New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

DMV employee convicted of taking bribes from two drivers license applicants

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in california, Crime, OCDA, Westminster Leave a comment

Westminster DMV, Picture Courtesy of Yelp

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15WF0525

Date: July 17, 2015

DMV EMPLOYEE CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR TAKING BRIBES TO OBTAIN DRIVER’S LICENSES FOR TWO APPLICANTS

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – A Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee was convicted and sentenced today for accepting bribes from customers in exchange for providing California driver’s licenses (CDL). Jose Alberto Carrillo, 47, Fresno, pleaded guilty to the court to two felony counts of altering public documents and two felony counts of computer access and fraud. He was sentenced to one year in jail stayed pending completion of 40 hours of community service and three years formal probation, over the objection of the People.

At the time of the crimes, Carrillo worked as a Motor Vehicle Representative at the Westminster DMV Office. Continue reading→

The SAPD will host community meetings about the use of body cameras on 7/25 and 8/1

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Entertainment, Police Brutality, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD will be hosting a series of Community Forums on the Benefits and Challenges of Body-worn Camera Systems.

The primary purpose of this forum is to get input from the community and provide information related to the current research being conducted by the Santa Ana Police Department. A short presentation will be made on benefits and challenges related to the use of Body-worn Camera Systems in law enforcement with the majority of time being allocated to community input.

Meetings: Continue reading→

Sexual registrant arrested while he was hanging out nude on a porch

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime 1 Comment

Jeffrey Smith

Costa Mesa Police Department

Community Alert: Sexual Registrant Arrested

Shortly after 6 a.m. this morning, Costa Mesa Police Officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on the 2100 block of Orange Avenue regarding the report of a naked male found by residents on their porch. Officers located and arrested the nude male, 43-year old Jeffrey Smith. Costa Mesa Police Detectives had been investigating Smith, since May of 2015, for several cases involving sexual battery, burglary, indecent exposure, peeping, prowling and trespassing. Those earlier cases all occurred during early morning hours on the east side of Costa Mesa.

In late April, Smith had been arrested for failing to register as a sex offender with Costa Mesa, and he was sentenced to 60 days in jail. Approximately one month later, in May, Smith was arrested in Costa Mesa for battery and trespassing charges. In early July, Smith was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender with Costa Mesa, however, upon formal review of the case by court staff, he was subsequently released from custody. Continue reading→

The SAPD will conduct a DUI checkpoint on July 17

Posted on July 16, 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 Friday, July 17th, 2015, 9:00PM – 3:00AM, 1500 E. McFadden Ave.

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, July 17th, 2015. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1500 E. McFadden Avenue, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Big A Bandit arrested by the FBI and he turned out to be a Santa Ana resident

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Banking, Crime, FBI, Fullerton, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Another embarrassment for Santa Ana. Turns out the so-called “Big A Bandit,” who got that name because he habitually wore an Angels baseball hat while committing a series of bank robberies in Orange County, lived in Santa Ana.

The man, Robert Paul Simmons, 51, was arrested on Tuesday night, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Man charged with pimping and pandering a woman, in Santa Ana, to pay the rent

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF1543

Date: July 14, 2015

MAN CHARGED WITH PIMPING AND PANDERING WOMAN TO PAY FOR RENT

SANTA ANA – A man has been charged today with pimping and pandering a woman in order to pay for his rent. Chris Rochelle Baker Jr., 26, Long Beach, is charged with one felony count of attempted pimping. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. Baker is being held on $35,000 bail and must prove that the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. The defendant was arraigned today and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing, July 22, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

SAPD searching for driver who hit a motorcycle on July 6 and fled

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The hit and run vehicle looked like this one

A 22-year-old Santa Ana woman was involved in motorcycle hit and run accident on Monday, July 6, 2015 at 11:30 p.m., on Broadway and First Street, right in front of an Arco Gas station, not far from Birch Park.

The man who hit her was driving a black or dark green 1996 Toyota Corolla.

The SAPD Investigators unit has yet to find the driver. Continue reading→

SAPD crime scene investigation at Flower and Berkeley

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Significant police activity has been reported this afternoon at the intersection of Flower and Berkeley, in Santa Ana.

