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Tag Archives: murder

Police investigating the stabbing murder of a Costa Mesa man

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime 1 Comment

CMPD INVESTIGATING STABBING DEATH OF MALE VICTIM AS HOMICIDE

Investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released until confirmed

COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is currently investigating the stabbing death of a male victim as a homicide. CMPD and Costa Mesa Fire Department responded to multiple calls regarding a possible stabbing at the 600 block of Shasta Lane, at approximately 5:20 a.m. this morning, March 11, 2017.

When officers arrived, they were directed by several subjects into a 2-story apartment complex. Upon entering, officers located an unresponsive male in his 30s with severe injuries inside the residence. The caller, a female acquaintance of the victim, was located in an upstairs bedroom. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man identified as a cold case murder suspect thought to be hiding in Mexico

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, mexico, OCDA, Santa Ana 1 Comment

CMPD HAS IDENTIFIED HOMICIDE SUSPECT IN 1997 COLD CASE RAPE-MURDER OF 26-YEAR-OLD FEMALE VICTIM
 
Case will be submitted to the Orange County District Attorney

COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) has identified the suspect in the 1997 cold case rape-murder of 26-year-old Sunny Adrienne Sudweeks. The identity of the suspect has been unknown until recently and after extensive follow-up investigation and exhausting all avenues to capture the suspect, CMPD hopes to bring the suspect to justice by making his identity known. Felipe Vianney Hernandez Tellez, 43, has been identified as the homicide suspect who raped and murdered Sudweeks in 1997. Continue reading→

Police officers lined up at the OC Coroner’s office in Santa Ana to mourn the murder of a fellow officer

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

There was a commotion in Santa Ana today as the body of Keith Boyer, a 25-year veteran of the Whittier Police Department, arrived at the O.C. Coroner’s office, located at 1071 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Our readers reported that police from various agencies turned out to honor Boyer as a police helicopter flew overhead.

Earlier this morning dozens of police officers from different agencies formed two lines to honor Boyer, as his body was wheeled out between them and placed into the Orange County Coroner’s white Chrysler van at the UCI Medical Center in Orange, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

The SAPD has arrested four suspects in two recent gang-related killings in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, OCDA, Santa Ana 17 Comments

In a break from the norm the SAPD has arrested two gangbangers in connected with two homicides – and SAPD Chief Carlos Rojas, who may be barely clinging to his job at this point, announced reward money of up to $50K is being offered for information regarding this past week’s four homicides, according to the O.C. Register.

Chief Rojas announced at a press conference that “It’s pretty unusual to have as many as we have had in that period of time,” indicating that he has apparently forgotten that we had 27 shootings in the month of January, this year. Continue reading→

A man was shot and killed today in a gang-related shooting near Pio Pico Elementary

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Fatal shooting at W. Cubbon and S. Flower St

At 1:44 p.m. today the SAPD received a phone call from a man who reported that his friend had been shot in the area of 800 West Cubbon Street, in Santa Ana.

The man drove the victim to a local hospital were he died from his injuries. Continue reading→

The family of the woman who was killed at a Santa Ana shopping center needs help to pay for her funeral

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

Trisha Verdugo and her family

As we reported yesterday, 27-year old Trisha Irene Verdugo of Orange, was maliciously run over and killed on Thursday at the parking lot of the vacant Food 4 Less store at 1900 N. Grand Ave., in Santa Ana. Verdugo was there to pay her respects for her 23-year old cousin Joseph Frank Garcia who was shot and killed at the same location the night before.

Verdugo left behind a 2-year old daughter and her partner, Rene Acosta. Her family is now trying to raise money to pay for her funeral services. Click here to donate. Continue reading→

Felon convicted of stabbing another man to death at a park in Tustin

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

Robert Jesus Wilson, 53, a man convicted of stabbing 39-year-old Robert Carranza to death at Tustin’s Frontier Park, was sentenced Friday to 56-years-to-life in prison, according to the O.C. Register.

Wilson claimed that he acted in self-defense when he stabbed Carranza in the neck during a fight at Frontier Park at 3:15 in the afternoon. Wilson was on parole at the time of the attack. Continue reading→

A woman was killed while paying respects to a man who died at a Santa Ana shopping center

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Jose Solorio, Orange, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide By Vehicle 1900 Block Of North Grand Avenue

Victim: Trisha Irene Verdugo (27) Orange

On Thursday, February 9, 2017, at 10:41 PM, SAPD Officers responded to a report of a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree store located at 1900 North Grand Ave.

