Los Santos, SA (AP) -- While the Los Santos Police Department are announcing the capture of notorious gang kingpin Carl "C.J." Johnson as a major victory in the war against inner city violence, many critics are wondering why it took so long.

Johnson, who was arrested Wednesday following the theft of a police motorcycle which he subsequently crashed into a wall just as an LSPD officer was walking past, is being charged with 387 counts of capital murder, 104 counts of grand theft auto, 52 counts of aggravated assault, 967 counts of destruction of private property, and one count of stealing a rhyme book.  "With the arrest of this dangerous criminal," said Los Santos police chief Tim Anders, "we are expecting a decrese in our city's crime rate of at least 38%."

However, many groups of community activists are questioning the amount of time it took for the LSPD to make an arrest in Johnson's murderous rampage across the city.  Johnson, who returned to Los Santos two weeks ago after a five-year stay in Liberty City, is a well-known figure in the Ganton neighborhood, and he often walked the streets of Los Santos openly carrying submachineguns and rocket launchers.  His crimes were often public as well; at least 149 of his nearly four hundred homicides took place in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses.  "The only time he'd bother hiding was when he was getting it on with a hooker," says East Los Santos resident Shanicea Kyle, 27.  "He'd drive over here about three times a week and gun down half a dozen people, then get some pizza and go home.  It's like the cops didn't even know he was here."

Police corruption has long been an issue in Los Santos politics, with Chief Anders standing up for his force despite the Frank Tenpenny scandal and resulting riot.  But the Johnson arrest has raised serious questions about police responsiveness.  "Carl Johnson stole my car on two separate occassions," says Glen Park resident Shantel Williams, 34, "and the cops didn't do (anything) about it.  And even when he, like, guns down a (person) in broad daylight, it's like, they chase after his (car) for about five (entire) minutes and get bored and just let him go."  Some residents report that on some occasions, when police officers would appear to be seriously pursuing Johnson, he would engage in an odd ritual that involved twice exchanging the weapons he was carrying, discharging one of them, and looking in several different directions, after which the police would back off.

Even more perplexing is that Johnson's crime spree was not confined to Los Santos; he is suspected of hundreds more murders in Los Venturas, San Fierro and Liberty City, but their law enforcement officials are equally at a loss to explain why they had not pursued him more actively up until this point.  "Sometimes it seems like all you have to do in this town to avoid the cops is get a new paint job on your car," says San Fierro crime reporter Reginal Lefwich.  "I remember picking up a report from Los Venturas that the cops actually did catch him out there, for a car theft that ended up as a quintuple-homicide, and that instead of locking him up, they just took his guns and let him back out on the streets.  My editor killed the story."

Some speculate that Johnson's wealth has insulated him from police interference up until now; he is believed to have made millions from drug sales, car thefts, assassinations, and from managing popular rapper OG Loc.  Johnson is also a prominent real estate speculator who owns a dozen income properties in Los Santos alone.  But the police, under intense public pressure, are vowing to make this arrest stick.  "Sometimes, the system isn't perfect," admits Los Santos district attorney Paul Veitch.  "We wish it was, but the fact is, sometimes you can get away with two, three hundred murders.  But the capture proves that if you kill four hundred people in the state of San Andreas, you will go to jail.  Probably."

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