Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: March 2016

Fountain Valley man suspected in several armed robberies of 7-Eleven stores finally arrested

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Jose Angel Gutierrez, a 42-year-old man suspected of multiple 7-Eleven armed robberies since September was caught on Tuesday, just hours after his latest heist, according to the O.C. Register.

Gutierrez had already been identified by the Garden Grove Police Department as a suspect when he walked in to a 7-Eleven at the 11000 block of S. Brookhurst Street at 4:05 a.m. and brandished a gun so he could steal cash and cigarette cartons, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.

Police detectives from Garden Grove and Santa Ana tried to search a warrant at his home, but Gutierrez was not there. They did however find his stash of “tools” – a sawed-off shotgun, handguns, illegal drugs and a mask worn in other robberies. Continue reading→

Free MLB Pitch, Hit and Run event set for April 3 at Jerome Park

Posted on by Posted in Baseball, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Sports, Youth Activities Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: 2016 Pitch Hit & Run Competition / Competencia de Lanzar, Batear y Correr 2016

The City of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency Youth Sports Program is proud to be a host site for the 2016 Pitch, Hit & Run competition. The Pitch, Hit & Run is the official youth skills competition of Major League Baseball (MLB). This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to participate; free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills.

“These types of efforts add to the opportunities for our youth to build resilient character traits and help develop into responsible young adults,” said City of Santa Ana Council Member Roman Reyna, who is on the Council’s Committee on Parks, Recreation, Education, and Youth. Continue reading→

Jury acquits a Santa Ana man who was accused of molesting his ex-girlfriend’s daughters

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

Ignacio Gaytan Hernandez, a 40-year-old Santa Ana man, was acquitted Tuesday of molesting the two daughters of his former girlfriend, according to the O.C. Register.

The girls, ages 11 and 14, accused their mother’s boyfriend of molesting them when they were 9 and 11 years old, according to Hernandez’ attorney, O.C. Deputy Public Defender Sara W. Ross said.

Ross said that the girls “had credibility issues and there was a lot of doubt. They had lied before – they had made false accusations before. And their statements were pretty inconsistent.” Continue reading→

An interview with ‘Miss Santa Ana 1967’, Pamela Ponte Gallegos

Posted on by Posted in Anthony Reichardt, Santa Ana, Women 1 Comment

An interview with ‘Miss Santa Ana 1967’, Pamela Ponte Gallegos

By: Anthony Reichardt

Mrs. Gallegos, to begin with, myself having been a resident of Santa Ana for many years, at various times I have been involved with the city’s historical society as well as being active in my historic neighborhood, ‘Wilshire Square’. With a fondness for history and the past and as a collector and seller of 1960’s music and antiques, that is the curious way which brought me to you. Back in 1995 while on an antiques buying trip driving across the country in my 1959 Cadillac, I was in an antiques store in Albuquerque, New Mexico sifting through boxes of old papers and photos. I came across four city of Santa Ana, California street maps from 1960, 1965, 1966 and 1967. When folded up, each of them had a black & white photo of ‘Miss Santa Ana’ on the front. Your image as ‘Miss Santa Ana 1967’ was a stunning and perfect example of mid-1960’s female class, elegance and beauty. Since discovering those maps, I have always wondered what became of ‘Miss Santa Ana 1967 – Pamela Ponte, as well as the other ladies who were associated with the other city maps . Years later, I saw an on-line a post by you to a page where people were commenting on their memories of the old ‘Saddleback Inn’ on East 1st Street. Thanks to the internet, here we are today. So, are you a Santa Ana native? Continue reading→

The SAPD’s Easter Cruising enforcement resulted in the arrest of a wanted felon

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Traffic Officer Working Easter Weekend Cruising Enforcement Arrest One Of Mariposa County Sheriff’s Most Wanted Suspects

Arrested: David Santiago Garcia (25) Santa Ana

Current Booking Charges: DUI, Evading, Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License

On 3-27-2016, at approximately 1130PM, a SAPD Motor Officer working the Easter Cruising Enforcement observed a 2004 Lexus fail to stop for a red traffic signal. When attempting to stop the vehicle for the traffic violation, the driver later identified as suspect Garcia fled from officers. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 1200 block of South Towner where the suspect fled on foot. Officers located the suspect in the yard of a residence in the 900 block of West Wilshire where he was taken into custody without incident. Continue reading→

The OCDA seeks additional victims of a Vietnamese entertainer who sexually assaulted a boy

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16WF0648

Date: March 28, 2016

OCDA SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF WELL-KNOWN VIETNAMESE ENTERTAINER “MINH BEO” CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING MINOR BOY

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a well-known Vietnamese entertainer “Minh Beo” charged with sexually assaulting a minor boy. Minh Quang Hong, who goes by the stage name “Minh Beo”, 38, Garden Grove, was charged Friday, March 25, 2016, with one felony count of oral copulation of a minor, one felony count of attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and one felony count of meeting with a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. If convicted, Hong faces a maximum sentence of five years and eight months in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Hong is currently being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled for a continued arraignment on April 15, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Hong is accused of traveling from Vietnam and visiting Orange County and Atlanta, Georgia. Hong is a well-known Vietnamese entertainer with access to children. Continue reading→

Santa Ana third striker charged with the shooting murder of a Tustin MMA gym owner

