Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Crime

Second striker arraigned after sexual assaults on two girls under 14

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Women, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Picture Courtesy of KTLA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 10CF1242

May 20, 2010

Contact:  Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, Public Information Officer, Santa Ana Police Department Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff, Orange County District Attorney Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Orange County District Attorney
Office: 714-245-8029 714-347-8408 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-709-2043 714-292-2718 714-323-4486

 
SECOND STRIKER TO BE ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES SURROUNDING FOUR RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON TWO GIRLS UNDER 14

* Defendant was linked through DNA to the sexual assault of Jane Doe #1  

SANTA ANA – A second striker will be arraigned today on charges surrounding four residential burglaries and sexual assaults on two girls under the age of 14. Roberto Jacobo Reyes, 47, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of forcible lewd act on a child under 14, one felony count of lewd act upon child under 14, and two felony counts of first degree residential burglary with sentencing enhancements and allegations for committing lewd acts during the commission of residential burglaries and committing lewd acts on multiple victims. The defendant also faces enhancements for a prior strike conviction and prison prior from a 2003 residential burglary (Case #02CF3324). If convicted, he faces a sentence of 115 years and eight months to life in state prison. The People will be requesting that the defendant be held on $1 million bail at his arraignment scheduled for today, Thursday, May 20, 2010, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading→

Justice Reform Committee meeting will feature top candidates for O.C. Sheriff

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Civil Rights, Crime, Elections, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Anaheim Deputy Chief of Police Craig Hunter

Meet Orange County Sheriff candidates Craig Hunter, who is the Deputy Chief at the Anaheim Police Department, and Bill Hunt, who is a private investigator, at this Saturday’s ‘Justice Reform Committee’ meeting.  Here are the details:

Guest Speaker(s):  Sheriff Candidates Craig Hunter and Bill Hunt, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will be unable to attend.

Date:  Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Time:  1 PM

Location:  New Spirit Baptist Church, located at 701 S. Sullivan Street, in Santa Ana.  Continue reading→

State Senator Lou Correa to host a forum on sex offender housing issues on Friday, May 14

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Housing, Lou Correa, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Women, Youth Activities 3 Comments

Do your neighbors look like these guys?

State Senator Lou Correa is hosting a Public Forum on Sex Offender Housing Issues, on Friday, May 14, from  3 pm – 5 pm, at the Rancho Santiago Community College District Building, which is located at 2323 N. Broadway, in Santa Ana.

This discussion is an opportunity for Senator Correa to hear from concerned residents about sex offenders living in their communities.

Resident’s are encouraged to bring their specific concerns to the forum in order to facilitate possible solutions. This dialogue will help Senator Correa better address community concerns legislatively, as well as create a discourse among concerned residents. Continue reading→

Brutal SAPD crackdown ruins Cinco de Mayo

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Crime, Cruisers, Lowriders, mexico, Miguel Pulido, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 16 Comments

I just heard from a friend that the Santa Ana Police Department went completely nuts tonight, shutting down several streets in an unprecedented Cinco de Mayo crackdown.  My friend reported seeing dozens of vehicles being towed away. 

He also said folks were being stopped for having tinted windows and for driving while brown. The cops seemed to be looking for cruisers in particular.

I could not find any report of this over at the O.C. Register, but their reporter, Therese Cisneros, did have this to say on her Facebook page:  Police to crack down on cruising tonight…..Police will be on the look out for criminal activity and vehicle code violations. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes in each direction on Bristol between McFadden and Warner….Edinger between Main and Bristol will be closed. Traffic on
Main between Mc Fadden and Warner will be reduced to one lane….Surrounding streets may be closed as well. Continue reading→

CASA of O.C. to honor supporters at 25th Anniversary Celebration of Children

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Courts, Crime, irvine, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Susan Kirkland 714/619-0641
Lynda Sloan 714/619-5155

CASA of Orange County to Honor Outstanding Supporters at 25th Anniversary “Celebration of Children”

Irvine 2010 – Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of abused children, will honor some of its leading supporters and volunteers at its 25th Anniversary “Celebration of Children”. The gala, celebrating service to abused children in Orange County, will be held at the Irvine Marriott Hotel on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

