The City of Santa Ana is closing its playgrounds, volleyball courts and tennis courts beginning Wednesday, April 1, in order to prevent gatherings and protect the public from COVID-19. The City has already shuttered its enclosed parks, recreation and other facilities and canceled all programs and classes except the take-out senior meals program. Those include:…
Effective March 30, Orange County Community Services has implemented a call center to meet the needs of businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Economic & Business Recovery Call Center will offer information and resources to help Orange County businesses navigate the current economic climate. These resources will support businesses with challenges such…
The City of Santa Ana is offering a grant of $2,500 to $5,000 for Santa Ana-based microenterprises through the Santa Ana Small Business Incentive Program. Applicants must qualify for the Small Business Incentive Grant. Details are available at www.santa-ana.org/SBIP. Eligibility Qualifications The program provides a reimbursement grant for eligible businesses on a first-come, first-served basis. Grant…
The City of Santa Ana has created webpages in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to help residential and commercial tenants understand the City and State moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The webpages include frequently asked questions, a sample letter that renters can use to advise their landlord of their inability to pay…
Yolanda Cabrera, of Santa Ana, a 51-year-old pedestrian, was hit by a pick-up truck on Friday died from her injuries, according to the O.C. Register.
Cabrera was crossing Haster Street south of Lampson Avenue shortly after 10 p.m., when she was struck by a truck, according to the Garden Grove police. She was reportedly walking east on Haster, “outside of a crosswalk.” Continue reading
Contacts: Lt. Mark Stichter, 714.904.7042, MKStichter@ocsd.org; Carrie Braun, 714.552.5795, CBraun@ocsd.org
UPDATED INFORMATION: Sheriff’s Investigators Seek Public’s Assistance in Identifying Body Found
SANTA ANA, Ca. (April 15, 2016) – On January 6, 2014, unidentified female remains were found in the Casper’s Wilderness Park (Rural South East area of Orange County). Based on the preliminary investigation it is estimated the remains may have been exposed to the elements for a period of at least six months. After preliminary testing, it has been determined the remains are of a petite female, at least thirty years of age, shoulder length wavy dark brown hair with light colored highlights. The decedent had a very distinct gold colored dental bridge on her left lower jaw and possibly had a broken nose at some point in her life. Continue reading
Do you remember the Little Sparrow cafe in DTSA? They were opened just a few years ago in 2013, by Bruce Marsh and his wife, Naseem Aflakian, who live in Floral Park. At the time Marsh did not appear to have much experience in the restaurant business.
Apparently Marsh and his wife have closed the Little Sparrow and are going to keep it but change it to something they are calling BlackBox, according to their website.
Here are excerpts from the message Marsh posted on their website about their transition: Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT
The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, April 15, 2016. It will begin at 9:00 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00 a.m. It will be conducted in the area of 1000 E. Fourth Street, in the City of Santa Ana.
The primary purpose of a DUI Checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. The DMV reports that unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to cause a fatal crash than a licensed driver. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 14CF1692
Date: April 15, 2016
FULLERTON, Calif. – A man was sentenced to four years and four months in state prison today for sexually assaulting a friend’s 15-year-old daughter for a decade. Isidro Medrano Garcia, 42, Bell Gardens, was found guilty by a jury on March 4, 2016, of three felony counts of lewd acts on a minor. Garcia also received mandatory lifetime sex offender registration as a term of his sentence.
The victim testified to the following in trial: Continue reading
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) is finally returning to the greater Santa Ana area as they will be opening a store by the end of April at 1091 Old Irvine Blvd., in Tustin. OSH closed their Santa Ana location, which was on 17th between Cabrillo Park Drive and Tustin Ave., back in August of 2013.
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) currently operates more than 80 stores in California and Oregon. Tustin will be OSH’s third store in Orange County, in addition to the Irvine, Yorba Linda and Buena Park locations. Continue reading
Santa Ana’s Tristan Pacheco was selected to play in the USA National team Development games. This is an invite only event and he was selected based on his performance at the USA regional Development Camp where he had to earn his spot competing against high school kids because there weren’t many kids in his age group.
Pacheco is also a 7th grader at MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate and a participant at Santa Ana Pop Warner on Joe Ramirez’s PeeWee Football team. Continue reading
OC Child Exploitation Task Force Arrests Coach for Engaging in Lewd Behavior
Investigators Seek Additional Victims
COSTA MESA, CA (April 13, 2016) – On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Detail (SVD) and the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF) arrested Troy Linehan Crutchfield, 26, Costa Mesa, on charges related to sending harmful matter to a minor electronically and communicating with a minor to engage in lewd behavior. Crutchfield is suspected of taking and sending lewd videos of himself to a minor. Crutchfield was arrested following an investigation that started in March 2016.
At the beginning of March, 2016, an investigator with the OCSD Special Victims Detail assigned to the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force was contacted regarding a female minor victim who was having inappropriate conversations with a male online. An investigation was initiated. During the course of the investigation, Troy Crutchfield was identified as a possible suspect. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
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.
