Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: November 2016

Santa Ana woman who tattooed her face to hide from the cops heading to prison

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment
Tracy Clapp After

Tracy Clapp After

Tracy Clapp, a 36-year old Santa Ana woman, found out today that she is heading to prison for six years, for running over and killing Christopher Chavez, a 26-year old Santa Ana high school band teacher in a hit and run crash on April 20, according to the O.C. Register.

Clapp ran over Chavez as he was walking in a crosswalk at Bristol Street and Central Ave. at around 2:15 a.m. SAPD police investigators said that Clapp ran a red light, in her SUV, when she hit Chavez. She then took off after she saw that he was injured. Continue reading→

Two rape suspects arrested by the SAPD in a cold case dating back to 1999

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

Jose Plascencia

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana Police Detectives Make Two Arrests in Investigation of 1999 Kidnap and Rape

Arrested: Ismael Salgado (36) Chicago Illinois and Jose Plascencia (36) Laveen Arizona 

Santa Ana Police Department Detectives made two arrests connected to the brazen 1999 kidnapping and rape investigation. On February 3, 1999, at 5:30 P.M., an 11-year-old girl was casually walking home with a friend, the second victim, near Jerome Center in Santa Ana. Two adult males pulled their car alongside the girls and tried to entice them inside. The first victim refused to enter and one of the males grabbed her, forcing her inside the car with the second victim. The suspects drove both victims out of the area. Continue reading→

A pedestrian was struck by a car and killed on Monday night near Centennial Park

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

An unidentified pedestrian died on Monday night after he was hit by a car while crossing the street at the 3200 block of Edinger Avenue, in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers showed up at the scene just before 10 p.m. and found that the victim had been crossing the westbound lanes of Edinger Avenue, north of Centennial Park, when a Ford sedan hit him.  Continue reading→

Santa Ana residents want the City Council and the SAPD to stop prostitution on N. Harbor Blvd.

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Prostitutes

A group of Santa Ana neighborhood leaders is planning to attend this Tuesday’s Santa Ana City Council meeting, to complain about problems related to ongoing prostitution that takes place on N. Harbor Blvd. around W. Hazard Ave., in Santa Ana. You might recall that a number of these prostitutes were injured a few months ago in that area when a man drove right into their group.
The residents held a neighborhood meeting on Celeste St. on Nov. 2, regarding the prostitution problem. SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas was the guest speaker at that meeting. I am told that 100 neighbors showed up.

Continue reading→

The Santa Ana Planning Commission has postponed changes to the Granny Flats ordinance

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Neighborhood Associations, Planning, Santa Ana 2 Comments

The State of California and the City of Santa Ana have determined that they want to increase the supply of “affordable housing” on the backs of single family residential neighborhoods, according to several neighborhood leaders.

In the City’s proposed ordinance (Zoning Ordinance Amendment 2016-05) there are two components. The State mandates are law and would be very difficult, expensive and time-consuming to revise or get relief from. The City recommended component is their “wish list” and can be defeated by Santa Ana residents. Continue reading→

Councilman Sal Tinajero is now advocating for Ward-Specific City Council elections

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Angelica Amezcua, David De Leon, Elections, Jose Solorio, Joshua Mauras, Santa Ana 2 Comments
Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero is finally getting behind an idea that we have been touting for years – changing Santa Ana’s City Council elections to a Ward-Specific model, according to the O.C. Register.

Currently the City Council candidates have to live in the Wards they represent but the voting is conducted at-large, or citywide. That favors well-funded candidates who will sell out to special interests while the Ward-Specific model would be a boon to grassroots candidates as it is possible to walk an entire Ward but almost impossible to walk the entire City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

The Nov. Election results prove once more that Santa Ana is not a liberal city

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 12 Comments

The early election results are proving that Santa Ana is not a liberal city. Although Democrats make up about 55% of our electorate they don’t get behind overly liberal candidates. Consider what just happened in the November General Election: Continue reading→

Gang members stabbed a man and stole his bike at the Santa Ana Zoo on Saturday

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

santa-ana-zoo-stabbing

An unidentified man of unknown age was stabbed and robbed of his bicycle in a gang-related attack in Santa Ana on Saturday, according to the O.C. Register.

