New Santa Ana | Monthly Archives: February 2015

Mandatory wood-burning ban in effect today and on Saturday in Orange County

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Air Quality, Environment, Fires, Health and Medical, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

NO-BURN ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT TODAY AND TOMORROW FOR RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH COAST AIR BASIN

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, 2015, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited today and tomorrow, through midnight on Saturday. No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area. The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrests a suspect in the death of a transgender woman

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Homicide Detectives Make Arrest in Death of 40 Year Old Transgender woman

Arrested: Liborio De La Luz Ramos (44) Santa Ana

Charges CPC 192 Voluntary Manslaughter, Bail $500,000

On 2-5-2015, SAPD Homicide Detectives arrested Liborio DeLaLuiz Ramos (44) in connection to the death of a 40 year old transgender woman. Detectives believe that there may be additional victims who received injections from the suspect. Detectives would like additional victims to contact them at 714-245-8390.

Details:On January 28, 2015, at 1000 hours, the Orange County Coroner’s Office notified the Santa Ana Police Department, Homicide Section of a suspicious death that occurred on January 22nd. The decedent was a 40 year-old transgender who died of a “silicone embolism syndrome” related to a silicone injection to the buttocks for cosmetic reasons. Continue reading→

Rapper B-Real a winner at Santa Ana’s medical marijuana dispensary lottery

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Drugs, Health and Medical, Marijuana, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Medical Marijuana Dispensary Lottery

Picture courtesy of Kandice Hawes

The medical marijuana dispensary lottery held in Santa Ana’s City Council Chambers yesterday felt like a cross between a horse race, with all the handicapping going on, and an expensive game of Bingo, according to NBC News.

Cypress Hill rapper Louis Freese, better known as B-Real, was one of the twenty lottery winners. He said that he plans to name his collective Dr. Greenthumb, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

SAPD searching for burglars who have been targeting Ward 1 apartments

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana Police Department Detectives Request Media and Public’s Assistance Identifying Burglary Suspects

Three residential burglaries have occurred at 31 MacArthur Crescent (Pinnacle at MacArthur Place Apartments) in the City of Santa Ana since 1/31/15. The suspects entered the residential complex, burglarized residents’ vehicles in the parking area, and have stolen residents’ mail by breaking the lock of the mail distribution slots. Continue reading→

Man charged with strangling his 73-year-old wife in Mission Viejo

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15HF0136

February 5, 2015

HUSBAND CHARGED WITH STRANGLING-MURDER OF WIFE IN THEIR MISSION VIEJO HOME

SANTA ANA – A husband will be arraigned today for strangling and murdering his wife in their Mission Viejo home. Gary Lee Parsons, 74, is charged with one felony count of murder. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The defendant is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned today, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined.

In the early hours of Feb. 3, 2015, Gary Parsons is accused of engaging in an argument with his wife, 73-year-old Barbara Parsons, inside their home. The argument escalated to a physical altercation and the defendant is accused of throwing the victim onto their bed and strangling her until she was unresponsive. He is accused of tucking her into the bed and leaving the home in his car. Gary Parsons is accused of calling a family member, who then called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) to report the crime. Continue reading→

Gang banger convicted and sentenced to prison for killing a teenager

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 07CF2786

Date: February 5, 2015

GANG MEMBER CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING TEENAGER

*Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) requested the Court to vacate murder conviction

SANTA ANA – A gang member was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in state prison today for killing a teenager in a rival gang. Leonel Vega, 34, pleaded guilty to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a firearm.

