New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Crime

Elderly man viciously attacked by two teenagers near Santa Ana’s East End in DTSA

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

What is Santa Ana coming to? The increase in violence reached a new low on Wednesday night as two teenagers pummeled a 73-year-old man in the face and robbed him at around 7:40 pm as the man was standing on a sidewalk at the 400 block of North Minter Street, near E. 4th Street, which is on the periphery of the hipster part of Santa Ana called the East End, according to the O.C. Register.

The creepy teens approached the elderly man and engaged him in conversation, according to the SAPD, before one of them punched him in the face and ripped a gold chain off his neck. Nothing else was taken except perhaps for the man’s dignity. Continue reading→

Former church volunteer convicted of molesting six boys and distributing porn

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Churches and Religion, Costa Mesa, Courts, Crime, Newport Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12HF3538

Date: July 1, 2015

FORMER VOLUNTEER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER CONVICTED OF MOLESTING SIX MINOR BOYS AND POSSESSING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

SANTA ANA – A former volunteer Sunday school teacher was convicted today of molesting six minor boys and possessing and distributing child pornography. Christopher Bryan McKenzie Sr., 51, Costa Mesa, was found guilty by a jury of 10 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old, one felony count of attempted lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old, four felony counts of using a minor for sex acts, two felony count of attempting to use a minor for sex acts, two felony counts of distributing pornography to a minor, and one felony count of possession of child pornography with sentencing enhancements for substantial sexual conduct with a child and committing lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old against more than one victim. McKenzie faces a maximum sentence of 160 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Sept. 4, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crimes McKenzie worked as a swimming pool cleaner. The defendant was a volunteer Sunday school teacher at Christ Church by the Sea in Newport Beach between 2004 and 2006 and at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa. Continue reading→

Man charged with pimping and pandering a teen in Santa Ana

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF1428

Date: June 30, 2015

MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR PIMPING AND PANDERING TEEN

SANTA ANA – A man is scheduled to be arraigned today for pimping and pandering a teenager. Rosharn Deon Matta, Los Angeles, 40, is charged with one felony count of pimping and one felony count of pandering. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. Matta is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Two armed robberies and a home burglary happened in Santa Ana today

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

It was a hot and muggy day today in Santa Ana – and the criminals were more active than usual. A man robbed another man at gunpoint this morning at the Chevron located at 3301 South Bristol St., which is just west of Saddleback High School, and another robber robbed a 7-Eleven store at 1700 East Dyer, after brandishing a knife, according to the O.C. Register.

The robber at the Chevron gas station made off with an unknown amount of cash but he was eventually arrested. The robber at the 7-Eleven got away with an unknown amount of money. Continue reading→

Man shot in the leg near Saddleback High School

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana 1 Comment

A man was shot at several times today at round 3:05 pm, near the intersection of Central and Rosewood avenues, in Santa Ana. One of the bullets struck him in one of his legs, according to the SAPD, as reported by the O.C. Register.

Witnesses were not sure if the man who shot the victim was on foot or if he fled in a vehicle. Continue reading→

The SAPD has seized over 3,000 pounds of illegal fireworks

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Special Enforcement Team conducted several investigations regarding illegal fireworks sales – 3,000+ lbs. seized

On Thursday June 25, 2015 the SAPD Special Enforcement Team-conducted several follow-up investigations regarding illegal fireworks sales throughout the city. The investigations discovered the storage of in excess of 3,000+lbs of illegal fireworks at three different locations. The fireworks were seized and will be transported to the OCSD Bomb Detectives for proper disposal at a later time. There were three suspects arrested, issued citations and released at the scenes. The suspects were charged with violating SAMC 14-53 Dangerous Fireworks Prohibited. Continue reading→

Man found dead in the lake at Centennial Park identified as Modesto Tapia-Clara

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 14 Comments

Picture c/o Isabel Quiroz

The dead man whose body was found floating in the lake at Santa Ana’s Centennial Park has been identified as 31-year-old Modesto Tapia-Clara of Huntington Beach, according to the O.C. Register.

Tapia-Clara’s body was found floating in the lake on Wednesday morning, by a city worker. SAPD detectives still don’t know how he met his end or why his body was in the water. Apparently there are no signs of foul play or trauma on the body.

The Orange County Coroner’s office will be performing an autopsy on the body this Friday to try to determine the official cause of death. Continue reading→

Five pro immigrant LGBT protestors to be charged for blocking DTSA streets

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, immigration, LGBT, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Photo Courtesy of the Not1More Facebook Page

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CM07231

Date: June 25, 2015

FIVE PROTESTORS TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR DELAYING POLICE OFFICERS AND OBSTRUCTING SANTA ANA STREET BY CHAINING THEMSELVES TOGETHER

