New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Santa Ana

New summertime weekend Metrolink service begins on July 5

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Metrolink, OCTA, Santa Ana, Transportation Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713; Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697

Summer Kicks Off with Added Metrolink Weekend Service, Chance to Win Prizes with New Promotion

91 Line will add two round trips on Saturdays and Sundays starting July 5; Seven Summer Treasures promotion runs through Sept. 1

ORANGE – Summer is upon us and the Orange County Transportation Authority and Metrolink are offering two reasons to hop aboard a Metrolink train this season with added service and a new promotion.

New weekend Metrolink service between Riverside, Orange County and Los Angeles begins July 5. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s 2014 free Fireworks show set for Friday, July 4

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Family, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The City of Santa Ana’s Parks and Recreation Agency is hosting their annual July 4th At Centennial Park on Fri, July 4, from 4:00 pm – 9:30 pm at 3000 W Edinger Ave, Centennial Park, in Santa Ana.

Enjoy family style fun and a spectacular fireworks show on Friday, July 4th at Centennial Park. The fireworks show will begin at 9pm. Bring a picnic basket or enjoy the various food vendors throughout the park. Admission is free and guests are encouraged to arrive early to find a spot in the park.

Continue reading→

Ward 2 Council candidate Velasquez to host a campaign fundraiser on 6/25

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Michele Martinez, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Mirna Velasquez, a candidate this year for Santa Ana’s City Council, in Ward 2, is hosting a campaign event on Wednesday, June 25, 2013, from 6 to 8 pm, at Original Mike’s, at 100 S. Main St., in Santa Ana.

Velasquez is challenging longtime Council incumbent Michele Martinez, who has admitted in the past to selling drugs when she was a teenager growing up in Santa Ana. Martinez ran for the 69th Assembly District in 2012, coming in almost last with just 16% of the vote, according to Smart Voter. Martinez spent over $200K for those results, according to the CA Secretary of State. Click here to see which special interests donated to her campaign.

Here is Mirna’s bio, from her website: Continue reading→

The World Cup celebration got out of hand on Bristol last night

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in mexico, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Soccer, Sports, Traffic 2 Comments

Picture from the Santa Ana CopWatch Facebook page

Santa Ana residents apparently got pretty riled up over Mexico’s World Cup victory against the Croatians. According to the Santa Ana CopWatch Facebook page at least 30 Santa Ana Police Department cars showed up at Bristol and McFadden and started closing up streets in reaction to the spontaneous victory celebration.

The fan reaction reportedly included marching up and down Bristol Street and cruising. The latter, in particular, is frowned upon by the SAPD. Continue reading→

Summer reading program for kids and tweens at the Santa Ana Library

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Literature, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 3 Comments

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community Alert: Santa Ana Public Library Announces Children, Tween, and Adult Summer Reading Programs

SANTA ANA, CA ( June 23, 2014) – The City of Santa Ana Public Library is committed to being an educational beacon in our local community, promoting literacy and providing a fun and safe gathering place for adults and families. Essential parts of this commitment are the library’s exciting reading based programs for children, tweens, and for the 4th consecutive year, adults.

One such activity is our 2014 Summer Reading Program, themed “Paws to Read.” This is an excellent way to promote reading and lifelong learning for people of all ages. For children and tweens, participation in a vacation reading program strengthens their reading literacy skills and helps prevent them from falling behind academically. For adults, their participation serves as a positive example to children and family members, testifying to the importance of reading. It also fosters and promotes each adult’s lifelong learning. Continue reading→

The OCDA imposes a new Santa Ana gang injunction without public comment

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Photo by Santa Ana CopWatch

The Orange County District Attorney’s office (OCDA) filed for a preliminary gang injunction on Santa Ana’s Townsend Neighborhood earlier this month and Santa Ana police served notices to those named in it just last week, according to the OC Weekly.

However Santa Ana Police Department Police Chief Carlos Rojas had promised at a meeting of the Santa Ana City Council’s Public Safety Committee that he would discuss any proposed gang injunctions with the affected community before taking any action. He clearly lied.

The boundaries of the new gang injunction’s “safety zone” are: West First Street, South Raitt Street, West McFadden Avenue and South Sullivan Street. Continue reading→

Fundraiser for SAUSD candidate Shuntele Andrews set for June 29

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Education, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Shuntele Andrews Leave a comment

Shuntele Andrews, a retired teacher who is running for the Santa Ana School Board this year, is holding a campaign Meet and Greet Fundraiser on Sunday, June 29, 2014, from 11 am to 1 pm, at 1721 N. Baker St., in Santa Ana. The event is hosted by Ben Vazquez, a Valley High School Teacher.

Attending the event will cost $50 per person or you can be a sponsor for $1,000 (Gold Sponsor), $500 (Silver Sponsor), or $250 (Bronze Sponsor). Continue reading→

Why isn’t Sarmiento running for Mayor instead of Reyna?

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 6 Comments

With the promise of a grass-roots campaign, Councilman Roman A. Reyna has announced he is running for mayor to unseat Miguel Pulido, who he said has grown out of touch with the city’s needs, according to the O.C. Register.

