Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Orange County

The O.C. Superior Court extends the Grand Jury application deadline to February 1

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Court Extends Grand Jury Application Deadline to February 1

Santa Ana, CA – Hon. Kirk Nakamura, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Orange County Superior Court and chair of the Grand Jury Recruitment and Selection Committee, announced today that the Court has extended the deadline to apply to serve on the next Grand Jury to February 1, 2017 due to a shortage of applicants.

Judge Nakamura said, “By law, the Court must impanel a 19-member Grand Jury each fiscal year to serve a one-year term. It is difficult to attract qualified individuals from all areas of Orange County who can devote 30 to 35 hours per week for this unique community service opportunity.” Panelists receive a $50 per day stipend, reimbursement for mileage, and reserved onsite parking at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, where they meet. Continue reading→

Orange County homeless count and survey set for Jan. 28

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2-1-1 Orange County Announces 2017 Point-In-Time Count and Survey

MAKING SURE EVERY ONE COUNTS!

On January 28, 2017 (4:30 a.m.-9 a.m.) in the early morning hours 2-1-1 Orange County (211-OC) along with 1500 volunteers will conduct the 7th biennial countywide homeless population Point-in-Time Count and Survey.

Point-in-Time (PIT) is a federally mandated, biennial, enumeration and survey to determine the prevalence and characteristics of persons experiencing homelessness in Orange County. PIT helps us better understand who is facing homelessness on a given night so that we can advocate for additional resources to provide services for the homeless population, ultimately ending homelessness in our community. Continue reading→

Registered sex offender pleads guilty to exposing himself to women on OCTA buses

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Stephen Ponte Garcia, a 37-year-old registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal record, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of exposing himself to female passengers on Orange County buses and was immediately sentenced to only three years in prison, according to the O.C. Register.

Garcia pleaded guilty to two felony counts of indecent exposure with prior convictions stemming from incidents on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. Continue reading→

The U.S. Justice Dept. is finally investigating the OC Sheriff and the OCDA

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Justice, OCDA, Orange County, Politics, Sandra Hutchens, Santa Ana, Tony Rackauckas Leave a comment

Tony-Rackauckas-and-Susan-Kang-Schroeder-300x225

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Justice Department Opens Investigations of Orange County, California, District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department

The Justice Department today opened a civil pattern-or-practice investigation into the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Continue reading→

Homelessness increasing along the Santa Ana River

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment
Photo by Tim Houchen

Photo by Tim Houchen

HOMELESSNESS ALONG THE SANTA ANA RIVER

By the Fountain Valley Police Department

The Department has received inquiries regarding an increase in homeless/transient persons who have taken up residence along the Santa Ana River and river trail area.

The riverbed and river trail are the jurisdiction of County of Orange and the Sheriff’s Department. As such, the encampment and crime and quality of life issues related to it are not directly in our jurisdiction. The County and Sheriff’s Department have a countywide strategy in dealing with these issues; including outreach, education and enforcement. Either this relatively new encampment or the homeless/transients that have lived under the overpasses of the Santa Ana River for many years have an impact on our community when they come into town. We deal with those issues as they arise as best we can. Continue reading→

L.A. felon charged with pimping and filming the sexual assault of a 15-year old girl

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

December 7, 2016

Case # 16WF1916

LOS ANGELES FELON CHARGED WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND PIMPING FOUR VICTIMS INCLUDING 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND FILMING SEXUAL ASSAULT OF 15-YEAR-OLD VICTIM

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – A Los Angeles felon is facing additional charges for human trafficking and pimping four victims, including a 13-year-old girl, and filming the sexual assault of a 15-year-old victim. James Dennis Lyle, 29, Walnut, was charged on Aug. 25, 2016, with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor, human trafficking, oral copulation of a minor under 16, sodomy of a person under the age of 16, unlawful sexual intercourse, pimping a minor, pandering a minor under 16 by procuring, pimping, and pandering, with a sentencing enhancement for human trafficking by force or fear. Lyle was additionally charged today with one felony count each of human trafficking a minor, pimping a minor, pandering a minor under 16 by procuring, pimping, pandering, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and possession and control of child pornography, with a sentencing enhancement for a prior strike conviction for second degree burglary in Los Angeles in 2012. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 56 years and four months in state prison. He is being held on $2 million bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Feb. 9, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-2, West Justice Center, Westminster.

Circumstances of the Case Continue reading→

Orange County Health Improvement Plan now available for public comment

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Plan to Improve Health of Orange County Community Available for Public Comment

On behalf of the Orange County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), the Orange County Health Care Agency announces the availability of the 2017-19 Orange County Health Improvement Plan for public review and comment at www.ochealthiertogether.org through December 16, 2016. Continue reading→

No. Cal. man heading to prison for pimping in Orange County and stun gun possession

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

December 6, 2016

Case # 16CF0030

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STRIKER SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CONSPIRING TO PIMP WOMAN AND POSSESSING STUN GUN

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Northern California man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for conspiring to pimp a woman and illegally possessing a stun gun in his vehicle. Binh Cong Thai, 29, San Jose, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2016, to one felony count of conspiracy to commit pimping and one misdemeanor of unlawful possession of a stun gun with a prior conviction, and admitted to a prior strike conviction for a 2013 armed robbery in Santa Clara County. He was sentenced to five years of formal probation and 12 years in state prison was suspended. Due to a probation violation, Thai will serve 12 years in state prison.

