Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: Crime

Councilman Tinajero is willing to blow Santa Ana’s $40M rainy day fund in order to remain a Sanctuary City

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, immigration, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 11 Comments

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order today that will cut some federal money to so-called “sanctuary cities” without defining which funding will be cut or what communities the administration will define as sanctuaries, according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana gets about $123 million in federal funds every year – although I heard a report on a radio news station today that the funding is closer to $30 million a year. Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero told that news station that the City of Santa Ana can afford to lose that $30 million a year as we have a rainy day fund with $40 million in it. His comments were also reported by Fox News. Continue reading→

Why was the Santa Ana Public Safety meeting canceled after so many shootings this month?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Benavides, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 2 Comments

There have been 22 shooting incidents reported by SAPD so far this January. As bad as last year was this year is starting off even worse.

So you would think that with all of these violent crimes happening in our neighborhoods on almost a daily occurrence, that the Santa Ana City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Improvement Committee would want to meet to discuss these shootings, right? Well you would be wrong. The meeting that was slated for Jan. 24 was canceled. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman pleads guilty to charges of carjackings in Irvine, Costa Mesa and Tustin

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, irvine, OCDA, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Jocelyn Cano of Santa Ana, a 23-year-old woman with a lengthy criminal history pleaded guilty on Monday and was immediately sentenced to nine years in prison for carjackings in Irvine, Costa Mesa and Tustin, according to the O.C. Register.

Cano flipped out on March 9, 2015, when she smashed the driver-side window of a 27-year old Huntington Beach resident’s 2011 Toyota Prius as he was stuck in traffic on the 73 Freeway going north. She ordered the victim out of his car and then took off in his vehicle. Continue reading→

Former L.A. County Deputy Sheriff sentenced for molesting a 12-year old Costa Mesa girl

Posted on by Posted in Santa Ana 6 Comments

A judge recently sentenced 26-year-old Jovanni Argueta, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, to three years in prison, 180 days in jail and five years’ probation for molesting a 12-year-old girl in Costa Mesa in 2015, officials confirmed Monday, according to the O.C. Register.

Argueta pleaded guilty on Jan. 11 to lewd act with a minor, attempted sex with a minor and violation of a protective order. He was sentenced the same day. Unbelievably Argueta’s three-year prison sentence was suspended, according to the OCDA. And another count of contacting a minor with intent to commit a specified crime was dismissed as part of his plea deal. Continue reading→

Suspects from Compton caught after robbing a Verizon store in Fountain Valley

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ROBBERY ARREST

On January 21, 2017, Fountain Valley Police Officers responded to 9025 Warner #B (Verizon Wireless) for a robbery that just occurred. Three male suspects entered the business and stole $28,000 worth of cell phones and money from the safe and fled. Two of the suspects were reported to be armed with a firearm. Witnesses provided responding Officers with suspect descriptions and a suspect vehicle description.

The suspect vehicle was located in the City of Bellflower, where Fountain Valley Police Officers and surrounding agencies responded. After a short pursuit, which did not involve any Fountain Valley units, the suspect vehicle collided into another vehicle in the intersection of Clark Avenue and Somerset Boulevard; and the suspects fled. Fountain Valley Police Officers, with the assistance of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, located and arrested all three suspects. The stolen property was recovered, and a loaded handgun was found inside the suspect vehicle. Continue reading→

There were two more shootings in Santa Ana on Friday, Jan. 20

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Shooting at 719 E. First St. in Santa Ana

The bloody start to Santa Ana’s New Year continued on Friday, Jan. 20, with two more shootings.

At 3 p.m. a witness reported seeing a male pedestrian talking with a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped at around 719 East First Street, in Santa Ana. Then the pedestrian pulled out a handgun and he fired at the vehicle as it took off. The vehicle was damaged by the gunshot. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man found guilty of assaulting and raping his wife and stealing her car

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Luis Javier Cervantes, a 26-year-old man was convicted Friday of raping his estranged wife in a hallway outside a room where their two young sons slept in Santa Ana before punching her in the head, cutting her with a blade, and then fleeing in her car, according to the O.C. Register.

Cervantes is facing up to 36 years to life in prison. He was convicted of several felonies including spousal rape, assault with intent to commit a sex offense, assault with a deadly weapon and car theft.
Continue reading→

Man charged with murdering two women in Westminster and setting their house on fire

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Huntington Beach, Orange County, Westminster Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 17WF0007

Date: January 20, 2017

MAN ARRAIGNED FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER OF TWO WOMEN AND SETTING FIRE TO HOUSE AFTER REMOVING BODIES

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was arraigned today for the special circumstances murder of two women and setting fire to the victim’s house after removing the bodies. Christopher Ken Ireland, 37, Huntington Beach, was charged on Jan. 4, 2017, with two felony counts of special circumstances murder with sentencing enhancements for multiple murders, one felony count of arson of an inhabited property, and one felony count of aggravated mayhem. If convicted, Ireland faces a minimum sentence of life in state prison without parole. He is being held withoutbail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Feb. 16, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-1, West Justice Center, Westminster.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2017, Ireland is accused of attending a New Year’s Eve party at 59-year-old Yolanda Holtrey’s home in Westminster. At approximately 1:20 a.m., with his family waiting outside, the defendant is accused of murdering both Holtrey and her friend, 49-year-old Michelle Luke, inside the home by striking them each multiple times with a sharp instrument. Ireland is accused of disfiguring Luke’s ear during the attack. The defendant is accused of leaving the victims’ bodies in the home and driving away from the scene. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrested a pimp from San Diego in a prostitution sweep on Jan. 18

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Prostitution Sting Snares Suspected Pimp with Prior Pimping Conviction

During the evening hours of Wednesday, January 18th, Police Detectives assigned to the Vice and Narcotics Unit conducted an operation in support of the City Council’s commitment to impact the level of prostitution-related activity along the Harbor corridor; as a result, the Detectives made multiple arrests of suspects for crimes including pandering and loitering with the intent to commit prostitution. Continue reading→

The FTC halts a California based mortgage relief scam

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FTC Halts California Based Mortgage Relief Scam

Defendants Claimed ‘Mass Joinder’ Lawsuits Would Void Mortgage, Stop Foreclosure

The Federal Trade Commission has charged the operators of a mortgage relief scam with bilking millions of dollars from homeowners by falsely telling them they could join a so-called “mass joinder” lawsuit that would save them from foreclosure and provide additional financial awards.

“Preying on homeowners who already are financially distressed and struggling to pay their mortgages is appalling,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “That’s why stopping phony mortgage relief operations, like this one, is a priority at the FTC.” Continue reading→

Santa Ana man’s body dumped in Anaheim after he was shot

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The body of 26-year old Brian Mendez, a Santa Ana resident, was found in an industrial park at the 1600 block of South Sinclair Street in Anaheim at around 6:30 a.m. this Monday, according to the O.C. Weekly.

Mendez suffered at least one gunshot wound and the case is believed to be gang related, according to the Anaheim Police Department. Continue reading→

Will anti-Trump protesters wreck Sanctuary City Santa Ana on Friday night?

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The same folks who have rioted on Bristol in the past are planning to do so again tomorrow, January 20, in protest against the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. While the promotions for this protest don’t mention a cross street we expect the rioting to take place around W. McFadden and S. Bristol.

An anonymous source tells us that Mater Dei may be closing their campus tomorrow in anticipation of the riot. What will the area SAUSD schools do? Continue reading→

There were two more shootings reported in Santa Ana on Jan. 17

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana Leave a comment

On January 17, 2017 at about 11 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to reports of a shooting and a person shot and injured at the area of 3700 W. 11th Street in Santa Ana, according to SAPD Case #17-01618.

When the police officers arrived they obtained evidence of a shooting and found evidence that someone had been shot but they did not locate a victim at the time. Continue reading→

Councilwoman Martinez discusses the spike in gang shootings in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

By: Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Last year , Santa Ana also started off the year with a high spike in gang shootings. One shooting is unacceptable just like one pedestrian fatality is unacceptable on Santa Ana streets. In the past 10 years, over 100 people have died walking or biking and thousands have been injured. Hence, we should do what we can to help combat these gang shootings and pedestrian collisions and fatalities immediately.

Gang shootings and violence are at on all time high since the early 90’s. Many will say that it has to do with prop 47 and AB 109. Others will say we don’t have enough officers on the streets, others will say we have neglected community policing and have invested 120 million dollars annually to the police department and have seen little or no results in combating crime. Finally, others will say that very few dollars have been invested in Prevention and Intervention programs. Continue reading→

Councilman Solorio addresses the high number of shootings this month in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana 3 Comments

SANTA ANA CITY COUNCILMAN JOSE SOLORIO ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING HIGH NUMBER OF VIOLENT SHOOTINGS ON JANUARY 14-15, 2017

He Calls for Immediate Filling of Vacant Positions in Santa Ana Police Department, Development of Comprehensive Gang Prevention, Intervention & Suppression Strategy

Between the evening of January 14, 2017 and early morning of January 15, 2017, there were at least six reported shootings in Santa Ana. The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is reporting that the incidents resulted in six victims being wounded, and that the incidents are likely to be gang related. Continue reading→