New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Crime

Woman arrested in death of Kim Pham charged with murder

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana 22 Comments

Photo of Vanesa Tapia Zavala courtesy of KTLA

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 25, of Santa Ana was charged with one felony count of murder this afternoon for her role in the death of 23-year-old Kim Pham in Santa Ana in the early morning hours of Jan. 19, 2014. You can watch a video of today’s court proceedings at this link, courtesy of CBS News.

Zavala faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted. The OCDA requested that Zavala be held on $1 million bail at her arraignment this afternoon. The OCDA also advised that the investigation is ongoing and additional information will not be released at this time. Continue reading→

DTSA’s image wrecked as the Crosby murder story goes global

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 40 Comments

In a blog post, titled: ‘These Are the 7 Biggest Fears That You Need To Avoid Having In Your Twenties’ on the website Elite Daily, Kim Pham called on people her age to stop being fearful, according to the Daily Mail, a newspaper in London.

But that was written before she was beaten into a coma while the 23-year old graduate of Chapman University was waiting to enter the hipster bar/restaurant called The Crosby, last Friday night. Continue reading→

No – the Crosby victim wasn’t killed because she photo-bombed her murderers

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 26 Comments

Victim was taken of life support and pronounced dead today at 12:36 this afternoon, according to the SAPD.

The attack on a woman who was beaten into unconsciousness outside a popular Santa Ana nightspot may have been sparked when the 23-year-old accidentally walked in front of a camera as a group of nightclub patrons posed for a photo, a friend said Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A friend, who declined to be identified because police are still investigating the case, said three women and two men got into a heated argument with Pham after she accidently walked into one of their photos. A cellphone, believed to belong to one of the suspects, was recovered from the scene, the friend said. Continue reading→

Four men busted for defrauding over $36M from insurance companies

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA 1 Comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13ZF0179: January 21, 2014

FOUR MEN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR DEFRAUDING OVER $36 MILLION FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES IN OVERBILLING SCHEME

SANTA ANA – Four men will be arraigned on an indictment tomorrow for defrauding over $36 million from insurance companies in an overbilling scheme. Jeffrey Edward Campau, 39, Yorba Linda, Abraham Khorshad, 62, Beverly Hills, and Landen Alan Mirallegro, 38, Yorba Linda, are charged with 22 felony counts of submitting multiple fraudulent claims, 22 felony counts of manufacturing documents in support of a fraudulent claim, one felony count of conspiracy, and sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crimes for loss over $500,000 and special loss over $3.2 million. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum sentence of 53 years in state prison. The defendants are out of custody on $1.5 million bail each. Continue reading→

Man charged with violently attacking 5 women in a 5 hour crime spree

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Garden Grove 2 Comments

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # TBA: January 21, 2014

MAN CHARGED WITH ATTACKING FIVE WOMEN IN VIOLENT 5-HOUR CRIME SPREE

WESTMINSTER – A man has been charged with attacking five women, including stabbing three in the head, face, or back, in a 5-hour crime spree. Ulises Omar De La Torre, 32, Buena Park, is charged with one felony count of kidnapping to commit rape, two felony counts of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and three felony counts of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense in the commission of first degree burglary. He faces sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury, great bodily injury to a sexual assault victim, the use of a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, and two prior strike convictions from 2004 for attempted murder and street terrorism. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 244 years to life in state prison. The People will be requesting De La Torre be held without bail. He is expected to be arraigned today, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at 1:30 p.m., in Department W-2, West Justice Center, Westminster. Continue reading→

SAPD arrests stabbing and carjacking suspect

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Police arrest suspect in Stabbing/Carjacking

Mon, 1/20/14 10 PM, SAPD officers responded to 3900 W. Hazard, reference a report of a subject who had been stabbed multiple times. Upon their arrival, officers learned the victim (M/H/42) was seated in the driver’s seat of his parked vehicle when the suspect (Osvaldo Vallejo -18) entered the passenger’s side and began to physically assault and stab him.

The victim was able to flee on foot and call 911. After the victim fled on foot, the suspect stole the victim’s vehicle a 2001 Honda Civic, white in color. The victim sustained multiple stab wounds to his neck and upper torso. He was transported to UCI with non-life threatening injuries. Continue reading→

Crosby hate crime/murder update

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bars, Crime, Santa Ana 41 Comments

A Santa Ana woman was arrested Monday in connection with a weekend assault that left a 23-year-old woman critically hurt and unconscious on the sidewalk outside a crowded Santa Ana nightspot, according to the O.C. Register.

The victim, Kim Pham, is brain dead, according to the OC Weekly. They also reported that her sister posted this message on her Facebook page: Continue reading→

The Crosby needs to answer for both public and food safety issues

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bars, Crime, Restaurants, Santa Ana 24 Comments

Should you eat that?

Now that Kim Pham, the 23-year-old young woman who was brutally beaten up on Friday night while waiting outside The Crosby, a hipster bar/restaurant/nightclub in Downtown Santa Ana, has died from her injuries one can expect that everything about DTSA will be scrutinized by the press. The same goes for The Crosby.

Bad enough that the police response to the beating was slow and security cameras appear to be nonexistent in DTSA. But The Crosby, as it turns out, also has a not so great health record. In fact their Health Permit was suspended in November!

Here is their entire record of violations, as issued by the Orange County Health Care Agency. This is public information and unfortunately we live in a County where restaurants are not give letter grade health ratings. So you have to click here to look up this info online. Continue reading→

Updated: Why do we know so little about the attack on a young woman at The Crosby?

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bars, Crime, Latinos, Santa Ana, Vietnamese 149 Comments

Possible victim of beating at the Crosby

Kim Phan, the alleged victim of the beating at The Crosby, has died from her injuries

I can’t understand why the Santa Ana Police Department has released so little information about the 23-year-old woman (who is named Kim Pham, according to one of our readers) who was attacked while waiting to get into The Crosby. (UPDATE: One of our readers commented that there are now memorial signs at the site of the beating that indicate she has passed away from her injuries and her death has been confirmed by the OC Weekly). The police did admit that the attackers were “a group of five individuals that are only described as three females, two males, all Hispanic between 20 and 25 years of age,” according to ABC News.

So why isn’t the SAPD telling us anything else? Their initial press release about the attack didn’t even note that it happened at The Crosby, a hipster bar/restaurant that is too small to be a nightclub but pretends to be one anyway. All the SAPD noted in their release was the address that the attack happened at.

I have to wonder if the victim of the attack was Asian. A Korean fellow from Irvine was killed a couple years ago after partying at the Proof Bar, which is located not far from The Crosby in Downtown Santa Ana. Are these attacks racially motivated? Continue reading→

SAPD seeks witnesses who saw a woman get assaulted at The Crosby

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Detectives request community and witnesses assistance in assault case, they believe there was cell phone video taken during incident

On 1-18-14, at approximately 0023 Hours, patrol officers responded to a report of an altercation at 400 N. Broadway (The Crosby). Upon arrival, they found a 23-year-old woman on the sidewalk who appeared unconscious. Orange County Fire Authority and paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital where she is currently listed in extremely serious condition. It appears the injuries sustained by the victim were the result of a physical altercation. Continue reading→

Police searching for violent predator who targets women

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Garden Grove Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2014

Released by Lt. T. Schmidt, Contact at 714-497-6360

Subject: Police Seek Assistance in Felony Assaults

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 1950 hours, the Anaheim Police Department responded to the Alamo Motel located at 1040 W. Katella Ave. after a male suspect assaulted two females as they attempted to enter their room. The two victims received non-life threatening lacerations and were transported to a local hospital where they were treated and later released. The assailant fled the scene.

During the investigation, Anaheim PD learned the Garden Grove Police Department was investigating three incidents which were similar in terms of the circumstances, timeframe and suspect description. All four incidents occurred within approximately a two-mile area, between the hours of 5-11 p.m. Continue reading→

O.C. Sheriff’s Deputy convicted for pepper spraying teen’s pizza

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange County Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13HM05257: January 17, 2014

ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CONVICTED FOR PEPPER SPRAYING TEEN’S PIZZA DURING TRAFFIC STOP

NEWPORT BEACH – An Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) deputy was convicted and sentenced today to one year of informal probation and 100 hours of community service for pepper spraying a teen’s pizza during a routine traffic stop. Juan Tavera, 30, pleaded guilty today, Jan. 17, 2014, to one misdemeanor count of assault or battery by a public officer.

At the time of the crime, Tavera was a 6-year veteran of the OCSD assigned to the South Operations Division/Contract City of Laguna Hills. Continue reading→

Man suspected to be on drugs arrested on roof of Adams Elementary

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Drugs, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana School Police Department

Community Alert: Male adult, suspected of being under the influence of drugs, arrested from the rooftop of Adams Elementary School

At approximately 6:40 PM, Thursday evening, Santa Ana School Police received a call from the custodian at Adams Elementary school of a suspicious person on the campus. School Police Officers responded and began searching for the subject. Continue reading→

Fullerton pastor faces trial for fondling an 18-year old female

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Fullerton, OCDA Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 12NM11481: January 16, 2014

PASTOR FACES TRIAL FOR SEXUAL BATTERY OF 18-YEAR-OLD FEMALE CHURCH MEMBER

FULLERTON – A pastor is scheduled to face trial today for sexual battery of an 18-year-old female church member. Joseph Angel Olvera, 55, Fullerton, is charged with two misdemeanor counts each of sexual battery and battery. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in jail, $4,000 in fines, and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Opening statements are expected to begin this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Department N-11, North Justice Center, Fullerton. Continue reading→

Police are seeking potential additional victims of Tustin man charged with rape

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange, Tustin Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13CF3815: January 16, 2014

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING AND RAPING WOMAN

SANTA ANA – Law enforcement is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a man who is charged with kidnapping and raping a woman. Michael Curtis Hernandez, 37, Tustin, is charged with four felony counts of forcible oral copulation, two felony counts of forcible rape, one felony count each of sodomy by force, sexual penetration by foreign object and force, kidnapping to commit a sex offense, false imprisonment by violence or deceit, and sentencing enhancements and allegations for kidnapping, kidnapping which substantially increased the risk of harm to the victim, and a prior strike conviction of kidnapping from 2003 in Riverside County. If convicted on all counts, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of over 100 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Jan. 17, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→