Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: 87 year-old male drives vehicle into medical building
At 1018 AM, an 87 year-old male drove to the medical building at 999 North Tustin for an appointment. As he was pulling into a handicapped parking stall, he accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. The vehicle, a 4-door Lexus, went over the parking stop, down a small slope and collided into “Diamond Medical Office”, Suite 13. Continue reading
Sandra Pocha Peña Sarmiento
A civil war has broken out in Santa Ana’s Artists Village and it all started with a comment posted by Sandra “Pocha” Peña Sarmiento (yes she has a lot of names) over at the OC Weekly, under the pen name “Pocharte.” Here is the now infamous comment:
This is truly a sad development. Matt’s gallery was a much loved gathering place and his murals were beautiful expressions of our local artists’ vision. Now all this has gone the way of the gorgeous Caio Trattoria murals created by dozens of Artists Village tenants in the ’90’s & painted over by Chapter One when they moved in. All these exquisite moments are lost to us now…like tears in rain. Continue reading
Well it looks like Jack Jakosky, the owner of the Santora building who has made headlines recently for whitewashing a mural and evicting artists, is going to try to salvage his reputation by bringing in a bunch of musicians from Los Angeles.
Here is the press release issued by the Grand Central Art Center regarding this event: Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
Community Alert: Mayor and City Council React to Financial Forecast At Upcoming City Council Meeting
SANTA ANA, CA (February 3, 2014) – At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the Mayor and City Council will receive a mid-year update and revised financial forecast for their review and approval. The revised forecast reflects positive changes in our local economy. Major revenues such as sales and property tax are increasing at a higher rate than previously forecasted which will provide the City with additional funds to serve our community. General economic activity is increasing with general retail sales up 3.4%, building permits have increased by 3.8% and unemployment has now dropped to 8.5%. Continue reading
You want to know why Santa Ana is such a mess? We reported this week about a young man who dropped out of a good high school, Godinez Fundamental, and was shot dead at the age of 18, at 1 am. While he was not a gang member he was a drug runner, according to my son James who went to school with Jeffrey “Jay Jay” Enriquez, the shooting victim.
Enriquez had seven brothers and sisters. I can’t tell from his Facebook page if he had a dad around. In that he was just like a lot of kids in Santa Ana, which is Orange County’s youngest city – we have more kids under 18 than any other city in our County. Continue reading
Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. Who knew that the attempt by Irvine’s Newsong Church to buy the historic Downtown Santa Ana Santora Arts Building was something artists should have supported? At the time the artists flipped out. But now the screws are being put to them by Jack Jakosky, the wealthy Newport Beach resident and businessman who ended up buying the Santora. Jakosky has in just a few weeks whitewashed a mural and now he is beginning to evict the artists.
What about Newsong? Well when I saw that their pastor, Dave Gibbons, really wanted to minister in our city I put him in touch with my minister, Andy Quient, at Santa Ana’s historic First Baptist Church, which was headed for bankruptcy. Newsong ended up buying First Baptist and what a relief that has been! They quickly started remodeling, fixing the landscape and they upgraded the sound system. Good times are back at First Baptist! I think however, in retrospect, that they would have done the same thing at the Santora. And they would not have evicted the artists. Continue reading
Tonight’s Santa Ana Art Walk will be a bittersweet one. Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA) is still reeling from the brutal murder of Kim Pham outside of the now-closed down The Crosby. And the Memphis at the Santora has announced that they are closing down as well, to be replaced by a “High End Mexican Restaurant.” The darkest news is that Jack Jakosky, the owner of the Santora building, has begun to evict his artists, after whitewashing the Santora Mural.
Dark times indeed. But if you are venturing out to DTSA tonight, here is a rundown of what is happening: Continue reading
Westfield MainPlace will ring in the Year of the Horse with its first annual Lunar New Year celebration on Sunday, Feb. 2nd at 1 pm.
Join them for a complimentary event that includes a special Lion Dance that will travel through the mall, to usher in good luck and good fortune to all the shoppers and stores.
