New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

Two young men shot in broad daylight in Councilwoman Martinez’ Ward

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Two men, both 18, were shot in the upper torso, on Friday in Santa Ana, at around 12:45 p.m. in the 700 block of East Chestnut Avenue, according to the O.C. Register. The men were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and they are expected to survive, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

The shooting happened on the north side of the campus of Roosevelt Elementary School. It is highly disturbing that the incident occurred at mid-day. The area in question is in Councilwoman Michele Martinez’ Ward 2. She has previously admitted to selling drugs when she was a teenager and the local law enforcement associations opposed her reelection campaign this year. Continue reading→

SAPD homicide detectives are investigating the death of a two-year-old child

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana PD homicide detectives investigating death of 2 year old child

On 11/22/2014 at 1:45am officers responded to a medical aid call in the 2500 block of S. Linda Way.

The 2 year old boy was not breathing and pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives were called to the scene and are currently investigating the circumstances. Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for 11/21 at 1400 S. Bristol

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint Fri, Nov 21st, 2014, 9:00 PM-3:00 AM in the area of 1400 S. Bristol St.

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, November 21st, 2014. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1400 S. Bristol 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→

Seven AK-47’s found during traffic stop lead to two arrests

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Newport Beach, Orange County 2 Comments

Newport Beach Police Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PRESS RELEASE #111814

Subject: Two Arrested for Firearms Charges

Contact : Jennifer Manzella, Press Information Officer, 949-644-3662, jmanzella@nbpd.org

On Friday, November 14, 2014 at approximately 8:48 pm, a Newport Beach Police Department Officer observed a green Dodge Caravan leaving a gas station near the intersection of Bristol Street South and Irvine Avenue with expired registration and an equipment violation. The officer conducted a vehicle stop for the listed violations, and contacted the two occupants of the vehicle (Cardiel and Gurule, listed above). The officer determined that Cardiel was driving on a suspended license and that Gurule was on probation. While being questioned, both suspects appeared extremely nervous.

Continue reading→

The OC Superior Court rejects the proposed Townsend Street gang injunction

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday rejected an effort by District Attorney Tony Rackauckas to enforce a preliminary gang injunction in Santa Ana’s Townsend Street neighborhood against a group of individuals who are contesting their inclusion in the action, according to the Voice of OC.

Attorneys defending these individuals – a group of 14 adults and minors – praised Judge Franz E. Miller for ensuring that this group’s freedom of movement and liberties aren’t restricted until they have an opportunity to challenge the DA’s allegations of their active gang participation. Continue reading→

Poll – should the OCDA post pictures of men arrested for trying to hire prostitutes?

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Orange County prosecutors are taking the tactic to another level: Asking every police agency in the county to hand over photographs of offenders so that they can be posted on the district attorney’s website under the heading “Sex Purchasers,” according to the L.A. Times.

Emma Andersson, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, said that the aim of the criminal justice system should be rehabilitation, rather than “the banishment and isolation of individuals from a community.” Continue reading→

At-risk students earn over $25K in turkey dinners from the OCDA

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: November 18, 2014

AT-RISK STUDENTS EARN OVER $25,000 IN TURKEY DINNERS IN 5TH ANNUAL THANKSGIVING GANG PREVENTION INCENTIVE

SANTA ANA – Turkey dinners will be awarded tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014, to 855 at-risk students who succeeded in the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership’s (OC GRIP) 5th annual Thanksgiving challenge to improve student attendance, behavior, and grades.

The dinners will include a full Thanksgiving dinner, complete with side dishes, to feed a family of 10 and will be delivered to participating OC GRIP schools for the successful students and their families to pick up on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014, starting at 4:00 p.m. Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas will be at Viejo Elementary in Mission Viejo to personally greet the students and their families. Media interested in attending may contact the OCDA Public Affairs Unit at (714) 347-8408. Continue reading→

Victim in fatal stabbing identified

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Garden Grove Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org

Victim in Fatal Stabbing Identified

ANAHEIM, Calif. – (November 17, 2014) – On Sunday, November 16, 2014, Orange County Sheriff’s Department homicide investigators initiated an investigation following discovery of a male adult lying in the street suffering from multiple stab wounds. Ruben Martinez, 27, Anaheim, was detained at the scene and later arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing.

The victim, Maximino Fuentes Clara, 52, Garden Grove, was stabbed multiple times during a physical altercation with Martinez. Clara had a dating relationship with Martinez’ mother; however, investigators have yet to determine a motive for the attack. The investigation is ongoing. Continue reading→

Women sentenced for beating a woman to death in Downtown Santa Ana

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 26, and Candace Marie Brito, 27, were convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of a 23-year-old woman outside a Santa Ana nightclub were each sentenced to to six years in state prison Friday in an Orange County courtroom, according to NBC News.

They were earlier found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and assault in the death of Annie Kim Pham, an aspiring writer who died two days after the January fight when she was taken off life support, according to the Press Telegram.

