Thirteen people were barricaded inside a Santa Ana internet cafe at the 1400 block of West McFadden Avenue for two hours on Tuesday during a reported armed robbery, according to the O.C. Register.
SAPD police officers showed up at the internet cafe at around 9:30 p.m. They questioned an unidentified individual who they found outside of the cafe. As they spoke to that individual 13 other people ran back into the cafe and locked the door. Continue reading
As time ticks away on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s contract at Santa Ana Jail, a city councilman tried Tuesday to restart talks for a new agreement with the federal agency – and fell short again, according to the O.C. Register.
City Councilmen David Benavides, Sal Tinajero and Vincent Sarmiento all voted once again to oppose Councilman Jose Solorio’s agenda item to direct city staff to negotiate and execute a contract with ICE and Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez did not show up to the meeting because her brother passed away. Continue reading
Remember when the previous Santa Ana City Council majority, SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas and our since-fired City Manager, David Cavazos, tried to convince us last year that crime was going down in Santa Ana?
It turns out they were all lying through their teeth! Homicides in Santa Ana nearly doubled last year as gang-related shootings pushed the number of killings in Santa Ana to 23 homicides – its highest point in six years, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading
School Board Member Ceci Iglesias just informed us here on New Santa Ana that 287 pink slips are being given to school employees. Now Santa Ana teacher and City Councilman Tinajero is allowing layoffs too.
Register article says: “The jobs listed for possible elimination include 100 K-6 teachers, 50 middle school teachers, 47 in the high schools and another 21 K-12 teachers who provide special education services and several assistant principals and program specialists. The list includes 70 teachers who hold temporary positions.” Continue reading
On Friday, March 3 at about 10 p.m. several residents called in reports of a shooting in the area of 1200 West Brook Street. When officers arrived they located evidence of a shooting but all involved were gone, according to SAPD Case # 17-05818.
This shooting happened northeast of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Santa Ana’s Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides. Continue reading
On Saturday, February 25, 2017, at about 5:30 p.m. SAPD police officers responded to 700 South Townsend Street, just northeast of Jerome Park, after receiving multiple calls of about a shooting. When officers arrived they located a 17 year old Hispanic male with a gunshot wound to the lower body. The victim was taken to a local hospital for his injuries, according to SAPD Case # 17-05222.
This shooting happened in Santa Ana’s Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman David Benavides. Continue reading
Walters plaque unveiled
With all the talk about combating gang violence in Santa Ana we thought it would be worthwhile to revisit what our former, and far more capable, Police Chief, Paul Walters, accomplished a few years ago.
Walters was forced out of Santa Ana by the last City Council – and some of those Council members are still around, including David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero.
Here is what the O.C. Register reported in 2013, about how effective Walters was: Continue reading
Apparently current SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas, who was hired by the Santa Ana City Council despite the fact that he had zero experience running a police department, wants us to believe that he has come up with a solution to the tsunami of gang violence in our city. So tomorrow he is going to face the media, at last, and talk about his new reward program.
But hold the presses – it turns out the SAPD already has a reward program in place for those who give tips about gang-related homicides. That program was put in place by former SAPD Police Chief Paul Walters, who now serves as the Chief of Staff to Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. Continue reading
Last Tuesday during the Council meeting, Santa Ana City Councilman David Benavides had a meltdown. It was weird and over the top, Sean Mill tells us why in his Voice of OC comment:
“I wonder if the reason Councilman Benavides was upset is because the council majority had shot down city staffs recommendation to give KidsWorks, the non-profit headed by Benavides and where he draws his paychecks, $125,000, which was almost a quarter of the money. Continue reading
Crime in Santa Ana from 2.5 to 2.7.17, courtesy of CrimeMapping.com
The Santa Ana City Council voted 4-2 last night to prepare a resolution condemning President Trump’s executive orders withholding funds from sanctuary cities and barring immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S., according to the O.C. Register.
The only Council Members who opposed this pointless measure were Mayor Miguel Pulido and Councilman Juan Villegas. Councilmember Michele Martinez left before the matter was voted upon. Continue reading
McDonald’s at S. Pacific and Edinger Ave
This Sunday morning, at about 11:30 a.m., a man was exiting the McDonald’s parking lot at S. Pacific and Edinger Ave. when he realized that he was being followed by a black, older model Acura sedan.
When the man stopped his vehicle at W. Lingan and S. Raitt the Acura pulled up alongside the victim’s driver’s side door. The passenger of the Acura, described as a male Hispanic gang member, asked the victim where he was from, according to SAPD Case number 17-03359. Continue reading
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
The SAPD had a heck of a weekend as a total of five shootings went down on Saturday night. We had previously reported that there had been three shootings. But now that the smoke has cleared the SAPD investigators have increased the violent tally.
Overall six people were shot in Santa Ana on Saturday night. Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna admitted on Sunday that he couldn’t remember hearing about that many shootings in one night, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading
It was another bloody and violent night in Santa Ana this evening as four men were hurt in three separate shootings, according to the O.C. Register.
The SAPD received a call just before 7 p.m. this evening about shots fired and a possible victim down at the 900 block of South Townsend Street. Sure enough when the police arrived at the scene they found a man who had been shot in his upper torso. The man is now in critical condition at a local hospital. Continue reading
At about 3 p.m. this afternoon, January 9, a juvenile male was near a wall in the area of S. Shelton and W. Highland Streets when he was approached by multiple suspects. One of the suspects shot at the victim who sustained a gunshot wound to the upper torso, according to SAPD Case Number 17-814.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for emergency care. Continue reading