Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Santa Ana

Will the Santa Ana City Council extend the current 50 year-old trash contract by two more years?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Waste 1 Comment

Image result for waste management truck, santa ana

City council members on Tuesday, April 18, will consider a two-year extension on a trash collection contract with Waste Management of Orange County – it’s Santa Ana’s largest agreement and one that has only gone out to bid once in about 50 years, according to the O.C. Register.

Get this – the current contract, with USA Waste of California Inc., which does business as Waste Management of Orange County, expires on June 30, 2018, and the city staff report says we don’t have time to do a proper RFP (request for proposal). If the city knew the contract was going to come up for renewal in June why in the world did they not get going on an RFP sooner? Continue reading→

Community forum on Santa Ana City Council elections set for 4/26

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Connect-to-Council, along with NeighborWorks OC, is hosting a public forum on Santa Ana local elections, past, present and future, on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Delhi Center located at 505 E. Central Ave., in Santa Ana.

The technical aspects of the Santa Ana City Council’s political process will be presented by Maria Huizar, the Clerk of the Santa Ana City Council. Huizar will discuss the intriguing history of why we elect our local Santa Ana City Council representatives with a city-wide vote and she will also explain the term limit rules that Santa Ana currently has in place. Continue reading→

The Godinez H.S. Boy’s Soccer team will be honored on the MaxPreps Tour of Champions

Posted on by Posted in Education, Military, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Soccer, Sports Leave a comment

The Godinez High School boys’ varsity soccer team will be presented with the Army National Guard National Ranking Trophy as part of the 12th annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard. Godinez finished No. 3 in the final rankings and is one of 10 boys’ varsity soccer teams that are being honored on this season’s tour. The presentation will be made during a lunch assembly.

This event is set for Friday, April 21, 2017, at 12:15 p.m. at the Cafeteria at Godinez High School, located at 3002 Centennial Rd., in Santa Ana. Participating in the event will be Godinez H.S. Athletic Director- Greg Coombs, Varsity Soccer Head Coach- Ruben Fernandez, MaxPreps Regional Representative- Josh Canales, and California Army National Guard Representative- SGT Marisa Danya. Continue reading→

A man was shot dead in Santa Ana early this morning

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

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide 600 Block East Chestnut Ave.

Victim: Identification Pending Notification

On April 15, 2017 at approximately 2:10 a.m. the Santa Ana Police Department received reports of a man down on the sidewalk at 621 E. Chestnut Avenue.

Officers arrived and found a 19 year-old male victim of a gunshot wound. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Homicide Detectives were called to the scene and determined the case to be gang-related. Continue reading→

The SAPD is not sure how a man found on a street was injured

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

Police were investigating how an unidentified man became injured, after he was found on a Santa Ana street at around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night at  15th and Bush streets, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers responded to the scene after receiving a phone call about a possible hit-and-run traffic incident involving a pedestrian, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man who fled to Mexico found guilty of murdering his sister’s boyfriend

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0763

Date: April 14, 2017

MAN SENTENCED TO 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING-MURDER OF SISTER’S BOYFRIEND

*Defendant fled to Mexico and was extradited by authorities

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced today to 50 years to life in state prison for the shooting-murder of his sister’s boyfriend.

Defendant/Charges/Sentence:

Adan Rodriguez Leon, 34, Santa Ana. Found guilty by a jury on Feb. 9, 2017: Continue reading→

Santa Ana man wanted for sexual assault arrested in Mexico

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SUSPECT WANTED IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE IDENTIFIED AND APPREHENDED BY U.S. MARSHALS IN MEXICO

On 12/27/2016, at about 10:46 pm, an adult female was parking her vehicle near the 1600 Block of South Pacific Avenue in Santa Ana, when she was approached by a suspect. The suspect opened the driver’s side vehicle door, entered the vehicle and pulled down his pants, exposing himself to the victim.

The suspect forced himself on top of the victim and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim screamed and kicked violently, forcing the suspect off her and out of the vehicle. The suspect fled on foot west on Occidental Street. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Children’s Day and Book day event set for April 22

Posted on by Posted in Literature, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Santa Ana Public Library Presents the 9th Annual Children’s Day/Book Day | 9ª Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros

SANTA ANA, CA – On April 22, 2017, the Santa Ana Public Library, winner of the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Services, will celebrate Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day). The celebration, also known as Día, will take place at the Main Library from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will showcase a variety of fun-filled activities and services for children and their families.

Children’s Day began in 1925 and was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children. In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy, thus the creation of Día. Día annually celebrates children, families, and literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Continue reading→

Stand up for Veterans at Santa Ana Stadium on April 20

Posted on by Posted in Santa Ana, Veterans Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Event: Stand UP for Veterans – Veterans Helping Veterans

SANTA ANA – OneOC, in collaboration with the City of Santa Ana, the County of Orange, and various veterans organizations, will be hosting “Stand UP for Veterans”, an event that offers free services to veterans, at the Santa Ana Stadium on Thursday, April 20, 2017, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The “Stand UP for Veterans” program, originally inspired by the military term “Stand Down”, provides an opportunity for veterans to achieve a brief respite from the streets and immediately access needed services. Veterans will assemble in a base camp model that will include showers, meals, clothing, hygiene care kits, medical and legal advice, and veteran benefit information, employment services, in a safe and supportive environment including veteran peer navigators. Continue reading→

Raitt/Myrtle community outreach meeting set for April 17

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Neighborhood Associations, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Raitt/Myrtle Community Outreach Meeting / Junta de Enlace Comunitario Raitt/Myrtle

SANTA ANA, CA – Area residents and the general public are invited to participate in the upcoming Community Outreach Meeting on Monday, April 17, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at Southwest Senior Center – 2201 West McFadden Santa Ana, CA 92704. This meeting is being hosted by the City in an effort to inform the public of the procurement of the parcel in the area of Raitt and Myrtle to develop a community park. Continue reading→

Sarmiento’s illegal marijuana dispensary is now a neighborhood eyesore

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Daisy Sarmiento, Drugs, Marijuana, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 3 Comments

Daisyland Eviction Notice

Last year we reported how an illegal marijuana dispensary called the Sanctuary was operating on the property at 2531 S. Main St. The property and building are owned by Daisy Sarmiento who is the sister of City Council Member Vincent Sarmiento.

On April 4th, the OC Sheriff issued an eviction notice to the operator of the Sanctuary a person by the name of Irfan John Nazarzai who was formerly an Account Manager for Weedmaps. The Plantiff on the eviction is listed as Daisyland Corp. which Daisy Sarmiento is the owner of. A quick search on Facebook shows that Nazarzai and Daisy Sarmiento are friends.  Continue reading→

Three more shootings were reported in Santa Ana this week

Posted on by Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Gangs, Juan Villegas, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

An unidentified man was wounded Wednesday at around 3:45 p.m. in an apparent gang-related shooting that occurred in an alley at the 2100 block of West Myrtle St., according to the O.C. Register.

The shooting victim, a 19-year old Santa Ana man, was shot in his upper torso by a suspect who approached him and two other men as they were smoking marijuana in an alley. Continue reading→

Suspect in fatal shooting at the Casa Del Rey arrested

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – Detectives Investigating Homicide in the 200 Block of West Warner Avenue

UPDATE: On April 11, 2017 at approximately 12:08 a.m. Mauricio “Marty” Martinez was shot and killed. Santa Ana Homicide Detectives assumed the investigation and identified Augustin Ceja (19) as the suspect responsible for Martinez’ murder.

With the assistance of personnel from Santa Ana Police Department’s Special Investigations and Field Operations, Ceja was taken into custody without incident on April 11, 2017. At the time of Ceja’s arrest he was in possession of a loaded firearm. Continue reading→

A shooting was reported by Willard Intermediate School yesterday morning

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

At about 11:11 a.m., witnesses observed two males standing in the street at 1200 N. Ross Street and a verbal argument ensued. One of the subjects pulled out a gun and fired a round. Both subjects fled on foot immediately.

Willard Intermediate was put on lock-down. Continue reading→

A suspect was arrested while trying to burglarize a Santa Ana business early this morning

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

An unidentified man who was trying to break in and burglarize a business located at the 500 block of South Main Street, early this morning, ended up getting arrested instead, according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect smashed a glass door at the business so he could take cash from the register – but the suspect was not able to open the register. Continue reading→