New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

Pulido lawyers up – should the Council Members do so as well?

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Benavides, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Mayor Miguel Pulido

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido has received at least $25,000 in contributions toward a legal defense fund that he established in January as he is being investigated by the state’s political watchdog agency, according to the OC Register.

The “Miguel Pulido Legal Defense Fund” was set up in January, shortly after City Attorney Sonia Carvalho began investigating a real estate swap involving Pulido that ethics experts say looks like a bribe and could have violated state conflict of interest laws, according to the Voice of OC.

My sources tell he that a few of the Santa Ana Council Members may want to set up legal defense funds of their own. One pajarito in particular told me last week that the FBI is looking at conflict of interest by the Council Members with regard to real estate development on Bristol and Seventeenth and at the property formerly known as the Honer Plaza which is now called the Bristol Marketplace. Continue reading→

The SAPD is trying to find the men who robbed Café La Me

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Coffee, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives request assistance in identifying suspects or information reference this crime

On 05/25/14, at 8:57 AM, suspect #1 and #2 entered the Café La Me after arriving in the suspect vehicle. Suspect #1 brandished a semi-automatic handgun and pistol-whipped an employee before taking undetermined amount of money from the cash register. Suspect #2, the driver of the suspect vehicle, entered carrying zip-ties and proceeded to zip-tie and pat down several patrons. The suspects fled eastbound from the Café in the suspect vehicle. Continue reading→

Sex offender being monitored by GPS charged with pimping and pandering in Santa Ana

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 14CF1712: May 23, 2014

PAROLEE SEX OFFENDER ON GPS MONITORING ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF PIMPING AND PANDERING 18-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

SANTA ANA – A parolee sex offender on GPS monitoring was arraigned today on charges of pimping and pandering an 18-year-old woman. Eddie Bridges, 36, Compton, was charged today with one felony count each of pimping and pandering by procuring and sentencing enhancements for serving separate prison terms and not remaining free for five years: two prior convictions in 1996 and 1998 in King County, WA, for possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, one prior conviction for possession of marijuana in Maricopa County, Ariz., one prior conviction in Los Angeles County in 2007 for pandering of a minor, and one prior conviction in Los Angeles County in 2011 for attempted pandering. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 11 years in state prison. He is being held on $100,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. Bridges was arraigned today and is scheduled for pre-trial on June 3, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Parolee charged with human trafficking and pimping a teenager in Santa Ana

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 14CF1730: May 27, 2014

PAROLEE ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING MINOR AND PIMPING AND PANDERING HER AND ANOTHER FEMALE TEENAGER

SANTA ANA – A parolee was arraigned today on charges of trafficking a minor, and pimping and pandering her and another teenager. Dominique Legrand Lewis, 21, San Diego, was charged today with five felony counts including human trafficking, pimping a minor, pandering with a minor over 16 years old by procuring, pimping, and pandering, with a sentencing enhancement for a prior prison strike conviction for residential burglary in 2012. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years and four months in state prison. He is being held on $100,000 bail and has a parole hold from the previous conviction. Lewis was arraigned today and is scheduled for pre-trial on June 4, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

SAPD investigating suspicious death at apartment on 1300 block of N. Harbor

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department.

Advisory: SAPD Homicide Detectives investigating suspicious circumstances death 1300 Block North Harbor Blvd.

On 5-28-2014 at approximately 1:20 AM, Santa Ana patrol officers responded to the apartment complex located in the 1300 block of North Harbor Blvd.

Residents of an apartment at that complex found their roommate deceased inside their apartment. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrests activists who were protesting detention of LGBTQ immigrants

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, immigration, LGBT, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Steve Zamarripa

Today, 5 trans and queer immigrant activists were arrested in front of the Santa Ana City Jail where transgender immigrant detainees are held, blocking the intersection at the entrance of the jail while chained to a metal cage, surrounded by rainbow flags and a banner that read “Liberation Not Deportation, Obama is the Deporter in Chief.” Amidst chants of “Don’t Stop at Marriage, Trans and Queers are Being Deported,” “Come Out, Fight Back,” and “Obama, Obama, Don’t Deport Another Transhermana,” the activists protested to demand justice for the more than 267,000 LGBTQ immigrants living in the U.S., an end to the Obama Administration’s deportations, and call for the city to cut its contract with ICE.

The Santa Ana Police Department reported that “LGBTQ and Immigrant Rights groups protested today at 8:10 AM. The group of approximately 100 protesters set up a chain link fenced cage in the middle of the intersection of Civic Center and Boyd Way, completely blocking the intersection. Inside the chain link fenced cage, four protesters chained themselves to the fence. The 5th protester was chained to the outside fencing.” Continue reading→

DNA links man to 2001 cold-case rape of woman he kidnapped from a bus stop

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 12CF1024: May 23, 2014

MAN LINKED THROUGH DNA TO 2001 COLD-CASE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF WOMAN HE KIDNAPPED FROM BUS STOP TO FACE TRIAL

SANTA ANA – A man faces a jury trial Tuesday for kidnapping a woman from a bus stop and forcibly sexually assaulting her in his car in a 2001 cold-case after being linked to the crime through DNA using the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) local DNA database. Raul Moreno-Perez, 34, is charged with one felony count each of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense, forcible oral copulation, and sentencing enhancement allegations for increasing the risk of harm by kidnapping and kidnapping to commit a sexual offense. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-36, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Paroled pimp on GPS monitoring charged with pimping a young woman in Santa Ana