CASA began with 15 volunteers in 1985 and now has over 700 volunteers serving abused and neglected children as mentors and advocates. CASA is a powerful model for breaking the vicious cycle of child abuse by speaking up for these children who are lost in the overburdened foster care system. It has been voted “Best Place to Volunteer” in Orange County. Continue reading→

Correa’s Bill on Teen Dating Violence Education and Prevention Passes Senate Committee

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, california, Crime, Democratic Party, Lou Correa, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Women 2 Comments

Photo: State Senator Lou Correa addressing Sexual Assault Awareness Month supporters outside the California State Capitol

NEWS RELEASE

State, Senator,­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ­ 34th Senate District

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2010
Contact: Lina Hamilton (916) 651-4034

Correa’s Bill on Teen Dating Violence Education and Prevention Passes Senate Committee

SACRAMENTO, CA- Proposed legislation by Senator Lou Correa (Orange County) to teach teen students about teen dating violence awareness and prevention was approved today by the Senate Committee on Education. SB 1300 will require the State Board of Education to incorporate, at its next revision, teen dating violence and sexual violence instruction into health curriculum framework for pupils in 7 to 12 grades. This bill will also authorize a school district to provide teen dating violence prevention education consisting of age-appropriate instruction. Continue reading→

California Crime Victims Organization Honors Senator Correa At Victim Rights Rally

Posted on by Posted in california, Crime, Lou Correa, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

PHOTO: Left to right – Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, Senator Tom Harman and Assemblyman Ted Lieu applaud as Senator Correa receives the Crime Victims Legislator of the year award from Nina Salarno, CVUC Co-leader

SACRAMENTO, CA – California’s largest organization, committed to protecting and advocating for the right’ of victims of crime, has recognized Orange County’s own State Senator Lou Correa as their Legislator of the Year.

The organization; Crime Victims United of California (CVUC), presented Senator Correa with their formal recognition in a ceremony during their annual March on the Capitol which was held on the west steps of the state’s Capitol.

Senator Lou Correa has developed a strong record in support of the victims of crime and supports measures to keep communities safe for our families. Continue reading→

Teenage girl stabbed and groped at Santa Ana’s John Adams Park

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 13 Comments

KABC T.V. news reported on Wednesday that a teenage girl was attacked in a parking lot at John Adams Park, which is next door to John Adams Elementary School, by a man who stabbed her in the chest and grabbed her, trying to force her to kiss him.

We have been warning for some time that our parks are full of perverts.  Our blog reported that men were lurking at Santiago Park, and sure enough the SAPD arrested nine of them a few weeks ago, by using a decoy in a sting operation.

We also reported here the fact that there are over 200 registered sex offenders living in Santa Ana.

Now a teenage girl has been victimized and she might well have ended up murdered.  And here is the weird part.  The Santa Ana Police Department is NOT including this story on their online alert system, called Citizen Observer.

Why the cover-up? Continue reading→

A closer look at the Santa Ana Police Department’s DUI checkpoints

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Crime, immigration, Latinos, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Working Families 4 Comments

I met a week or so ago with Paul Walters, the Chief at the Santa Ana Police Department, and two of his top police officers. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the DUI checkpoints that the SAPD conducts, as it turns out, twice a month. You can see all of the checkpoints mapped out in the graphic above.

I was upset when the SAPD recently conducted a DUI checkpoint at Rosita Park, a sleepy immigrant neighborhood on the west side. It seemed like terrible timing given the effort, currently underway, to conduct the 2010 U.S. Census.

The SAPD uses grants from the State of California to conduct the DUI checkpoints. As you might imagine, the police officers like doing this as they get paid massive overtime. Continue reading→

Violence Prevention Coalition of O.C. award nominations due by Friday

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Civil Rights, Costa Mesa, Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana, Women, Youth Activities Leave a comment

The Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County is soliciting nominations for outstanding individuals who are actively engaged in the prevention of violence in our Orange County community.  Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 12, 2010. 

Nominees may be adults or youth, and work in any field, including education, public service, social work, community volunteer, business, media, etc. You may also nominate a national leader in the field of violence prevention.

The recipients will be honored at the Violence Prevention Coalition’s annual Ambassador of Peace Awards Recognition. Each awardee will be recognized at the luncheon and given an opportunity to speak. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana agrees to clean up graffiti at Santiago Park

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Graffiti, Nature, Santa Ana Leave a comment

I recieved an email response today from Gerardo Mouet, the Director of Parks and Recreation in Santa Ana, regarding my complaint about the explosion of graffiti at Santiago Park.

