New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: police

Woman convicted of murder after she ran over a Santa Ana man’s head

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 10CF2478

Date: March 30, 2015

WOMAN CONVICTED OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER DURING ROBBERY BY DRIVING OVER MAN’S HEAD AFTER FOLLOWING HIM HOME FROM HAWAIIAN GARDENS CASINO

SANTA ANA – A woman was convicted today of the special circumstances murder of a man by driving over his head after following him home from a Hawaiian Gardens Casino to rob him of $10,000 in gambling winnings. Barbara Ann Hamel, 51, Long Beach, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of special circumstances murder for committing a murder during a robbery, two felony counts of second degree robbery, and one felony count of attempted second degree robbery. Hamel faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole at her sentencing on May 29, 2015, at 9:00 a.m., in Department C-41, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Hamel previously pleaded guilty in this case on Dec. 13, 2013, and was expected to be sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison on Feb. 21, 2014. During the sentencing the court allowed Hamel to withdraw her guilty plea based on the defendant’s request to have evidence in this case further analyzed. Continue reading→

Rapper “Immortal Technique” and one of his homies arrested for robbery

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, music, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana Police Arrest Rap Artist “Immortal Technique” And One Other For Robbery

Arrested:

Felipe Andres Coronel (37) New York City, New York
Steven Alexander McDaniel (40) Mission Viejo

Summary: Thursday, 3/26/15, at approximately 7:45 P.M., officers responded to 3600 South Susan reference an assault and robbery which had just occurred. Officers located two victims who advised they were selling T-shirts with the headliner rap artist “Immortal Technique” trademarked logo at The Observatory when they were confronted by 10 to 12 members of the group’s entourage. The victims stated they were beaten and had their T-shirts, cash and cell phones forcibly taken from them by the group. Continue reading→

Two men stabbed, one in the face, in separate attacks in Santa Ana

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

What a bloody year it has been in Santa Ana so far in 2015. Last night, on Thursday, two more men were stabbed in separate incidents, according to the O.C. Register.

In the first incident the SAPD showed up at an attempted robber, at around 11:40 pm, in the 700 block of South Van Ness Avenue, which is in Santa Ana’s Ward 2, which is represented by Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Apparently a suspect who was wearing a ski mask and gloves ran up to a man and proceeded to stab him in the face! Continue reading→

Man suspected of kidnapping and assaulting his girlfriend arrested

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives and US Marshals Arrest Suspect in Kidnapping, Domestic Violence, and Criminal Threats Case

On March 26, 2015, at approximately 8:45 PM, Santa Ana Police Detectives working in partnership with the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Fugitive Task Force, arrested Sergio Joaquin Mendoza, age 25, for kidnapping, domestic violence abuse, and making criminal threats. Mendoza is currently being held at the Orange County Jail. Bail has been set at $100,000.

On March 21, 2015, Mendoza and his girlfriend were living together in a rented room in his grandmother’s house in Santa Ana. That day, Mendoza and the victim had an argument. Mendoza allegedly began assaulting the victim and prevented her from leaving the residence. He continued assaulting her throughout the day and carved his name on the victim’s chest with a razor blade. Continue reading→

Buddhist monk suspected of fraud dies of apparent suicide

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Conduct Fraud Investigation

Person Of Interest Buddhist Monk Dies Of Apparent Suicide

On March 1, 2015, at about 1115 hours, officers responded to the Tu Nghiem Temple at 5418 W. 4th street reference a group of approximately 30 people who were at the temple demanding money back from the head monk, Dao Nguyen, age 44. The members of the group alleged that Nguyen had defrauded them of thousands of dollars after he collected monies for a congregational trip to Vietnam that never occurred. Continue reading→

Taxi stolen in in Santa Ana tonight chased by the CHP all the way to Lancaster

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The California Highway Patrol was in a slow pursuit of a stolen taxi on the northbound 5 and 605 Freeways late Thursday night. The chase began in Santa Ana, and continued after an unsuccessful attempt to use a PIT maneuver to stop the taxi in Anaheim, according to CBS News.

NBC is reporting that the taxi was stolen when the taxi driver stopped at a 7-11 on First and Flower. The cab driver left the taxi unattended with the keys in the ignition. When he left the 7-11 he saw the taxi being driven away by the suspect, who was eventually identified as Hugo Francisco Gonzalez, 25, of Santa Ana.

