Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Author Archives: Art Pedroza

Cavazos is out as City Manager and Mouet is now in charge at Santa Ana’s City Hall

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, David Cavazos, Gerardo Mouet, Santa Ana 4 Comments

City Manager David Cavazos will be relieved of his duties but will receive a severance payout, council members decided Tuesday just a few weeks after he was placed on paid administrative leave by a new council majority, according to the O.C. Register.

The good news is that even though the City will have to pay Cavazos over $315K to take a hike they are replacing him with Gerardo Mouet, who has been running our City’s Parks and Recreation Agency for years. Mouet is already on the payroll so this won’t cost Santa Ana an extra dime. Continue reading→

There were two more shootings reported in Santa Ana on Jan. 17

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

On January 17, 2017 at about 11 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to reports of a shooting and a person shot and injured at the area of 3700 W. 11th Street in Santa Ana, according to SAPD Case #17-01618.

When the police officers arrived they obtained evidence of a shooting and found evidence that someone had been shot but they did not locate a victim at the time. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman and two other meth addicts arrested for stealing mail

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Stephanie Senechal, 22, of Santa Ana, Tyrone Brinson, 35, of Ontario and Benedict Erazoquinones, 28, of Paramount were arrested at the 1300 block of Begonia Avenue in Costa Mesa on Sunday with stolen mail and instructions on how to commit identity theft, according to the O.C. Register.

Costa Mesa police officers were patrolling the area at around 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon after receiving calls about suspects rifling through mailboxes, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. Continue reading→

Councilwoman Martinez discusses the spike in gang shootings in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

By: Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Last year , Santa Ana also started off the year with a high spike in gang shootings. One shooting is unacceptable just like one pedestrian fatality is unacceptable on Santa Ana streets. In the past 10 years, over 100 people have died walking or biking and thousands have been injured. Hence, we should do what we can to help combat these gang shootings and pedestrian collisions and fatalities immediately.

Gang shootings and violence are at on all time high since the early 90’s. Many will say that it has to do with prop 47 and AB 109. Others will say we don’t have enough officers on the streets, others will say we have neglected community policing and have invested 120 million dollars annually to the police department and have seen little or no results in combating crime. Finally, others will say that very few dollars have been invested in Prevention and Intervention programs. Continue reading→

Councilman Solorio addresses the high number of shootings this month in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana 3 Comments

SANTA ANA CITY COUNCILMAN JOSE SOLORIO ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING HIGH NUMBER OF VIOLENT SHOOTINGS ON JANUARY 14-15, 2017

He Calls for Immediate Filling of Vacant Positions in Santa Ana Police Department, Development of Comprehensive Gang Prevention, Intervention & Suppression Strategy

Between the evening of January 14, 2017 and early morning of January 15, 2017, there were at least six reported shootings in Santa Ana. The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is reporting that the incidents resulted in six victims being wounded, and that the incidents are likely to be gang related. Continue reading→

2nd Annual O.C. School Choice Fair set for Jan. 28 in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Cecilia Iglesias, Education, Santa Ana 13 Comments

2nd Annual Orange County School Choice Fair, January 28

Local charter schools, community leaders and education partners will participate in the National School Choice Week celebration

SANTA ANA, Calif. – In celebration of National School Choice Week, California Policy Center along with local charter schools will host the 2nd Annual Orange County Public Charter School Choice Information and Enrollment Fair on January 28 at NOVA Academy Early College High School.

Representatives from Orange County public charter schools, ranging from K-12 will be available to help families understand the enrollment process to public charter schools for their children. Continue reading→

Man charged with damaging an apartment with a fire, a shotgun and his bare fists

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

An unidentified man in his 50s was arrested after SAPD police officers saw him smashing windows on a second floor balcony at the South Coast Springs apartment complex in the 3600 block of S. Bear Street around 6 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The SAPD police officers who responded to the incident heard a fire alarm as they approached the building as well as a man screaming and the sound of windows breaking. Continue reading→

A new FBI report has verified a major rise in violent crime in Santa Ana last year

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Crime, David Cavazos, Santa Ana 5 Comments

If you live in Santa Ana then it should come as no surprise violent crime increased in our city during the first half of 2016, according to a new FBI report.

