On Friday, March 3 at about 10 p.m. several residents called in reports of a shooting in the area of 1200 West Brook Street. When officers arrived they located evidence of a shooting but all involved were gone, according to SAPD Case # 17-05818.
This shooting happened northeast of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Santa Ana’s Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 09CF3083
Date: March 6, 2017
GANG MEMBER LINKED TO ROBBERY THROUGH DNA ON CAR WINDOW CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ROBBERY
*A third-striker co-defendant was also convicted and sentenced in this case
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Santa Ana criminal street gang member was convicted today of robbing a couple at gunpoint outside of their home to steal their car after being linked to the crime through DNA using the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) local DNA database. Francisco Alberto Rodriguez, 27, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count each of attempted murder, second degree robbery, second degree vehicle burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon, and street terrorism. Sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, personal use of a firearm, and gang member vicarious use of a firearm were also found to be true. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on April 28, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-29, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 27, 2017
Attorney General Announces Crime Reduction and Public Safety Task Force
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the formation of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety
The Task Force was formed pursuant to the President’s Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety and will be chaired by the Deputy Attorney General. Task Force members will be drawn from relevant Department components, and will include the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Director of the FBI and the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). Continue reading
On Saturday, February 25, 2017, at about 5:30 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to 700 South Townsend Street, just northeast of Jerome Park, after receiving multiple calls of about a shooting. When officers arrived they located a 17 year old Hispanic male with a gunshot wound to the lower body. The victim was taken to a local hospital for his injuries, according to SAPD Case # 17-05222.
This shooting happened in Santa Ana’s Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides. Continue reading
The family of Jamie De Castilla Campos, an 18-year old alleged Santa Ana gang member who was shot and killed in a homicide incident that occurred at around 10:40 p.m. last Sunday in an alley in the 600 block of East Pine Street, is trying to raise the money needed to pay for his funeral.
The SAPD suspects that Campos was killed during a botched drug deal. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 17CF0376
Date: February 15, 2017
*A female co-defendant is charged with being an accessory after the fact
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged today with murder for assaulting and running over the cousin of a shooting victim during a vigil and fleeing the scene with his co-defendant. Sonny Steven Zieres, 26, Orange, is charged with one felony count of murder with sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a deadly weapon and a prior serious and violent felony conviction for assault with a deadly weapon in 2009 in Orange County. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 56 years to life in state prison. Zieres is scheduled to be arraigned today, Feb. 15, 2017, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading
In a break from the norm the SAPD has arrested two gangbangers in connected with two homicides – and SAPD Chief Carlos Rojas, who may be barely clinging to his job at this point, announced reward money of up to $50K is being offered for information regarding this past week’s four homicides, according to the O.C. Register.
Chief Rojas announced at a press conference that “It’s pretty unusual to have as many as we have had in that period of time,” indicating that he has apparently forgotten that we had 27 shootings in the month of January, this year. Continue reading
Walters plaque unveiled
With all the talk about combating gang violence in Santa Ana we thought it would be worthwhile to revisit what our former, and far more capable, Police Chief, Paul Walters, accomplished a few years ago.
Walters was forced out of Santa Ana by the last City Council – and some of those Council members are still around, including David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero.
Here is what the O.C. Register reported in 2013, about how effective Walters was: Continue reading
Apparently current SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas, who was hired by the Santa Ana City Council despite the fact that he had zero experience running a police department, wants us to believe that he has come up with a solution to the tsunami of gang violence in our city. So tomorrow he is going to face the media, at last, and talk about his new reward program.
But hold the presses – it turns out the SAPD already has a reward program in place for those who give tips about gang-related homicides. That program was put in place by former SAPD Police Chief Paul Walters, who now serves as the Chief of Staff to Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. Continue reading
Fatal Shooting at 621 E. Chestnut in Santa Ana
SAPD police officers responded to yet another a call regarding a male who was shot on Sunday at 10:40 p.m., at the 600 Block of East Pine St., in Santa Ana. A caller had reported the shooting occurred in the alley at that address, according to SAPD Case #: 1704066.
Police officers found one male adult victim with a single gunshot to the upper torso. Orange County Fire Authority responded and pronounced the male deceased at 10:55 PM. Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide By Vehicle 1900 Block Of North Grand Avenue
Victim: Trisha Irene Verdugo (27) Orange
On Thursday, February 9, 2017, at 10:41 PM, SAPD Officers responded to a report of a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree store located at 1900 North Grand Ave.
Upon arrival, officers located a 27-year old adult female, Trisha Irene Verdugo of Orange, down in the parking lot with multiple injuries. Verdugo died at the scene as a result of her injuries. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 11CF0862
Date: February 7, 2017
GANG MEMBER CONVICTED OF MURDERING INNOCENT 51-YEAR-OLD FATHER OF THREE
*Defendant was previously convicted but granted a new trial
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A jury found a criminal street gang member guilty today of murdering an innocent 51-year-old father of three. Eric Vasquez Ortiz, 27, Santa Ana, was found guilty of one felony count of second degree murder with a sentencing enhancement for participation in a criminal street gang. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on June 2, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-43, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Co-defendant Sergio Avila Cabezas, 29, pleaded guilty on July 31, 2012, to one felony count each of voluntary manslaughter and participation in criminal street gang activity, with a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity. Cabezas was sentenced to six years in state prison on Jan. 24, 2014.
Continue reading
Arrested:
McDonald’s at S. Pacific and Edinger Ave
This Sunday morning, at about 11:30 a.m., a man was exiting the McDonald’s parking lot at S. Pacific and Edinger Ave. when he realized that he was being followed by a black, older model Acura sedan.
When the man stopped his vehicle at W. Lingan and S. Raitt the Acura pulled up alongside the victim’s driver’s side door. The passenger of the Acura, described as a male Hispanic gang member, asked the victim where he was from, according to SAPD Case number 17-03359. Continue reading
While the Santa Ana City Council considers blowing $123 million in Federal funds, while stubbornly clinging to their new Sanctuary City status, folks keep getting shot. Two more men were shot and wounded tonight – a day after two men were shot yesterday evening.
SAPD police officers showed up at the intersection of W. 15th and N. Durant Streets, after getting reports about a shooting, at about 8:25 p.m., according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading