New Santa Ana | Monthly Archives: May 2015

Santa Ana Kiwanis to host their first George Upton Annual Barrier Free Picnic today

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

The Santa Ana Kiwanis are hosting their First “George Upton Annual Barrier Free Picnic” today, May 22, 2015, from 9:30 am to 12 noon, at the Kiwanis Barrier-Free Park in Santa Ana. The Santa Ana Barrier Free park is a place where children with special needs can play alongside their typical peers, while not being help back by the normal “barriers” that exist in most play grounds.

They are hosting 150 Special Needs students from the SAUSD.

The Santa Ana Police Department and the Orange County Fire Authority will be at this event which will be catered by the Orange County Employees Association (OCEA). Circle K is also participating. Continue reading→

Two Anaheim men arrested by the OC Joint Terrorism Task Force

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana, Terrorism 2 Comments

The OC Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested two Anaheim men Thursday after an investigation, according to the O.C. Register.

One man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, and the second man was arrested at an undisclosed location in Orange County, according to sources familiar with the investigation, according to the L.A. Times.

Details about the two suspects and what charges the men are facing were not immediately released. Both men will be charged in federal court Friday, according to ABC News. Continue reading→

O.C. Sheriff’s Department operation aims to improve motorcycle safety

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Motorcycles, Orange County, Public Safety 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

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Operation Aims to Improve Motorcycle Safety

Careless motorists as well as riders get special scrutiny

SANTA ANA, Calif. (May 21, 2015) – Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation during the Memorial Day weekend in an effort to lower deaths and injuries. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur. Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, making illegal turns, or any other dangerous infraction.

Motorcycle fatalities saw a phenomenal drop of 37% from 2008 to 2010, but then rose 23% by 2012. These operations are aimed at curbing further rises in motorcycle deaths and sending the numbers back downward. Continue reading→

Hit and run driver sentenced to just over 13 years in prison after killing three girls on Halloween

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana 2 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 14CF3723

Date: May 21, 2015

MAN SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS IN PRISON FOR KILLING THREE TEENS IN HIT AND RUN ON HALLOWEEN

SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced today to 13 years and eight months in state prison and six months in jail for killing three teens in a hit and run on Halloween night. Jaquinn Ramone Bell, 32, Orange, pleaded guilty March 20, 2015, to three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, one felony count of hit and run with permanent injury or death, one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license, and sentencing enhancements for fleeing the scene of a crime after committing vehicular manslaughter.

Bell was additionally sentenced today to 18 months in jail for a probation violation in Case # 14NM08472. In that case Bell was convicted on Aug. 4, 2014, of one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol, one misdemeanor count of child endangerment, and one misdemeanor count of hit and run with property damage. Continue reading→

Has Loretta Sanchez become the new Bob Dornan?

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Do you remember Bob Dornan? He was the longtime Republican Congressman in central Orange County, until Loretta Sanchez, who had been a Republican until she badly lost an Anaheim City Council race and switched to the Democratic Party, back in 1996.

Dornan ran for President in 1996, before dropping out of that race and opting instead to defend his seat against Sanchez. Continue reading→

Detectives looking for a man who tore a Rolex off a woman’s wrist

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Newport Beach Leave a comment

Newport Beach Police Department

Advisory: Detectives need the community’s help to identify a robbery suspect

On May 12, 2015, at 1:45 in the afternoon, the suspect in the attached surveillance photos approached a woman in a parking structure off of Newport Center Drive. The suspect then grabbed the woman and removed a Rolex watch from her wrist. The victim sustained a minor injury to her wrist as a result. The suspect then fled on foot in an unknown direction.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, approximately 5’05, 130-150 lbs, wearing a tight black shirt and dark pants. Continue reading→

The SAPD seeks additional victims of trio of alleged burglars arrested today

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Sandy Perez

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives Request Media and Public Assistance With Robbery Series

Crime Type: PC 211- Robbery

Location: 1000 N. French; and various other O.C. locations.

