New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Crime

19-year-old man from Menifee to be charged with killing Javier Rodriguez Preciado

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Miguel Angel Guerrero

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR STABBING-MURDER IN FRIEND’S SANTA ANA HOME
MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR STABBING-MURDER IN FRIEND’S SANTA ANA HOME

SANTA ANA – A man is scheduled to be arraigned today for stabbing and murdering a friend in the victim’s Santa Ana home. Miguel Angel Guerrero, 19, Menifee, is charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a knife. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison. The People will request he be held on $1 million bail at his arraignment scheduled today in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined.

At the time of the crime, Guerrero was friends with 54-year-old Javier Rodriguez Preciado. Continue reading→

Suspected car thief barricaded himself in a home near Madison Park for six hours

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

The SAPD SWAT team took action when a suspected car thief locked himself up in a home near the 1800 block of South Cedar Street, in Santa Ana, today at noon, according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect stayed in the home, which is located just south of Madison Park, until 6 pm when a K-9 police dog was sent into the home. The suspect was then arrested. Continue reading→

Three businessmen charged with ripping off their workers on public works projects

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0737

Date: April 27, 2015

THREE BUSINESSMEN CHARGED FOR TAKING WORKERS’ WAGES ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT

SANTA ANA – Three businessmen have been charged for defrauding employees by taking their wages on a public works project. Saeed Kenari, 54, Tujunga, is charged with four felony counts of conspiring to take a portion of workers’ wages on a public works project, 34 felony counts of taking workers’ wages on a public works project, 20 felony counts of failure to pay taxes, four felony counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, and 10 felony counts of conspiring to file a false or forged document with a sentencing enhancement allegation for property loss over $200,000. If convicted, Kenari faces a maximum sentence of 56 years and three months in state prison. Kenari is being held on $340,000 bail and was arraigned today. He is scheduled for pre-trial on May 15, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Rina Arakelian, 62, Glendale, is charged with four felony counts of conspiring to take a portion of workers’ wages on a public works project, 34 felony counts of taking workers’ wages on a public works project, four felony counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, and 10 felony counts of conspiring to file a false or forged document with a sentencing enhancement allegation for property loss over $200,000. If convicted, Arakelian faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in state prison. Arakelian is being held on $340,000 bail and is scheduled for continued arraignment on May 15, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center. Continue reading→

Another bloody Sunday in Santa Ana as a man is found slain by El Salvador Park

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 12 Comments

It was another bloody Sunday in Santa Ana today as SAPD officers found a dead middle-aged man, who is thought to have been murdered, just before 2 p.m. in a home in Santa Ana, at the 600 block of North Daisy Avenue, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident happened just south of El Salvador Park, in the Artesia-Pilar Neighborhood Association, in Santa Ana’s Ward 5, which is represented on the City Council by Councilman Roman Reyna. The SAPD headquarters is less than a mile away from where the dead man was found. Continue reading→

What the politicians had to say at the 2015 O.C. Victims’ Rights March & Rally

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Janet Nguyen, Michelle Steel, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer, Tony Rackauckas Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Remarks for Orange County Victims’ Rights March & Rally

April 24, 2015

Tony Rackauckas:

Good Morning!

Every year we’ve had this event it’s been too hot. This year I prayed for cooler weather… I must have prayed just a little too hard.

Come rain or shine:

Remembering those we have lost, honoring those who have survived, and celebrating the tenacity and strength of the people who carry on the fight for justice – Welcome to the 7th Annual Orange County Victims’ Rights March & Rally. Continue reading→

Family of missing woman offers $5K reward

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Family of Missing Woman Offers $5K Reward

SANTA ANA, Calif. – (April 22, 2015) – The family of Erica Alonso, missing since February 15, 2015, has offered a $5K reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Alonso went missing early on the morning of Sunday, February 15, 2015, after leaving her boyfriend’s house in the city of Irvine. She is believed to have driven away in her 2014 Honda Civic, which has since been located in the city of Aliso Viejo, approximately one mile from her residence.

Alonso’s family has remained hopeful and active in support of investigators’ efforts to distribute information about the missing person case. Over the course of the last several weeks the family has raised funds to be able to offer a reward. After raising approximately $3K, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department reserve deputy donated the final $2K in order to reach the $5K goal. Continue reading→

Yet another gang related shooting happened last night, near Willard Intermediate School

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Is Santa Ana on the verge of a gang war? Yet another shooting took place last night, on Thursday, when a man was shot in the legs by a rival gang member, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD officers responded at around 7:30 pm, to the corner of North Durant and 15th Streets, where the man had been injured while he was riding a bicycle.

Apparently the man looked at another fellow, who was across the street. That other man turned out to be a member of some other gang. He pulled out a gun and shot several times at the man on the bike, who tried to get away. Continue reading→

DUI driver charged with vehicular manslaughter after teenager killed in accident

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Crime, OCDA, Orange County 2 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0864

Date: April 23, 2015

DRUNKEN DRIVER CHARGED FOR ROLLING VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF 16-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER

SANTA ANA – A drunken driver was charged today for crashing and rolling vehicle several times ejecting his 16-year-old passenger who died at the scene. Antonio Jesus Escamilla, 21, was charged today with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence, one felony count of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, one felony count of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or more causing bodily injury, and a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. The defendant is scheduled for pre-trial on May 28, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 1:40 a.m. on Sept. 9, 2013, Escamilla is accused of driving a Honda Civic while under the influence of alcohol, traveling southbound on Santiago Canyon Road, north of Silverado Canyon Road in unincorporated Orange County. The defendant is accused of having three other passengers in his vehicle at the time, including 16-year-old Marie Johnson who was sitting in the right rear passenger seat. Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for Saturday, April 25, at 500 W. Warner Ave.

