The City of Angels has too many ‘Diablos’

It’s not surprising that federal agents would find an armed gangster at MacArthur Park. What is shocking — perhaps — is learning that he’s on the city payroll as a “Peace Ambassador.”

Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, a.k.a. “Diablo,” was arrested for possession of military-grade armor, which carries a potential five-year sentence. It’s not illegal for most people to own body armor in California — but it’s illegal for people who have been convicted of a violent felony.

And “Diablo” fits the bill. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2002 and sentenced to 50 years. He was released after 24 years.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents Council District 1, where MacArthur Park is located, launched the “Peace Ambassadors” in 2025 as part of her commitment to “reimagining public safety.”

The term “reimagining” was adopted by the Black Lives Matter movement when “defund the police” ran into political opposition. The idea behind the “Peace Ambassadors” is to replace police with community members who can supposedly defuse conflicts.

The Peace Ambassadors are “unarmed workers who have lived experience in the justice or gang systems and are trained in violence prevention and trauma-informed care,” according to Hernandez’s district website.

“They help organize peace marches, vigils, holiday celebrations and community clean-ups. These efforts strengthen community ties and promote healing.”

“Diablo” is part of an organization called “Healing Urban Barrios,” one of two groups that Hernandez touted as part of the Peace Ambassadors program.

The city paid the group $450,000, and “Diablo” earned $58,156 in 2025.

His arrest is an indictment of Hernandez’s awful approach to public safety, which has allowed MacArthur Park to deteriorate into a den of criminality and grime.

When you replace police officers with convicted murderers, it is no wonder that the community suffers from violent crime, homelessness, drugs and general squalor.

The arrest is also a vindication of federal law enforcement efforts, led by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who has focused on cleaning up the once-proud and historic park.

Essayli, together with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, have begun cleaning up MacArthur Park and the surrounding streets. 

It is an effort that was long overdue — and that has also exposed networks of gangs that operate far beyond the park itself, as far away as the posh suburban streets of Calabasas.

We need police, not Peace Ambassadors. The City of Angels already has far too many “Diablos.”

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