Six suspects arrested in gambling ring

Six suspects were arrested in an illegal gambling ring Friday afternoon, Clayton County police said.

Search warrants were executed simultaneously at three businesses as authorities closed in after a five-month investigation. Mi Casa on Old Dixie Highway, House of Decor on Highway 85 and Su Casa on Highway 54 in Forest Park were targeted in an operation that included the Forest Park Police Department and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Evidence gathered during the investigation revealed that business owners and employees gave illegal cash payouts to undercover officers, Clayton police spokesman Phong Nguyen said in a news release.

The following suspects were arrested: Junaid Khan, 47, of Fayetteville; Julia Sandoval, 21, of Jonesboro; Aliz Barton Perez, 23, of Forest Park; Maria Rios, 32, of Forest Park; Hugo Cervantes, 25, of Riverdale; and Rosa Mendoza, 18, of Forest Park. All were charged with commercial gambling and taken to Clayton County Jail.

More charges may be pending, Nguyen said, in addition to other large seizures of money and property.