Circumstances of the Case

Around March 9, 2004, Vega, then-23, and a fellow gang member drove up to Giovani Onofre, his brother Andrew Onofre, 15, and friend Hector Lopez, 19, in a white Lincoln Town Car at a bus stop near Memorial Park in Santa Ana. The defendant exited the vehicle and flashed a criminal street gang hand sign to the victim. The other gang member inside the car asked Giovani Onofre his gang affiliation, and Giovani Onofre responded that he belonged to a rival criminal street gang. Vega got back into the vehicle while the other gang member in the car pulled out a gun. Andrew Onofre and Lopez ran away from the car and hid. Giovani Onofre jumped a fence nearby and kept running. Vega circled Memorial Park in the car, caught up with Giovani Onofre, and shot the victim once in the head. Continue reading→

Dr. Richard Wolff and Ellen Brown will attack capitalism on Feb. 12 in Santa Ana

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Communism, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana, Socialism Leave a comment

Dr. Wolff & Ellen Brown Challenge Capitalism (Municipal/Public Banking, Worker Cooperatives)

Tickets and more info is available here – http://drrickwolffinoc.brownpapertickets.com/

KPFK’s Bibliography’s Andrew Tonkovich, Ellen Brown, Founder of the Public Banking Institute, and world renowned economist Dr. Richard Wolff will present a diagnosis of our country’s prevailing economic problems and the contradictions facing today’s society in Santa Ana on Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 6:30 pm.

They will introduce viable/vetted alternatives as an antidote for the mass of people, who are financially ailing, and heightening a collective awareness that America’s status quo supports a system that allows a small minority of the people to benefit at the expense of the environment and the majority of the people who create the majority of the wealth for them. Finally, America has a cure for capitalism. Continue reading→

Saudi national who lived in Irvine dies after being shot in Santa Ana’s Ward 6

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, irvine, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Victim of January 19th 2015, shooting dies from his injuries, Homicide Detectives investigating the case

Victim: Mansour Alhazawbar (21) Irvine

Location: 500 S Maxine, Santa Ana

Summary: On 1/19/15, at 12:10 AM, Mansour Alhazawbar a 21 year old male called the Santa Ana Police Department from his cell phone stating he had been shot. He was located by officers in the 500 block of South Maxine sitting in the driver seat of his vehicle. He had sustained a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. The victim was treated at the scene by the OCFA Paramedics and transported to UCI Medical Center for treatment. Continue reading→

Bowers Museum to “Go Red” with the American Heart Association on Feb. 6

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

Photo by Omar De La Riva

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please contact: Megan Martinez, Vice President of Development and Marketing, Bowers Museum, 714.567.3635, mmartinez@bowers.org

Bowers Museum to “Go Red” with the American Heart Association for the 13th Annual National Go Red Day on Friday, February 6th

SANTA ANA, CALIF. – The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana will be among the numerous locations nationwide to “Go Red” on Friday, February 6, as part of the 13th Annual American Heart Association Go Red Day promoting women’s heart health. Starting on February 6, the Bowers Museum’s iconic Mission-style Bell Tower will be bathed in brilliant red light to help raise awareness about the importance of heart health among women. Located at 2002 N. Main St. in Santa Ana, the Bowers Museum is a familiar sight for thousands of daily commuters driving along Main Street.

The annual Go Red For Women campaign raises awareness that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and encourages them to take preventive measures to reduce their risk. The movement harnesses the energy, passion and power women and those who love them, to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. On a national level, the Go Red For Women movement has resulted in 650,000 women’s lives being saved over the last 10 years. Continue reading→

Third-striker parolee convicted of murdering a 21-year-old woman in his RV

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ean Keith Brown, Picture Courtesy of the Huntington Beach Police Department

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF0072

Date: February 4, 2015

THIRD-STRIKER PAROLEE CONVICTED OF STRANGLING-MURDER OF WOMAN IN RV

SANTA ANA – A third-striker parolee was convicted today of murdering a 21-year-old woman by strangling her to death in his recreational vehicle (RV). Ean Keith Brown, 41, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of second degree murder. The defendant has two prior strike convictions and serious felony priors for second degree robbery in 1995 and burglary in 2008. The Court will hear a bifurcated trial on the defendant’s prior strike convictions onFeb. 27, 2015, at 9:00 a.m., in Department C-41, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Brown faces a maximum sentence of 55 years to life in state prison if convicted of the prior strike offenses.

