Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: February 2018

Boarding OCTA buses is even easier now if you use their mobile pay app

Posted on by Posted in OCTA, Orange County, Santa Ana, Transportation Leave a comment

Mobile Readers Make OCTA Bus Boarding Easier

Bus service changes go into effect Sunday to provide improved service through OC Bus 360°

ORANGE – Boarding a bus in Orange County will get easier starting Sunday, Feb. 11 when the Orange County Transportation Authority fully implements mobile ticketing on its fleet systemwide.
Riders who purchase bus fares via the OC Bus app on their smartphone or other mobile device will now be able to call up a QR code and quickly scan it on the onboard reader. Previously, coach operators had to review the screen and validate each boarding, which could slow down the boarding process. Continue reading→

Garden Grove man gets only 9 years in prison after attacking his wife with a meat cleaver

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

Thang Van Nguyen, 48, a Garden Grove man, was sentenced to only nine years in prison, on Friday, for attacking and seriously injuring his wife with a meat cleaver, according to the O.C. Register.

Nguyen and his wife got into an argument before 7 a.m., on Jan. 19, 2016, in their Garden Grove apartment. He then attacked her with a meat cleaver, which left her very badly injured with deep lacerations. Continue reading→

$1,000 reward offered for return of beloved Santa Ana dog stolen from a vehicle

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Pets, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Car thefts are way up in Santa Ana in the past two years. A particularly painful car theft happened on January 14, 2018, just two weeks into the New Year, when a vehicle was stolen near N. Williams St. and Barclay Court. While the car could be replaced with help from the insurance carrier there was a precious cargo in that car that remains missing – a beloved Yorkshire Terrier named Isabella. Continue reading→

Update regarding the removal of the homeless from the Santa Ana River Trail

Posted on by Posted in Crime, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Environmental Remediation Project Update: February 9, 2018

Santa Ana, Calif. (February 9, 2018) – Below please find updates on the environmental remediation project that required the County of Orange to temporarily close a portion of the Santa Ana River Trail from Memory Lane/Garden Grove Boulevard in Orange to Taft Avenue/Ball Road in Anaheim beginning January 22.

Project Status Updates: Continue reading→

Santa Ana cell phone store robbery suspects busted with help from the OC Sheriff’s helicopter

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OC Sheriff, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

The AT&T store located on 17th Street and Grand Ave., in Santa Ana, was targeted by two armed men last night, just before 9 p.m., as the store employees were working on closing the store for the night, according to ABC News.

The two suspects, one armed with a shotgun, walked into the store with bandanas covering their faces. They forced the store clerk to go to a back room while they pilfered more than 40 smart phones as they held the clerk at gunpoint, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Pimp from San Bernardino gets 20 years in prison for trafficking women in Santa Ana

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2018

Case # 14CF2383

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, PIMPING, AND PANDERING SEVERAL WOMEN

FULLERTON, Calif. – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced to 20 years and eight months in state prison today for human trafficking, pimping, and pandering of several women.

Defendant: Ronald Preston Spurlock, 39, Grand Terrace

Found guilty by a jury on March 8, 2017, of the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Drag Queens storytime and LGBTQ+ Youth Fair set for 2/24 at the Santa Ana Library

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, LGBT, Santa Ana 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Santa Ana Library and Frida Cinema will host Forest of the Enchanted Drag Queens: Storytime and LGBTQ+ Youth Fair

Celebrating diversity, the Santa Ana Public Library and Santa Ana’s premier art house theater, Frida Cinema, are proud to present Forest of the Enchanted Drag Queens: All Ages Storytime and LGBTQ+ Youth Resource Fair. This special event is funded through a Library Services and Technology grant from the California State Library, the “Youth Know Social Innovation Project”. The event is FREE and will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2018 from 12:00pm-1:30pm at the Santa Ana Public Library. Continue reading→

An allegedly homeless woman was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Fires, homeless, OCFA, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

The same week that an Orange County Judge stopped the County of Orange from removing the homeless from the Santa Ana River trail, Marilyn Fajardo, a 26-year-old allegedly homeless woman was arrested in Santa Ana on suspicion of starting a fire that burned a tree, a storage container and two semi-truck trailers, according to the SAPD.