Circumstances of the Case Continue reading→

Why is the Rancho Santiago Community College District still playing footsie with the corrupt Saudis?

Posted on by Posted in Arabs, Arianna Barrios, Education, Orange County, Politics, Raúl Rodríguez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

You would think that the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Trustees might have learned something in November when one of them, Claudia Alvarez, almost lost her reelection campaign. But apparently they didn’t as the Rancho Santiago Community College Foundation’s Board of Directors is once more considering a ridiculous consultation contract in Saudia Arabia – a country that regularly mistreats women and minorities and even beheads their own citizens in public executions.

The Rancho Santiago Community College Foundation’s Board is going to be “reviewing and approving the contract with the Colleges of Excellence Company and Al-Khaleej Training and Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” according to their published agenda, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. You can review the contract here. Continue reading→

At risk O.C. youth will visit the Ford Company’s Irvine Design Center on Dec. 2

Posted on by Posted in irvine, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Date: November 30, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO: Ford Motor Company (Ford), RMD Group, Taco Bell, Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership and its partners including Buena Park Police Department, Fullerton Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, Orange County Probation Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department. Continue reading→

Suspect arrested in string of Orange County storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts

Posted on by Posted in Crime, irvine, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment
Stuff that Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin stole from storage units and mail boxes

Stuff that Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin stole from storage units and mail boxes

Irvine Police arrest suspect in storage-unit burglaries, seek possible victims of identity theft

Irvine, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2016) – The Irvine Police Department (IPD) has arrested Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin in connection with a string of storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts that have occurred from May through November of this year.

Arreguin and at least two other suspects are believed to have stolen mail from North Tustin, Newport Beach, Laguna Woods and Costa Mesa. The suspects are further accused of using other people’s identities to obtain storage units, then committing burglaries at those locations. The suspects have taken paperwork including bills, credit cards and more, and have attempted to open credit accounts using the stolen information. There have been more than 20 such storage-unit burglaries in Irvine, Santa Ana and possibly other cities. Continue reading→

Get a store coupon when you donate to the Habitat for Humanity’s O.C. ReStore holiday food drive

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Charities, Food, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

habitat-oc-christmas-food-drive

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s ReStore (Habitat OC ReStore) locations in Anaheim and Santa Ana are partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County for the seventh annual year. The Habitat OC ReStores will be drop-off locations for the holiday food drive from Saturday, November 19, to Friday, December 23. Those who participate will receive a Habitat OC ReStore discount coupon each time they donate a minimum of three cans or packages of nonperishable food items. The public is encouraged to participate each week to increase their savings at the Habitat OC ReStores and to help end hunger in Orange County.

The holiday food drive will be held Saturday, November 19, 2016 to Friday, December 23, 2016 at: Continue reading→

Pimp from Colorado sentenced for pandering a 17-year old girl in Orange County

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

November 18, 2016

Case # 16NF0951

COLORADO MAN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR PANDERING 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN ORANGE COUNTY

*Two co-defendants convicted of human trafficking, pimping, and pandering

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Colorado man was sentenced to three years in state prison today for pandering a 17-year-old girl in Orange County. Jovon Andrew Williams, 21, Denver, Colo., pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2016, to one felony count of pandering.

Co-defendant Jahsee Elan Brewster, 33, Denver, Colo., and Clifton Haralson, 34, Long Beach, were each found guilty by a jury on Nov. 16, 2016, of one felony count of human trafficking of a minor, one felony count of pimping a minor, one felony count of pandering by procuring, and one felony count of carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in public. The defendants face a maximum of 12 years and eight months in state prison at their sentencing on Dec. 16, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-36, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Thanksgiving travel tips from John Wayne Airport

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Thanksgiving Travel Tips From John Wayne Airport

Airports across the country are anticipating a record-setting year-end holiday travel season. The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the most heavily traveled holiday periods, and passengers traveling through John Wayne Airport (JWA) between Friday, November 18 and Monday, November 28 will experience higher-than-normal passenger traffic. JWA travelers can visit www.ocair.com for real-time flight status, parking availability, and road closures and construction activity near the Airport.

I can assure you that during this busy holiday season, visitors to John Wayne Airport will experience the same friendly staff, superior guest amenities, and safe and secure environment they rely upon. Wherever you are travelling to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the airport wishes you a safe and enjoyable trip. Continue reading→

L.A. man tried to pimp an O.C. teen on social media but she turned out to be a cop

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

November 17, 2016

Case # 15NF3354

LOS ANGELES MAN CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTING TO PIMP AND PANDER MINOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Los Angeles man was convicted and sentenced to three years in state prison today for attempting to pimp and pander an undercover police officer, whom he believed to be a minor, on a social media website. Michael Joseph Mata, 34, pleaded guilty to one felony count of attempted pimping of a minor and one felony count of pandering by procuring. Continue reading→