Brown was released from state prison in 2010 and was on parole for burglary. After his release from prison and at the time of the murder, the defendant lived in an RV in the driveway of his parent’s Huntington Beach home. Continue reading→

Teachers charged with illegally providing alcohol to teens at San Clemente Beach

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Beaches, Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Case # TBA

Date: February 4, 2015

TWO TEACHERS CHARGED FOR ILLEGALLY PROVIDING ALCOHOL TO UNDERAGE STUDENTS DURING CAMPING TRIP AT SAN CLEMENTE BEACH

NEWPORT BEACH – Two high school teachers have been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor by illegally providing alcohol to a group of underage students after organizing an unapproved school camping trip at San Clemente Beach. Melody Suzanne Lippert, 38, Covina, and Michelle Louise Ghirelli, 30, West Covina, were each charged today with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, both defendants face a maximum sentence of one year in jail. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, Feb. 6, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department H-7, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

At the time of the crimes, Lippert was a teacher at South Hills High School in West Covina and Ghirelli was an employee at the Covina-Valley Unified School District. Continue reading→

The Democrats have only themselves to blame for their losses in Orange County

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2008 Elections, 2012 Elections, 2014 Elections, 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Orange County’s self-appointed Latino leaders are blaming the 2011 redistricting (that added more Vietnamese voters to the First Supervisorial District while removing Latino voters) for Lou Correa’s loss to Andrew Do in the January 27 First District Special Election, according to the O.C. Register.

The truth is that the Democratic Party of Orange County’s bizarre decision to give then Supervisor Janet Nguyen a free pass in 2012 has now cost the Democrats not only the First District but also the 34th State Senate District, which Nguyen won in last year’s General Election. And the Democrats might also lose the 46th Congressional District in 2016 if Nguyen comes gunning for the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Continue reading→

Bat found at Fullerton College tests positive for rabies

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Fullerton, Health and Medical, Orange County Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: January 21, 2015

Contact: Tricia Landquist, tlandquist@ochca.com / 714-834-2178

Bat Found at Fullerton College Tests Positive for Rabies

(Santa Ana) – A live, rabid bat was found on an outside step on the east side of the “1100 Building” at Fullerton College on January 29, 2015. Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat or saw someone else having contact with the bat is asked to call Orange County Health Care Agency Epidemiology at (714) 834-8180 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or (714) 834-7792 after hours to determine the risk for rabies.

The rabies virus is found in an animal’s saliva and is transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal. Although very rare, contamination of the eyes, mouth or an open wound by the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies. Most cases of human rabies in the United States in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies; bats have very small teeth, and their bites may go unnoticed. Continue reading→

Four men convicted of agreeing to hook up with prostitutes

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

February 3, 2015

FOUR MEN CONVICTED OF AGREEING TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) convicted four men in January 2015 of agreeing to engage in prostitution. The defendants in these cases approached a woman, whom they believed to be a prostitute, in areas known for prostitution and human trafficking in Orange County or loitered in areas known for prostitution and human trafficking in Orange County. Each of the defendants agreed to engage in commercial sex with a woman and were subsequently arrested by law enforcement.

• Aaron Anthony Argueta, 20, Los Alamitos
• Wilmer Mijango Calderon, 28, Santa Ana
• Rigoberto Jimenez Mendez, 31, Santa Ana
• Ernest Reynolds Norton, 62, Santa Ana Continue reading→

Mandatory wood-burning ban in effect this Wednesday in Orange County

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Air Quality, Environment, Health and Medical, Orange County Leave a comment

NO-BURN ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT TOMORROW FOR RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH COAST AIR BASIN

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Wednesday, February 4, 2015, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited from midnight tonight through midnight on Wednesday night. No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area. The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Continue reading→