New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Crime

The SAPD arrests three juvenile suspects in series or robberies

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Arrests Three Juvenile Suspects in Robbery Series (10) Believe There May By Additional Victims

Location: Multiple locations in Santa Ana
Suspects: Three male Hispanics juveniles – two 15 year olds and one 17 year were taken into custody.
Suspect vehicle: 2015 silver Nissan Altima with paper plates.

Synopsis: On December 16th, 2015, Santa Ana Police patrol officers made the arrest of two suspects in a robbery that had just occurred. The suspects had in their possession a black replica semi-automatic handgun, brass knuckles and two black ski masks. Follow up investigation led to the identification and arrest of the third suspect. Continue reading→

Former Santa Ana Councilman Bustamante convicted of sexual assaults and theft of public funds

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 10 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1964

Date: December 18, 2015

FORMER SANTA ANA CITY COUNCILMAN AND HIGH-RANKING EXECUTIVE FOR COUNTY OF ORANGE CONVICTED OF 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 convicted today of sexually assaulting subordinates and committing grand theft of public funds. Carlos Bustamante,50, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty today, 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. He is expected to be sentenced to one year in jail, five years of formal probation, restitution, and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration in January 2016, in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. The date and time are to be determined.

“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→

Man injured in drive-by shooting at South Birch and West Chestnut

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Another day, another drive-by shooting, as a man was injured in an attack the SAPD believes was gang-related, on Thursday night just after 10:15 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The drive-by shooting happened at the intersection of South Birch Street and West Chestnut Ave.

A male victim was shot once. He was walking in the area when he saw a vehicle that may have been gray in color. He heard the sound of gunshots and felt pain. Continue reading→

Suspect arrested for assaulting an SAPD police officer

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect For Felony Assault On A Police Officer

Arrested: Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez Jr. (32) Santa Ana

Booking Charges: 245 (c) PC, Felony Assault on a Police Officer

Summary: Thursday, 12/17/15, at 05:30 am, detectives were in the field conducting a sex registrant compliance check in the 2500 block of West 1st Street. After completing the check, the detectives returned to their vehicle which was parked in a driveway. Detectives heard a loud “crash,” and exited their vehicle and noticed a male subject had thrown a brick through their rear window of the unit. The suspect was immediately taken into custody without incident. Continue reading→

A woman’s body is found in a fridge in a rented Santa Ana garage

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

A woman’s body was found in a refrigerator in a Santa Ana home’s garage on Thursday afternoon, around 2 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The refrigerator was in a detached garage next to a house in the 1000 block of North Jackson Street, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

Security guard charged with posing as a cop and raping a prostitute

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, OCDA, Westminster Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15NF3329

December 16, 2015

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF SECURITY GUARD CHARGED WITH POSING AS POLICE OFFICER AND FORCIBLY RAPING HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM

*Incident captured on GoPro camera

FULLERTON, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and the Anaheim Police Department (APD) are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a security guard charged with posing as a police officer and forcibly raping a human trafficking victim. Raul Antonio Ramos, 27, Westminster, is charged with one felony count each of forcible rape, rape by threat to arrest, forcible oral copulation, oral copulation under the color of authority, and impersonating an officer, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing the sexual assault during the commission of a burglary. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison. Ramos is in custody on $1 million bail. He was charged and arraigned yesterday, Dec. 15, 2015, and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 13, 2016, at 8:3 0 a.m. in Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton.

Ramos is employed as a security guard in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Sex offender charged with sexually assaulting a little girl at a Christmas event at Davis Elementary

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case #15CF2779

Date: December 16, 2015

MAN CHARGED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHILE SHE WAITED IN LINE FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS OUTSIDE SCHOOL

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged yesterday for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, who was waiting on a curb in line for Christmas presents at a school. Raul Marin Martin, 59, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of committing a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and allegations of having a prior conviction for a sex offense, committing a serious and violent felony while on probation, and committing a lewd act on a child by a stranger, which if found true, would render the defendant ineligible for probation. He also faces sentencing enhancements for a prior 2014 serious and violent strike conviction. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 21 years in state prison. Martin is scheduled for a continued arraignment on Jan. 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Former baseball coach at Segerstrom H.S. arrested on charges of lewd conduct with two boys

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana 10 Comments

Carlos “CJ” Salcito Sales Jr., 25, of Santa Ana, a former, part-time baseball coach at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana, has been arrested on suspicion of sending sexually explicit text messages to a Huntington Beach boy, according to the O.C. Register.

