New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

Santa Ana mom busted for taking a former American Idol contestant’s phone

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAUSD 4 Comments

Bertha Avalos

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Mother arrested for theft of iphone and property belonging to Todrick Dramaul Hall former contestant on the American Idol

On 06/13/13 Todrick Dramaul Hall was a former contestant on the TV competition American Idol was present at Hazard Elementary School to perform with several others for the principal’s retirement ceremony. While present at the school, Hall was standing outside and was signing autographs and appearing in photographs for the students. While signing autographs, he placed his phone down on a school bench behind him. His phone, an Apple iPhone 5 64gb, which is held inside a wallet designed to hold the phone, ID, credit cards, and money. Hall advised he set his phone down for approx 20 minutes and discovered it was missing at 1445 hrs. Hall did not see anyone take his phone. Continue reading→

SAPD seeks public assistance to find man who robbed a Subway on Edinger

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Santa Ana Robbery Detectives Request Media and Public Assistance

On 6/12/13 at about 0640 hours, the female victim was working at Subway located in the 2600 Block W. Edinger. The victim was in the store by herself when a male suspect entered the business and jumped over the counter, grabbed the victim by the arm and forced her to the floor. The suspect then dragged the victim asking her where the safe was located. The victim told the suspect she did not know where the safe was located.

The suspect retrieved a knife asking the victim, “Do you want to die?” Fearing for her life, the victim then showed the suspect where the safe was located. The suspect removed money from the safe and then forced the victim to open the cash register. The suspect jumped over the counter and left the restaurant with the money. Continue reading→

Parole denied for Santa Ana man who beat an infant girl to death in 1994

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release

For Immediate Release: June 13, 2013

PAROLE DENIED FIVE YEARS FOR INMATE CONVICTED OF BEATING-MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND’S INFANT DAUGHTER IN 1994

SANTA ANA –The Board of Parole Hearings (Board), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation denied parole for five years today for a man convicted of beating and murdering an infant child in 1994. Celerino Ochoa, 36, formerly of Santa Ana, is currently being held at California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. Ochoa was sentenced Jan. 19, 1996, to 15 years to life in state prison after he was found guilty by jury of second degree murder. The case was originally prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney David Brent. Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Odwald appeared at today’s hearing to oppose Ochoa’s parole. Continue reading→

Former teacher charged with sex crimes against a relative, starting when she was 5

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # TBA: June 13, 2013

FORMER TEACHER CHARGED WITH 1990S SEXUAL ASSAULT OF FEMALE RELATIVE BEGINNING WHEN VICTIM WAS 5 YEARS OLD

*A possession of child pornography investigation is ongoing

SANTA ANA – A former teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting a female relative in the 1990s beginning when the child was 5 years old. Robert Ornelas, 62, Santa Ana, is charged with two felony counts of lewd acts on a child with sentencing enhancement allegations for substantial sexual conduct with a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison. Ornelas is being held on $100,000 bail in this case and is expected to be arraigned this afternoon, Thursday, June 13, 2013, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading→

The SAUSD responds to the arrest of one of their former substitute teachers

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Note: This message was sent on behalf of Deidra Powell, SAUSD Chief Communications Officer

SAUSD’s Response to Former Substitute Teacher’s Arrest

We are deeply troubled to learn that a former substitute teacher, who last worked in our district in 2003, allegedly engaged in this reprehensible behavior and took advantage of the trust inherent in his profession.

Our school police department is working closely with local and federal law enforcement authorities and strongly encourages anyone with information that might aid in the investigation to come forward. Anyone with information about additional victims who may exist, or information they believe may assist the task force with this investigation is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000 or the FBI’s Orange County Office at 714 939-8699.” Continue reading→

Former Santa Ana teacher arrested for child molestation

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NEWS

Contacts: Jim Amormino, (714) 647-7042; Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

Former Santa Ana Teacher Suspected of Child Molestation

SANTA ANA, California – (June 13, 2013) – On Tuesday, June 11 at approximately 11:00 a.m., members of the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF) arrested Robert Ornelas, 62, of Santa Ana for child molestation of a female, 12 years or younger, from 1990 to 1995. He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail with bail set at $1,000,000. Continue reading→

OCDA opposing the parole of Santa Ana man who beat an infant girl to death

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release
For Immediate Release: June 12, 2013

OCDA TO OPPOSE PAROLE OF INMATE CONVICTED OF 1994 BEATING-MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND’S INFANT DAUGHTER

SANTA ANA – Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas is opposing the parole of a man convicted of beating and murdering an infant child in 1994. Celerino Ochoa, 36, formerly of Santa Ana, is currently being held at California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. Ochoa was sentenced Jan. 19, 1996, to 15 years to life in state prison after he was found guilty by jury of second degree murder. The case was originally prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney David Brent. Ochoa is scheduled for a parole hearing tomorrow, Thursday, June 13, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. at the prison before the Board of Parole Hearings (Board), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana plans to shut down 17 more medical marijuana dispensaries

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Drugs, Health and Medical, Marijuana, Santa Ana 6 Comments

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Advisory: CITY OF SANTA ANA CONTINUES PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT ON ILLEGAL POT SHOPS

Marijuana Dispensaries issued notices to cease operations or face continued enforcement action

SANTA ANA, CA (June 11, 2013) – The unanimous California Supreme Court decision on May 6, 2013, in the City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patient’s Health and Wellness Center validated a city’s authority to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. The City Attorney’s office reviewed the City’s current ordinance, compared it to that of the city of Riverside, and found it to be substantially similar. Continue reading→

Man carjacked on Bristol and Segerstrom Ave., near South Coast Plaza

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Well this is depressing. Apparently a man driving a Volkswagen was carjacked in Santa Ana today at about 12:30 p.m. by at least two people. The victim called the SAPD to report this. The good news is that the cops caught the bad guys after a high speed chase that ended in a car accident on Harbor Bl.

