New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

Santa Ana residents charged with pimping and pandering women at massage parlors

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Santa Ana, Westminster Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15NF2343

Date: August 28, 2015

TWO MEN AND TWO WOMEN CHARGED WITH PIMPING AND PANDERING SEVEN WOMEN OUT OF THREE DIFFERENT BROTHELS DISGUISED AS MASSAGE PARLORS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Two men and two women were charged today with pimping and pandering seven women out of three different brothels disguised as massage parlors in Orange County. Ion Bivol, 27, Huntington Beach, Hien Thi Nguyen, 26, Huntington Beach, Ngoc Bao Nguyen, 25, Santa Ana, Quynh Thuy Nguyen, 30, Santa Ana, are each charged with seven felony counts of pimping, and seven felony count of pandering. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison. The defendants are being held on $500,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. Bivol, Quynh Nguyen, and Hien Nguyen were arraigned today and are scheduled for pre-trial on Sept. 3, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton. Ngoc Nguyen is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date. Continue reading→

Two O.C. men sentenced to life in prison after molesting three young boys

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

Jimmy Ernest Hutton

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 11CF2327

Date: August 28, 2015

TWO MEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING THREE YOUNG BOYS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Two men were sentenced today to life in state prison sexually assaulting three young boys. Jimmy Ernest Hutton, 27, Ooltewah, Tennessee, was found guilty by a jury on April 27, 2015, of five felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, one felony count of attempted lewd act upon a child under 14, and sentencing enhancement allegations for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims and substantial sexual conduct with a child. Hutton was sentenced today to 30 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.

Dustin James Elwood, 24, Tustin, was found guilty by a jury on April 27, 2015, of 15 felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, one felony count of using a minor for sex acts, one felony count of possession and control of child pornography, and sentencing enhancement allegations for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims and substantial sexual conduct with a child. Elwood was sentenced today to 45 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Continue reading→

Homeless people are harassed by the SAPD for sitting on blankets in public spaces

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, homeless, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Photo by Igmar Rodas

Apparently it is illegal to sit in a blanket in a public space in Santa Ana, according to homeless activist Igmar Rodas. He says that he several homeless people he knows have been told this by SAPD police officers.

Our local ordinances are passed by our City Council. Past City Councils have used such laws to harass the homeless for many years. Sadly our current Council appears to be asleep at the while on this and many other issues. Continue reading→

Supporters of Erica Alonso rallied in Downtown Santa Ana today

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County Leave a comment

Photo by Igmar Rodas

Erica Alonso’s body was discovered off Ortega Highway, approximately 12 miles east of Interstate 5, on April 28. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department ruled that her death was an overdose and it was not a homicide even though no one can explain why her vehicle was located in a residential complex in the city of Aliso Viejo, approximately 1-2 miles from her home in the city of Laguna Hills while her body was found elsewhere.

Today there was a rally in her memor in front of the Santa Ana Library at Ross and Civic Center, according to photographer Igmar Rodas. Supporters are asking that anyone who might know more about Erica’s death call 714-647-7055. Continue reading→

Man in a sports cap suspected of robbing banks in Orange and in Santa Ana

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Crime, FBI, Orange, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A man who likes to wear sports team caps has robbed two local banks in the Cities of Orange and Santa Ana in the past week, according to the O.C. Register.

The man robbed a Farmers and Merchants bank at 1220 E. Katella Ave. this Tuesday at around 4 p.m. The Orange Police responded to that crime scene.

The man is reported to be between 25 and 30 years old. He stands about 5′ 11″ and weighs about 150 pounds. He walked into the bank wearing black sweater, blue jeans and a black Miami Heat sports cap with an orange bill, according to the Orange Police. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana is prosecuting 13 individuals from a pot clinic raided by the SAPD

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Drugs, Marijuana, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The City of Santa Ana is going to arraign thirteen people on Oct. 15 on charges in connection with a controversial raid at a medical marijuana dispensary where Santa Ana police were caught on hidden video purportedly snacking on pot edibles, according to the O.C. Register.

The defendants are all represented by Anthony L. Curiale, a Brea-based attorney. The defendants are going to plea not guilty at the Orange County Superior Court.

