In 1992, Carl "CJ" Johnson, a former gangbanger for the Los Santos-based Grove Street Families, returns home to Los Santos from Liberty City after learning about the murder of his mother, Beverly in a drive-by shooting. Upon his arrival, CJ is intercepted by a group of corrupt police officers led by Frank Tenpenny. Tenpenny coerces CJ into working for him by threatening to frame CJ for the murder of an Internal Affairs officer, whose death had been orchestrated by Tenpenny.