Upon arrival, officers located a 27-year old adult female, Trisha Irene Verdugo of Orange, down in the parking lot with multiple injuries. Verdugo died at the scene as a result of her injuries. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man convicted of shooting and murdering his sister’s boyfriend

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0763

Date: February 9, 2017

MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERING HIS SISTER’S BOYFRIEND BY SHOOTING HIM BEFORE FLEEING TO MEXICO

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted today of murdering his sister’s boyfriend by shooting him before fleeing to Mexico. Adan Rodriguez Leon, 34, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of first degree murder, and a sentencing enhancement for personal discharge of a firearm causing death was found to be true. Leon faces a maximum sentence of 52 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on April 14, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-44, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

A man was found shot to death behind a vacant Food 4 Less store in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Jose Solorio, Orange, Santa Ana 2 Comments

The former Food 4 Less supermarket located at 1900 N. Grand Ave. has been vacant for many years and now 23-year old Joseph Frank Garcia, a resident of Orange, has been found shot to death behind that store, according to the SAPD.

The body was found in an alley late on Wednesday night, at around 10:30 p.m., by a security guard. The victim is a man who appeared to be in his 20s, according to the SAPD.  Continue reading→

Man sentenced after a Guns and Roses song inspired him to kill his former girlfriend

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 12ZF0154

Date: February 3, 2017

MAN SENTENCED TO 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN STATE PRISON FOR MURDER OF FORMER GIRLFRIEND DURING CONFRONTATION AFTER LISTENING TO GUNS N’ ROSES SONG

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison today of the murder of his former girlfriend during a confrontation after listening to a Guns N’ Roses song. Thomas Michael Wilhelm, 53, Costa Mesa, was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 30, 2016, of one felony count of first-degree murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death.

At approximately 6:25 p.m. on July 8, 2012, Wilhelm entered a neighbor’s home on Redwood Avenue in Costa Mesa and stole a handgun. The defendant returned to his own home to kill his former girlfriend and business partner of three years, 45-year-old Christine Murray. The victim sent text messages to a friend eleven minutes before her murder stating Wilhelm was drinking alcohol, loudly playing and singing along to a Guns N’ Roses song with the lyrics, “I used to love her, but I had to kill her.” Wilhelm then entered the victim’s bedroom, chased her into the bathroom, pulled out the firearm, and shot the victim six times. Since he had run out of ammunition, Wilhelm returned to his neighbor’s home, stole a shotgun, and fired one round into the ground as he unsuccessfully attempted to shoot himself. Continue reading→

Death penalty for sex offender who kidnapped and murdered three Santa Ana women

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

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case #14ZF0337

Date: February 3, 2017

REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO RECEIVE DEATH PENALTY FOR SPECIAL-CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER OF FOUR WOMEN AFTER KIDNAPPING THE VICTIMS

*Co-defendant is also facing the death penalty

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A registered sex offender was sentenced to receive the death penalty today for the special-circumstances murder of four women after kidnapping the victims. Steven Dean Gordon, 48, Anaheim, was indicted by the grand jury on Oct. 2, 2014. He was found guilty by a jury on Dec. 15, 2016, of four felony counts of special circumstances murder with sentencing enhancements for kidnapping and multiple murders. The OCDA announced on Dec. 11, 2015, that it would seek the death penalty against Gordon, and a jury recommended the death penalty for Gordon on Dec. 21, 2016.

Co-defendant Franc Cano, 30, Anaheim, was also indicted by the grand jury on Oct. 2, 2014, and is charged with four felony counts of special circumstances murder and four felony counts of forcible rape. The special circumstance sentencing enhancements are for murder during the commission of rape, multiple murders, lying in wait, and kidnapping. The OCDA announced on March 15, 2016, that it would seek the death penalty against Cano. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on May 12, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man acted in self defense when he killed his sister’s boyfriend, according to his attorney

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Adan Rodriguez Leon, a 34-year old Santa Ana man who is on trial for shooting his sister’s boyfriend to death during an argument is finally getting to tell his side of the story, as his defense attorney is arguing that he acted in self-defense, according to the O.C. Register.

Leon is facing a felony murder charge for killing 39-year old Paul Guzman, 39, in 2015. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man on trial after killing his sister’s boyfriend and fleeing to Mexico

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

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0763

Date: January 27, 2017

MAN TO FACE TRIAL FOR SHOOTING-MURDER OF SISTER’S BOYFRIEND BEFORE FLEEING TO MEXICO

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man is scheduled to face trial on Monday for the shooting-murder of his sister’s boyfriend before fleeing to Mexico. Adan Rodriguez Leon, 34, Santa Ana, was charged on April 13, 2015, with one felony count of murder and a sentencing enhancement for personal discharge of a firearm causing death. If convicted, Leon faces a maximum sentence of 52 years to life in state prison. The defendant is being held on $5 million bail, and opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-44, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 8, 2015, Leon is accused of going to the home of his sister’s boyfriend, 39-year-old Paul Guzman, in Santa Ana. The defendant is accused of contacting Guzman and walking down the sidewalk with him. Leon is accused of pulling out a loaded firearm, shooting the victim multiple times, and fleeing the scene. 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→