New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Orange County

Measles continues to spread in Orange County

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2015

Contact: Deanne Thompson, dthompson@ochca.com, 714-834-2178

Measles Continues to Spread in Orange County

(Santa Ana) – Orange County now has sixteen confirmed cases of measles. Ten of the reported measles cases in Orange County, along with others throughout California and in other states, are connected to visiting Disneyland or Disneyland California Adventure Park in December. The source of the infection for the four most recent cases is not known; they were not exposed at Disneyland and had no known contact to any of the confirmed Disney-associated cases.

The identification of four measles cases with acquisition from unknown community contacts indicates exposure to measles is more widespread throughout the county. The Health Care Agency expects that the measles outbreak will continue to spread, so all should be aware of the signs and symptoms of measles. Health officials remind the public that the best way to prevent the measles is by getting vaccinated. Continue reading→

Orange County reports first influenza related death

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2015

Contact: Deanne Thompson, dthompson@ochca.com, 714-834-2178

Orange County Reports First Influenza Related Death

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has confirmed our county’s first influenza related death in a person under 65 this year. The Public Health laboratory confirmed that the 48 year-old woman, who had preexisting health conditions, was infected with the influenza A virus.

“This is a sad and somber reminder of the serious threat posed by influenza,” County Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler said. “It is important for everyone to continue practicing good respiratory and hand hygiene to limit the transmission of influenza germs from person to person, and to get vaccinated.” Continue reading→

Spitzer to Chair and Bartlett to Vice Chair the O.C. Board of Supervisors

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Orange County, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

Supervisor Spitzer Will Serve as Board Chairman for 2015

(Santa Ana, CA) — Supervisor Todd Spitzer has been chosen unanimously by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for 2015. Supervisor Lisa

Bartlett will serve as the Board’s vice chair.

This is Supervisor Spitzer’s second round on the Board, having served from 1997 to 2002, when he was elected to the State Assembly. He thanked his colleagues for supporting his chairmanship: “I’m grateful for the respect and confidence that my colleagues showed in me by selecting me as Chair.” Continue reading→

Man raped a teen relative then tried to have her kidnapped and sent to Mexico

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Orange County 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

January 14, 2015

Case # 12HF2453

MAN CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING TEEN RELATIVE AND SOLICITING HER KIDNAPPING TO PREVENT HER FROM TESTIFYING

FULLERTON – A man was convicted today of sexually assaulting a teenage relative and soliciting her kidnapping to prevent her from testifying against him at trial. Jesus Acosta-Inchaorrondo, 61, Laguna Hills, pleaded guilty to a court offer of one felony count each of forcible rape, sodomy by force, solicitation to commit kidnap, dissuading a witness by force or threat, and one misdemeanor count of violating a protective order, with a sentencing enhancement for crime-bail-crime. The People objected to the offer which stipulates that the defendant could only receive a sentence of up to 18 years in state prison. The court determined that if the defendant deserved a higher sentence at his sentencing, Acosta-Inchaorrondo would be able to withdraw his guilty plea and elect to have a jury trial. Acosta-Inchaorrondo faces a maximum sentence of 32 years and eight months in state prison at his sentencing March 20, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. in Department N-13, North Justice Center, Fullerton.

On Aug. 23, 2012, Acosta-Inchaorrondo took his teenage relative, Jane Doe, to a hotel in Costa Mesa where he booked a room for the evening. While in the hotel room, the defendant physically assaulted the victim. ripped off her clothes, and forcibly raped her. He verbally threatened the victim and then forcibly sodomized her. Continue reading→

OCDA seeks additional victims of Irvine-based company that sold bogus chips

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 00753194

Date: January 9,2015

OCDA SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF COMPANY ACCUSED OF MAKING MILLIONS SELLING BOGUS PRODUCT NATIONWIDE

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of an Irvine-based Internet sales company accused of selling a bogus car performance chip nationwide. In a civil consumer prosecution filed by the OCDA, GFORCE CHIPS (GFORCE) is accused of committing unlawful business practices and engaging in false advertising by selling a sham product marketed as a legitimate after-market car performance chip. The case was assigned yesterday, Jan. 8, 2015, for all purposes to Department C-16, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