Violent crime also increased in Orange, Costa Mesa, and Irvine, but it dropped in Anaheim, Huntington Beach and Garden Grove. Continue reading→

The SAPD has now admitted that five shootings went down in Santa Ana on Saturday night

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Guns, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The SAPD had a heck of a weekend as a total of five shootings went down on Saturday night. We had previously reported that there had been three shootings. But now that the smoke has cleared the SAPD investigators have increased the violent tally.

Overall six people were shot in Santa Ana on Saturday night. Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna admitted on Sunday that he couldn’t remember hearing about that many shootings in one night, according to the O.C. Register.  Continue reading→

2017 Santa Ana Holiday Trash Collection and Street Sweeping Schedule

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Street Sweeping, Trash, Waste Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Reminder: City of Santa Ana Trash and Street Sweeping Holiday Schedule 2016-2017

If you received a notification that your trash collection would be delayed over the holidays, it is in error. Trash is being collected on your regular collection schedule. If your collection is on Monday, it will be collected on Monday and so on. There are no delays during a holiday season.

As a reminder, please be aware that the City of Santa Ana does not provide street sweeping on City observed Holidays. The 2016 and 2017 holiday street sweeping schedule is provided below for your information. This includes the trash collection holiday schedule, which indicates the days where there will be a one-day collection delay. Continue reading→

Another wild Saturday night in Santa Ana with three shootings and four injured men

Posted on by Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

It was another bloody and violent night in Santa Ana this evening as four men were hurt in three separate shootings, according to the O.C. Register.

The SAPD received a call just before 7 p.m. this evening about shots fired and a possible victim down at the 900 block of South Townsend Street. Sure enough when the police arrived at the scene they found a man who had been shot in his upper torso. The man is now in critical condition at a local hospital. Continue reading→

A missing Santa Ana man has been found and reunited with his family

Posted on by Posted in Santa Ana Leave a comment

From Arturo Elias Caceras’ Facebook Page

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE: MISSING PERSON: Arturo Elias Caceras (23)

Missing Arturo Elias Caceras (23) Was located and returned to his family safe and sound

DESCRIPTION: Male, Hispanic, 5’8”, 230 lbs, Black hair, Brown eyes.

LOCATION: Caceras was last seen at his residence at 1000 Block W. Bishop in Santa Ana on 01/12/17 at 0800 hours. Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido honors Sandi Jackson with the Exceptional Citizen Award

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Civic Affairs, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: Mayor Pulido Honors Sandi Jackson with the Exceptional Citizen Award

Mayor Pulido will present the Exceptional Citizen Award to Sandi Jackson for receiving the 2016 Outstanding Philanthropist Award. The Outstanding Philanthropist Award is presented at the National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, which recognizes the great contributions that philanthropy makes to our community and honors individuals, businesses, and support organizations that are active in the philanthropic community. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed November 15th as National Philanthropy Day, which is a special day set aside for the purpose of recognizing the great contribution philanthropy makes to our society. Continue reading→

A Santa Ana man with limited mental capacity is missing

Posted on by Posted in Public Safety, Santa Ana 6 Comments

From Arturo Elias Caceras’ Facebook Page

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: MISSING PERSON: Arturo Elias Caceras (23)

MISSING PERSON: Arturo Elias Caceras (23)

DESCRIPTION: Male, Hispanic, 5’8”, 230 lbs, Black hair, Brown eyes.

LOCATION: Caceras was last seen at his residence at 1000 Block W. Bishop in Santa Ana on 01/12/17 at 0800 hours. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man charged with beating and raping his estranged wife and stealing her car

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

Luis Javier Cervantes, a 26-year-old man, raped his estranged wife in a hallway outside a room where their two young sons slept in Santa Ana, punched her in the head, cut her with a blade, and then fled in her car, according to an OCDA prosecutor as reported by the O.C. Register.

Cervantes’ defense attorney, Christian De Olivas, admits that his client is guilty of hitting his wife and taking her car, but he is alleging that his client did not rape the victim. Continue reading→