It is true that Pulido is a bit out of sorts nowadays. He has no allies on the Santa Ana City Council. The Council took away all of his appointments. And the Governor, his friend Jerry Brown, got rid of redevelopment, a tool Pulido used many times over the years to reshape the City.

But is Reyna really an improvement over Pulido? I don’t think so. He is running because he has two years left on his Council term, so he can lose the mayoral race and remain on the City Council. But so can Councilman Vince Sarmiento. So why isn’t Sarmiento running for Mayor instead? Continue reading→

Surprising drive by shooting, on Fairhaven, in front of Lake Park Mobile Homes

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 2 Comments

XXXXX XXXX, from the Young Square Neighborhood, took her dog out for a run on Saturday night, June 21, 2014, when she noticed that there was a male and female Hispanic couple in front of her. Little did XXXX know that the couple was soon going to come under fire in what turned out to be a horrifying drive-by shooting in normally tranquil north Santa Ana.

The man was walking his bicycle while his female companion walked next to him. XXXX was behind them, in front of the Lake Park Mobile Homes, closer to Linwood. They were about 50 feet ahead of her, heading toward Cambridge. All of a sudden a medium-sized dark car with several people in it approached from the other direction (westbound on Fairhaven). When the people in the car saw the couple they slowed down and made a U-Turn to pull up next to them and slowed way down. The guy with the bike raised his hand like he knew them and in response they immediately opened fire with what XXXX thought was a 9mm handgun. They shot off 5 rounds before their car pulled away. Continue reading→

The feds may drive Santa Ana’s Corinthian Colleges into insolvency

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Education, Federal Government, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Corinthian Colleges Inc., a vast education company, based in Santa Ana, that gets $1.4 billion a year in federal aid for 72,000 students – including thousands enrolled at its for-profit Everest, Heald and WyoTech colleges in California – said Thursday that it may be forced to shut down in the wake of a federal investigation, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Plagued by complaints that it had falsified student job placement rates, Corinthian Colleges Inc. disclosed Thursday that the Education Department had heightened its financial scrutiny of the company. And it warned that the sanctions may jeopardize cash flow crucial to keeping the company afloat, according to the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading→

Passenger dies in BMW crash at First and the 5 Fwy.

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Picture of a “Bryan Meza” from Rancho Santa Margarita, found on MySpace

On Saturday, June 21st, 2014 at 2:06 am, patrol officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle traffic collision at the intersection of 1st Street at the I-5 freeway. The first officer to arrive reported that the vehicle had two trapped/injured occupants and requested the assistance of OCFA and Medics, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

The vehicle involved was a black 2001 BMW 325i sport sedan. Firefighters were required to utilize heavy equipment to extricate the driver. The passenger of the BMW was pronounced dead at the scene by Medics. The Driver was transported to the Western Medical Center in critical condition. There was preliminary information that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Bryan Meza, 21, of Rancho Santa Margarita, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Orange County Coroner’s Office. Continue reading→

Drought severity increasing

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Santa Ana, Water Leave a comment

Drought Severity Increasing

By Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates

May was Water Awareness month, and as you probably noticed, water was in the news. Not because it was May, but because the severity of the California drought is increasing. Farmers are pumping more and more water from underground aquifers that can’t support the demand. Communities throughout the state are literally going dry.

So why is the message not as grim or dire in Southern California? It’s because we have invested in water storage, water use efficiency, and new supply sources; we have prepared for dry times like the present. However, a long, hot summer could put us into water allocations or even water rationing if we don’t do our best to be more water efficient now.

It is important to note there is a state mandate from the Governor to do the following: Continue reading→

Teen shot in broad daylight at 17th and King Street

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Witnesses told police that four males, who appeared to be in their teens, robbed and shot a 17-year old boy near 17th and King streets at about 11 a.m., said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department, according to the O.C. Register.

This is outrageous! That is a busy thoroughfare in north Santa Ana, right by the local U.S. Post Office and a convenience store. Alona Park, which includes a Pony Baseball League field, is just a few blocks north of this area. Continue reading→

Man arrested after shooting marbles at cops with a slingshot

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Hector Luis Perez

Santa Ana officers assaulted by man with Slingshot/marbles ODSD Airship “DUKE” locates suspect with in-flight video

Arrested: Hector Luis Perez (37) Santa Ana

On 6-19-04, at approximately 1045 PM, while patrol officers were conducting a felony car stop in the area of 1702 W. First Street, the suspect, who was not involved with the car stop, began slinging glass marbles at the officers with a slingshot. Continue reading→

DNA leads to conviction of Santa Ana man in cold case rape and murder

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Richard Stanley Sandoval

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 11ZF0125: June 20, 2014

MAN LINKED THROUGH DNA CONVICTED OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER OF 84-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN 1984 COLD CASE

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted yesterday of special circumstances murder of an 84-year-old apartment complex owner in a 1984 cold case. Richard Stanley Sandoval, 60, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of rape or attempted rape and faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing Aug. 8, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-36, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

In 1984, 84-year-old Margaret Lenney owned and lived in an Anaheim apartment complex on Winston Road. Sandoval, then 30 years old, was hired by the victim to paint the complex but did a poor job and was fired. He returned to the complex on several occasions to ask to borrow money from tenants. Continue reading→