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 14CF1712: May 23, 2014

PAROLEE SEX OFFENDER ON GPS MONITORING ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF PIMPING AND PANDERING 18-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

Man gets 107 years in prison after raping women in Irvine and Newport Beach

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, irvine, Newport Beach, Orange County Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 11HF1885: May 23, 2014

MAN SENTENCED TO 107 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING TWO WOMEN IN IRVINE AND NEWPORT BEACH

SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced today to 107 years to life in state prison for sexually assaulting two women in Irvine and Newport Beach. Travis Dewayne Batten, Jr., 32, Irvine, was found guilty by a jury March 27, 2014, of two felony counts of forcible rape, one felony count each of assault with intent to commit a sexual offense, assault with intent to commit a sexual offense during the commission of first degree burglary, sodomy by force, sexual penetration by foreign object by force, and kidnapping to commit a sex offense. The sentencing enhancement allegations for committing sexual offenses during the commission of a burglary and tying up or binding a person were found true.

Between May 2005 and November 2006, Batten broke into the residences of two women, whom he did not know, while wearing a mask. He raped an Irvine woman and sexually assaulted a woman who lived in Newport Beach. Continue reading→

Amber Alert issued as a 2-year-old boy is abducted in Los Angeles

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime Leave a comment

Edwin Vargas

California Highway Patrol
AMBER ALERT ACTIVATION – LOS ANGELES

THIS IS AN AMBER ALERT MESSAGE FROM THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL

A child abduction occurred on May 23, 2014 at 6:36 am, in Los Angeles, CA. The child’s name is Edwin Vargas, a 2-year-old Hispanic male. The suspect is Abraham Vargas, a 27-year-old Hispanic male.

Vargas is possibly driving a 2004 orange Nissan Quest with the CA License Plate number of 7CIN189. The vehicle is thought to have tinted windows. Continue reading→

Will Isidro Garcia/Medrano be found innocent in captive woman case?

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, mexico, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Isidro Garcia, aka Tomas Medrano

The attorney for Isidro Garcia, aka Tomas Medrano, the man accused of kidnapping a Santa Ana girl when she was 15, raping her and holding her captive for 10 years vigorously denied the charges this week, questioning why the now 25-year-old woman would wait until now to come forward, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The defense attorney, Charles Frisco Jr., mused that it didn’t make sense for her to suddenly come forward now, after a decade together. He speculated it might have had something to do with marital problems, saying the couple was in the process of splitting up, according to CNN.

This is a fascinating case in that it involves Mexican nationals – and social mores in Mexico are and have been quite different from what we believe here in the United States. In the past, women in Mexico were basically forced into the union of marriage, as described in a lengthy online article on the subject. Continue reading→

Man convicted of pimping a young woman in Garden Grove

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13WF1517: May 19, 2014

MAN CONVICTED OF PIMPING 19-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN GARDEN GROVE

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted today of pimping a 19-year-old woman in Garden Grove. Trey Dimaria Bailey, 22, Oakland, pleaded guilty to a court offer to one felony count each pimping and pandering by receiving or giving money with a prior conviction for armed robbery in 2010. He is expected to be sentenced to four years in state prison at his sentencing July 21, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-57, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Man charged with kidnapping and raping his girlfriend’s daughter for 10 years

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

Isidro Medrano Garcia

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # TBA: May 22, 2014

MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING GIRLFRIEND’S 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND SEXUALLY ASSUALTING HER FOR 10 YEARS

SANTA ANA – A man was charged today for kidnapping his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter and sexually assaulting her for a decade. Isidro Medrano Garcia, 42, Bell Gardens, is charged with one felony count of forcible rape, three felony counts of lewd acts on a minor, and one felony count of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 19 years to life in state prison. The People will be requesting the defendant be held on $1 million bail at his arraignment today, May 22, 2014, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Department CJ-1 opens at 10:00 a.m. and the specific arraignment time for Garcia will be determined by the court.

In February 2004, Garcia was introduced to the victim while he was dating and living with the victim’s mother. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman emerges from 10 years of captivity

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives locate missing person after 10 years victim of kidnap and sexual assault

In August of 2004, a 15-year-old was reported missing to the Santa Ana Police Department by her mother. The mother reported that her daughter went missing along with her cohabitant boyfriend, Isidro Garcia, after a domestic violence incident. At the time, the mother suspected Garcia of sexually abusing her daughter; however she had no evidence to support this belief.

On 5-20-14, the Victim, now 25-years-old, disclosed the circumstances of her disappearance to law enforcement. Continue reading→

Crime is increasing but our City Council Members say it’s an anomaly

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 10 Comments

Santa Ana’s City Council Members are finally reacting to the increasing violence and crime in our city – but their reaction is not what anyone might have expected. In a city where the Council Members have in the past led marches against violence and conducted town hall meetings to discuss the issue, our elected officials are now ducking and covering.

Consider what several of the Council Members told the O.C. Register after five shootings and three fatalities in the past month: Continue reading→