Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: police

Santa Ana gangbanger pleads guilty to shooting at SAPD police officers

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Imagine what might happen if you shot at police officers? Oscar Freddie Torres, a 19-year-old Santa Ana gang member, now is facing the consequences for doing just that. He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to grossly negligent discharge of a firearm because he allegedly opened fire on SAPD police officers that were responding to a domestic dispute, according to the O.C. Register.

Torres accepted a deal in return for his guilty plea that dropped attempted murder charges. He also admitted to sentencing enhancement allegations for the personal use of a firearm and criminal street gang activity. Continue reading→

Car theft suspect fled from the Costa Mesa police then escaped in Santa Ana

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Costa Mesa and Santa Ana Police were searching for a man who led officers on a short, high-speed vehicle pursuit early this morning, but got away, according to the O.C. Register.

Costa Mesa police officers tried to pull the suspect over this morning for a vehicle code violation at 2:35 a.m. as he was driving a Honda Accord near the intersection of 17th Street and Newport Boulevard, according to the Costa Mesa police. Continue reading→

A car crashed into a CHP vehicle last night at Fourth and Cabrillo Park Drive

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Imagine crashing into a police vehicle? That happened to two people in Santa Ana last night at about 10:10 p.m. as the car they were riding in collided with a California Highway Patrol vehicle at Fourth Street and Cabrillo Park Drive, according to the O.C. Register.

The passengers in the civilian vehicle complained of pain, so paramedics were called to the scene. I have a feeling Los Defensores will be getting a new client today! Continue reading→

The SAPD is conducting a DUI and Drivers License Checkpoint on Saturday night

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Sat, November 26th, 2016, 9:30 PM to 2:30 AM, 1500 E. McFadden Ave.

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, November 26th, 2016. It will begin at 9:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1500 E. McFadden Ave., in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash with a car this morning near Thornton Park

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An unidentified 31-year-old man was struck and killed by a car as he rode his motorcycle near Segerstrom Avenue and Spruce Street this morning at around 6:15 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The unfortunate motorcyclist collided with a small car and he was declared to be deceased at the scene by paramedics, according to the O.C. Fire Authority. Continue reading→

SAPD detectives looking for an armed man who robbed a 76 gas station

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Request Media and Public’s Assistance In Identifying Suspect Wanted In Armed Robbery of Gas Station

Suspect: Male White or Hispanic, 21-25 years old, black hair, medium build, 5’ 7” -5’ 9” tall, wearing dark sunglasses, white t-shirt, dark colored shorts and blue athletic shoes

Synopsis: On 10/13/2016 at 6:50 a.m., the suspect enters the 76 gas station and demands that the victim give him money from the cash register. After the victim refuses, the suspect begins to yell, “Give me the money, bitch!” then jumps over the display table while waving a black knife at her. The suspect chases the victim out of the business through a rear exit then returns. He physically rips the cash deposit box/till from the table, enters a newer model Kia Forte and flees the scene. Continue reading→

Suspect arrested in string of Orange County storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts

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Stuff that Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin stole from storage units and mail boxes

Stuff that Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin stole from storage units and mail boxes

Irvine Police arrest suspect in storage-unit burglaries, seek possible victims of identity theft

Irvine, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2016) – The Irvine Police Department (IPD) has arrested Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin in connection with a string of storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts that have occurred from May through November of this year.

Arreguin and at least two other suspects are believed to have stolen mail from North Tustin, Newport Beach, Laguna Woods and Costa Mesa. The suspects are further accused of using other people’s identities to obtain storage units, then committing burglaries at those locations. The suspects have taken paperwork including bills, credit cards and more, and have attempted to open credit accounts using the stolen information. There have been more than 20 such storage-unit burglaries in Irvine, Santa Ana and possibly other cities. Continue reading→

Former NBA star Rodman charged with a hit and run crash after wrong way driving on the 5 Fwy.

