Two African-American women and their families, who left Azusa in September after months of what they said was racial harassment at the hands of Latino gangs, Thursday filed suit against the Azusa Police Department, claiming that officers failed to protect them from hate crimes.

Laurie Martin and Deborah Judge fled their Azusa homes on North Pasadena Avenue in September after two youths on bicycles fired eight shots at Martin's home. The shooting capped nine months of threats, racial slurs, graffiti and rock throwing directed at the women and their families by Latino youths, they said.

According to the complaint, filed in Pomona Superior Court against Azusa Police Chief Byron Nelson and the Police Department, police failed to initiate an investigation or to act to protect the plaintiffs. Nelson could not be reached for comment

In December, Nelson called for a federal investigation of the incidents.