Several intervention academies have emerged, and city officials have sought to keep peacemaker agencies accountable through the use of an “evidence-based” approach to tracking gang-related violence and facilitating referrals to job training and other services.
