New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Gangs

Yet another gang related shooting happened last night, near Willard Intermediate School

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Is Santa Ana on the verge of a gang war? Yet another shooting took place last night, on Thursday, when a man was shot in the legs by a rival gang member, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD officers responded at around 7:30 pm, to the corner of North Durant and 15th Streets, where the man had been injured while he was riding a bicycle.

Apparently the man looked at another fellow, who was across the street. That other man turned out to be a member of some other gang. He pulled out a gun and shot several times at the man on the bike, who tried to get away. Continue reading→

Man shot twice in drive by shooting near 2700 West California Street

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The increase in gang violence in Santa Ana hit a new high with what looked like another gang-related drive by shooting, this time on a street of mostly single-family homes on Wednesday night, according to the O.C. Register.

A guy was riding a bike near the 2700 block of West California Street in the evening, at around 8:15 pm, when someone in a dark-colored vehicle, going in the opposite direction, fired on him.

The man tried to get away by making a u-turn on his bike, but as you can imagine that didn’t work. He was shot at four or five times. Two of the bullets landed in his upper body. Continue reading→

Saddleback High School student injured in a gang-related drive by shooting

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana, SAUSD 6 Comments

The latest gang-related drive-by shooting in Santa Ana targeted two Saddleback High School students who are known to be gang members. One boy was walking while another student was on a bicyle, as they traveled south on Baker Street, near West Alton Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. A vehicle pulled up at around 2:55 pm and several shots were fired, according to the O.C. Register.

The boy who was on foot was shot in the neck and shoulder. He was lucky – he escaped with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was injured. Continue reading→

The OCDA is hosting a free soccer camp this week to keep kids out of gangs

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Gangs, Garden Grove, OCDA, Santa Ana, Soccer, Sports, Youth Activities Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: April 6, 2015

TWELFTH ANNUAL SPRING YOUTH SOCCER CAMP CONTINUES TO BUILD SELF-ESTEEM AND ENCOURAGE POSITIVE CHOICES IN YOUNG STUDENTS

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is hosting the 12th annual Spring Youth Soccer Camp (SYSC) this week for selected elementary school students from Russell Elementary School in Santa Ana. SYSC is an ongoing community gang prevention effort organized through the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP) that encourages youth to avoid the eminent dangers of gang life and get involved in healthy team-building extra-curricular programs. The 3-day spring break soccer clinic kicked off this morning at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.

The program is being held at Russell Elementary School at 600 South Jackson Street, Santa Ana. Members of the media are invited to attend all portions of the event. Continue reading→

Teen hurt in drive by shooting a half mile from the SAPD’s headquarters

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 3 Comments

A 15-year-old boy was shot on Thursday at 4:34 pm along the 1000 block of North Van Ness Avenue, a half mile from the Santa Ana Police Department’s headquarters, in what appeared to be a drive-by shooting in Santa Ana on Thursday afternoon, according to the O.C. Register.

Two males were seen driving a green car in the same direction that the boy was walking. They pulled up next to him and fired two shots before driving off. The boy was shot once in the lower back. Continue reading→

Drive by shooting in Ward 2 sends two men to the hospital

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Two men in their late teens to early 20s were injured in a drive-by shooting in Santa Ana, near the intersection of South Main Street and East Chestnut Avenue, on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Santa Ana Police Department, as reported by the O.C. Register.

The men were actually shot in the 800 block of Cypress Avenue then they were taken by friends in a white van to a fire station by the intersection the police found them at. Continue reading→

The SAPD captured two gangbangers who shot a young woman in Ward 3

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Angelica Amezcua, Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 3 Comments

A 19-year-old Santa Ana woman was shot in the leg this Thursday night, at around 8 pm, while she was hanging out with two friends in her driveway, at the 1700 block of North Spurgeon Street, according to the O.C. Register.

An 18-year-old and 17-year-old drove up to the woman and her friends and fired five shots. The woman was hit once in her leg.

Fortunately an SAPD police officer was nearby, heard the shots and took chase as he saw a car taking off from the vicinity. The police officer pulled over Joshua Fermin, 18 of Santa Ana and a 17-year-old male friend of his at the Main Street onramp to the southbound I-5. Continue reading→

Gang members convicted of shooting at policeman on patrol

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Gangs 3 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12NF1746

Date: February 27, 2015

GANG MEMBERS CONVICTED OF FIRING SEVERAL ROUNDS AT OFFICER’S VEHICLE ON PATROL IN ANAHEIM

SANTA ANA – Three defendants were convicted yesterday for firing several rounds at a police officer’s vehicle that was out on patrol in Anaheim for the benefit of their Hispanic criminal street gang. Juan Carlos Covarrubias, 22, Jordy Roman Martinez, 21, Andrew Gomez Sanchez, 21, all of Anaheim, were found guilty by a jury of one felony count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and one felony count of street terrorism, with sentencing enhancements for the vicarious discharge of a firearm by a gang member and criminal street gang activity. They will each be sentenced to 35 years to life in state prison at their sentencing May 1, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Covarrubias, Martinez, and Sanchez were actively participating in a criminal Hispanic street gang with knowledge that its members engage in a pattern of criminal gang activity. Continue reading→

Spurgeon Intermediate on lock down after shots fired nearby

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD 1 Comment

The Santa Ana School Police Department has reported that shots were heard at around 3 pm by Spurgeon Intermediate School and it was placed on lock down temporarily as a precautionary measure.