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 16CM10636

Date: November 21, 2016

FORMER NBA STAR CHARGED WITH HIT AND RUN WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE AFTER DRIVING WRONG WAY ON FREEWAY CAUSING CRASH

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former NBA star was charged today with hit and run with property damage for driving the wrong way on the freeway and causing a crash. Dennis Keith Rodman, 55, Newport Beach, is charged with one misdemeanor count of hit and run with property damage, one misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle across a dividing section, one misdemeanor count of giving false information to a police officer, and one misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a valid license. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of two years in county jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 20, 2017, in Department C-54, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading→

A Santa Ana man died after a drug overdose at the American Junkie bar in Newport Beach

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american-junkie-bar

Ahmed Said, a 25-year old Santa Ana man died after overdosing at the American Junkie bar in Newport Beach on Thursday night, according to the O.C. Register. (Click here to see American Junkie’s awful Yelp reviews).

Said died at 7:20 a.m. on Friday at the Huntington Beach Hospital after being rushed there from the American Junkie bar, according to the O.C. Coroner.  Continue reading→

Former Santa Ana schoolteacher found guilty of molesting and filming girls in the Philippines

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Robert Ornelas, 2001

Robert Ornelas, 2001

Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office

Central District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 18, 2016

Former Orange County Teacher in Sex Tourism Case Found Guilty of Traveling to Philippines to Molest Young Girls and Filming the Abuse

SANTA ANA, California – A former teacher with the Santa Ana School District who traveled to the Philippines to engage in sex with two girls and produced videos of the abuse has been convicted in federal court of seven child exploitation offenses.

Robert Ruben Ornelas, 65, of Santa Ana, a onetime school teacher and girl’s softball coach, was found guilty yesterday afternoon of seven counts – two counts of engaging in sexual conduct in a foreign place, three counts of producing child pornography, and two counts of possessing child pornography. Continue reading→

The SAPD arrested a man after he fled in a stolen car and slammed into a police car

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santa-ana-payaso-driver

An unidentified man who was fleeing from the police crashed into a police vehicle today in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident began near the Civic Center today at around 3:30 p.m., when police officers tried to pull the vehicle over for traffic violation. That is when the driver sped off.  Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman who tattooed her face to hide from the cops heading to prison

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Tracy Clapp After

Tracy Clapp After

Tracy Clapp, a 36-year old Santa Ana woman, found out today that she is heading to prison for six years, for running over and killing Christopher Chavez, a 26-year old Santa Ana high school band teacher in a hit and run crash on April 20, according to the O.C. Register.

Clapp ran over Chavez as he was walking in a crosswalk at Bristol Street and Central Ave. at around 2:15 a.m. SAPD police investigators said that Clapp ran a red light, in her SUV, when she hit Chavez. She then took off after she saw that he was injured. Continue reading→

Two rape suspects arrested by the SAPD in a cold case dating back to 1999

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Jose Plascencia

Jose Plascencia

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana Police Detectives Make Two Arrests in Investigation of 1999 Kidnap and Rape

Arrested: Ismael Salgado (36) Chicago Illinois and Jose Plascencia (36) Laveen Arizona 

Santa Ana Police Department Detectives made two arrests connected to the brazen 1999 kidnapping and rape investigation. On February 3, 1999, at 5:30 P.M., an 11-year-old girl was casually walking home with a friend, the second victim, near Jerome Center in Santa Ana. Two adult males pulled their car alongside the girls and tried to entice them inside. The first victim refused to enter and one of the males grabbed her, forcing her inside the car with the second victim. The suspects drove both victims out of the area. Continue reading→

A pedestrian was struck by a car and killed on Monday night near Centennial Park

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An unidentified pedestrian died on Monday night after he was hit by a car while crossing the street at the 3200 block of Edinger Avenue, in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers showed up at the scene just before 10 p.m. and found that the victim had been crossing the westbound lanes of Edinger Avenue, north of Centennial Park, when a Ford sedan hit him.  Continue reading→