New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Auto Theft

Four auto theft suspects were arrested in Santa Ana early this morning after a police pursuit

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, automobiles, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Officers Arrest Four In Stolen Vehicle Pursuit – Possession Of Firearms

On Tuesday, 04/11/2017, at approximately 12:05 a.m., SAPD police officers were in the area of McFadden and Newhope when they attempted to stop a gray Toyota with no plates for vehicle code violations. The vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit terminated when the suspect vehicle crashed into the rear bedroom of a residence at Newhope and Holly in the city of Fountain Valley. Three suspects were immediately taken into custody and a fourth suspect fled on foot. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman facing felony charges after crashing a stolen car into a police cruiser

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Juan Villegas, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SAPD police officers tried to pull over 21-year old Daisy Oropeza on Tuesday during a routine traffic stop at the 500 block of S. Sullivan Street however she refused to obey them, taking off instead and leading the police on a 25-minute chase that finally ended at a cul-de-sac, according to The Patch.

Then Oropeza doubled down on her ridiculous and unlawful behavior after she was cornered by two SAPD police officers, crashing the stolen 1992 Honda Accord she was driving into the police car. Continue reading→

The SAPD has identified the auto theft suspect who escaped from them in Laguna Woods

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Requesting Public and Media Assistance In Locating Wanted Suspect For GTA And Felony Evading.

Wanted Suspect: Maurice Alexander Topps (42) Laguna Woods, Male Black, 6-0-medium build, bald, dark complexion.

Summary: On 9-15-2016 at approximately 4:00PM, an officer observed a vehicle driving erratically in the area of the 55 freeway and Macarthur Blvd. The Officer ran the license plate which returned to a stolen vehicle out of the City of Orange. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle and a pursuit ensued. Continue reading→

Suspect stole a car in Newport Beach then was caught after fleeing from the SAPD

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Newport Beach, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A car reported stolen in Newport Beach turned up in Santa Ana this Saturday evening. SAPD police tried to pull over the suspected car thief at at 8:55 p.m. at Grand Avenue and 1st Street, but as is usually the case in these incidents the suspect sped off, according to the O.C. Register.

Police ended up pursuing the suspect for five miles and were assisted by the O.C. Sheriff’s helicopter. Continue reading→

Suspected car thief arrested after a police pursuit that started near Fairview and Trask

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Angelica Amezcua, Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Police arrested an unknown man after chasing a stolen vehicle through the city on Saturday afternoon, according to the O.C. Register.

The Santa Ana Police Department received a call from the car’s owner at 3:53 p.m. today. The owner had spotted a suspect driving his stolen car near Fairview Street and Trask Avenue, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Suspected car thief led the police on a wild chase from Santa Ana to Laguna Hills today

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, irvine, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

A police pursuit of a car reported stolen started this afternoon in Santa Ana and finally ended in Laguna Hills, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident began before 4 p.m. in Santa Ana when the driver of the suspected stolen SUV fled from the SAPD. The chase continued through the cities of Irvine and Tustin, and involved at times both the 5 and the 405 Freeways. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man who tried to cash a fake check got away after his friends crashed a stolen car

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The SAPD are hunting for a male suspect in his mid-20’s who took off after trying to cash a fake check yesterday, at a business located in the 1200 block of West Warner Ave., according to the O.C. Register.

The SAPD received a call about the suspect at about 5:54 p.m. Before the police arrived the suspect left the unidentified place of business and fled in a vehicle where a male driver and a female passenger were waiting. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man arrested in Irvine after a stolen vehicle pursuit

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, irvine, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Irvine Police Department Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PRESS RELEASE #06-08-2016

Subject: Man Arrested Following Vehicle Pursuit

Contact : Farrah Emami, Public Information Officer, 949-724-7112, femami@cityofirvine.org

Irvine, CA – The Irvine Police Department (IPD) has arrested a man following a vehicle pursuit. The suspect is identified as Carl Gonzalez, 33, of Santa Ana. He was arrested on charges including evading a police officer, obstructing/resisting a peace officer, hit and run causing property damage, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was on parole.

At approximately 3:30 a.m. today, June 8, 2016, an Irvine Police officer attempted a vehicle stop in the area of Harvard Avenue and Warner Avenue. The driver of the vehicle failed to yield and the officer initiated a short pursuit. Continue reading→

Police pursuit of a stolen car ran through Santa Ana and ended in Irvine

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, irvine, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A female driver and her male passenger led police on a wild chase as they drove a stolen vehicle through Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Tustin, eventually ending in Irvine this afternoon when the couple were arrested, according to the O.C. Register.

The police pursuit began in Garden Grove and the SAPD took over at around 3:20 p.m. when the stolen vehicle entered Santa Ana’s city limits.

When the police ran the license plate of the stolen 2004 Toyota Camry they found it was registered out of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Car thieves arrested while hiding at the Smart and Final store on Bristol and Edinger

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A reader told us yesterday that there were a lot of SAPD police cars and a police helicopter near the Smart & Final store, located at 1308 W. Edinger Ave. Now we know why.

Fernando Ceja, a 32-year-old wanted parolee with a long history of crime, and his girlfriend, Martha Carraco, 24, both of Santa Ana, were arrested yesterday and charged with stealing a pickup truck and then trying to hide in the unfortunate Smart & Final store, according to the O.C. Register.

This mess started at 12:30 p.m. yesterday when a man left his Toyota Tundra running, outside his home at the 2600 block of South Baker Street, next to Coastal Communities Hospital, while he went inside his home. Continue reading→

LoJack device leads police to a stolen Honda Accord at the MainPlace Mall

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A car thief took a gold 1996 Honda Accord today at around 2:45 p.m., from the Target parking lot at the 3300 block of South Bristol St., according to the O.C. Register.

Ordinarily the thief would have probably gotten away with it but not this time. He took a car that was equipped with a LoJack device.

SAPD police officers were able to track the stolen Accord, by following signals emitted by the car’s LoJack device. The signals led them to a parking lot at the Westfield MainPlace Mall. Continue reading→

Man leads police on high speed chase through three cities then crashes in Garden Grove

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

What a way to start the week! A man who is suspected of assault with a deadly weapon was reported to be inside of a stolen car at 6:30 a.m. near Bristol Street and Edinger in Santa Ana, but when the SAPD showed up he took off, according to the O.C. Register.

The SAPD reported that the man was driving a green Honda Accord that was also involved in a felony assault with a deadly weapon incident. No further details about the auto theft were made available by the SAPD.

The police pursued the suspect at speeds of up to 90 mph, driving through the cities of Santa Ana, Fountain Valley and Garden Grove. Continue reading→

Armed Santa Ana auto theft suspect caught with the help of a County helicopter

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: OCSD Airship “Duke” Assists SAPD Locate Armed Auto Theft Suspect After Pursuit

On Thursday 9-10-15 at midnight, an officer was patrolling the area of 500 S. Oak Street when he observed a suspicious vehicle occupied by a lone male occupant. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle for traffic violations but the driver failed to yield and led officers on a pursuit. During the pursuit, suspect Jeffery Zavala tossed a handgun out of the vehicle.

The pursuit ended in the city of Tustin when the driver fled on foot to a nearby school. The officer chased Zavala and used his Taser but it was ineffective. Zavala temporarily eluded capture until Orange County Sheriff’s Air Support “DUKE” observed him inside a nearby apartment complex. Officers established a perimeter and ordered Zavala to surrender. When he refused, the K9 was deployed and the suspect was taken into custody. The weapon Zavala tossed out of the vehicle during the pursuit was located and recovered by assisting officers.

Continue reading→