The victim was in the Santa Ana Zoo parking lot at Prentice Park, 1801 Chestnut Ave., around 8:30 p.m. when two men approached him and asked him about his gang affiliation, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

The SAPD is investigating a fatal DUI crash that happened this morning

Posted on by Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

traffic-accident-in-santa-ana-on-nov-11

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Collision Investigation Unit – Investigating Fatal Collision Involving DUI Driver

Driver/Arrested: John Nguyen (21) Garden Grove

Deceased Passenger: Pending notification of family.

On Friday, November 11th, 2016 at 12:37 am, patrol officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle traffic collision at the intersection of Fairview Street and MacArthur Boulevard. The first officer to arrive reported that the vehicle had two trapped/injured occupants and requested the assistance of OCFA and Medics. Continue reading→

O.C. law enforcement will pack and give out thanksgiving turkey dinners to at-risk students on Nov. 16

Posted on by Posted in Charities, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Date: November 10, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO: Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas, Orange County Probation Chief Steve Sentman, Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, and over 250 law enforcement officers that partner with the OC GRIP Program in the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Orange, Santa Ana, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, and Tustin.

WHAT: Will be packing and awarding 850 Thanksgiving turkey dinners to at-risk students in the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership’s (OC GRIP) 7th Annual Thanksgiving Challenge. Students who improved their attendance, behavior and grades will receive a full Thanksgiving meal to feed a family of 10. This year, District Attorney Rackauckas, Chief Sentman and Pastor Warren will meet with volunteers from Ralph’s/Food 4 Less, Saddleback Church, OCDA, Community Service Programs, community leaders, and law enforcement partners throughout the county who work with students from each of the 50 GRIP schools to pack and distribute the meals. The media is invited to attend both events. Continue reading→

Sixteen homeless O.C. Veterans who passed away this year were honored by Pres. Obama

Posted on by Posted in Military, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana, Veterans Leave a comment

pres-obama-honors-veterans

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Date: November 10, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO: The Orange County District Attorney Public Administrator’s Office

WHAT: Honored 16 deceased veterans who passed away indigent in 2016. The office of the Public Administrator has unique powers to secure real and personal property until an eligible administrator is appointed. The Public Administrator protects the assets and manages the affairs of deceased residents of Orange County, who at the time of death left no known heirs, no will, no named executor, or an executor who is ineligible. The veterans listed below were issued certificates, signed by President Barack Obama, recognizing them for their service: Continue reading→

A suspected car thief led the police on a pursuit form Garden Grove to Santa Ana tonight

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Yet another police pursuit took place tonight – and ended in Santa Ana. An unidentified man fled from the Garden Grove police at around 9:25 p.m. when they tried to pull him over near the corner of Euclid Street and Garden Grove Blvd., according to the O.C. Register.

The police thought that the car in question might have been stolen. The suspect certainly acted like a criminal as he did not stop when the police asked him to, then he led the police on a chase through the cities of Garden Grove, Anaheim and finally Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Costa Mesa man convicted of killing his girlfriend after listening to a Guns N’ Roses song

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 12ZF0154

Date: November 9, 2016

MAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING-MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND DURING CONFRONTATION AFTER LISTENING TO GUNS N’ ROSES SONG

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted today of the shooting-murder of his live-in girlfriend during a confrontation after listening to a Guns N’ Roses song. Thomas Michael Wilhelm, 52, Costa Mesa, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of first-degree murder and a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death was found to be true. He faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Feb. 3, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-45, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Council Members Martinez and Sarmiento excused Santa Ana’s anti-Trump rioters

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Democratic Party, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 8 Comments

An angry crowd of more than 650 anti-Donald Trump protesters took over several Santa Ana intersections Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning, pelting police with rocks, bottles and illegal fireworks, according to the O.C. Register.

So how did our City Council react to this mayhem? Continue reading→

Anti Donald Trump protesters run amok in Santa Ana and in Los Angeles

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Politics, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Anti-Donald Trump protesters lost their minds tonight in Los Angeles, in Santa Ana and at several UC campuses, including UCI.

I am not sure what exactly they are trying to accomplish. The time to protest was when the DNC conspired to steal the primary election from Bernie Sanders so they could hand it to the corrupt Hillary Clinton. Trump won because she was an awful candidate! Continue reading→