GFORCE is owned and operated by 31-year-old Ravi Ghataode. Continue reading→

Suspected DUI driver crashes during pursuit by Sheriff’s Deputies

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, irvine, Orange County Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org

Suspected DUI Driver Crashes During Pursuit by Deputies

LAKE FOREST, Calif. – (January 10, 2015) – On Friday, January 9, 2015 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Orange County Sheriff’s deputies initiated a pursuit of a 2002 Ford Explorer in the area of Toledo Way and Serrano Road. The driver of the vehicle was suspected by deputies of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Deputies pursued the vehicle for approximately (5) minutes through the cities of Lake Forest, Irvine and Mission Viejo. The pursuit terminated on southbound Trabuco Road near Carlota Road, Mission Viejo, when the vehicle was unable to negotiate a curve in the road and collided with an embankment.

As a result of the collision, the 18 year-old female driver was ejected from the vehicle and suffered life-threatening injuries. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she remains in grave condition. A 20-year old male passenger in the vehicle sustained moderate injuries and remains hospitalized; an 18 year-old female passenger in the vehicle sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from an area hospital. Continue reading→

Eight measles cases confirmed in Orange County

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

For Immediate Release: January 9, 2015

Contact: Nicole Stanfield nstanfield@ochca.com, 714-834-2178

Eight Confirmed Measles Cases in Orange County

MMR Vaccination Recommended Due to Potential Public Exposure

(Santa Ana) – Orange County has eight confirmed cases of measles, in conjunction with the outbreak recently reported affecting multiple counties in California and Utah. The Orange County Health Care Agency expects that the measles outbreak will continue to spread, and reminds the public that the best way to prevent the measles is by getting vaccinated.

The most recent cases spent time in public locations in Orange County while contagious, increasing the possibility that Orange County residents may be exposed to measles. For a current list of potential exposure locations and times, please visit the Health Care Agency website at www.ochealthinfo.com/measles. The website will be updated as additional exposure locations are identified. Continue reading→

Potential public exposure to measles in Orange

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange, Orange County Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: January 8, 2014

Contact: nstanfield@ochca.com or (714) 834-2178

Potential Public Exposure to Measles

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has confirmed three cases of measles in Orange County in the last week, in conjunction with the outbreak recently reported affecting multiple counties in California and Utah. These cases raise the possibility that Orange County residents may be exposed to measles since the patients visited public locations while infectious.

The Health Care Agency has been working with the facilities listed below to contact people who may have been exposed to these cases and who are at increased risk of severe illness. The risk of developing infection after brief encounters with persons with measles is low, but as a precaution, people who were in the below locations around the same time as the individuals with measles should: Continue reading→

Public safety unions line up behind Correa for the First District

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT UNITES BEHIND CORREA FOR SUPERVISOR FOR JANUARY 27th SPECIAL ELECTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2015

CONTACT: Matt Reilly, (916) 201-9636

SANTA ANA, CA—Senator Lou Correa today announced endorsements from Orange County’s law enforcement leaders and public safety groups including Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackaukus, Orange County Cops (OC Cops), the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, the Fountain Valley Police Officers Association, Garden Grove Police Officers Association and Santa Ana Police Officers Association. OC Cops is the umbrella organization for 16 local law enforcement agencies.

“Senator Lou Correa’s law enforcement record is impeccable,” said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. ”He strengthened laws aimed at stopping sexual predators, fought against criminals gaining early release, and delivered needed funds for deputies to patrol our communities here in Orange County.” Continue reading→

Unless Lou Correa starts attacking Andrew Do, he is going to lose big on 1/27

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Jose Solorio, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Do is kissing up to those old, white voters…

I hate to say this but after seeing two of Lou Correa’s First District campaign mailers I am convinced that he is going to lose. He is running the same tepid campaign that helped Jose Solorio get his butt kicked in the November General Election, by Janet Nguyen, over in the race for the 34th State Senate District.

