LA men will plead guilty to firebombing black families

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three East Los Angeles gang members will plead guilty to federal racketeering and civil rights charges for firebombing black residents at a housing project.

Authorities say four years ago, members of a Latino gang threw Molotov cocktails into four apartments at the Ramona Gardens project in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood.

Black families that included women and children were sleeping in three of the apartments.

U.S. Attorney Nicola Hanna says it was a miracle that nobody was injured.

In plea agreements filed Thursday, Jose Saucedo, Edwin Felix and Jonathan Portillo acknowledged that the unprovoked attacks were aimed at driving the families out of the complex.

The men could now face some 30 years each in prison.

Three other gang members previously pleaded guilty and two are facing trial.