New Santa Ana | Monthly Archives: October 2014

Why the Voice of OC keeps attacking Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, irvine, Joe Dunn, Labor, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, told the O.C. Register, regarding the young man who wore a profane “FTP” hat that resulted in the shut down of this week’s Santa Ana City Council meeting, that he didn’t know if the hat’s profanity, or Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s actions, violated any Santa Ana city law. But, he said, by closing a public meeting and urging police to arrest people for staying, Pulido “clearly overreacted.”

How can Chemerinsky say that when “a large knife left behind was found” in the Council Chambers after the punks in question were cleared out, according to ABC7.

Here’s the problem with the Register quoting Chemerinsky – he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Voice of OC, a non-profit online news source funded by the Orange County Employee’s Association. And Chemerinsky as well as fellow VOC Board Member Joe Dunn, have a beef with Pulido that goes back a few years. Continue reading→

Governor Brown TV ad in support of Solorio for the State Senate now airing

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, california, Democratic Party, Jerry Brown, Jose Solorio, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: October 9, 2014

For More Information Contact: Maria Unzueta – mobile: (657) 464-4742

GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN TV AD IN SUPPORT OF JOSE SOLORIO STATE SENATE CAMPAIGN HITS AIRWAVES

Television Commercial Highlights Solorio’s Strong Support Of Governor’s Effort To Control State Spending, Protect Prop. 13, & Keep Property Taxes Down

SANTA ANA – A television commercial featuring Governor Brown and his support of Jose Solorio’s campaign for State Senate hit the airwaves today. The ad features a personal appeal by the Governor to send Solorio back to Sacramento to assist him.

“Jose Solorio was one of my closest allies in stopping out of control spending,” says Governor Brown in the 30 second campaign commercial. “He voted to protect Proposition 13 and keep property taxes down.” Continue reading→

Annual Rideshare Week urges commuters to share the ride

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in OCTA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 6, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713/Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697

Annual Rideshare Week Urges Commuters To Share the Ride

Commuters can win prizes, save money and help the environment by pledging to participate

ORANGE – Rideshare Week encourages commuters to give up the solo commute and save time and money by sharing the ride today through Friday.

Rideshare Week is a weeklong event presented by the Orange County Transportation Authority to promote alternative transportation options. Commuters can pledge online to ride the bus or train, carpool, vanpool, walk or cycle. Participants will be entered to win prizes, including bus passes, Metrolink tickets, LED bike lights and an iPad. By referring three or more friends, they can win a $50 gift card, and those new to ridesharing are eligible to receive $2 a day for up to three months. Continue reading→

Burglary suspects who crashed in north Santa Ana identified

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org/Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Burglary Suspects Arrested Following Vehicle Pursuit

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. – (October 9, 2014) – On Wednesday, October 8, 2014, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Harold Nathaniel Reese, 28, Los Angeles; Antwain Travon Smith, 28, Los Angeles; Raven Samone Queen, 19, Compton and John Smith, 24, Los Angeles, in connection with a residential burglary that occurred in the Nellie Gail Ranch community of Laguna Hills.

On October 8, 2014 deputies were conducting saturated patrols in the area of the Nellie Gail Ranch community following multiple residential burglaries over the last several months. During the course of saturated patrol effort, deputies observed a vehicle occupied by four subjects, believed to be connected to a recent residential burglary. Deputies initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle on Oso Parkway; however, the vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit ensued onto the northbound Interstate 5 freeway. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man arrested for cold case murder of his suegra

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

OCDA Seal

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release : October 8, 2014

Case # 14HF2750

MAN ARRESTED TODAY FOR 1998 COLD-CASE MURDER OF MOTHER-IN-LAW

SANTA ANA – A man was arrested today for the 1998 cold case murder of his mother-in-law. John Edward Moll Gutierrez, 47, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of murder. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time and date are to be determined.

