Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Author Archives: Art Pedroza

The Police Officers Assn. responds to the claim that crime is going down in Santa Ana

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

To: Mayor and City Council

From: SAPOA Board of Directors

Re: Follow-up to City Manager and Chief’s Memorandum

This response is based on the overwhelming displeasure of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA) and the SAPOA Board of Directors regarding the memorandum released on August 30, 2016, by the City Manager and Chief of Police. The memo contained numerous misrepresentations and distorted the current crime picture and fact pattern during their tenure, beginning in 2013.
The truth must never be hidden from the community and the officials sworn to protect and represent the public.

I applaud the City Manager for recognizing the phenomenal job Chief Paul Walters did from 1987 to 2013 during his 25 plus years, reducing crime by 74%. However, why is the current crime picture distorted with statistics from 1987, utilizing three-year averages? Continue reading→

Stabbing homicide involving a juvenile at W. 1st St. and Fairview

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Crime, Gangs, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 10 Comments

A male 17-year old juvenile was stabbed and killed in Santa Ana today, according to the SAPD, Case Number 16-23667.

At about 12:50 p.m., SAPD police officers responded to the Santa Ana Riverbed at 2700 W. First Street and found the male juvenile stabbing victim. Continue reading→

Council Members Martinez and Sarmiento to host a joint Campaign Office Kick-Off on 9/11

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

Santa Ana Council Members Michele Martinez and Vince Sarmiento are hosting a joint Campaign Office Kick-Off on Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 414 W. 4th St., in Santa Ana, on Sunday, Sep. 11, 2016, at 10 a.m.

Martinez is running for the First Supervisorial District and Sarmiento is running for re-election in Ward 1. Continue reading→

SAUSD’s first annual wheelchair tennis event is set for 9/9

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Disabled, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Sports, Youth Activities Leave a comment

SAUSD First Annual Wheelchair Tennis Event set for Friday, September 9, 2016

More than 200 students from Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) will participate in the First Annual SAUSD Wheelchair Tennis Event to be held at Mc Fadden Intermediate School on Friday, September 9, 2016. The matches will begin at 11:00 a.m. and end by 3:00 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana in conjunction with SAUSD, First Serve Santa Ana, and the United States Tennis Association. The purpose of the event is to demonstrate to all parties that athletes with disabilities can play the great game of tennis and have fun. The immediate goal of this event is to “Build Confident Kids Through the Game of Tennis”. Continue reading→

Orange County approves Supervisor Do’s plan to turn a vacant DTSA bus terminal into a homeless shelter

Posted on by Posted in Andrew Do, Crime, homeless, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Homelessness: Orange County Approves Supervisor Andrew Do’s Plan to Turn Bus Terminal into Transitional Homeless Shelter

(Santa Ana, California)— At a special meeting of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, a unanimous board approved Supervisor Andrew Do’s plan to turn the Santa Ana Transit Terminal into a transitional homeless shelter.

“Our community is tired of talk; Orange County wants action,” said Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, who has made tackling homelessness his primary focus during his eighteen months on the board. “By turning this transit terminal into a homeless shelter, we are creating a safe place to help Orange County’s homeless get off the streets and onto a productive path.” Continue reading→

Fundraising effort aims to help pay for the funeral of Century H.S. student Luis Torres

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Charities, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The family and friends of Luis Antonio Torres, the 15-year old Century High School student who was killed last week when a suspected DUI driver crashed into a car he was sitting in, on the shoulder of the 57 Freeway, is raising funds to help pay for his funeral services via GoFundMe.

So far this online fundraising campaign has raised over $4,000. Typically funerals can cost as much as ten thousand dollars. Continue reading→

Vazquez and Alcaraz will host a joint campaign walk kick-off on Sep. 10

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Ana Urzua Alcaraz, Benjamin Vazquez, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Benjamin Vazquez, a candidate this year for Mayor of Santa Ana, and Ana Urzua Alcaraz, a candidate for Ward 3 on the Santa Ana City Council, are teaming up for a Campaign Walk Kick-Off on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1211 N Broadway, in Santa Ana.

