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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: Crime

Over 600 crimes were committed in Santa Ana this week including 36 weapons charges

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It was another bad week in Santa Ana, from January 18 through today as 622 crimes were committed, according to CrimeMapping, compared to 573 crimes in the previous week.

The crimes committed this week included 36 weapons charges ranging from Assaults with Deadly Weapons to Shootings at Occupied Dwellings. There were 55 weapons charges committed in Santa Ana in the week of January 11.

The Assaults with Deadly Weapons and Shootings at Occupied Dwellings committed this week occurred at: Continue reading→

How three convicts from the OC Central Jail escaped

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The Orange County Sheriff has revealed how Hossein Nayeri, 37, Jonathan Tieu, 20, and Bac Duong, 43, escaped from the Orange County Central Men’s Jail, according to the O.C Register.

Sometime between Friday’s 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. head counts, the men cut through half-inch steel bars, forced their way into a plumbing tunnel and made their way to an unsecured part of the jailhouse roof. Continue reading→

Message from O.C. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens regarding the O.C. Jail escape

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JAIL ESCAPE

MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF SANDRA HUTCHENS

“Last night, three inmates escaped from Men’s Central Jail in Santa Ana. We are utilizing every resource available to ensure these inmates are brought back into custody as quickly as possible. As Sheriff, my utmost concern and primary responsibility is the safety of each Orange County resident. I take this situation very seriously and the men and woman of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will not rest until all three men are captured.

“The three escapees, Hossein Nayeri, Jonathan Tieu, and Bac Tien Duong, are dangerous criminals. My investigations team is working around the clock with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Probation Office, the U.S. Marshals and the FBI. I am confident that this collaborative effort will result in returning these inmates to where they belong- behind bars. Continue reading→

Restitution sought from former Orange County employee Carlos Bustamante

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County Seeks Restitution from Former Employee Sentenced for Crimes

The County of Orange formally asked a judge Friday to order former employee Carlos Bustamante to pay restitution as part of his sentencing for multiple crimes committed while he was an employee.

Bustamante, a former executive manager for OC Public Works, was sentenced to 360 days in a city jail and five years’ probation, and will be required to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty in December to felony counts of stalking, attempted sexual battery by restraint and grand theft by false pretense, as well as misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment, assault and attempted sexual battery. Continue reading→

Family of Santa Ana woman who was missing for 28 years needs help to pay for the burial costs

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Santa Ana resident Kristyne Olivia Trejo disappeared twenty eight years ago, on June 27, 1988. Her son,  Andrew Trejo was about to graduate from fifth grade at the time. But he never saw his mom again.

Trejo had planned to attend a drug addiction recovery meeting the morning that she was last seen.  She had been a waitress prior to her disappearance.

Trejo’s family did everything they could to find her. They filed a missing persons report. They hired private investigators. And they even appeared on an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries.” But they could not find any trace of Trejo. Continue reading→

The SAPD requests assistance in identifying WSS Shoe Store robbery suspects

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Request Assistance In Identifying Robbery Suspects

Locations: 1408 N. Main Street, Santa Ana CA 92701 “WSS” Shoe Store

Suspect #1: Male, Hispanic, 25-30, 5’8” – 6’0”, thin build, short black hair, medium complexion, wearing black t-shirt, blue denim jeans & white sneakers. Has tattoo of the letter “M” and the letter “S” on his cheeks.

Suspect #2: Male, Hispanic, 20-30, 5’5” – 5’9”, medium build, short black hair, medium complexion, wearing black t-shirt, blue denim jeans & black Adidas sneakers with white stripes. Continue reading→

Former Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante is now a registered sex offender

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1964

Date: January 22, 2016

FORMER SANTA ANA CITY COUNCILMAN AND HIGH-RANKING EXECUTIVE FOR COUNTY OF ORANGE SENTENCED FOR COMMITTING SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND THEFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former Santa Ana City Councilman and high-ranking executive for the County of Orange was sentenced today for sexually assaulting his subordinates and committing grand theft of public funds. Carlos Bustamante,50, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2015, to one felony count of stalking, one felony count of attempted sexual battery by restraint, one felony count of grand theft by false pretense, two misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment, one misdemeanor count of assault, and one misdemeanor count of attempted sexual battery. Bustamante was sentenced to 364 days in jail, five years of formal probation, ordered to pay restitution, and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Bustamante is required to surrender himself to custody Feb. 26, 2016, the time and location are to be determined and reported to the court at a hearing scheduled on Feb. 19, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

“I want to thank all victims and witnesses that bravely came forward in the face of fear and retaliation from a well-connected politician,” said District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. “No one is above the law, especially those who abuse their power of authority over their subordinates to sexually assault and harass them.” Continue reading→