The School Police and the SAPD responded to the area of 5th and Fairview in reference to the shots that were reported. Continue reading→

Gang bangers charged with firing at a police car

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Gangs Leave a comment

Juan Carlos Covarrubias

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12NF1746

Date: February 6, 2015

GANG MEMBERS TO FACE TRIAL FOR FIRING SEVERAL ROUNDS AT OFFICER’S VEHICLE ON PATROL IN ANAHEIM

SANTA ANA – Three defendants are expected to face trial Monday for firing several rounds at a police officer’s vehicle that was out on patrol in Anaheim for the benefit of their Hispanic criminal street gang. Juan Carlos Covarrubias, 22, Jordy Roman Martinez, 21, Andrew Gomez Sanchez, 21, all of Anaheim, are each charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit murder, two felony counts of attempted murder on a peace officer, one felony count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, and one felony count of street terrorism, with sentencing enhancements for the vicarious discharge of a firearm by a gang member and criminal street gang activity. If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison. Opening statements are expected to begin Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Covarrubias, Martinez, and Sanchez are accused of actively participating in a criminal Hispanic street gang with knowledge that its members engage is a pattern of criminal gang activity. Continue reading→

Another gang shooting in Ward 1, in South Santa Ana

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 11 Comments

Gang shootings are on the rise again in Santa Ana! The latest shooting occurred today when a gunman approached a group of up to five men outside a business on the 1700 block of South Main Street at around 1 am before opening fire, Santa Ana Police Department said, according to NBC News.

Officials said a light-colored compact car drove up to the group and a man got out of the passenger side to ask the men about their gang affiliation. He then pulled out a shotgun and fired a single round, which injured three of the men and damaged the business behind them, police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Judge approves a new gang injunction in Santa Ana

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Gangs, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: January 16, 2015

JUDGE ENJOINS 13TH ORANGE COUNTY VIOLENT STREET GANG FROM TERRORIZING NEIGHBORHOOD IN SANTA ANA

*This is the second gang injunction in the City of Santa Ana

SANTA ANA – A violent Santa Ana criminal street gang has been permanently enjoined from terrorizing the community and acting as a public nuisance, marking the 13th injunction to be brought against Orange County gangs and the second in the City of Santa Ana. This injunction is in response to decades of violent crimes committed by this gang and numerous residents pleading with law enforcement to eliminate the gang presence so that they no longer have to live in fear.

During the litigation on this case, a minor who was an active participant in the gang was murdered, a witness suffered a brutal assault, a woman was shot while waiting for a bus, a loaded sawed-off shotgun was discovered concealed in bushes in the gang’s claimed territory, and the gang’s graffiti vandalism has continued to plague the area. Ten individuals still contesting the injunction will be given a court hearing to contest their gang involvement. Continue reading→

OCDA claims that teen died because he was exempted from a gang injunction

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, OCDA, Santa Ana 2 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: January 8, 2015

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CHRISTMAS EVE MURDER OF JUVENILE DOCUMENTED GANG MEMBER IN SAFETY ZONE

SANTA ANA – Law enforcement is seeking additional information on a murder of a juvenile documented gang member inside a gang injunction safety zone on Christmas Eve. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) had filed a preliminary gang injunction in August 2014 against a Santa Ana criminal street gang, which named and sought to enjoin 17-year-old Angel Arellano, who was murdered inside the safety zone named in the injunction. At the time of the murder, Arellano was contesting the injunction and was not subject to its terms. There is a pre-trial scheduled on the injunction on Jan. 13, 2015, at 9:00 a.m., in Department C-14, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

On the night of Dec. 23, 2014, Arellano and some fellow gang members were armed and looking for rival gang members in the safety zone named in the injunction. Before midnight, Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) officers responded to a call of four to five shots fired on South Sullivan Street. While at the scene, SAPD officers were informed that Arellano had been taken and abandoned at Coastal Communities Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Arellano was immediately transported to Western Medical Center Santa Ana in critical condition, where he later died as a result of his gunshot wounds. Continue reading→

Teen named Angel Arellano shot to death in Roman Reyna’s Ward 5

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 11 Comments

SAPD Homicide Detectives are currently investigating shooting death in the 500 block of South Sullivan, according to the SAPD’s Facebook page. The shooting appears to be gang related.

NBC News reported that a teenager was shot dead and that he was between 16 and 18-years-old.

He was hit at least once in the torso at the 500 block of South Sullivan Street before midnight, according to the Santa Ana Police Department said. Continue reading→

Two young men shot in broad daylight in Councilwoman Martinez’ Ward

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Two men, both 18, were shot in the upper torso, on Friday in Santa Ana, at around 12:45 p.m. in the 700 block of East Chestnut Avenue, according to the O.C. Register. The men were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and they are expected to survive, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

The shooting happened on the north side of the campus of Roosevelt Elementary School. It is highly disturbing that the incident occurred at mid-day. The area in question is in Councilwoman Michele Martinez’ Ward 2. She has previously admitted to selling drugs when she was a teenager and the local law enforcement associations opposed her reelection campaign this year. Continue reading→