New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Santa Ana

Santa Ana public community budget meetings announced

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Community Meetings on City Budget – Presentaciónes para la Comunidad sobre el Presupesto de la Ciudad

The community is invited to participate in the upcoming Community Budget Meetings:

• Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at the Santa Ana Bowling Club
(2615 Valencia St.) at 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at Madison Elementary School
(1124 E. Hobart St.) at 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 12, 2018 at Adams Elementary School
(2130 S. Raitt St.) at 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday. April 26, 2108 at the Santa Ana Police Dept.
Community Room (60 Civic Center Plaza) at 7:00 p.m. Continue reading→

What we learned during this weekend’s homeless count in Santa Ana

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Juan Villegas, Santa Ana 1 Comment

https://www.facebook.com/CouncilwomanMartinez/videos/10155785763632772/

IMPORTANT statistics regarding the homeless count over the weekend

By: Santa Ana City Councilman Juan Villegas

Citywide Key Findings:

Total Unsheltered Count: 1,030 people.
564 Additional Homeless in Santa Ana since the January 2017 PIT (466 people)
81.8% are chronically homeless (one year or more)
52% reported their last permanent residence was outside the City of Santa Ana
Compared to the last PIT Count, we have more unsheltered women

Continue reading→

New count confirms that Santa Ana’s homeless population has doubled since Jan., 2017

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in homeless, Santa Ana 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: New Santa Ana Homeless Count Confirms Homeless Population Has More Than Doubled Since January 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 3, 2018

Media Contact: Jorge Garcia, Assistant to the City Manager, (714) 586-6321

SANTA ANA, CA – Over the weekend, the City of Santa Ana conducted a Point-In-Time (PIT) homeless count as part of its efforts to collect accurate data regarding the City’s increasingly dire homelessness situation. After comparing the January 28, 2017 PIT Count to the results of the March 31, 2018 PIT Count, the City has concluded that the unsheltered homeless population in Santa Ana has more than doubled in a little over one year from 466 to at least 1,030 people. Additionally, there are 587 sheltered homeless in the City, for a total estimated homeless population of 1,617. Continue reading→

Man busted by the SAPD charged with trying to purchase a 4-year-old girl for sex

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Nicolas Ryan Castillo

Case # 18CF0877

Date: April 2, 2018

MAN CHARGED WITH SOLICITING ANOTHER TO COMMIT RAPE AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PURCHASE 4-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR SEX THROUGH AN ONLINE ESCORT

*The investigation in this case is ongoing

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged today with soliciting another to commit rape after attempting to purchase a 4-year-old girl for sex through an online escort.

Defendant: Nicolas Ryan Castillo, 29, Yorba Linda

Charged on April 2, 2018, with the following felony count: Continue reading→

The homeless squatters are finally getting cleared out of the Santa Ana Civic Center

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Santa Ana Works with County to Connect O.C. Civic Center Homeless Population with Emergency Shelters and Services

Today, the Orange County Health Care Agency, City of Santa Ana, CityNet began a joint, enhanced effort to connect the homeless population within the Orange County Civic Center’s “Plaza of the Flags” to emergency shelters and services. The planned joint effort will enforce a U.S. District Court ordinance to prohibit overnight camping within the Civic Center campus, starting on April 2. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana wants your help to count the homeless on Saturday at 4 a.m.

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Santa Ana 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Homeless Count Volunteer Opportunity Tomorrow: Are you an early riser?

The City of Santa Ana is executing a Point-in-Time Count of the homeless population across the City of Santa Ana tomorrow morning. As you know, the City it working to address homelessness both here and across the County. A count of the homeless in our community is a part of that effort. Continue reading→

This week’s Cochino List includes El Moctezuma Restaurant in Santa Ana

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Food, Food & Health, OC Health Care, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The OC Health Care Agency has released a list of the eateries they inspected and shut down for the week of March 23-30. Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

El Moctezuma Restaurant, 809 N. Fairview St., Santa Ana; rodent infestation; closed March 28, reopened March 29.
AnQi Gourmet Bristo, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; cockroach infestation; closed March 28, reopened March 29.

