L.A. gang interventionist Skipp Townsend arrested in murder conspiracy case

LAPD Robbery Homicide Division detectives arrested Skipp Townsend, 62, on Wednesday morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. in the 5100 block of Obama Boulevard in South Los Angeles. Townsend, the executive director of the advocacy group 2nd Call, is accused of conspiracy to commit murder.

Four other individuals were taken into custody in connection with the killing. Lenita Sinna Dee Lewis, 28, and Shamond Bennett, 49, were arrested on Monday. Nichole Aaliyah Smith, 23, and Jeremiah Abdelhameed, 25, were also detained on suspicion of accessory after the fact. Townsend is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

LAPD officials declined to identify the specific victim in the conspiracy case. Townsend has not yet been formally charged by prosecutors. An attorney for Townsend was unavailable for comment, and a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office could not confirm if the case had been presented for charging.

Law enforcement sources, who requested anonymity because the case is pending, said search warrants were served before the suspects were booked. Najee Ali, a South Los Angeles activist, stated that police seized computers from 2nd Call’s offices. The arrests follow the fatal shooting of Reginald Foreman, 51, on August 6.

Foreman, known as Big Ant or BA, was working with a 2nd Call team on weed abatement near 59th Place and Crenshaw Boulevard in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Witnesses reported that a youth wearing a medical face mask approached Foreman and Bennett and opened fire. Both men fled around the corner onto Crenshaw Boulevard. The shooter caught up to Foreman midway through the block and fired into his chest at point-blank range.

Townsend described Foreman as a generous man who loved baseball and coaching his nieces in softball at Ladera Park. Police told Foreman’s family they expected a break in the case soon, but no arrests had been announced until this week. Foreman was working on the long-delayed Destination Crenshaw revitalization project at the time of his death.

Bennett had faced separate charges following a confrontation with LAPD officers at a candlelight vigil in July 2025. The district attorney’s office announced last month that it could not proceed on charges of resisting arrest and battery against Bennett. A judge dismissed the case after Bennett’s attorney argued his right to a speedy trial was violated. The other man charged in that incident pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

The arrest of Townsend marks a significant development for 2nd Call, an organization that mediates gang disputes. Townsend, a former member of the Rollin’ 20s Bloods, has led the group for more than two decades. His work negotiating truces has earned him numerous contracts with the city of Los Angeles. Bennett, formerly a Rollin’ 60s leader, was arrested alongside Townsend this week.