At the time of the crime, Gutierrez is accused of living in a Laguna Beach condominium with his wife and the defendant’s 55-year-old mother-in-law Lillian DeVilla. Continue reading→

Man arrested for murder of transgendered Santa Ana resident Zoraida Reyes

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, LGBT, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Parkerson, Randy Lee
Raul Quezada, Chief of Police

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2014

Released by: Lt. Bob Dunn, (714) 497-6330

Subject: Updates on On-going Homicide Investigation

On June 12, 2014 at 10:51 am, the body of Zoraida Reyes was discovered in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen in the 200 block of N. State College Blvd. Reyes, 29 of Santa Ana, was an active member of several Orange County transgender and immigrant rights advocacy groups and her death prompted concern. So far the investigation has not uncovered any evidence to indicate Reyes was specifically targeted, and Detectives are not investigating this homicide as a hate crime.

Yesterday, October 7, 2014 at 9:25 a.m., Randy Lee Parkerson was arrested in his vehicle in the 200 block of E. Katella Ave. Parkerson, 38 of Anaheim, was booked at the Anaheim Police Department Temporary Detention Facility for murder and he is being held on 1 million dollars bail. His booking photograph is above. Continue reading→

Robbers crash on the 5 Freeway and one of them runs to the MainPlace Mall

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Robbers crash in north Santa Ana

Picture Courtesy of KTLA News

Three men and a woman suspected in connection with at least one Laguna Hills burglary were chased from South County by deputies Wednesday morning on the northbound I-5 freeway until the fleeing driver crashed near the Westfield MainPlace mall, according to the OC Register.

The driver refused to stop and led authorities on a pursuit that lasted about 30 minutes before crashing into a white Chevy Volt on the 5 Freeway near the Westfield MainPlace mall in Santa Ana, according to KTLA News. Continue reading→

How the Santa Ana City Council can retake control of their meetings

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Public Safety, Santa Ana 13 Comments

Santa Ana Police at Council Chambers

City governments are generally loathe to change but after what happened last night, when a punk wearing an offensive hat, and his creepy homies were able to disrupt the Santa Ana City Council meeting to the point that it ended up being canceled, it is clear that we need to restore order at the Council’s chambers.

It actually can be done, without violating free speech, in a few easy steps:

Station a drug-sniffing K9 officer outside the entrance to the Chambers and if he identifies someone that could be under the influence of illegal drugs or could have them on his person, then frisk him and have police officers check out his car. The miscreant will be carted off to jail if any illegal drugs are found.
Equip police officers with hand-held metal detectors and have them check any visitors who a) don’t have business with the city (if they are at the City Council to receive an award or have business with the City then they just have to show I.D. to get in) or b) or are suspicious. Make sure that the decorum ordinance specifies that weapons are not acceptable at Council meetings unless you are a police officer.
Develop Reserved Seating rules: Continue reading→

Water main break at 17th and Alona

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Water 1 Comment

Santa Ana Water Main Break

Picture Courtesy of KTLA News

Santa Ana Advisory: TRAFFIC ADVISORY: CREWS REPAIRING EMERGENCY WATER LINE BREAK ON 17TH STREET NEAR ALONA. ALT. ROUTES SUGGESTED

SANTA ANA (October 8, 2014) – Crews have been working throughout the night to repair two emergency water line breaks on 17th Street near Alona. Repairs have been made to one leak and crews are working to repair the second. Continue reading→

Young man’s rude protest results in the shut down of tonight’s City Council meeting

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Free Speech, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 83 Comments

Bijan and his ridiculous hat

Mayor Miguel Pulido canceled Tuesday night’s Santa Ana City Council meeting after a man refused to remove a cap with an anti-police expletive on it, according to the OC Register.

The young man in question, identified as “Bijan” is affiliated with Santa Ana CopWatch. They posted this message on their Facebook page after the City Council meeting was shut down, “The city council meeting got shut down. The mayor and the cops tried a bluff saying that if we didn’t leave that we would get arrested. Over a hat. The cops were even showing off their cuffs. We stayed and it got shut down. Media was there so expect it in the news. In solidarity with all survivors and victims of police violence. From Santa Ana to Ferguson to Palestine: F*ck the Police.”

These actions were clearly premeditated. The ruckus actually began over a month ago at a previous Council meeting when Mayor Miguel Pulido was upset that while he was trying to give service awards to two Santa Ana police officers there were protestors seated in the Council Chambers holding “f*ck the police” signs. No one on the City Council said or did anything about that and in fact they all ignored the police too. Pulido was the only one who congratulated them on their awards. The meeting left a very negative impression on the members of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association and their President, John Franks, later sent a stern letter to the City Council announcing that unless they could control what happened at their meetings he would not allow his officers to receive awards in Chambers but instead they would be given out at the SAPD headquarters. Continue reading→

Patient Town Hall Meeting on the State of Medical Marijuana in Santa Ana set for 10/7

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Entertainment Leave a comment

A Patient Town Hall Meeting on the State of Medical Marijuana in Santa Ana has been set for Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, from 6 to 7 pm at the headquarters of the Yes on Measure CC ballot initiative campaign.