SANTA ANA – Five protesters are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for delaying police officers and obstructing a Santa Ana street by chaining themselves together. Mariela Martinez, 23, Los Angeles, Jorge Hernandez, 25, Oakland, Sandra Paola Jara Riveros, 33, Pasadena, Isaia Celestino Noyola, 36, Vellejo, and Jeffrey Christopher Neel, 43, Anaheim, are charged with one misdemeanor count each of obstructing or delaying a peace officer, obstructing passage on a public street, and unlawfully loitering or sitting on a public street. If convicted, each of the defendants face a maximum sentence of one year in jail and $1,000 fine. The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-54, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on May 28, 2015, the five defendants were part of a group of approximately 50 individuals participating in a protest regarding the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants who are part of the LGBT community. The protestors gathered at the intersection of Civic Center Drive and Flower Street in Santa Ana, near the Central Justice Center to begin their demonstration. The protest was not pre-planned with the City of Santa Ana, and no permits had been issued allowing blockage of the intersection as required by law. Continue reading→

Owner of a Santa Ana payment processing company charged with multi-million dollar fraud

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, FBI, Federal Government, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 25, 2015

Owner of California Payment Processing Company Charged with Fraud

The Justice Department announced today that the owner and operator of a payment processing company that was involved in the unauthorized withdrawal of millions of dollars from consumers’ bank accounts was charged with fraud.

The criminal information, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, charged Neil Godfrey, 76, of Santa Ana, California, with one count of wire fraud. Godfrey owned and operated Check Site Inc., based in Santa Ana, which from 2006 to 2010 enabled fraudulent merchants to withdraw money from consumers’ bank accounts without the consumers’ knowledge or consent. If convicted, Godfrey faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman arrested as an accessory to the murder of a Costa Mesa man

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Maricella Raye Gomez-Lee, 50, a resident of Santa Ana, was arrested on Wednesday this week on suspicion of being an accesory to murder in the May 30 stabbing death of Floriberto Villasenor Cortes, a resident of Costa Mesa, who was found bleeding at the 2900 block of Peppertree Lane in Costa Mesa, at around 4:30 p.m. according to the O.C. Register.

Gomez-Lee was arrested at a home in Lake Elsinore. Continue reading→

Santa Ana resident charged with importing and transporting illegal ferrets

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OC Animal Care, Pets, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Sebastian Alexander-Bly Swisher and his ferret

From Sebastian Alexander-Bly Swisher’s Instagram account

Santa Ana Police Department police officers arrested Santa Ana resident Sebastian Alexander Swisher (23) today and charged him with CCR 671K (Importation and transportation of live restricted animals). He was reportedly buying the Ferrets in the State of Nevada and transporting them to California where it is illegal, according to an SAPD press release.

Swisher was raising the ferrets and then selling them for up to $400 on Craigslist, according to Santa Ana Animal Services supervisor Sondra Berg, as reported by the O.C. Register. If he didn’t report that income then Swisher might be guilty of tax evasion too.

Santa Ana Police Department Animal Control Officers received information that the suspect was in possession of illegal Ferrets.

He really did not hide his hobby as there are many pictures of Swisher on his Instagram page. Continue reading→

Dead body found floating in the lake at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Parks and Recreation, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A worker found the body of a man floating in the lake at Centennial Regional Park on Wednesday morning at around 9:45 a.m., in Santa Ana, police said, according to the O.C. Register. The park is located at 3000 W. Edinger Ave.

The SAPD’s homicide detectives and the O.C. Coroner indicated that the body did not show any obvious signs of trauma. Continue reading→

SAPD officer and a police dog help to catch Anaheim murder suspect in Fountain Valley

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana Leave a comment

By: Fountain Valley Police Department

On Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at approximately 3:30 AM, a security guard working at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital observed a suspect and vehicle answering the description of Kwame Carpenter, wanted in the city of Anaheim in connection with the deaths of two people.

The security guard alerted a Santa Ana police officer, who was at the hospital on an unrelated matter.

The Santa Ana officer, in conjunction with Fountain Valley officers, went to the location in the southeast portion of the hospital campus and contacted Carpenter, who was inside his parked 2001 Lincoln Town Car. When officers attempted to take Carpenter into custody, he refused to surrender and drove his car into a Santa Ana police car, damaging it. Carpenter then drove into an unrelated parked vehicle in an attempt to escape; that vehicle suffered significant damage as well. At that point a Fountain Valley officer fired two rounds at Carpenter as he fled the scene in his car. No one was injured as a result of the shooting. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man convicted of DUI accident that killed a woman on a motorcycle

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF2492

Date: June 22, 2015

DRUNKEN DRIVER CONVICTED OF KILLING WOMAN BY THROWING HER FROM MOTORCYCLE IN CRASH

SANTA ANA – A drunken driver was convicted today of killing a woman by crashing into her motorcycle after making an unsafe turn into an intersection. Steven Todd Newcomer, 47, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to the court to one felony count each of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence and hit and run causing death and a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter. Pursuant to the court’s offer, he faces a maximum sentence of six years and four months in state prison at his sentencing Sept. 4, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. on April 12, 2012, 32-year-old Kimberly Krause was riding her motorcycle eastbound on Chapman Avenue approaching the intersection at Pioneer Lane in Garden Grove. Newcomer was driving under the influence of alcohol traveling westbound on Chapman Avenue toward the same intersection. Continue reading→