One of our readers reported that a teenager was involved. Continue reading→

Man charged with burning a teenager with a torch to force her into prostitution

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

July 13, 2015

Case # 15WF1519

MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING AND ASSAULTING TEENAGE WOMAN BY BURNING HER WITH BLOW TORCH TO FORCE HER TO WORK AS PROSTITUTE

WESTMINSTER – A man has been charged for trafficking an 18-year-old woman and physically assaulting her, including burning her leg with a blow torch, and forcing her to work as a prostitute for his benefit. Richard Jordan Sandoval, 24, is charged with two felony counts of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, two felony counts of domestic battery with corporal injury, one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, or deceit, one felony count of human trafficking, one felony count of pandering by promise, threat, or violence to become a prostitute, and one felony count of criminal threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months in state prison. He is being held on $150,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. He was arraigned Friday and is scheduled for a pre-trial on July 20, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-12, West Justice Center, Westminster. Continue reading→

Former Disneyland employee charged with trying to trade tickets for sex with a minor

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, OCDA Leave a comment

Darreck Michael Enciso

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15WF1533

Date: July 13, 2015

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF DISNEYLAND

EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO SELL TICKETS IN EXCHANGE FOR SEX WITH MINOR

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and the Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of Disneyland employee charged today with attempting to sell tickets to Disneyland in exchange for sex with a minor. Darreck Michael Enciso, 27, Adelanto, is charged with one felony count of attempted lewd act upon a child, one felony count of contacting a child with the intent to commit a specified sex crime, and one felony count of meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. The People will be requesting the defendant be held on $100,000 bail at his arraignment scheduled this afternoon, July 13, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. in CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Enciso is accused of being an employee at the Disneyland Resort. Continue reading→

Major SAPD search underway near Hemlock and Baker

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Picture courtesy of Santa Ana Cop Watch

A heavy Santa Ana police presence has been reported on Hemlock and Baker, with over ten patrol units in the neighborhood, according to Santa Ana Copwatch. They have also reported that the police are shutting down the surrounding area looking for someone in an apartment complex.

The search includes multiple helicopters, around Hemlock and Baker, and police cars have been seen speeding and reportedly driving recklessly in the surrounding area. Continue reading→

6-year-old girl calls 911 and saves her mom from a kidnapping near Memorial Park

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A Riverside County man named Heriberto Leon accosted his estranged 30-year-old common-law wife today in Santa Ana and tried to kidnap her but was prevented from dragging her off by the woman’s brave little 6-year-old daughter, who called 911 and summoned the SAPD, according to the O.C. Register.

The woman, the little girl and 8-year-old brother were walking to a bus stop after a soccer game at Memorial Park, when Leon drove up in a brown, four-door Chrysler Concorde and took them by surprise.

The woman had been separated from Leon for three years and in 2014 she had gotten sole custody of the children. She also had obtained a restraining order against Leon because he had a history of domestic violence. Continue reading→

Gang member shot and wounded while walking south of Madison Park

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 5 Comments

An admitted gang member was shot on Friday afternoon at about 1 pm, while walking on in Santa Ana, near Halladay Street and St. Andrews Place, according to the O.C. Register. The incident happened just south of Madison Park.

A black Chevrolet SUV with three males inside pulled up beside the victim and he was fired at by one of the male occupants of the vehicle, when the victim began running from them. He was injured in his left ankle by bullet fragments. Continue reading→

Two men charged with pimping and pandering a teenager in Santa Ana

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: July 7, 2015

Case # 15CF1469

TWO MEN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING, PIMPING, AND PANDERING TEENAGE WOMAN IN SANTA ANA

SANTA ANA – Two men have been charged with trafficking, pimping, and pandering a teenage woman in Santa Ana. Caine Alexander Herrera, 18, and Emari Litrell Johnson, 18, both of Fresno, are each charged with one felony count of human trafficking, one felony count of pimping, and one felony count of pandering. If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison. Both defendants are being held on $250,000 and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. The defendants were both arraigned yesterday and are scheduled for pre-trial on July 14, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Domestic argument results in hit and run crashes in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A man and woman were in in a domestic argument in the South Coast Plaza parking lot at around 8:30 p.m. yesterday when the man got into a vehicle and drove northbound on Bristol Street, where he struck three vehicles near MacArthur Boulevard, said Sgt. Carol Salvatierra of the Santa Ana Police Department, according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect was later identified, by the SAPD, as 19-year-old Ricardo Navarro Tolento, of Santa Ana.

The suspect then drove south on Bristol Street and he hit more vehicles in Costa Mesa, according to Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ed Everett. Continue reading→