The defendants were cited for suspicion of unlawful operation of a medical marijuana collective. If convicted of the misdemeanor offense, they face up to 6 months in jail or $1,000 fine. However, the Santa Ana City Attorney’s Office can reduce the charges to an infraction that doesn’t carry any times behind bars. Continue reading→

Santa Ana couple charged with burglarizing vehicles and identity theft in Garden Grove

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Maria Sanchez-Avalos

The Garden Grove Police Department arrested a couple from Santa Ana, 27-year-old Salvador Beltran and 23-year-old Maria Sanchez-Avalos, on suspicion of breaking into at least 20 cars in Garden Grove since May, on Friday, according to the O.C. Register.

The couple is suspected in a number of vehicle burglaries in the parking lots of a 24 Hour Fitness gym on Chapman Avenue and an LA Fitness on Valley View Street, according to the GGPD.

Investigators say the couple allegedly took wallets, purses, cellphones and credit cards from cars of people working out at the gyms. Sanchez-Avalos is apparently Beltran’s common-law wife. Continue reading→

The SAPD will conduct a DUI and license checkpoint tonight at Main and the 5 Fwy.

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Fri, August 21st, 2015, 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM 2100 N. Main Street.

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, August 21st, 2015. It will begin at 9:00 PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00 AM. It will be conducted in the area of 2100 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA.

The primary purpose of a DUI Checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. The DMV reports that unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to cause a fatal crash than a licensed driver. Continue reading→

The O.C. Avoid DUI Task Force will be out in full force through Labor Day weekend

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

The Orange County Avoid DUI Task Force Will Be Out in Full Force to Catch Drunk Drivers

SANTA ANA, Calif. (August 21, 2015) – The Orange County Avoid DUI Task Force is increasing its enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on drunk driving. The 18-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is a partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to curb impaired driving and save lives.

From August 21, 2015 until Labor Day, September 7, 2015, law enforcement partners in Orange County, across the state and nationwide will have zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of driving drunk, coupled with checkpoints and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce the toll of drunk driving. The County’s DUI Task Force kicks off Friday night by deploying a DUI/Driver License checkpoint during the first weekend along with several special DUI Saturation Patrols. The California Highway Patrol will deploy all available officers onto freeways and county roads as part of their Maximum Enforcement Period over the three-day holiday weekend. Continue reading→

SAPD searching for two white males who robbed a cell phone store and hurt an employee

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The SAPD is searching for two men suspected of stealing a black LG Nexus 4 phone from the Cell Spot Cell Phone Repair shop at 3318 South Bristol Street, in Santa Ana, at 7:15 pm.. on August 4, 2015 and injuring an employee during their getaway, according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect, who was caught on the store’s security video, grabbed the phone, ran out the store and then jumped into the open passenger window of a Nissan Sentra waiting outside in the store’s parking lot. Continue reading→

Hate crimes down in Orange County but gays, Jews and African-remain targets

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in African Americans, Crime, LGBT, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2015

Reported Hate Crime Down in Orange County, 3 Communities Remain Main Targets

(Orange County, CA)—The 2014 Orange County Hate Crime Report, published by the Orange County Human Relations Commission, shows reported hate crimes were down overall in 2014. Violent hate crimes, or crimes against people, were down slightly and crimes against property (vandalism) decreased as well. However, hate crimes that targeted African American, LGBTQ, and Jewish people remained the top offenses. “The injustice of a hate crime must not be counted as a single act against a single person, but must be recognized for the message of intolerance and intimidation it sends across a community of people”, said Commission Chair Ken Inouye.

The 24th annual OC Human Relations Commission Hate Crime Report is based on the Commission’s collaboration between Orange County law enforcement agencies, local schools and community organizations, including the The LGBT Center OC, Anti-Defamation League, Council on American Islamic Relations, NAACP of Orange County, Los Amigos and others. The 2014 report was underwritten by the South East Los Angeles North Orange County (SELANOCO) Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. The focus of the report is bias related crime called “Hate Crime” which is a criminal act committed because of the victim’s real or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or association with a person or group with one or more of these characteristics. Under California law there are enhanced penalties for hate crimes. Continue reading→

