Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: January 2018

The SAPD is looking for a missing 70-year-old Vietnamese man

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Request Assistance in Locating Missing Person

Missing Person: Vu, Xon Van (70)

Description: Vietnamese male, 5’3”, 120 lbs, brown short hair, and brown eyes. He has words in Vietnamese tattooed on his right outer arm and two hearts with an arrow tattooed on his left outer arm.

He was last seen wearing a light blue dress shirt, light colored pants, white socks, black sandals, gold necklace with a gold cross, and a medical bracelet which lists his name and family contact information.. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrested a female and a male juvenile for attempted murder and carjacking early today

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

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Officers Arrest Female & Male Juvie For Attempted Murder And Carjacking

On 01/19/18 at approximately 2 a.m., male victim was sitting inside his Nissan Xterra when a black sedan parked behind him. The driver, a female adult, approached the victim and asked for a cigarette. The passenger, a male juvenile, ordered the victim out of the vehicle at gunpoint. For unknown reasons, the victim was shot twice. The female suspect drove off in the Xterra and the male suspect drove away in the black sedan. Continue reading→

Did the City of Santa Ana ask you to approve a $1M subsidy to the Auto Mall?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

In November 2017, the city council approved a million dollar “loan” to the Santa Ana Auto Mall to build a new digital billboard next to the 55 Fwy. This million dollars would come from the city’s reserve fund meant to be used when the city doesn’t have enough money to operate which has happened the last 2 years. City Council members called it a “sales-tax loan” and said the million would be re-paid to the city by sales tax revenue from an increase in vehicles being sold at the Auto Mall over the next 10 years, according to the Voice of OC. Continue reading→

Compass Charter Schools is hosting an ice cream social to celebrate National School Choice Week

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Education, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Compass Charter Schools (CCS) is excited to announce that it will host an ice cream social this Thursday, January 18, to commemorate National School Choice Week (January 21-27, 2018).

The event, which will begin at 12 pm in the courtyard of the Trinity Cristo Rey Lutheran Church located at 902 S. Broadway, in Santa Ana, will celebrate school choice with CCS’ scholars, parents, and staff. Scholars will be able to share why school choice is important to them while wearing their school choice scarves and enjoying ice cream. The event is open to CCS scholars, parents, teachers, and staff; media may RSVP. Continue reading→

Remarks by OCDA Rackauckas regarding the murder of an OC School of the Arts grad

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 18HF0073

Date: January 17, 2018

REMARKS BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TONY RACKAUCKAS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Good morning and thank you for joining us today. We have been working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department around the clock since Blaze Bernstein was reported missing on January 3.

As the search continued, Blaze’s family, friends, fellow Orange County residents, and tens of thousands of people around the world were all hoping there was an innocent explanation as to why Blaze had not returned home. We were all hopeful he would show up and reunite with his friends and family and life for all involved would resume. As we all became sadly aware last week, that is not the case. Continue reading→

OC School of the Arts grad charged with murdering a former classmate

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

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 18HF0073

Date: January 17, 2018

FORMER CLASSMATE CHARGED WITH MURDERING 19-YEAR-OLD BLAZE BERNSTEIN AND BURYING HIS BODY IN SHALLOW GRAVE IN BORREGO PARK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former classmate of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was charged today with murdering the victim and burying his body in a shallow grave in Borrego Park in Lake Forest.

Defendant: Samuel Lincoln Woodward, 20, Newport Beach

Charged today with: Continue reading→

Will Federal Prosecutors file criminal charges against the city of Santa Ana?

Posted on by Posted in Federal Government, immigration, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

In January 2017, the city of Santa Ana declared it was a Sanctuary City and would not assist US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Additionally, the ICE contract to use the Santa Ana jail was also cancelled so they no longer hold ICE Detainees in the jail. It has since been replaced with a US Marshall’s contract to use the jail.