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Sat., April 25th, 2015, 9PM – 3AM, area of 500 W. Warner Ave.

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday, April 25th, 2015. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 500 W. Warner Avenue, in the City of Santa Ana.

The primary purpose of a DUI Checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. The DMV reports that unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to cause a fatal crash than a licensed driver. Continue reading→

Driver on meth convicted of hit and run crash that killed a cyclist

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Drugs, Orange County, Tustin Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 14CF1047

Date: April 21, 2015

DRIVER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF METHAMPHETAMINE SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS IN PRISON FOR KILLING CYCLIST IN HIT-AND-RUN CRASH

SANTA ANA – A driver was sentenced today to 11 years in state prison for driving under the influence of methamphetamine and killing a cyclist in a hit-and-run crash. Sommer Nicole Gonzales, 19, Tustin, pleaded guilty today to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, one felony count of hit and run with death, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, one misdemeanor count of use and under the influence of a controlled substance, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter.

At approximately 6:55 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2014, Gonzales drove under the influence of methamphetamine in her Toyota Corolla sedan southbound on Santiago Canyon Road, in unincorporated Orange County near Loma Ridge Road, and veered into the bike lane. She struck 21-year-old Joseph Robinson, who was lawfully riding his bike within the marked bike lane. Gonzales fled the scene without stopping to render any assistance to the victim or reporting the accident. A witness, who was driving in the vicinity of the hit and run, saw substantial damage to Gonzales’ vehicle and called 911 to give a description of her car. Continue reading→

Pedophile extradited from Mexico to be sentenced on May 8

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, mexico, OCDA 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # C-78106

Date: April 22, 2015

MAN ON OCDA’S MOST WANTED LIST ARRESTED AND EXTRADITED FROM MEXICO AFTER FLEEING DURING TRIAL IN 1991 ON CHARGES OF COMMITTING LEWD ACTS UPON CHILD

*FBI located defendant in Mexico

SANTA ANA – A man on the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Most Wanted List was arrested and extradited from Mexico after he fled during the middle of a jury trial for committing lewd acts with a child in 1991. Henry Arthur Quinones, 75, was convicted by a jury on Sept. 9, 1991, of 26 felony counts of committing lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14, in his absence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

“This defendant is a pedophile who has escaped punishment for too long. He committed one of the worst violations against a young innocent child,” stated District Attorney Rackauckas. “We will never give up on seeking out fugitives until they’re brought to justice.” Continue reading→

Man arrested after allegedly stabbing another man near the Santa Ana River Trail

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A man has been arrested by the SAPD in connection with an attack on Monday afternoon that resulted in another man being hospitalized with multiple stab wounds, according to the OC Register.

SAPD officers were called to 17th Street near the Santa Ana River Trail at 4:13 pm on Monday. They found a sharp metal object that may have been used in the attack, by the suspect. Continue reading→

The OCDA has filed an appeal of the light sentence given to a Santa Ana child molester

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Kevin Jonas Rojano-Nieto

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 14CF1874

Date: April 16, 2015

OCDA FILES NOTICE OF APPEAL OF SENTENCE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE OF TODDLER

*Mandatory minimum sentence if convicted requires 25 years to life in prison

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) filed a notice of appeal today in the Orange County Superior Court to overturn a sentence of 10 years determinate in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration for a sexual assault case of a toddler with a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.

Circumstances of the Case

On June 4, 2014, Kevin Jonas Rojano-Nieto was in a garage detached from the Santa Ana house playing video games when 3-year-old Jane Doe walked in. Rojano-Nieto became sexually aroused upon seeing her, locked the garage door, and then sexually assaulted Jane Doe by sodomizing her. When Jane Doe’s mother went to look for the victim and approached the garage door, the defendant covered Jane Doe’s mouth. When the victim’s mother left to continue looking for Jane Doe, Rojano-Nieto continued the sexual assault by using his hand to force Jane Doe to touch his penis. Continue reading→

Two stabbed as fight involving 25 people breaks out by Community Day School

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, SAUSD 1 Comment

A fight broke out this afternoon involving up to 25 people, near the Community Day Intermediate and High School on Civic Center Drive and Fairview Street just after 3 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

Two male students, ages 14 and 17, were stabbed during the fracas and were taken to local hospitals in Garden Grove and in Orange. The older boy is said to be in stable condition while the younger boy is in serious condition.

According to witnesses, the fight began on on Civic Center Drive and Fairview Street and ended up at a nearby an apartment complex on Fifth Street. Continue reading→

Saddleback High School student injured in a gang-related drive by shooting

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana, SAUSD 6 Comments

The latest gang-related drive-by shooting in Santa Ana targeted two Saddleback High School students who are known to be gang members. One boy was walking while another student was on a bicyle, as they traveled south on Baker Street, near West Alton Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. A vehicle pulled up at around 2:55 pm and several shots were fired, according to the O.C. Register.

The boy who was on foot was shot in the neck and shoulder. He was lucky – he escaped with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was injured. Continue reading→