Art Pedroza

Man shot during attempted robbery at Santa Ana’s Memorial Park

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A 40-something man was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in Santa Ana Monday night, at Memorial Park, in the 2100 block of Flower Street, according to CBS News.

Two male suspects, described as “gang member types” and believed to be in their late teens or early 20’s, wearing black clothing, approached two male residents in their 30s or 40s in Memorial Park Monday night. The suspect are believed to have been trying to rob the victims, police said, according to ABC News. Continue reading→

RSCCD Trustee Solorio encourages families to have summer adventures

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Family, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE JOSE SOLORIO ENCOURAGES FAMILIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW SUMMER ADVENTURES

ORANGE COUNTY – With schools just out of session, Community College Trustee Jose Solorio would like to bring to light a variety of fun summer activities for kids and their families to enjoy, many of which are free!

Orange County is home to a diverse number of local attractions and activities, and summer presents a great opportunity for families to explore new adventures. These activities include free movie screenings and concerts, arts and crafts exhibits, campouts, sport activities, and festivals held by different cities, libraries, local organizations and businesses. Current economic factors are still leading many families to look for free or low-cost activities to take part in, and fortunately there are many opportunities in our county that are affordable. Continue reading→

Michelle Rodriguez, Ed.D. named Chief Academic Officer of the SAUSD

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Michelle Rodriguez, Santa Ana, SAUSD 3 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer, (714) 558-5555, Deidra.Powell@sausd.us

Michelle Rodriguez, Ed.D. Named Chief Academic Officer

SANTA ANA, CA — June 25, 2013 – The Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education appointed Michelle Rodriguez, Ed.D. to the position of Chief Academic Officer at the May 28th Board of Education meeting. Dr. Rodriguez previously served as the Director of Student Achievement and Charter Schools for the District since her arrival in July of 2009. In that capacity, she was responsible for the K-12 implementation of the Common Core State Standards to prepare students to be college and career ready. Dr. Rodriguez developed a 4-year Common Core implementation roll-out plan and supervised the development of Common Core units of study in all subject areas in grades K-12. She will continue this responsibility in her new role. Among some of her other successes, Dr. Rodriguez developed the District’s Transitional Kindergarten Blended Learning Program and authored various grants in which the District was awarded a total of $6, 150,000. Continue reading→

Garden Grove man charged with killing neighbor by shooting him in the face

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Robert Joseph Price

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release
For Immediate Release, Case # TBA” June 25, 2013

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDERING NEIGHBOR BY SHOOTING HIM IN FACE

WESTMINSTER – A man has been charged with murdering his neighbor by shooting him in the face. Robert Joseph Price, 52, Garden Grove, is charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison. Price is being held on $1 million bail and is expected to be arraigned today, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. at the West Justice Center, Westminster. The Department is to be determined. Continue reading→

Body of a Santa Ana man found in a trash can on Brea Canyon Road

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Brea, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Picture courtesy of the California DMV

Police on Saturday identified the body found in a trash can in Brea as a 46-year-old man from Santa Ana. Jose Ramiro Baez Paredes, also known as Ramiro Baez Parades, was found dead Friday after a driver stopped to look inside a trash can along a remote stretch of Brea Canyon Road south of Tonner Canyon, according to the O.C. Register.

A motorist noticed the container on the south side of the street, just south of Tonner Canyon Road, for more than a week and decided yesterday to check it out, according to CBS News.

The driver stopped to look inside a trash can, saw what appeared to be human hands and immediately contacted the police at 3:08 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading→

Open Mic night at the Copper Door set for June 25

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Arts and Culture, Bars, Entertainment, Free Speech, music, Poetry, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Downtown Santa Ana’s The Copper Door is hosting an “Open Mic Night” on Tuesday, June 25th, 2013. Sign ups start at 8pm. All Musicians and Poets are welcome. Hosted by Theo Hirsch and Mic Hempstead.

All Genres – Singers, Rappers, Musicians, Poets, Comics & more
Live local music
Live local art *Local vendors
Free! No cover! Continue reading→

FBI seeks “Chubby Cheeks” bandit who robbed a Chase Bank branch in Santa Ana

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Crime, FBI, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FBI Los Angeles
Press Release: June 24, 2013
Contact: Public Affairs Specialist Laura Eimiller, (310) 996-3343

Robbery of Chase Bank Branch in Santa Ana – Female Suspect Known as ‘Chubby Cheeks Bandit’ Sought

The Orange County Bank Robbery Apprehension Team (BRAT) is seeking assistance from the public with information leading to the arrest of a suspect known as the Chubby Cheeks Bandit, an unidentified female bank robber who robbed a Chase Bank at 4:30p.m. on June 17, 2013. Continue reading→

Protest demanding justice for victims of police brutality set for 7/22

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Entertainment, OCDA, Police Brutality, Public Safety, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Protesters demanding “Justice for victims of Police brutality and murders” will be speaking out at the offices of the Orange County District Attorney on Monday, July 22, 2013, from 9 am to 12 noon.