Minimum down payment assistance requirements:
• Must be pre-qualified for a 1st mortgage
• Must be a first time homebuyer
• Make a down payment of at least 3% from own funds
• Must complete the Homebuyer Counseling Program
• Home must be located in Santa Ana
• Home cannot exceed the purchase prices:
$466,000 for existing home/condo; or
$560,000 for new home/condo
• Meet income requirements Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 12, 2016
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas hosted the 8th Annual Victims’ Rights Rally yesterday, at the beginning of Victims’ Rights Week in remembrance of murdered victims, in celebration of surviving victims, and in honor of victims’ rights. Hundreds of victims, family, friends, law enforcement, and community leaders congregated at the Orange County Hall of Administration and laid flowers at the foot of a memorial wreath and held a candlelight vigil at the Rally to honor and celebrate the lives of murdered and surviving victims.
The Orange County Victims’ Rights event was established in 2009 after decades of legal efforts to secure the rights of crime victims. In 1990, Proposition 115 increased defendant sentences and decreased the number of times a victim had to testify. In 1996, Megan’s Law required sex offender registration and gave parents and the community access to sex offender residence addresses in their neighborhoods. In 2000, Proposition 21 increased the punishments for serious and dangerous gang crimes. In 2004, Proposition 69 required felony arrestees to submit a DNA sample and Proposition 66, which would have allowed the release of dangerous third-strikers, was defeated. In 2006, Proposition 83, or Jessica’s Law, instituted mandatory 15 years to life sentences for certain serious sex offenses against children. In 2008, Marsy’s Law codified victims’ rights into the California Constitution. Continue reading
Community: SANTA ANA CELEBRATES CHILDREN’S & BOOK DAY / SANTA ANA CELEBRA DÍA DE LOS NIÑOS & LIBROS
On April 23, 2016, Santa Ana Public Library, finalist for the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Services, will celebrate Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day). The celebration, also known as Día, will take place at the Main Library on Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will showcase a variety of fun-filled activities and services for children and their families.
Children’s Day began in 1925 and was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children. In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy, thus the creation of Día. Día annually celebrates children, families, and literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
The City of Santa Ana, through an Office of Traffic Safety grant, is offering free Confident Cycling Classes to any interested residents this spring and summer. The classes, taught by instructors certified through the League of American Bicyclists, will teach participants how to ride safely and with confidence along streets with vehicle traffic.
Sessions will take place at various locations on several weekends, beginning on April 16th at the Santa Ana Red Cross center. A limited number of classes will be taught completely in Spanish, and there will be a pair of class sessions exclusively for local teens. All class participants will receive a FREE bicycle helmet and set of bike lights.
More information about the classes and the registration form are online at www.santa-ana.org/bike-safety.
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CLASES PARA ANDAR EN CICICLETA CON SEGURIDAS GRATIS
Esta primavera y verano, Ia Ciudad de Santa Ana ofrece de manera gratuita clases para andar en bicicleta con seguridad para ciclistas principiantes y experimentados. Además de aprender habilidades para andar en bicicleta de manera segura. Todos los participantes recibirán un casco y un par de luces gratis.
Para conocer las fechas, horarios y registrarse, por favor visite www.santa-ana.org/bike-safety. Algunas de las clases se ofrecerán completamente en español.
More Than 3,600 Orange County Food Establishments Receive Awards of Excellence
(Santa Ana) – The County of Orange Health Care Agency (HCA) has issued the 2016 Award of Excellence to 3,630 Orange County food facilities to recognize local businesses for their outstanding food safety and sanitation practices during 2015.
The annual Award of Excellence was created to provide an incentive for retail food businesses that consistently meet or exceed health and safety standards for food facility operations. In 1999, the first year of the program, 584 food establishments received the recognition. With increased outreach and improved compliance with food safety laws, the number of recipients has grown significantly since its inception. Continue reading
12th ANNUAL VICTIMS’ RIGHTS CONFERENCE HONORED VICTIM ADVOCATES AND OFFERED CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATIONAL TRACKS
Community Service Programs’ 2016 Victims’ Rights Luncheon Featured Dr. Kathie Mathis, President/CEO of California Cognitive Behavioral Institute
Garden Grove, Calif. (April 11, 2016) – “Serving Victims, Building Trust, Restoring Hope” was the theme of nonprofit Community Service Programs’ (CSP) 12th annual Victims’ Rights Conference on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at the Embassy Suites in Garden Grove. The event hosted more than 220 law enforcement officers, therapists, nonprofit staff, service providers, victims and community members to learn valuable training through cutting-edge educational tracks and to honor local heroes who work tirelessly to advocate for victims’ rights throughout Orange County.
Acclaimed author and advocate Dr. Kathie Mathis, President and CEO of the California Cognitive Behavioral Institute, was the luncheon’s plenary speaker. During her career, Dr. Mathis has developed and introduced national models in mentoring, abuse prevention and school-based stop bullying programs. Dr. Mathis is a state and national advocate who participated on the taskforce reforming the California Dept. of Parole/Rehabilitation Adult Outpatient Mental Health Programs. Dr. Mathis discussed Secondary Trauma, or Vicarious Trauma, and shared how first responders can decrease their chances of “work burnout” and understand how the work they do every day can have a lasting impact on them. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 8, 2016
OCDA UNVEILED “PAWS”ITIVE PROGRAM PAIRING “PUPS” WITH PROSECUTORS TO HELP SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas unveiled today the newly launched PAWS Assist the Needs of the District Attorney (PANDA) program, where Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) volunteers and their therapy dogs will be on-site to comfort sexual assault victims as they meet with prosecutors. Continue reading