Here is an excerpt from Mouet’s email:

Thank you for your email. I am glad the Parks and Recreation staff were able to clear the brush to help deter the lewd conduct. I will direct staff to coordinate with the Public Works Agency, who is responsible for graffiti removal, and remove the graffiti at Santiago Park as soon as possible. Also, staff will work on solving the issue of the pools of water you point out.

Thank you Mr. Mouet!  Continue reading→

SAPD working hard to stop lewd conduct at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Another man lurking at Santiago Park

Nine of these guys were arrested by the SAPD this week at Santiago Park

I met today with Santa Ana Chief of Police Paul Walters and two of his police officers, from the SAPD.  One of them, Hank Couisine, is a Special Investigator.  The other works in Vice Squad. 

We met to discuss the ongoing problems at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park with regard to men who go there to lurk and to engage in lewd acts.

My recent post about this situation triggered a lot of action at Santa Ana’s City Hall.  Walters asked the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Department to clean up the brush at the park, to give these creeps less places to hide.  They did so once and are planning another clean-up soon.

Walters also sent in the troops.  In fact they arrested nine men just yesterday, just after dusk!  They employed decoys very effectively.  We wrote about that tactic previously as well.  Click here to read that post.

Walters noted that his department uses software to collect crime data and then they focus their crimefighting areas on hot spots in the city.  Santiago Park is the only park with substantial lewd conduct problems. Continue reading→

Report indicates lewd conduct has been a problem at Santiago Park for over 25 years

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Another man lurking at Santiago Park

In our continued research into the problem of men engaging in lewd conduct at Santiago Park, we have found a report by the Santa Ana Police Department, dated 2001, indicating that the City of Santa Ana has known about this problem – for over 25 years.

The report was submitted to the Herman Goldstein Award Selection Committee, in D.C., in an attempt to win an award.   Here are a few excerpts from the report’s cover letter:

Residents surrounding the twenty-three acre Santiago Park in Santa Ana had problems with lewd activity occurring in their park over a number of years. Instead of continuing the short term fix of using strictly enforcement tactics, the officers assigned to this project worked with community members and other city and county departments to develop and implement a plan to achieve long term success. Continue reading→

Why do so many solitary men lurk at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, homeless, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 84 Comments

Men lurking at Santiago Park

In a city with a terrible lack of park space, Santiago Park is a veritable oasis.  The park is located in north Santa Ana, within easy walking distance of the MainPlace Mall.  The new CityPlace shopping center is located right across the street.

I like to walk my dog there, along the trail on the north side of the park.  I was doing that just yesterday, in the morning, when we came across two men who were loitering on either side of the trail.  As I passed them I turned around and took a picture of them with my Blackberry phone.  Then I called the Santa Ana Police Department.

You can see the picture of the two men above.  I could not discern what they were up to.  They were just lurking there.  Below, in the riverbed, another guy was loitering on a bike.  And it got worse. Continue reading→

Craig Hunter, a native of Santa Ana, wants to be our next Sheriff

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Craig Hunter

Anaheim Deputy Chief of Police Craig Hunter

There are three candidates running for Orange County Sheriff.  One of them is the appointed incumbent, Sandra Hutchens.  The others are Bill Hunt, a former Orange County Deputy Sheriff, and Craig Hunter, the Deputy Chief of the Anaheim Police Department.

Hunt ran against former O.C. Sheriff Mike Carona, who resigned as Sheriff after he was indicted last year.  Carona fired Hunt after the election, allegedly for badmouthing the Sheriff’s Department.  Hunt was the Chief of Police in the City of San Clemente, which contracts their police services from the O.C. Sheriff’s Department.  While most political speech is protected, Hunt lost his job because his comments were bad form for someone in his position, according to department insiders.

Hunter is not well known outside of Anaheim, but he is very well known in the law enforcement community.  Hunter was also one of several candidates who applied to replace Carona.  He came in fourth in that selection process.

Hunter was born and raised in the City of Santa Ana.  He graduated from Santa Ana High School and just this past December he was inducted into the Santa Ana College Hall of Fame, according to the Santa Ana College’s website.  He also earned a Masters in Criminal Justice, at Chapman University. Continue reading→