They are demanding a stop to:

Killer cops
the unilateral gang enhancement
sentencing minors as adults
and the continuing crimalization of youth of color
ICE out county and city jails Continue reading→

Santa Ana officials beg Sacramento’s Democrats to save Enterprise Zones

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Taxes 2 Comments

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Advisory: CITY OFFICIALS URGE SANTA ANA COMMUNITY TO OPPOSE ASSEMBLY BILL 93 – ELIMINATION OF ENTERPRISE ZONES

SANTA ANA, CA (June 24, 2013) – City officials are urging the entire Santa Ana community to write to your legislators TODAY and tell them you support Enterprise Zones! Assembly Bill 93 will essentially eliminate Enterprise Zones if it is passed at tomorrow’s vote. It is CRITICAL that your legislators know you oppose the measure and here are the reasons why: Continue reading→

Woman shot by the SAPD was wanted in Orange, for killing another woman

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange, Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Jessica Gonzalez

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Officer Involved Shooting Update – 800 S. Townsend

SANTA ANA, CA (June 24, 2013) – On 6/23/13 at approximately 0805 hours, two officers were patrolling the area of 800 S. Townsend. During this patrol check, an officer encountered a female in the alley and an officer involved shooting occurred. The female was struck and was taken to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries at 0855 hours. It was later learned that a replica firearm was located near the female’s body after she was taken into custody.

On 6/24/13, the Orange County Coroner’s office notified the suspect’s next of kin and confirmed the female’s identity, as that of 35-year old Jessica Gonzalez. Gonzalez was also confirmed as the same suspect wanted in connection with Orange Police Department’s recent homicide. Continue reading→

Woman shot by the SAPD this morning, on Townsend Street.

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 8 Comments

A female suspect is dead after being wounded in an officer-involved shooting in Santa Ana. The shooting happened shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday in an alley on the 800 block of South Townsend Street, according to ABC News.

It was unknown whether the woman was armed, but police said they found a weapon in the alley that was not a police weapon. Witnesses said the woman did not live in the apartment complex and was seen sitting in a garage before the shooting, according to NBC News. Continue reading→

Family’s car shot and 7-year-old boy is wounded, on Towner St.

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

A 7-year-old boy has been hospitalized after being shot in the leg in Santa Ana, authorities said Sunday. The incident occurred late Saturday evening in the 2600 block of S. Towner Street, KNX 1070′s Jon Baird reports. The boy was in the backseat of a sport utility vehicle that was being driven by his father when the boy’s father and uncle, who was in the front passenger seat, reportedly noticed a car following them, according to CBS News.

One round penetrated the right rear door of the car and hit the boy’s leg. The father drove the boy to a local hospital, where the injury was determined not to be life-threatening, Paulson said. There were no other injuries in the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido addresses the public employee pension fiasco

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in california, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Pension costs: Pushing cities to fiscal disaster

By San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed & Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, The San Diego Union-Tribune

The skyrocketing cost of public employee retirement benefits is one of the greatest challenges facing cities and other government agencies across California today. Annual taxpayer contributions to CalPERS, the state’s main retirement system, have jumped from about $2 billion to nearly $8 billion over the past decade. Many non-CalPERS agencies have seen similar retirement cost increases as well.

Despite these rising contributions, the state’s retirement systems are significantly underfunded, with their collective unfunded liabilities for pension and retiree health care benefits totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. Continue reading→

SAPD arrests four suspects in murder of teen on Townsend St.

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Fernando Cuevas

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Police activity in Location/Area. Avoid area. No action required.

On 06-21-2013, Officers were dispatched to 600 S. Townsend reference a male who was bleeding in front of a residence. When officers arrived they found a 14-year-old male suffering from multiple stab wounds to the back. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Continue reading→

Help catch a purse thief who targets Santa Ana businesses

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A recent robbery has occurred on the corner of 5th St. and Hawley in Santa Ana. A woman walked into a family business and stole the owner’s purse. The owner was working by herself.

The robber apparently has a history of theft in the city but the SAPD has not been able to catch the thief. She works with another person. She distracts the workers while someone else swiftly takes the items. Continue reading→

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