Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: April 2017

Is the Santa Ana City Council going to push for ward-specific elections and full time pay?

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana 4 Comments

I heard today from a Santa Ana City Hall insider (yes one of my pajaritos) that the Santa Ana City Council is seriously looking at changing our City Council elections to a Ward-Specific model. Currently we elect our Council Members at large – but they have to live in a specific Ward (unless they move of course).

But that’s not all – the City Council majority – which includes Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez, and Council Members David Benavides, Sal Tinajero and Vince Sarmiento, are also allegedly going to ask the voters to make them full time elected officials – with six figure salaries. Continue reading→

New indoor virtual golf facility opening soon in DTSA

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

One-of-a-Kind Social Golf Experience Opening Doors in Santa Ana

A new golf facility unlike anything seen before is opening its doors to the public via an open house at 208 N. Broadway in downtown Santa Ana from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 6.

The NextLinks facility promises real indoor golf in a fun, entertaining and social environment for golfers and non-golfers. Continue reading→

An armed suspect robbed the D&M Deli and Mini-Market on McFadden Ave.

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove Leave a comment

The D&M Deli and Mini-Market

An armed unidentified male suspect robbed the D&M Deli and Mini-Market on McFadden Avenue and Ward Street, in Garden Grove, on Monday night, April 24, at around 9:15 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, according to the Garden Grove Police Dept. Continue reading→

Mouet sent back to the Parks Dept. and will no longer be Santa Ana’s Acting City Manager

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Gerardo Mouet, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Robert Cortez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Mayor Miguel Pulido and Gerardo Mouet

The Santa Ana City Council has voted to send Gerardo Mouet back to the Parks Department. He is no longer the acting Santa Ana City Manager.

Mouet has been replaced by Deputy City Manager Robert Cortez, who will be the acting city manager while the City Council looks for a permanent replacement for fired former City Manager David Cavazos. Continue reading→

A man working on a car ended up trapped under it early this morning in Santa Ana

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

An unidentified man was injured early this morning at 1:20 a.m., at the 500 block of North Harbor Blvd., in Santa Ana, when a vehicle he was repairing rolled over him, according to the O.C. Register.

The man asked a woman to put the vehicle in reverse while he was standing on the hood of the car, working on the engine, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Suspect arrested by the SAPD for contacting a 13-year old on Facebook to commit lewd acts

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

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Arrest Suspect For Contacting 13 Year Old Minor On Facebook To Commit Lewd Acts

On 4/22/17, Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested German Martinez, 29, of Los Angeles, for PC 288.2(a) – Sending harmful matter to seduce a minor, and PC 288.3(a) – Communicating with a minor to commit lewd acts.

The case began when a 13-year-old victim was allowed to use Facebook by her parents. Shortly after the victim started using Facebook, German Martinez introduced himself by messaging the victim. The messages became highly inappropriate, soliciting sex from the victim. Martinez was well aware the victim was underage. Santa Ana Police Detectives took over communications, using the victim’s cell phone to communicate with Martinez. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Summer Youth Job Fair set for April 29

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Jobs, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: 22nd Annual Summer Youth Job Fair Next Saturday, April 29th / 22ª Feria Anual de Empleo Juvenil de Verano

SANTA ANA – The State of California Employment Development Department (EDD), in collaboration with the City of Santa Ana and the Orange County Employer Advisory Council, will be hosting the 22nd annual Summer Youth Job Fair. Youth job seekers between the ages of 15 to 25 can connect with employers at the Job Fair on Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 9:00am to 12:30pm at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC).

Job seekers are encouraged to dress in business attire, bring copies of their résumé, and have the necessary information to complete job applications, including valid picture identification and social security card. There is no cost for job seekers or businesses to participate. For more information and to register for this event, please visit https://syjf2017er.eventbrite.com. Continue reading→

Councilman Sarmiento says he lives in Santa Ana. Does he? Let us know because we are still getting complaints.

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

We’re still hearing that City Councilmember Vincente Sarmiento doesn’t live in Santa Ana. Apparently he lives outside of the city and his family isn’t involved with any of the local schools, parent organizations, sport teams, churches and the list goes on…

Do you know anything more about this? Email us at sarmientosays@gmail.com and let us know. The city’s charter is very clear you have to live in your ward and city or else you get disqualified from serving on the City Council.