Witnesses told the SAPD that Fajardo had been seen at the scene at the fire, with a lighter. Continue reading→

Free construction tech program with apprenticeship opportunity available to Santa Ana residents

Posted on by Posted in Education, Garden Grove, Jobs, Santa Ana 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Free Training in Construction Technology Program Available with Apprenticeship Opportunities

Construction Technology Program is available for individuals that like working outdoors, using hand tools, and have an interest in the construction industry. The Construction Technology Program provides training in various apprenticeship construction trades, such as: Carpentry, Iron Worker, Electrical, Plumbing and many more.

Upon completion of the Construction Technology Program candidates will be interviewed by the Local Trade Unions, with opportunities to be placed in an apprenticeship to earn while you learn.

Information sessions will be available on the following dates and locations: Continue reading→

Author Sarah R. Garcia will talk about her new book on March 1 at the Santa Ana Library

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, Family, Literature, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: The Santa Ana Public Library will host Author Sarah R. Garcia to share her book, SanTana’s Fairy Tales

In honor of International Women’s Month, the Santa Ana Public Library is proud to present local author Sarah Rafael Garcia and her book SanTana’s Fairy Tales on Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 6:00pm to 7:30 pm. Garcia will share an art-talk about her childhood hometown, Santa Ana, as an inspiration for these modern-day fairy tales.

There will be musical accompaniment by artist Ruby Castellanos. After the talk and readings from the book, there will be a Q&A with the author and a book signing. Sarah Rafael Garcia is a writer, editor, community educator and traveler. Since publishing her first book Las Niñas in 2008, she founded Barrio Writers and Libromobile. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana is offering down payment assistance to first-time home buyers

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City of Santa Ana

Community: Down Payment Funds Available Now / Fondos De Pago Inicial Disponibles Ahora

The City of Santa Ana offers assistance to first-time home buyers – up to $40,000 with 0% interest rate.

The requirements for down payment assistance include the following: Continue reading→

A fatal pedestrian accident has closed First and Bristol this morning

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

SAPD police officers are working a fatal vehicle vs pedestrian collision this morning at First Street & Bristol Street, according to the SAPD’s Facebook page.

The SAPD advised that the intersection is currently closed in all directions and residents should use alternative routes. Continue reading→

This week’s Cochino List includes Mixabowl, Hopper & Burr and Jugos Victoria

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Food, Health and Medical, OC Health Care, Orange County, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The OC Health Care Agency has released a list of the eateries they inspected and shut down for the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 2. Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

  • Mixabowl at MainPlace Mall, 2800 N. Main St., Santa Ana; operating without a valid health permit; closed Jan. 31, reopened Feb. 1.
  • Hopper & Burr, 202 W. 4th St., Santa Ana; operating without a valid health permit; closed Jan. 31, reopened Jan. 31.

Continue reading→

Costa Mesa woman charged with embezzling over $265,000 from her employer

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

In January 2016, a police investigation began after the Laguna Beach Corporation suffered a grand theft totaling over $80,000, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department.

The investigation led to Nhora Tellez, a 38-year-old Costa Mesa woman who was the victim’s office manager and bookkeeper. Having access to the victim’s financial information allowed Tellez to use this information to her advantage. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana has launched a new webpage addressing homelessness

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, CA (February 2, 2018) – The City of Santa Ana has launched a new webpage highlighting information, resources and efforts the City is undertaking to address and reduce homelessness. This new webpage consolidates helpful information and resources on this important issue in one convenient place. The link to the webpage can be found here: http://www.santa-ana.org/homelessness. Continue reading→