Garden Grove man who attacked his girlfriend with a meat cleaver arraigned

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16WF0125

Date: January 21, 2016

MAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR ATTACKING WOMAN WITH WHOM HE IS ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH MEAT CLEAVER AFTER ARGUMENT IN GARDEN GROVE APARTMENT

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man is scheduled to be arraigned today on charges of attacking a woman with whom he is romantically involved with a meat cleaver after an argument in their Garden Grove apartment. Thang Van Nguyen, 46, Garden Grove, is charged with one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of aggravated mayhem, and one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury with sentencing enhancement allegations for great bodily injury committed during domestic violence, great bodily injury resulting in brain injury and paralysis, and the personal use of a meat cleaver. If convicted, Nguyen faces a maximum sentence of 13 years to life in state prison. Nguyen is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon, Jan. 21, 2016, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Nguyen and Jane Doe were involved in a romantic relationship and lived with their children in an apartment in Garden Grove. Continue reading→

Mom who left her son in her car at the MainPlace Mall sentenced to 60 days in jail

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Arica Jenee Ayala, 27, an Anaheim mom, pleaded guilty on Thursday to misdemeanor child abuse and endangerment for leaving her 4-year-old son in the car for about two hours while she shopped at the MainPlace Mall, according to the O.C. Register.

Ayala was sentenced to 60 days in jail for leaving her son at the Santa Ana MainPlace Mall parking lot, in an unattended vehicle on Tuesday. Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for an armed lottery ticket robber

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Requesting Media And Public’s Assistance Identifying Suspect Involved In Series Of Robberies

Synopsis: On 1/4/2016 at 4:28am, the suspect in this case is described as a Male, Hispanic 30-40 years old, approximately 6’00 tall, 180-200 lbs. and having pock marks on his face. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, light blue jeans and brown work boots with a white surgical mask, black “San Francisco Giants” ball cap and blue/black gloves.

The suspect entered the 7-11 store located in the 1440 block of West MacArthur where he simulated a handgun in his jacket pocket; he approached the clerk and demanded all the money in the cash register. After receiving the money he also stole approximately 60 California scratcher lottery tickets. The suspect is then seen leaving the parking lot in a white 2007-12 white 4-door Chevy Malibu. Continue reading→

MainPlace Mall shopper arrested after leaving her toddler in an unattended vehicle

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Officers Arrest Mother For Leaving 4 Year Old Child In Unattended Vehicle At Mall While She Shops

Arrested: Arica Jenee Ayala (27) Anaheim

At approximately 8:30 pm, officers responded to a parking lot located at the Main Place Mall, 2800 block of North Main Street, regarding a child left unattended inside a vehicle. A witness advised the involved vehicle arrived at approximately 7:50 pm.

Officers found a 4 year-old male sitting in a car seat, crying and screaming. The doors to the vehicle had been left unlocked. The child told officers his mother left him alone in the car. Mall security made announcements over their P.A. system and officers checked the registered owner’s address in Anaheim and were unable to locate anyone. Continue reading→

Westminster man wanted for allegedly shooting his girlfriend

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Abdul Rashad Bynum, a resident of Westminster, is believed to have shot his girlfriend during an argument on Monday, at around 5:30 p.m., at a home located at the 15100 block of Vermont St., southwest of Bolsa and Goldenwest, according to the O.C. Register.

Bynum, 31-years-old, fled from the scene after allegedly shooting his girlfriend. She was taken to a local hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening. Continue reading→

Garden Grove man allegedly attacked his wife with a meat cleaver

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Thang Van Nguyen, 46, turned himself in at a Garden Grove fire station this morning, at about 6:45 a.m., and said he had murdered his wife in their apartment, according to the O.C. Register.

When he took officers to his home in the 12700 block of Flower Street, his 44-year-old wife Huong Nguyen was found conscious, but with several stab wounds from a large meat cleaver, officials said, according to CBS News. Continue reading→

Young man injured in gang shooting in Garden Grove

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A young man was shot in his upper body early this morning, before 4 a.m.,at the 10600 block of Tibbs Circle, in Garden Grove, in what police are calling a gang-related attack, according to the O.C. Register.

The person who called 911 reported that the victim had been shot and was “screaming for help.” Continue reading→

Community policing forum set for Jan. 30 at Godinez Fundamental H.S.

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PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 15, 2016

Contact: Chris Schmidt, West End Community Oriented Policing, westendcop1@gmail.com; Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council, 714-745-1692

West End Community Oriented Policing to present Community Policing Forums for Santa Ana residents

Santa Ana, CA, –West End Community Oriented Policing, along with Connect-to-Council and Windsor Village Neighborhood Association, will present a Community Policing forum for the residents of Santa Ana. This forum will offer residents the opportunity to provide their input and assist in creating a community policing plan for Santa Ana. There will be a forum in each of the four policing districts (South Coast, West End, North East, and South East) in Santa Ana from January through April, with the first to be held on January 30, 2016. Continue reading→