Witnesses testified that Pham and her group of 11 friends were waiting in line to get into The Crosby, a downtown Santa Ana bar and restaurant, as Brito, Zavala and several of their friends were exiting. At some point, the groups bumped into each other and Brito and Zavala’s friend exchanged words with Pham. The friend was not charged in the case, according to ABC News. Continue reading→

Sixteen uninsured drivers charged with insurance fraud after filing auto accident claims

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

SIXTEEN UNINSURED DRIVERS CHARGED WITH INSURANCE FRAUD AFTER GETTING INTO CAR ACCIDENTS AND FILING FRAUDULENT INSURANCE CLAIMS

SANTA ANA – Sixteen uninsured drivers were charged with insurance fraud for attempting to purchase an insurance policy, reinstate a lapsed policy, or add additional coverage after being involved in a car accident. The defendants below each face a maximum sentence ranging from one year in jail for misdemeanors to five years in state prison for the felony charges with enhancements. The defendants charged in these cases were a part of Operation Crash and Buy, which was a statewide operation cracking down on fraudulent insurance claims from uninsured drivers.

“Unfortunately, this type of insurance crime is surprisingly common,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “Insurance fraud is an expensive drain on the state’s economy that totals into the billions of dollars annually in California. This is not a victimless crime. The costs of these scams are passed along to consumers through higher rates and premiums–everyone pays for insurance fraud.” Continue reading→

SAPD seeks help in identifying suspect who shot and killed 15-year-old Edgar Campos

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Homicide Detectives Request Public Assistance in Shooting Death of 15 Year Old Victim

Victim: Edgar Jovany Campos (15) Santa Ana

Details: On Friday, 11-07-2014, at approximately 6:40 PM, officers responded to the area of 400 North Laurel (located in Councilman Roman Reyna’s Ward 5) reference a male who had been shot. When officers arrived, they located the 15-year old victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso. OCFA Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victim to UCI Medical Center for treatment.

SAPD Homicide Detectives responded to the scene to take over the investigation. Their preliminary investigation revealed the victim was walking in the area of 400 North Laurel when suspect(s) in a vehicle fired an unknown type firearm at the victim striking him once in the upper torso. The suspect vehicle then fled in an unknown direction after the shooting. There is currently no description for the vehicle or any suspect(s) at this time. Continue reading→

15-year-old boy shot in Reyna’s Ward 5 is now on life support

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Police say a 15-year-old boy was on life support at UCI Medical Center in Orange on Tuesday following a shooting in an alleyway last week, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident happened at about 6:40 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of North Laurel Street, which is in Santa Ana Councilman Roman Reyna’s Ward 5. Police say the shooting was gang related. Continue reading→

Young woman arrested after leading police on a chase that started and ended in Santa Ana

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A 20-year-old woman named Kimberly Camacho was arrested after leading police on a pursuit in an allegedly stolen car through multiple Orange County cities Friday evening, according to the O.C. Register.

The chase began in the 1600 block of East First Street at around 4:28 p.m., when Santa Ana police officers observed a white sedan that matched a description of one reported stolen from Garden Grove, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department, according to Fox News.

Continue reading→

Eight men charged with trying to hook up with prostitutes in Orange County

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

November 6, 2014

EIGHT MEN CONVICTED OF LOITERING WITH THE INTENT TO COMMIT PROSTITUTION OR ENGAGING/AGREEING TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) convicted eight men in October 2014 of loitering with the intent to commit prostitution or engaging/agreeing to engage in prostitution. The defendants in these cases approached a woman, whom they believed to be a prostitute, loitering in areas known for prostitution and human trafficking in Orange County. Some defendants agreed to engage in commercial sex with a woman and were subsequently arrested by law enforcement.

The Santa Ana Police Department, Brea Police Department, Irvine Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) investigated these cases. Deputy District Attorney Kelly Manley of the HEAT Unit prosecuted these cases. Continue reading→

The OCDA is seeking additional victims of man who sodomized victims he met through Craigslist

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 14WF4079

Date: November 6, 2014

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT AFTER MEETING VICTIMS THROUGH CRAIGSLIST

WESTMINSTER – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) are seeking the public’s help with identifying potential additional victims of a man charged with sexual assault after meeting his victims through Craigslist. Blaise Ryan Christie, 32, Garden Grove, is charged with two felony counts of sodomy by force with sentencing enhancement allegations for committing the specified offense against more than one victim. If convicted, Christie faces a maximum sentence of 30 years to life in state prison. He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 3, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-1, West Justice Center, Westminster.

Between September 2014 and October 2014, Christie is accused of posting an advertisement on Craigslist soliciting someone for companionship, offering thousands of dollars a week. On two separate occasions, Christie is accused of meeting with 24-year-old Jane Doe #1 and 20-year-old Jane Doe #2, engaging in consensual sex, and forcibly sodomizing the victims. Continue reading→