Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Crime

The CHP is looking for a white sedan that fled from a fatal accident on the 405 on Friday

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

California Highway Patrol officers are searching for the driver of a white sedan who they say fled from a traffic collision that killed two people on the 405 Freeway in Santa Ana on Friday, Jan. 5, according to the O.C. Register.

The accident happened in the evening on Friday, at about 8:30 p.m., on the 405, heading north, just north of Harbor Blvd. A sliver Audi was speeding when it made a lane change and crashed into a Dodge Challenger before crashing into the freeway’s center divider, according to the CHP. Continue reading→

Fountain Valley man convicted of kidnapping, torturing and mutilating a pot shop owner

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, Marijuana, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 13CF3394

Date: January 4, 2018

MAN CONVICTED OF KIDNAPPING, TORTURING, AND MUTILATING MARIJUANA DISPENSARY OWNER

*Jury reached guilty verdict in less than two hours

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted today of kidnapping, torturing, and mutilating a marijuana dispensary owner. The defendant was found guilty by a jury after less than two hours of deliberation.

Defendant: Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 36, Fountain Valley

Found guilty by a jury today of the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Serial robber gets 12 years in prison for robbing 13 O.C. stores

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, OCDA, Westminster Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case #16WF1578

Date: January 5, 2018

SERIAL ROBBER SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR ROBBING 13 STORES BY THREATENING CASHIERS WITH REPLICA FIREARM

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – A serial robber was sentenced to 12 years in state prison for robbing 13 stores by threatening the cashiers with a replica firearm.

Defendant: John Allen Wagner, 50, Westminster

Pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2017, to the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Santa Ana man who crashed a stolen vehicle into a police officer’s bike facing multiple charges

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 18CF0057

Date: January 3, 2018

MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICER AFTER CRASHING INTO OFFICER’S PATROL MOTORCYCLE WITH STOLEN VEHICLE

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged today with assaulting a peace officer after crashing into the officer’s patrol motorcycle with a stolen vehicle.

Defendant: Nicholas Raymond Mauro, 32, Santa Ana

Charged today with the following counts: Continue reading→

Garden Grove church volunteer sentenced to only five years in prison after molesting a 14-year old girl repeatedly

Posted on by Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 14WF4071

Date: January 3, 2018

GARDEN GROVE CHURCH VOLUNTEER SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR CONTINUALLY SEXUALLY ABUSING 14-YEAR-OLD CHURCH MENTEE

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Garden Grove church volunteer was sentenced today to five years in state prison for continually sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl he mentored at church.

Defendant: Vincent Daniel Lavello, 53, Garden Grove

Pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2015, to the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Homeless man charged with murdering a Santa Ana woman while trying to rape her

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 18CF0058

Date: January 3, 2018

TRANSIENT MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER DURING ATTEMPTED RAPE AFTER VIOLENTLY ASSAULTING 76-YEAR-OLD HOMELESS WOMAN IN SANTA ANA

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A transient man is scheduled to be arraigned today for special circumstances murder during attempted rape after violently assaulting a 76-year-old homeless woman in Santa Ana.

Defendant: Rosendo Xo Pec, 22, Transient

Charged today with: Continue reading→

Free cybersecurity lunch and learn set for Jan. 18 at C3 Technology in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Business, Crime, Education, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Did you bring a hacker into your home this Christmas? Even toys aren’t safe from cybercrime!