Sales was arrested on Friday by Huntington Beach police on charges of attempted lewd and lascivious conduct and for contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense. Continue reading→

Garden Grove man convicted of beating a 2-year-old child to death

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 09WF1800

Date: December 15, 2015

MAN CONVICTED OF BEATING DEATH OF 2-YEAR-OLD CHILD

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted yesterday of assaulting a 2-year-old child causing his death. Lae Thong Thongpun, 33, Garden Grove, was found guilty by a jury yesterday, Dec. 14, 2015, of one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of assault on a child under 8 years of age with force likely to cause great bodily injury, causing death. He faces a maximum sentence of 55 years to life in state prison. The court will hear a bifurcated trial on the defendant’s prior sentencing enhancements for a prior strike conviction for a first degree burglary in 2007 in Los Angeles County at his sentencing scheduled Feb. 5, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-44, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Thongpun was in a romantic relationship with a woman and lived with her and her two young children in an apartment in Garden Grove. Continue reading→

Homeless man murdered at Heritage Park identified as Rudy Trujillo

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, homeless, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE: SAPD Detectives identify victim in homicide

Victim has been identified as Rudy Trujillo (55), Santa Ana. No photograph available

On December 13, 2015, at approximately three-thirty in the afternoon, a citizen called in a report of a man possibly deceased at Heritage Park, 4800 block West Camile.

When officers arrived, they found a man lying on ground in his sleeping bag. The decedent had gunshot wounds to his upper body and it appeared might have been shot as he slept. Continue reading→

Registered sex offender arrested for sexually assaulting a little girl at a holiday event at Davis Elementary School

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD arrests sexual offender for sexual assault of 8 year-old girl at holiday event

On 12/12/15, the Santa Ana Police Department arrested Raul Martin, 59, of Santa Ana, for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.

During the morning hours of 12/12/15, there was a gift / food give-a-way being held at Davis Elementary School, 1405 N. Spurgeon, Santa Ana. This give-a-way attracted a large crowd of families from the neighborhood. The parents of an 8-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy dropped their children off at Davis Elementary as they parked their vehicle. Continue reading→

Homeless man found dead at Heritage Park on Sunday was shot to death

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, homeless, Santa Ana 1 Comment

SAPD detectives have confirmed today that the 55-year-old homeless man who was found dead at Heritage Park on Sunday was shot and killed while sleeping, according to the O.C. Register.

The victim had been living in the area for an extended period of time. He was found shot to death in his sleeping bag at around 3:30 p.m., in a fenced area with grass just outside of Heritage Park, located at 4812 W. Camille St., next to Heritage Elementary School.

The SAPD reported that the victim had a gunshot wound in his upper body, and it appeared that he may have been asleep when he was murdered. Continue reading→

Dead man found at Santa Ana’s Heritage Park this afternoon

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

An unidentified dead man was found near a water canal at Santa Ana’s Heritage Park today, at 3:30 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

Heritage Park is located at 4800 block of West Camille Street, which is adjacent to Heritage Elementary School, which serves children from kindergarten through the sixth grade. Continue reading→

The OCDA will seek the death penalty against a man accused of murdering three Santa Ana women

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana 1 Comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case #14ZF0337

Date: December 11, 2015

OCDA TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY AGAINST REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FOR SPECIAL-CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER OF FOUR WOMEN AFTER KIDNAPPING AND RAPING THE VICTIMS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) announced today that he will seek the death penalty against a registered sex offender for the special-circumstances murder of four women after kidnapping and raping the victims. Steven Dean Gordon, 46, Anaheim, was indicted by the grand jury on Oct. 2, 2014. He is charged with four felony counts of special circumstances murder during the commission of rape, kidnapping, lying in wait, and multiple murders. He is also charged with four felony counts of forcible rape. Gordon was in court today and is next scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 22, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Prior to seeking the death penalty against Gordon, a special circumstances committee consisting of the District Attorney, the Senior Assistant and Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Homicide Unit, and other prosecutors experienced in capital cases meet and discuss the nature of the crime, the vulnerability of the victims, the defendant’s criminal record, and other factors. The committee also considers mitigating circumstances presented by the defense attorney. Continue reading→

H.B. payaso arrested for sexually assaulting two girls under 10 years old

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Huntington Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYPRESS RELEASE

Case # 15WF2533

Date: December 10, 2015

OCDA SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF CHILDREN’S CLOWN PERFORMER CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING TWO GIRLS UNDER 10 YEARS OLD

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a children’s clown performer who was charged today and is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for sexually assaulting two girls under 10 years old. Gualberto Torres-Vargas, 37, Huntington Beach, is charged with three felony counts of sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years old or younger, five felony counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger, two felony counts of committing a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims. If convicted, Torres-Vargas faces a maximum sentence of 175 years to life in state prison. Torres-Vargas is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Dec. 11, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

Torres-Vargas was initially charged in this case on Nov. 23, 2015, with five felony counts for sexual assaulting Jane Doe 1. The complaint was amended today to reflect two felony charges pertaining to Jane Doe 2 and three additional charges pertaining to Jane Doe 1. Continue reading→