Continue reading→

Former SAPD Police Chief Raymond C. Davis has passed away

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

From: SAPD Police Chief David Valentin

Subject: Passing of Retired SAPD CHIEF RAY DAVIS #246

It is with sadness that I share with everyone the passing today of Retired Chief of Police Raymond C. Davis.
Chief Davis retired from the Santa Ana Police Department in 1987 (1973-1987). Chief Davis was an exceptional leader and pioneer in community policing strategies, when this philosophy was in its infancy in the 1970’s. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council voted to consider suing the County regarding the homeless problem

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Santa Ana to Evaluate Legal Options to Address Countywide Homeless Inaction

City Council Strikes Back for Shared Responsibility

SANTA ANA, CA – The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously (6-0-1) to seek legal options for the City to motivate the entire Orange County community to take action on homelessness. The City Attorney is to return back to the Council on Tuesday, April 3rd with legal options to sue the County of Orange to force additional action to spread the responsibility of homeless solutions across the county. The action comes in response to the County Board of Supervisors’ March 27 vote to rescind a prior decision to create three temporary homeless shelters throughout Orange County. Continue reading→

Imagine if every church in Orange County took in a few homeless people…

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Churches and Religion, homeless, Santa Ana 3 Comments

I wonder how many of those Irvine residents that showed up at the O.C. Board of Supervisors meeting this week to complain about the homeless will be at church this Easter Sunday praising Jesus – who pretty much asked his followers to take care of the poor?

It is one of the dichotomies of conservative Christian Orange County. There are churches all over the place but they minister, for the most part, to the well-off and mostly ignore the downtrodden. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council to discuss the homeless crisis at a special meeting on Friday

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Santa Ana City Council is conducting a special City Council meeting this Friday, March 30, 2018, at 9 a.m., at their Council chambers, located at 22 Civic Center Plaza.

The first half of this meeting is a closed session during which time the City Council will talk about their plans to illegally place a ballot measure on the June Primary ballot so they can extend their term limits.

The second half of the meeting gets more interesting. They are going to allow the public to comment as the City Council considers what they are calling a Short Term Homeless Plan. Continue reading→

The SAPD will crack down on Easter cruising again this Sunday

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP ANTI-EASTER CRUISER ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a large scale anti-cruiser enforcement operation on April 1st, Easter Sunday. It will begin at 6:00 PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:00AM.

In years past, the City of Santa Ana has contended with large crowds, congested roadways, criminal activity, and quality of life issues that affect our residents, businesses and visitors. Road closures, lane restrictions and extra patrol officers will help the Santa Ana Police Department crack down on the annual tradition of cars cruising streets on Easter Sunday. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana has updated its Down Payment Assistance Home Loan Program

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Civic Affairs, Real Estate, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: City Of Santa Ana Down Payment Assistance Loan Program/ Préstamo de Asistencia Para Pago Inicial de Casa

The City of Santa Ana is pleased to announce an update to the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program that provides special financing to purchase your first home. The Program offers zero percent, deferred payment loans of up to $80,000 for Low Income Households and up to $40,000 for Moderate Income Households. In addition, the new “Returning Student Incentive” offers $10,000 in loan forgiveness every five years up to $40,000 maximum loan forgiveness to 4-year college graduates who graduated from a high school located in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrested an Anaheim man suspected of trying to arrange sex with a little girl

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

A man named Nicolas Castillo, 29, was arrested at his fiancé’s home, near a home on the 2200 block of Woodley Avenue in Anaheim, by the SAPD today, after an informant told police officials that Castillo was looking to have sex with any 4-year-old, according to KTLA.

Santa Ana police and FBI officials served search warrants at the Woodley Avenue home, and another home in Yorba Linda that is also associated with Castillo and is across the street from Bryant Ranch Elementary School, according to ABC. Continue reading→

Find out how broke Santa Ana is at a community budget meeting on March 29

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: Community Meeting on City Budget / Presentación Comunitaria Sobre el Presupesto de la Ciudad

The community is invited to participate in the upcoming Community Meeting on the City’s Budget on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (22 Civic Center Plaza). This meeting is being held in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance, which implements additional measures aimed at making city government more transparent.

Topics to be covered include: Continue reading→