Many in our city praised the city council for protecting our undocumented committee. While others raised concerns that the city could be putting itself in danger of losing millions of dollars in Federal Funding and Grants that the city depends on to operate. Continue reading→

National School Choice Week Info and Enrollment Fair set for Jan. 27 at the MainPlace Mall

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

NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK INFO & ENROLLMENT FAIR AT MAINPLACE MALL ON JANUARY 27

Local school districts and public charter schools, community leaders and education partners will participate in Orange County’s 3rd Annual celebration

In celebration of National School Choice Week, the Orange County Parent Union has gathered local school districts, public charter schools and business partners for its 3rd Annual Orange County School Choice Information and Enrollment Fair that will take place on January 27 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Santa Ana’s MainPlace Mall. Continue reading→

The SAUSD has hired Anastasia Smith to be their new School Police Chief

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

Anastasia Smith is the new chief of the SAUSD Police Department. She brings more than 27 years of experience to the position.

Smith was sworn in as the new Chief of the Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department on January 16, 2018. She was selected after a national search and a rigorous interview process and brings more than 27 years of experience to the position.

Board of Education members, Superintendent Dr. Stefanie Phillips, district leaders and staff, Acting Chief of Police for the Santa Ana Police Department David Valentin, and Smith’s family and supporters attended the swearing-in ceremony. Continue reading→

Man tried to recruit a teen online to pimp in Orange County, but she was a cop

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 15NF1695

January 12, 2018

MAN SENTENCED TO 16 YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING FACEBOOK IN ATTEMPT TO RECRUIT UNDERAGE TEENAGE GIRL TO WORK AS PROSTITUTE

*The underage teenage girl in this case was an account belonging to an undercover officer

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 16 years in state prison today for using Facebook in an attempt to recruit an undercover officer posing as an underage teenage girl to work for him as a prostitute.

Defendant: Donald Levan Clark, 27, Los Angeles

Found guilty by a jury on Dec. 5, 2017, of the following felony counts: Continue reading→

How many people have to die on Santa Ana’s streets?

Posted on by Posted in homeless, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Jimmy was a black homeless man who stayed near Warner and Bristol and was often seen in a wheelchair. He had been around this area for some time and many knew him. Unfortunately, he lost his life on December 26th near the shopping center at Warner and Pacific.

Last year, a Santa Ana resident who saw Jimmy living on the sidewalk along Warner Ave. reached out to the city asking them to help Jimmy get into a shelter. The city contacted Jimmy several times and he finally agreed to allow them to take him to the Courtyard shelter in downtown Santa Ana. Unfortunately, Jimmy only stayed at the shelter a short time, and decided to go back to Warner and Bristol. Continue reading→

This week’s Cochino List includes Tierra Blanca Family Restaurant in Santa Ana

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The OC Health Care Agency has released their list of Orange County restaurants that were issued health violations for the week of Jan. 5-12:

  • 7-Eleven, 818 W. 17th St., Santa Ana; plumbing in disrepair; closed Jan. 11, reopened Jan. 11.
  • Tierra Blanca Family Restaurant, 1502 E. First St., Santa Ana; insufficient hot water; closed Jan. 10.
  • China Poultry, 16281 Harbor Blvd., Fountain Valley; plumbing in disrepair; closed Jan. 11.

Continue reading→

The SAUSD will be promoting their public schools on Jan. 20 at the MainPlace Mall

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

Santa Ana Unified School District to Highlight Programs, Offerings During School of Choice Fair
on Jan. 20, 2018

The event will highlight and showcase the innovative and award winning-programs offered at SAUSD schools.

Come and learn about the innovative and award-winning programs offered throughout the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) during the School of Choice Fair from 1 to 7 p.m. on January 20, 2018 at MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Pacific Electric Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony set for Jan. 20

Posted on by Posted in Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: Pacific Electric Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – Ceremonia de Inauguración del Parque Pacific Electric – 1/20/18

The dream of a new park in a much needed area in Santa Ana is now a reality. The public is invited to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Pacific Electric Park located on the corner of Orange and McFadden Ave. The ceremony will take place Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. at the new park. Continue reading→