Vazquez is a local public school teacher. Alcaraz is a community and health advocate.  Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for a 21-year old suspect in the shooting homicide of Alex Ramirez

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 2 Comments

As we reported earlier today, 16-year old Alex Adrian Ramirez was shot to death late last night  at the 3600 block of West Hazard Ave..

A witness told the police that indicated that he and Ramirez were standing to the front of the location when the shooting occurred. Morales stated he saw a dark colored, possibly 2 door vehicle and heard a single gunshot. Continue reading→

SAUSD School Board candidate Angie Cano to launch her campaign on Sep. 9

Posted on by Posted in Angie Rosario Cano, Education, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 2 Comments

SAUSD School Board candidate Angie Cano is hosting a campaign kickoff on Friday, September 9th at 6:00 p.m. at Dr. Ann Coil’s home, located at 2024 N Victoria Dr., in Santa Ana.

Cano believes that the SAUSD Board members must be community-centered and they must work together to increase academic standards for all Santa Ana students. For more information on Angie Cano for Santa Ana School Board, visit her website: www.votecano.com. Continue reading→

Will the Santa Ana City Council waste millions by renewing their trash contract with Waste Management tomorrow?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Trash, Vince Sarmiento, Waste Leave a comment

Did you know that Santa Ana’s longtime trash contract with Waste Management is coming to an end soon? This is a big deal as we have had a contract in place with Waste Management since 1993. The last time this contract came up for renewal it was put to bid via a Request for Proposal (RFP) and the taxpayers saved millions of dollars when Waste Management had to win the bid by lowering their massive price.

The City of Santa Ana got the latest renewal process started when they sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a trash consultant to develop a new contract, in September of last year. Continue reading→

Updated: A 16-year old boy was shot and killed last night on West Hazard Ave.

Posted on by Posted in Angelica Amezcua, Carlos Rojas, Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

While most of us were enjoying Labor Day Weekend someone shot and killed Alex Ramirez, a 16-year old boy as he was standing outside his home, at the 3600 block of West Hazard Ave., last night at about 11:45 p.m., according to KTLA News.

The boy was shot in his upper body. He was taken to a local hospital afterwards where he died just past midnight, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

A suspected DUI driver killed a Century High School student in a crash on the 57 on Sunday morning

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

Luis Torres, a 15-year old student at Century High School, was killed this morning while he was in the back of a 2009 Honda that was pulled over on the shoulder of the southbound 57 Freeway, in Fullerton, according to the O.C. Register.

The crash happened early on Sunday morning, at 1:59 a.m., just north of the Yorba Linda Boulevard off-ramp when Nicole Cortinas, 28, of Moreno Valley swerved a 2015 Honda off the freeway lanes and onto the shoulder, striking the 2009 Honda, according to the CHP. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man who tried to cash a fake check got away after his friends crashed a stolen car

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

The SAPD are hunting for a male suspect in his mid-20’s who took off after trying to cash a fake check yesterday, at a business located in the 1200 block of West Warner Ave., according to the O.C. Register.

The SAPD received a call about the suspect at about 5:54 p.m. Before the police arrived the suspect left the unidentified place of business and fled in a vehicle where a male driver and a female passenger were waiting. Continue reading→

An SAPD K9 police dog took down a car theft suspect who was hiding in a backyard

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

Our readers alerted us that there was a major SAPD police response yesterday in central Santa Ana. It turned out to be a police pursuit of a suspect who stole a vehicle.

That suspect, an unidentified man in his mid-20’s, was spotted at about 4:15 p.m. in a stolen vehicle near Flower and First St., by SAPD police. A police helicopter then followed the car until the suspect crashed it into a parked vehicle at the 500 block of South Poplar St., according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→