Center Court (in front of Nordstrom) will be decked out with colorful décor, and serve as center stage for the festivities. Additional activities include traditional dance performances for the New Year, and photo opportunities with the Lion. Special zodiac panels will also be on hand to discover your sign, and the unique traits that define it. Continue reading
Westwood isn’t what it used to be (Photo: Saul Gonzalez)
On Jan. 30, Karen Toshima was one of thousands of people who went to Westwood Village to have an enjoyable evening. Instead, she found death from a bullet fired by a member of a street gang. In her death, she joined the 60% of victims of gang murders who, like her, were innocent bystanders. Every person who was in Westwood Village on Jan. 30 can truthfully say, “But for the grace of God, it could have been me,” because Karen was not killed by a personal enemy. She was killed by our common enemy, a wantonly violent member of a street gang, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Toshima, a 27-year-old graphic designer, was celebrating a recent promotion with a night out in Westwood, according to the Daily Bruin.
That is exactly what Kim Pham was doing when she was stomped to death in Downtown Santa Ana, by a pack of vicious women and a few men too. Pham was waiting to get into a hipster nightclub, The Crosby, which has since announced that they are closing their doors. Continue reading
On 1/28/14, SAPD Communications received several calls of shots fired in the area of 600 E. Chestnut. Witnesses reported that a black over gray late 90’s or early 2000’s Lexus or possibly an Acura 4 door was shooting at a male adult bicyclist.
The victim in this case was being chased by the suspects for several blocks. The last part of the incident was captured on video surveillance. In the video you will see a male adult on a red bicycle traveling east on Myrtle Street and the black suspect vehicle following behind. The rear male passenger shoots at the male bicyclist and misses. The vehicle fled and was last seen traveling northbound on Halladay Street. Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Homicide Detectives make arrest in the death of Martha Rodezno
On Wednesday January 29, 2014 Santa Ana Police Department Homicide Detectives arrested Jaqwun Laerin Turner (33) of Hawthorne for CVC 20001 (a) (b) 2 Hit and Run with permanent injury or death. Authorities arrested Turner at his residence.
Detectives obtained evidence that showed the victim in the area of Avery and the I-5 getting into a Petroleum Tanker driven by suspect Turner. On 12-8-2013 at approximately 2:43 AM the tanker was observed by a witness to be traveling northbound I-5 at the 22 freeway when a person was ejected from the passenger side of the Tanker. The Tanker was observed by the witness to continue driving on the northbound I-5 without stopping . Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 904-7042, Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840
DUI Saturation Patrols Planned for Super Bowl Sunday
SANTA ANA, California (January 30, 2014) – As the Super Bowl approaches and football fans across the country prepare for the game, the National Football League (NFL) the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have joined forces with the Orange County “Avoid the 38” DUI Task Force to spread the message about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday, because – Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Reginald Durant, Executive Director, Back to Natives Restoration, (949) 509-4787
BACK TO NATIVES TO HOST NATIVE PLANT SALE AS DROUGHT SOLUTION
Local non-profit offers Native Plants as one solution to California’s record drought
SANTA ANA, Calif., January 30, 2014 – Back to Natives Restoration, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public charity, is hosting a native plant sale each Saturday in February from 9 AM to 12 PM. Native plants provide habitat for animals, and reduce the need for water and pesticides. Plant sales will raise funds for environmental education and habitat restoration programs. Continue reading
Contrary to reports that bystanders did nothing as a 23-year-old woman was fatally beaten outside a Santa Ana nightclub, an Orange County prosecutor said that as many as 15 people tried to come to the victim’s rescue, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation in this case,” OC Senior Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino said outside the courtroom Thursday. “There have been statements that this was a person who was beaten by four to five people while everyone stood around and did nothing except videotape — and that’s not accurate. There were plenty of people who got involved and tried to stop this altercation, plenty of people: security guards, friends of the victim, bystanders,” according to CBS. Continue reading
Orange County District Attorney Press Release
For Immediate Release, Case # 13CF0131: January 30, 2014
MAN FACES TRIAL FOR KILLING PEDESTRIAN IN HIT-AND-RUN CRASH
SANTA ANA – A man faces trial today for killing a pedestrian by crashing into the victim with his car and then fleeing the scene. Victor Manuel Arredondo Anaya, 28, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of hit and run causing death and one misdemeanor count each of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence and driving on a suspended license. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison. Opening statements are expected to begin this afternoon, Jan. 30, 2014, in Department C-38, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading