On Saturday, March 11 at about 9 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to the area of 215 South Hickory after reports of a shooting. When they arrived they located a vehicle struck by gunfire, according to SAPD Case # 17-06591.
This shooting occurred northwest of Roosevelt Elementary School in Santa Ana’s Ward 2, which is represented by Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez. Continue reading
In response to the “Shame on Santa Ana Teacher/Councilman Sal Tinajero for allowing worker layoffs” post, on our 
Facebook link Councilman Tinajero now complains: “What?!? I’m in the minority! I don’t have the votes! Your trying to discredit me because you get paid! I refer you to real reporting i.e. Voice of OC, OC Register, LA Times, or New York Times.” Give me a break!!
As was said in the Facebook thread, the vote was tied (3-3) and Sal could have voted to have staff negotiate to keep the contract with ICE and help protect city jobs and keep $7-$8 million in annual revenue. With his vote, it could have been 4-2! (Embarrassed by his comments and actions, Sal had them deleted overnight, but we took a screenshot before he did!)
This may be too late to fix or not, but if city workers get laid off, they will remember who made an effort to help and who did not. Just sayin…
On Tuesday, March 7 at about 3 p.m. a female was driving in the area of 800 North Raitt when she heard multiple gunshots. She told SAPD police officers that she saw three suspects running and after the shots were fired her rear window was struck and shattered, according to SAPD Case # 17-06152.
This shooting happened a block east of the Santiago Little League which operates at El Salvador Park, next to Fremont Elementary School.
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School Board Member Ceci Iglesias just informed us here on New Santa Ana that 287 pink slips are being given to school employees. Now Santa Ana teacher and City Councilman Tinajero is allowing layoffs too.
Register article says: “The jobs listed for possible elimination include 100 K-6 teachers, 50 middle school teachers, 47 in the high schools and another 21 K-12 teachers who provide special education services and several assistant principals and program specialists. The list includes 70 teachers who hold temporary positions.” Continue reading
On Saturday, February 25, 2017, at about 5:30 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to 700 South Townsend Street, just northeast of Jerome Park, after receiving multiple calls of about a shooting. When officers arrived they located a 17 year old Hispanic male with a gunshot wound to the lower body. The victim was taken to a local hospital for his injuries, according to SAPD Case # 17-05222.
This shooting happened in Santa Ana’s Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides. Continue reading
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order today that will cut some federal money to so-called “sanctuary cities” without defining which funding will be cut or what communities the administration will define as sanctuaries, according to the O.C. Register.
Santa Ana gets about $123 million in federal funds every year – although I heard a report on a radio news station today that the funding is closer to $30 million a year. Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero told that news station that the City of Santa Ana can afford to lose that $30 million a year as we have a rainy day fund with $40 million in it. His comments were also reported by Fox News. Continue reading
There have been 22 shooting incidents reported by SAPD so far this January. As bad as last year was this year is starting off even worse.
So you would think that with all of these violent crimes happening in our neighborhoods on almost a daily occurrence, that the Santa Ana City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Improvement Committee would want to meet to discuss these shootings, right? Well you would be wrong. The meeting that was slated for Jan. 24 was canceled. Continue reading
Do you remember Nativo Lopez? He was a Santa Ana School Board member who was recalled in 2003 due in part to allegations that he was impeding the implementation of Proposition 227 in the 62,000-student school system. Prop. 227 was the measure backed by wealthy Republican Ron Unz that put a stop to bilingual education in California. Unz also spent $100,00 to gather the signatures that put the Lopez recall on the ballot.
But in the November General Election this year California’ voters reversed Prop. 227 – by passing Prop. 58 they restored bilingual education in the Golden State. And this week the Santa Ana City Council passed a Sanctuary City resolution. Continue reading
Perhaps the biggest knock on Santa Ana Mayoral challenger Benjamin Vazquez, besides his aggressively liberal politics, is the doubt that he can raise enough money to seriously contend against longtime Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. Vazquez is attempting to answer that doubt with a campaign fundraiser set for Oct. 5, 2016, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Robbins Nest, located at 207 W. 2nd St., in DTSA.
The Vazquez fundraiser is hosted by SAUSD Trustee Valerie Amezcua and her dad, former Mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua, a criminal defense attorney who regularly defends Santa Ana gangbangers in court; as well as Dr. Arturo Lomeli, a Dentist; Eddie Quillares (a local insurance agent); Luis Mier (a local bail bondsman); and Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero. Continue reading
The Santa Ana City Council, at their meeting last night, considered a proposal by Mayor Miguel Pulido to vie a 5% pay increase to experienced SAPD police officers who have been with the SAPD for more than 15 years. (Agenda item 85A).
Morale has been a real problem at the SAPD, due to their low staffing numbers and a lack of leadership from their inexperienced Police Chief, Carlos Rojas, as crime has spiraled out of control in our city. I would imagine that Pulido’s proposal is meant to keep our veteran police officers as many of them have been leaving the city for other police agencies – something that NEVER happened under former SAPD Police Chief Paul Walters. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
Over the past weekend, at the National Speech and Debate Association’s 2016 National Tournament, Santa Ana Councilman Tinajero was announced as the recipient of the Harold C. Keller Award, a top honor provided to individuals for their dedication and development to speech and debate. This great honor comes on the heels of Councilmember Tinajero’s retirement from being Director of the Fullerton Union High School Speech & Debate Team earlier this June after 15 years of dedicated service which included over 170 speech and debate tournaments, coaching of over 1,000 students, and numerous other prestigious accolades.
Councilmember Tinajero has an outstanding record of achievement including: Continue reading
A 17-year-old boy was the victim of a drive-by shooting at a Santa Ana bus stop on Friday night, according to the O.C. Register.
The shooting happened at a bus stop on South Fairview Street, just north of West McFadden Ave., at 8:33 p.m. The teen was sitting at the bus stop when he was struck by a bullet fired from a passing vehicle. Continue reading
One of our readers reported yesterday on our Facebook page that there was a shooting at Centennial Park. Today that was verified by the O.C. Register as they reported that one man was shot and two others pistol-whipped by gangbangers at Centennial park on Tuesday afternoon.
The suspects, as many as six males, approached three 19-year-old men at the park, which is located at 3000 Edinger Ave., yesterday at around 4 p.m. Then, as usual, the suspects asked the victims where they were from and gunfire ensued, leaving one victim wounded in his lower torso. Continue reading
Julian Barragan, 21, has been identified as the man who was shot several times the day after a number of local church groups and community leaders held a rally to denounce the growing violence in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.
Barragan was walking near West Kent Avenue and Newhope Street at around 4:30 a.m. today when he was attacked. The victim did not have any known gang affiliations.
Barragan ended up dying due to his injuries.
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One of our readers reports that there is a vacant house in her neighborhood that has become a problem with the local gang members squatting and dealing drugs from it, at 4917 W. Kent Ave., in Santa Ana.
Our reader said that the problem was resolved – at a very basic level – in August 2014; however, recently gangbangers have again been again eyeing the house. Apparently this past Saturday, the front door of the house was found by neighbors to be wide open.
To make matters worse, the gangbangers have allegedly been bothering the neighbors and scaring the local children. Continue reading