Continue reading→

Saddleback High School joins the elite ranks of International Baccalaureate World Class schools

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

SAUSD: Saddleback High School from B43Productions on Vimeo.

Saddleback High School joins elite ranks of International Baccalaureate (IB) World Class schools

Rigorous program to help SAUSD close achievement gap with Latino and low-income students

(April 21, 2017) – Saddleback High School has been named an International Baccalaureate (IB) World Class school, a prestigious honor awarded to only select schools across the globe.

Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, Saddleback students will begin taking coursework that will result in the awarding of an IB Diploma upon graduation. With this diploma, students will be immediately recognized as having received a rigorous world-class education that has prepared them for the most competitive higher education institutions in the world. Continue reading→

Woman gets four years in prison for crashing a stolen car into an SAPD police car

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

Daisy Oropeza, a 22-year-old woman, pleaded guilty Friday, April 21, and was immediately sentenced to four years in prison for ramming a stolen sedan into a squad car during a police pursuit in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

Oropeza must not have had much of a defense available as she ended up accepting a number of felony charges that included two counts of assault with a weapon on a peace officer and one count each of vandalism, theft with a prior felony conviction of stealing a vehicle and evading police. She also admitted to a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license. Continue reading→

$40 million fraudulent medical billing and kickback operation shut down

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

26 DOCTORS, PHARMACISTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS CHARGED IN $40 MILLION KICKBACK SCHEME

*13,000 patients affected in statewide workers’ comp fraud

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas announced a shutdown of a $40 million fraudulent medical billing and kickback operation with the filing of charges against more than two dozen doctors, pharmacists, and business owners.

Tanya Moreland King, 37, and her husband Christopher King, 38, both of Beverly Hills, own medical billing and medical management companies Monarch Medical Group, Inc, King Medical Management, Inc. and One Source Laboratories, Inc. The defendants are accused of masterminding a complex insurance fraud scheme of recruiting doctors and pharmacists to prescribe unnecessary treatment for workers’ compensation insurance patients. Continue reading→

Carlos Rojas has been hired to be the new BART Police Chief in the Bay Area

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Crime, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Former SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas just  resigned in Santa Ana but he has already landed a new job. Rojas is the new Police Chief for the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) subway system in the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Rojas is taking over from the former BART Police Chief, Kenton Rainey, who retired last December. Continue reading→

SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas has resigned

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Crime, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas (pictured in the middle)

Santa Ana Police Department, Office of the Chief of Police

Memo To: ​​Gerardo Mouet, Acting City Manager​

From:​​ Carlos Rojas, Chief of Police

Date: ​April 19, 2017

Subject: ​Resignation

For over 27 years, I have had the privilege and honor to serve the business owners, residents and all community members of this wonderful city. This memo will serve as my intent to resign as the Chief of Police for the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana launches an online pothole map (but we need a shooting map!)

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, public works, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Pothole Map

City of Santa Ana

Community: City of Santa Ana Unveils Pothole Map

SANTA ANA – The City of Santa Ana recently launched the Santa Ana Maintenance System pothole map—an online data tool that is linked to the mySantaAna app, a smartphone-enabled reporting tool for maintenance service requests. The user-friendly map displays all reported potholes, including their location, date reported, status, and date filled.

“The Santa Ana Maintenance System pothole map allows residents to easily see where potholes are and to track how soon they are being repaired,” said Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez. “By using data to map out potholes, we are able to better communicate to residents, repair potholes quickly, and ensure safer and more efficient travel on our streets,” she added. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana won a Best Water Program award from the CMUA

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Water 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Water Resources Division Honored For “Best Water Program” in California for small communities

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 19, 2017—The City of Santa Ana won the 2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Award by the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) for its water conservation program called “Every Drop Counts: Let’s Not Waste It.” The best public utilities in California compete for this highly coveted award each year, and Santa Ana’s campaign was selected among all other utilities in its size category as the most innovative and effective community program designed to save water resources.

“Santa Ana has a consistent track record of implementing innovative programs to help our customers save money and conserve water,” said Orange County Water District Board Director and Santa Ana Councilmember Vicente Sarmiento. “’Every Drop Counts’ proved to be a highly successful community outreach program that created qua ntifiable results in reducing water use citywide.” Continue reading→