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, Tustin 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16CF0804

Date: March 28, 2016

THIRD STRIKER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR THE SHOOTING MURDER OF MMA GYM OWNER IN TUSTIN

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A third striker is scheduled to be arraigned today for the shooting murder of a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym owner in Tustin. Kirk Vernell Price, 53, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of murder and one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon, with a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death, and three prior strike convictions for robbery with the use of a firearm in 1983 in Orange County. If convicted, Price faces a maximum sentence of 100 years to life in state prison. Price is scheduled to be arraigned today, March 28, 2016, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading→

Victim Identified in fatal shooting at the Santa Ana Riverbed

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Homicide Detectives Investigating Shooting Death – Victim Identified

Victim: Angel Quintero, 41, of Garden Grove

On 3/27/16, at 21:36 hours, officers responded to a call of a shooting with a male down at Edna Park, located at 2140 W. Edna. When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 41 year old male, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Upon the arrival of medics, the victim was pronounced deceased. Continue reading→

Unidentified man killed last night at the Santa Ana Riverbed

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

While most of us were wrapping up our Easter Sunday, someone was shooting a 41-year-old man, fatally, at the Santa Ana riverbed, just east of Edna Park, at around 9:36 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The shooting occurred at the 2100 block of Edna Drive. SAPD police officers who responded found the victim with gunshot wounds in his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene by OCFA paramedics. Continue reading→

OCTA’s Transit G.M. receives outstanding transportation executive leadership award

Posted on by Posted in OCTA, Orange, Orange County, Transportation, Women 1 Comment

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2016

OCTA’s Transit General Manager Honored at COMTO’s First Women Leaders Awards Ceremony

Beth McCormick, of Mission Viejo, receives Outstanding Transportation Executive Leadership Award

ORANGE – The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) this week honored OCTA’s Beth McCormick with the Outstanding Transportation Executive Leadership Award at the group’s inaugural Women Leaders of Southern California Transportation Awards ceremony.

McCormick, a Mission Viejo resident, is the General Manager of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Transit division, the largest division at OCTA with five operating bases and almost 800 vehicles. Continue reading→

Missing Santa Ana teen is back with her family and is safe and sound

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Clarissa Jacqueline Serafin, the missing 14-year-old student from Santa Ana’s Fitz Intermediate School, has been found and is back with her family, at the 300 block of South Flower Street, and is safe and sound, according to the SAPD.

Yesterday, at about 12:00 p.m., SAPD police officers responded to Fitz Intermediate School, located at 4600 West McFadden Street, in response to a call about a critical missing minor. School staff informed officers that at 12:00 p.m., the 14 year old student walked away from school after leaving a note that indicated she might harm herself. Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for a missing teen who may be in danger

Posted on by Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD looking for missing 14 year-old female

On Friday, 3-25-2016, at approximately 12:00 p.m., officers responded to Fitz Intermediate School, 4600 West McFadden Street for a critical missing minor.

School staff informed officers that at 12:00 p.m., the 14 year old student, Clarissa Jacqueline Serafin (a 14 year old Hispanic female) walked away from Fitz Intermediate School after leaving a note that indicated she might harm herself. Continue reading→

Funeral service for Santa Ana gang violence victim Vanessa Rodriguez set for 3/30

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Santa Ana resident Vanessa E. Rodriguez, a 25-year-old, was murdered on March 16, 2016, when two suspects entered into an alley, pulled open a garage door and began shooting at the three people inside, hitting all of them, at a residential garage behind a Catholic church the west alley of the 700 block of North Lacy Street, as we previously reported.

Rodriguez was not a gang member. She was an innocent victim of this city’s ongoing gang war. Apparently one of the other victims was a gang member (a Loper) and he likely was the target of the attack. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rodriguez’ mother told us that her daughter was a happy funny caring women who always helped people out and was a big-hearted person who was full of life.  She was well-loved and had many friends and family, who are all mourning her loss. Continue reading→

Two victims were killed in separate gang-related shootings in Santa Ana on Thursday night

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 8 Comments

Thursday night was a hot one for the SAPD. There were two gang-related fatalities that kept them very busy.

In the first incident, Kevin Sotelo, 24 was riding a bike at the 4000 block of West Hazard Ave., when he was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. Multiple shots were directed at the unfortunate bicyclist from a vehicle, according to the SAPD.

SAPD police officers responded to the scene of the shooting at approximately 8:38 p.m. Police officers found the victim, Sotelo, at the intersection of Hazard and Morse suffering from several gunshot wounds. Orange County Fire Authority Medics pronounced Sotelo deceased at the scene. Continue reading→

Woman facing multiple felony charges after stealing gold statues from a Buddhist temple

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Little Saigon, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16CF0751

Date: March 22, 2016

WOMAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME, GRAND THEFT, AND VANDALISM FOR STEALING THREE GOLD STATUES FROM BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN SANTA ANA

*Defendant was out of custody after being convicted of vandalism of a religious property

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman was charged with committing a hate crime, grand theft, and vandalism today for stealing three gold statues from a Buddhist temple in Santa Ana. Trang Thu Pham, 45, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of grand theft and one felony count of vandalism of a religious property with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing a hate crime. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. Pham was arraigned today and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on March 30, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→