The discussion will include information about the recent raids on medical marijuana dispensaries by the Santa Ana Police Department, court cases and the upcoming election.

Refreshments will be served. A patient raffle raffle will follow the meeting and will include volunteer rewards. Continue reading→

Solorio receives several major law enforcement endorsements

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Jose Solorio, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Jose Solorio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 7, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Maria Unzueta, 657-464-4742

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF HIGHWAY PATROLMEN AND FOUR OTHER MAJOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE JOSE SOLORIO FOR STATE SENATE

The Five State & Local Organizations Represent Rank And File Public Safety Officers Throughout Both Orange and Los Angeles Counties

SANTA ANA – Jose Solorio announced today that the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP) has endorsed his campaign for the 34th State Senate District. The group, which represents California Highway Patrol Officers, is one of the largest law enforcement organizations in the state with over 14,000 active and retired members.

Solorio also announced endorsements from the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA). Continue reading→

Was Santa Ana’s sad Ciclovia an attempt to promote Reyna and Benavides at public expense?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Bicycles, David Benavides, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Benavides and Reyna Ciclovia

Did Santa Ana’s taxpayers pay for Team Santa Ana’s jerseys too?

Isn’t it interesting that the City of Santa Ana scheduled their Ciclovia event a month before the General Election? And sure enough Councilman David Benavides and his pal Roman Reyna, who is running for Mayor, were there in full force, promoting themselves at the City’s expense.

A friend of mine figures the City had to have spent a small fortune on City employees including perhaps 30 police officers and public safety personnel. And who knows how much they spent on marketing the event? I hear that the turnout was not great. A reader estimated total turnout at under a thousand with perhaps half of them comprised of staff and volunteers. Continue reading→

Charter Schools Association endorses Dr. Rodriguez for the SAUSD School Board

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Education, Politics, Rigo Rodriguez, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Riboberto Rodriguez

PRESS RELEASE: October 6, 2014
Contact: Steve Levin, slevin@ccsaadvocates.org, (310) 409-7755

CCSA Advocates Endorses Dr. Rigo Rodriguez for Santa Ana Unified School Board

The teacher and community advocate will fight for students

Los Angeles – CCSA Advocates is pleased to announce its endorsement of Dr. Rigoberto (Rigo) Rodriguez for the Santa Ana Unified School District Governing Board. An experienced teacher, small business owner and respected community advocate, Dr. Rodriguez will work to ensure that every Santa Ana student receives a high-quality education.

“We enthusiastically endorse Dr. Rodriguez for the Santa Ana Unified school board,” said Gary Borden, Executive Director of CCSA Advocates. “Dr. Rodriguez has proven himself to be a visionary and collaborative community leader. He understands the complex challenges facing Santa Ana schools. As a school board member, he will put students first and work tirelessly for access to high-quality educational options for all families.” Continue reading→

ODCA fundraising online to end modern day slavery

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana, Women 2 Comments

Beat the Heat

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 3, 2014

THE ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, ORANGE COUNTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE, AND CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY LAUNCH ONLINE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TO END MODERN DAY SLAVERY

*Please consider contributing on Indiegogo

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA), the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF), and Chapman University are pleased to announce the launch of their online fundraising campaign with the world’s most established crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo, for the 2nd Annual “Keep Calm and Beat H.E.A.T. Rocking & Rally” on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, at Chapman University.

The event will increase community awareness of human exploitation and trafficking, the second largest criminal enterprise in the nation, behind narcotics trafficking, that nets approximately $32 billion a year. A free rock concert will immediately follow with Stan Frazier and Murphy Karges of Sugar Ray. Elected officials, law enforcement, non-profits, private law firms, businesses, and private citizens have all donated to this cause and support is growing. To make a donation of any amount and to join the cause, please visit http://igg.me/at/beatheat. Continue reading→