Arrested: John Alfaro (24) Santa Ana, Jose Martinez (39) Santa Ana, Sandy Perez (23)

Synopsis: On 05/17/2015, at approximately 6 P.M., SAPD Patrol officers located a white 4 door 1998 Jeep Cherokee, California license #4CRG546 which was identified as being used in several Orange County robberies. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana Library now offers more e-services such as mobile hotspots

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Literature, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: GET CONNECTED WITH NEW E-LIBRARY SERVICES

NOW AVAILABLE: MOBILE HOTSPOTS, ELECTRONIC PETTING ZOO & ONLINE E-RESOURCES REGISTRATION

The Santa Ana Public Library (SAPL) is excited to announce the arrival of ten (10) new mobile HotSpot devices that will be available for public check-out beginning May 2015. The Jetpack 4G LTE HotSpot devices can connect up to fifteen (15) devices and have unlimited connectivity for wireless internet. With a valid Santa Ana Public Library card, devices will circulate for a two-week, non-renewable lending period.

This new venture is a leap into modern borrowing practices that puts SAPL at the forefront of technology and is an example of our commitment to making the internet accessible to the community. Continue reading→

Man on bike dies in drive by shooting in Santa Ana’s Ward 5

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Another day, another gang-related murder in Santa Ana. This time a 23-year-old man, Miguel Gualfre, was shot to death while he was riding his bike on Tuesday, a little after 11:30 p.m., in the 3900 block of West 5th Street, according to the O.C. Register.

Shots were fired at the bicyclist from a passing car, after he apparently had some sort of confrontation with occupants of the vehicle, which was last seen traveling east on 5th Street. Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for May 22

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Fri, May 22nd 9:00PM to 3:00AM in the area of 1400 S. Bristol Street

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, May 22nd, 2015. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1400 S. Bristol Street, Santa Ana, CA. Continue reading→

Young man from Santa Ana missing since a trip to Anaheim on May 17

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Robert Estrada has not been seen or heard from since Sunday May 17th around 6:45 PM in Anaheim, CA. He was on his way back home to Santa Ana and hasn’t been heard from since.

Robert is 5′ 5″ Tall, 120 lbs, with short brown hair. His DOB is 3/27/1995. Continue reading→

19 neglected and sick dogs removed from home of an animal hoarder in Santa Ana

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OC Animal Care, Pets, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Nineteen neglected and sick dogs were removed from a home in the 2200 block of West 14th Street, in Santa Ana, on Tuesday morning by animal control officers after someone filed an anonymous complaint, according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana animal control officers discovered 22 dogs, including Chihuahuas, pugs, and terriers, all suffering from neglect. Nineteen of the pooches are in need of medical care. They are receiving treatment at the Orange County Animal Care, according to ABC News. Continue reading→

Click It or Ticket Campaign now underway in Orange County

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Click It or Ticket Campaign Starts May 18th

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Will Show Zero Tolerance

SANTA ANA, Calif. (May 19, 2015) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket. As part of the national seat belt enforcement campaign, law enforcement agencies around the country will be stepping up enforcement May 18, 2015 to May 31, 2015, just prior to one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

“Every day, unbuckled motorists are losing their lives in motor vehicle crashes,” said Deputy Manuel Cruz of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “As we approach Memorial Day weekend and the summer vacation season, we want to make sure people are doing the one thing that can save them in a crash, buckling up.” Continue reading→

Will Loretta Sanchez have to fight to hang on to her U.S. House seat?

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez should be dropping out of her race for the U.S. Senate very soon. And with good reason. She currently holds a safe seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 46th Congressional District. But now that she is damaged beyond belief, by the insensitive “war whoop” she uttered at this weekend’s Democratic Party Convention, is her safe seat suddenly not so safe?

Who might challenge Sanchez?

Well we know that there will be challengers on the right (although my sources say that Irvine Councilwoman Lynn Schott will not be one of them after all). But does the GOP really have a shot at the 46th C.D.? Continue reading→

Loretta Sanchez has wrecked her U.S. Senate campaign and should drop out

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Federal Government, Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 14 Comments

Is she finished already? Has U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez tanked her campaign for the U.S. Senate – when she let out what has been deemed a racist Native American ‘war cry’ over the weekend, at the Democratic Convention in Anaheim?

After Saturday’s gaffe, the congresswoman sprinted past a reporter asking her if she wanted to take back the ‘war cry’ gesture. Waving her hands in the air, she cried, “We don’t have time today. Sorry,” according to CNN.

This wasn’t Sanchez’ first gaffe since she started pondering running against the State Attorney General, Kamala Harris, for the Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer. In April Sanchez criticized Harris for her inability to speak Spanish, according to the Sacramento Bee. Continue reading→