Attend C3 Technology’s FREE event Jan. 18 to learn about the 7 MOST CRITICAL IT Security Protections Every Business Must Have in Place Now. Lunch provided. Continue reading→

Man arrested for murdering an elderly lady near the Southwest Community Center

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide 1600 Block West First Street – Suspect In Custody

Victim: Betty Jane Willis (76)

Arrestee: Rosendo Xo Pec (22)

On 01-1-18 at approximately 4:14 a.m., a citizen called the Santa Ana Police Department after hearing someone yelling for help in the parking lot of 1605 W. First Street. *Officers arrived and found an unresponsive 76-year-old female victim lying on the ground. Officers detained a male that was attempting to flee the scene. Continue reading→

The OCDA used DNA evidence to stop a serial thief who left blood at a crime scene

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 17WF2856

Date: December 29, 2017

OCDA’S RAPID DNA PROGRAM STOPS SERIAL THIEF AFTER BLOOD FOUND AT CRIME SCENE CONNECTED DEFENDANT TO HIS PROFILE IN LOCAL DNA DATABASE

*Defendant is also charged with multiple Crime-Bail-Crime enhancements for thefts committed while out of custody

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Rapid DNA program stopped a serial thief after blood found at a crime scene connected the defendant to his profile in the Local DNA Database. The defendant is also charged with multiple Crime-Bail-Crime enhancements for thefts committed while out of custody for other felony 2017 cases.

Defendant: David Navor Andrade, 26, Garden Grove

Charged today with the following: Continue reading→

Former Santa Ana postal worker gets 6 years in prison for selling stolen credit cards

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Federal Government, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Former Postal Employee Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Selling at Least 6,240 Credit Cards Stolen from the U.S. Mail

SANTA ANA, California – A Garden Grove man who worked for the United States Postal Service for more than two decades was sentenced today to 75 months in federal prison for stealing thousands of credit cards from the U.S. Mail and selling the credit cards on the black market.

Chinh Vuong, 49, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered the defendant to pay $325,085 in restitution to Chase Bank USA and American Express. Continue reading→

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

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 17CF3297

Date: December 29, 2017

TWO LOS ANGELES MEN CHARGED WITH PIMPING AND PANDERING 15-YEAR-OLD RUNAWAY GIRL IN ORANGE COUNTY

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Two men from Los Angeles County were charged today with pimping and pandering a 15-year-old runaway girl in Orange County.

Defendant: Brandon Lamar Aaron, 29, Hawthorne

Felony Charges: Continue reading→

Three men led police on a pursuit from Fullerton and were arrested in Santa Ana last night

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Fullerton, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

You might have heard a commotion last night, Dec. 28, with police helicopters and lots of sirens, at the 5 Freeway. Turns out it was a police pursuit that led to the arrest of three men, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident began at around 8:20 p.m. when Fullerton police officers tried to pull over the suspects as they were driving a Dodge Ram truck, for a vehicle registration violation. This prompted the suspects to flee – and one of them three a handgun out of the window of the vehicle. Continue reading→

The OC Sheriff is now complying with California’s new Sanctuary State law

Posted on by Posted in Crime, immigration, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Changes to OCSD custody procedures due to SB54 to take effect today

SANTA ANA, Ca. (Dec. 27, 2017) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is making several changes to its custody operations in light of recent legislation expected to take effect Jan. 1.

The most notable changes, which will be implemented starting today, Dec. 27, are expected in the department’s 287(g) program. They will be as follows: Continue reading→

The SAPD shot at a suspect they arrested at a traffic stop on Christmas Day

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

While most of us were celebrating Christmas Day on Monday, SAPD police officers had to shoot at a suspect who they had stopped for a vehicle violation at about 1:43 p.m., at 11521 Salinaz Drive, in the area of Newhope St., south of Trask Ave., in Garden Grove, according to the O.C. Register.

No one was injured in the shooting.

The police were able to recover a firearm at the scene, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Why is the City of Santa Ana misleading us about Hepatitis A cases in Orange County?

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Disease, Drugs, homeless, OC Health Care, Orange County, Robert Cortez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Is the city of Santa Ana telling us the truth about Hepatitis A?

A recent article on the homeless encampments in the Civic Center quotes Robert Cortez from the City Manager’s office:

“Cortez said city leaders are concerned about disease as a statewide outbreak of hepatitis that started in a San Diego homeless encampment and spread to Los Angeles and beyond. So far 672 have been reported statewide, but none in Orange County.” Continue reading→