Healing Urban Barrios is defending its violence prevention work after one of its peace ambassadors was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he illegally possessed two body armor plates near MacArthur Park.
The Lincoln Heights-based nonprofit said it would not comment on the specifics of the case because it is an ongoing legal matter, but would continue their work.
“We are guided by a principle of our legal system: everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” Christina Navarro, the founder and executive director of Healing Urban Barrios said.
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, of Westlake, worked with Healing Urban Barrios, according to the organization, as part of the City of Los Angeles’ Peace Ambassador program. The initiative deploys trained, unarmed outreach workers to neighborhoods including MacArthur Park to help prevent violence and connect residents experiencing crises with support services.
Alvarez was charged with possession of body armor by a violent felon after Los Angeles police officers found the plates in the trunk of his car during a probation search near MacArthur Park on May 18, according to the criminal complaint filed in federal court. Federal authorities said that two phones were found during their investigation, but did not disclose if any weapons were found.
If convicted of the charge, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The nonprofit however defended its mission of helping formerly incarcerated and gang-involved people reintegrate into society.
The organization said that in 2025 it reached more than 3,000 community members, mentored 750 people, trained 219 people through workforce programs, helped 194 people earn work certifications and assisted 50 participants in finding jobs.
“So, we are not stepping back. We are doubling down,” the statement from Navarro said.
The nonprofit is contracted by the city to provide Peace Ambassador services in Council District 1.
In a statement, Council District 1 spokesperson Chelsea Lucktenberg said the office was aware of the allegations and that the individual had been removed from the peace ambassador program earlier this month.
Lucktenberg emphasized that the man “is not, and has never been, an employee of Council District 1 or the City of Los Angeles.”
She said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez remains committed to violence prevention programs and argued that officials “will not allow allegations involving one former employee of a nonprofit organization to discredit an entire field of work and dedicated intervention workers who show up every day to prevent harm.”
Lucktenberg added that community violence intervention programs have operated in Los Angeles since the 1990s and that trained, unarmed outreach workers are “a proven, effective, and indispensable part of the City’s public safety ecosystem.”
The FBI is leading the investigation into Alvarez with help from the Los Angeles Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, Central District of California.
The complaint alleges Alvarez is a convicted 18th Street gang member who was sentenced in 2002 to 50 years to life in prison for first-degree murder, but was released after serving approximately 24 years in prison.
Court records also show Alvarez was convicted in April 2025 of being a prisoner in possession of a weapon.
Last month, another man who worked for a homeless outreach organization, was also arrested close to MacArthur Park for a federal charge involving the possession of fentanyl.