Why isn’t Correa attacking Andrew Do – Nguyen’s former Chief of Staff? While Correa is blowing hundreds of thousands sending “nice” mailers replete with pictures of him painting over graffiti, Do is busy working the Viet community – and Do’s mailers are clearly geared to the old, white Republican voters who still matter in the First District.

Correa’s campaign seems to be entirely focused on Latino voters – just like Solorio’s was. They didn’t vote last year in either the Primary or the General Election. Why would they vote in a Special Election in January? They are not going to! And no amount of pandering by Correa to the Viet voters is going to convince any of them not to vote for Do! They vote for their own, period! Continue reading→

Andrew Do blew off the First District Candidates Forum in Santa Ana

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Chris Phan, Chuyen Van Nguyen, Democratic Party, Lou Correa, Lupe Moreno, Mark I. Lopez, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Predictably Andrew Do blew off the First District candidates forum that was held in Santa Ana yesterday. Why would he want to put himself in a position to have to explain why he quit the Garden Grove City Council in 2011 or answer the questions about whether or not he actually lived in Garden Grove at that time?

The rest of the candidates showed up including Lou Correa, Chuyen Van Nguyen, Chris Phan, Lupe Moreno and a write-in candidate, Mark I. Lopez.

Here are a few highlights from the forum courtesy of the OC Political Blog: Continue reading→

First District candidates are looking for volunteers to help their campaigns

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Chris Phan, Chuyen Van Nguyen, Democratic Party, Garden Grove, Lou Correa, Lupe Moreno, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

There are several local candidates running for the First District of the Orange County Board of Supervisors – and several of them are looking for volunteers to help them as the special election is coming up very quickly, on Jan. 27, 2015.

If you would like to help former State Senator Lou Correa, a Democrat who lives in Santa Ana, contact Alex Flores at 714-474-8768 aflores18@gmail.com.
If you are interested in helping Garden Grove Councilman Chris Phan, a Republican, contact George Brietigam at gbrietigam@gmail.com.
If you want to help Andrew Do, a Republican who quit the Garden Grove City Council a few years ago, click here.

Continue reading→

Mandatory wood-burning ban in effect today for residents of the South Coast Air Basin

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Air Quality, Environment, Fires, Orange County, Santa Ana 8 Comments

NO-BURN ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT TODAY FOR RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH COAST AIR BASIN

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Today, Saturday January 3

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Saturday, January 3, 2015, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited from midnight tonight through midnight on Saturday night. No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area. The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Continue reading→

Has First District candidate Andrew Do hooked up with Brian Probolsky?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Brian Probolsky, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party Leave a comment

By the OC Politics Blog

I am hearing that Orange County administrator Brian Probolsky has taken a one month leave of absence from his job at the O.C. Community Resources (after being on loan for awhile to Pat Bates, who like Janet Nguyen has left the O.C. Board of Supervisors) to help the campaign of Andrew Do, the former Chief of Staff to Nguyen. I am told that Do will retain Probolsky as his Chief of Staff if the First District Special Election goes his way.

Probolsky, moved to a position that was created for him, as Business Practices Manager at OC Community Resources, after working as a Bates staffer, in February of 2013. His new job came with an 81 percent raise, from $31 an hour to $56 an hour, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

O.C. Auditor-Controller releases the CAFR and OC Citizens’ Report

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Jan Grimes, OC Auditor-Controller, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: December 30, 2014

For further information contact: Jan Grimes, 714.834.2457

Orange County Auditor-Controller Jan Grimes Releases the CAFR and OC Citizens’ Report

(Santa Ana, CA) Dec. 30, 2014 – The Orange County Auditor-Controller Department released the Annual OC Citizens’ Report today, also called the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). This report presents financial highlights for the County of Orange, California for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 and provides the general public a summary of the information contained in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

“The OC Citizens’ Report is designed to be easily understood by non-accountants and helps provide the transparency in government that the public deserves,” says Auditor-Controller Jan Grimes. Continue reading→