The bad guys ran but “police sent a K-9 unit, helicopter, strike force, gang unit and police detectives after the man, who was arrested in the 1100 block of North West Street,” according to the O.C. Register.

The bad news? The carjacking happened at Bristol Street and Segerstrom Avenue. Yep. Right near what is referred to as South Coast but is actually Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Gang banger sentenced for shooting a man during a robbery in Santa Ana

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Courts, Crime, Gangs, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 08CF2288: June 7, 2013

GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE PLUS 25 YEARS FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES SHOOTING-MURDER OF MAN DURING ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

*An unidentified accomplice is outstanding in this case

FULLERTON – A criminal street gang member was sentenced today to life in state prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 25 years to life in state prison for the shooting-murder of a man, whom the defendant had intended to rob. Albert Lubo Ruedas, 25, Garden Grove, was found guilty by a jury June 15, 2011, of one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of a robbery and for a criminal street gang purpose and one felony count of street terrorism. The sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm and criminal street gang activity were found true.

The defendant is a member of an Anaheim Hispanic criminal street gang. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on July 29, 2008, 46-year-old Daniel Jimenez Lopez was walking home alone on Sullivan Street in Santa Ana. The victim is not a gang member. Armed with a firearm, Ruedas and an unknown accomplice ran up to the victim with the intention of robbing him. Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for June 8

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Bars, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

SAPD DUI ENFORCEMENT on Saturday, June 8th, 2013

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, June 8th, 2013. It will begin at 7:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 1:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1000 E. Fourth Street, in the City of Santa Ana.

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→

Former City Manager Walters should get the credit for the new City budget

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Kevin O'Rourke, Paul Walters, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Santa Ana’s police union is negotiating a new contract

The Santa Ana City Council Monday passed what could be called its first post-crisis budget, adopting a two-year spending plan that beefs up reserves, potentially restores furlough hours to city employees and provides small increases to the police and code enforcement budgets, according to the Voice of OC.

The Voice of OC’s Santa Ana reporter, Adam Elmahrek, wrote that the SAPD is reorganizing in the wake of the departure of former Santa Ana police chief Paul Walters, who was fired by our City Council for no good reason earlier this year. But while Elmahrek tried to make it look like Walters wasted money on the SAPD in the past, he also had to admit that it was due to Walters that we have a budget at all this year – “This year, thanks in large part to the decision to outsource the city’s fire protection, the city is working with a reserve of between $27 and $30 million.” Continue reading→

SAPD seeks public’s assistance to help identify bank robbers

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: SAPD Seeks Public’s Assistance to Help Identify Bank Robbery Suspects

SANTA ANA, CA (June 4, 2013) – On 6/4/13 at approximately 9:40 am, a male suspect entered US Bank, located at 2740 N. Grand, armed with a black semi-automatic handgun. The suspect had his face concealed with a hoodie and mask and ordered all the customers to get on the ground face first. The suspect then ordered the bank employees to put money in a bag. The customers and bank employees complied with the suspect’s commands before the suspect fled out of the bank north on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect then met up with another suspect, acting as a lookout, and they both fled on foot west into an adjacent apartment complex. Witnesses reported the suspects’ actions and investigating officers located two separate areas where they dropped money. The money was recovered, however, the suspects avoided capture. Continue reading→

FBI reports minor increase in violent crimes in Santa Ana

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, FBI, Federal Government, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The FBI’s Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, January-December, 2011-2012, has been released online. The news is a mixed bag for Santa Ana. Overall violent crime has gone up marginally by 2% from the previous year, but some categories of violent crime have seen increases of up to 23% while others have dropped by as much as 64%

You can read the data for yourself here. You can compare this data to past years by looking at the FBI crime data from 2010 and 2011 here. I put all of the Santa Ana info into a spreadsheet that you can look at here. Continue reading→

Man busted by the SAPD to be arraigned for sex trafficking and pimping

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13CF0801: June 3, 2013

MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING OF FEMALE VICTIM AND PIMPING HER AND TWO OTHERS AFTER POSTING AD ON SEX WEBSITE

*Defendant was arrested in undercover sting operation

SANTA ANA – A man arrested in an undercover sting operation will be arraigned tomorrow for sexually trafficking one woman and pimping three women for financial gain after advertising the victims on a sex website. Harvey Rashad McNight, 29, San Diego, is charged with one felony count of human trafficking, three felony counts of pimping, and three felony counts of pandering by procuring. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in state prison. McNight is being held on $150,000 bail and is scheduled for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment tomorrow, Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→