Local organizations join the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, OCTA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ronnetta Johnson, director of Community Service Programs (CSP) Victim Assistance Programs & Dispute Resolution Services, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Irvine Deputy Police Chief Mike Hamel, Orange County Transportation Authority Chairman and Mayor Pro Tem of Irvine Jeffrey Lalloway, Lita Mercado, program director for Community Service Programs (CSP) Victim Assistance Programs, Orange County Transportation Authority CEO Darrell Johnson, Orange County Assistant Sheriff Lee Trujillo, and Anaheim Deputy Chief Julian Harvey

Ronnetta Johnson, of CSP, OCDA Tony Rackauckas, Irvine Deputy Police Chief Mike Hamel, OCTA Chair and Mayor Pro Tem of Irvine Jeffrey Lalloway, Lita Mercado, of CSP, OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson, OC Assistant Sheriff Lee Trujillo, and Anaheim Deputy Chief Julian Harvey

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: 2015 HUMAN TRAFFICKING REPORT DOCUMENTS WHAT SURVIVORS OF SEX AND LABOR TRAFFICKING WANT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO UNDERSTAND

In Conjunction with Anaheim Police Department, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force Issues Call to Action to Train More Sworn Officers to Curtail Human Slavery; Task Force also Launches Faith-Based Advisory Council to Assist Survivors with Every Day Needs

SANTA ANA, Calif., Aug. 20, 2015 — Every victim removed from a dangerous human trafficking situation is cause for celebration, as overwhelmingly evident in the victims’ own words about these heinous crimes and captured in the latest report from the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF).

The 2015 Human Trafficking Victim Report also documents the successful evolution of the OCHTTF into a fully operational multijurisdictional task force. Although fewer reports of human trafficking were documented during this transition, the more than 80 partners comprising the OCHTTF now have the coordinated structure and systems in place to better identify, investigate, prosecute and provide services to human trafficking survivors. Continue reading→

Downtown Santa Ana barber arrested for lewd acts with a minor

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Suspect: Ruben Olguin

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Barber For Lewd Acts With A Minor. Request Public Assistance In Identifying Additional Victims

On Friday, August 14, 2015, at 11:00 AM, Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested 51-year-old Ruben Olguin of Santa Ana, for PC 288(c)(1), Lewd Acts with a Child. Olguin was arrested from his place of employment, the Salon De Belleza Nuevo Guadalajara, 118 E. 4th St. in Santa Ana.

In July, a 14 year old victim and his mother went to their usual barber, Ruben Olguin, who works in the Salon De Belleza Nuevo Guadalajara in Santa Ana. The victim and his mother had been to the same barber several times and trusted him. Olguin took the victim to a private location to the rear of the Salon to wash and shampoo the child’s hair. There, it is alleged Olguin molested the victim while the mother waited in the front of the store. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana need your help to come up with a new brand

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Cavazos, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Santa Ana City Council recently participated in their Annual Retreat. They were dismayed to find out that the funding needs for each city department are up to more than six times the $10 million to $12 million in surplus funds available as a result of the council formally adopting a budget and reserve policy in June 2012, according to the O.C. Register.

One of the more ridiculous recommendations to come out of the City Council’s Annual Retreat was to spend “$75,000 to $200,000 for a consultant to create a brand for Santa Ana that could help with its future economic prosperity.” Continue reading→

Death penalty sentence for murderer who was a Vietnamese criminal street gang member upheld

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Little Saigon, OCDA, Stanton, Vietnamese, Westminster 4 Comments

Lam Thanh Nguyen

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 95WF0682

MEDIA ADVISORY: August 13, 2015

WHO: Supreme Court of California

WHAT: Affirmed the death penalty sentence of Lam Thanh Nguyen who was found guilty by a jury on July 6, 1998, of two felony counts of murder with special circumstances for committing multiple murders, two felony counts of attempted murder, three felony counts of street terrorism, with sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury, using a firearm in the commission of murder and attempted murder, and vicariously armed with a firearm in committing an attempted murder.

In 1994 and 1995, Nguyen was a member of a Vietnamese criminal street gang and was involved in several shootings and violent crimes against a rival Vietnamese criminal street gang. On July 21, 1994, Nguyen was involved in a drive-by shooting where a rival gang member was shot, paralyzing him from the neck down. Continue reading→