The chase continued north on the 5 Freeway into the Cities of Buena Park and Norwalk at about 30 miles per hour until the driver decided to turn north on the 605 Freeway. He later passed through Santa Fe Springs and Whittier before taking the 60 Freeway West, towards Los Angeles. Continue reading→

Police catch a suspected car thief after a brief chase in Ward 4

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A suspected car thief in a burgundy car was chased briefly by the SAPD on the south side of the city, near South Bristol Street and West Segerstrom Ave., at around 9:45 pm on Tuesday night, according to the O.C. Register.

When the chase came to an end the suspect tried to run away on foot but was caught and arrested.

A driver of an apparently stolen vehicle led Santa Ana police on a short chase in the south end of the city Tuesday night before he attempted to flee on foot. 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→

L.A. burglars who targeted O.C. homes arrested

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Newport Beach, Orange County Leave a comment

Newport Beach Police Department

Community Alert: Press Release – Three Residential Burglary Suspects Arrested

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at approximately 2:17 p.m., a resident called the Newport Beach Police Department’s Dispatch Center to report a Residential Burglary in Progress in the 200 block of Evening Canyon Road. The resident had just returned home and found two unknown male Hispanics inside his residence. The men exited the home, entered a white Kia sedan, and fled the scene along with a subject who had been waiting in the car. The vehicle was last seen travelling northbound on Evening Canyon Road.

Newport Beach Dispatchers immediately notified Newport Beach and Laguna Beach officers of the vehicle and suspect descriptions. HB1, the Huntington Beach Police Department’s helicopter, also responded to offer air support. Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for burglars who stole parts from Alltech Electronics

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Burglary Detectives Request Assistance in Identifying Suspects

On Sunday, 3/22/15 at 11:19 P.M., officers responded to a commercial burglary (at Alltech Electronics) in the 1300 block of East Edinger, in Santa Ana. The business owner discovered the front glass doors to the business had been shattered. Surveillance video captured three male subjects entering the business shortly before midnight and remaining in the building for a couple of hours.

The loss is estimated at approximately $360,000 in high-end computer components. The business is equipped with an alarm, however, the suspects had disabled the system prior to entry. Continue reading→

The Public Safety Committee will consider police body cameras at tonight’s meeting

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Police officers from the SAPD will apparently be discussing the possible use of body cameras on SAPD officers at the City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Improvement Committee meeting tonight at 5:30 pm, at the conference room 1600 that is located inside the City Hall Ross Annex, at 20 Civic Center Plaza, according to the O.C. Register.

There have been a slew of officer-involved shootings over the past month – just as gang violence has also been rising throughout the city. Continue reading→

Man who tried to steal a tip jar and attacked a retired cop gets one year in jail

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Francisco Cardenas, 26, a Santa Ana resident, pleaded guilty to felony assault and misdemeanor petty theft on Monday, in Orange County’s Superior Court. Cardenas was arrested on March 7, this year, when he tried to steal the tip jar at a Starbucks Coffee in Huntington Beach. A retired police officer, Scott Fahey, tried to stop Cardenas from doing that and Cardenas reacted by hitting him with his fists and with a metal sign, according to the O.C. Register.

O.C. Superior Court Judge Derek G. Johnson also sentenced Cardenas to three years of supervised probation and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims of the assault and theft. Continue reading→

Tustin Police Department Use of Force Town Hall meeting set for 3/25

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Public Safety, Tustin Leave a comment

Tustin, CA Police Department

Community Alert: A Candid Look at Law Enforcement Use of Force

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015, The Tustin Police Department will be hosting a Town Hall meeting at the new City of Tustin Community Center in the Tustin Market Place. The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and members of the community are encouraged to attend.

The topic of this Town Hall Meeting will be “A Candid Look at Law Enforcement Use of Force.” The presentation will be conducted by members of the Tustin Police Department. Continue reading→

Anti-police protesters take over First Street

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Anti-police protesters took over a span of First Street, in Santa Ana today, to protest the recent police shooting of Ernesto Javier Canepa Diaz, a man who was accused of robbing a 63-year-old Latina grandmother on Feb. 13 while she was loading her grandchildren into a car in the 2300 block of N. Louise St.

Taking over a public street without a parade permit is illegal and poses a danger to the drivers and the protesters. Continue reading→

SAPD Detectives investigate marijuana grow

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Drugs, Marijuana, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives investigate marijuana grow

Orange County Fire Authority responded at 7:00 AM this morning to a fire alarm coming from a commercial building in the 1100 block of East 17th Street.

When OCFA personnel arrived, five males fled the business in various vehicles. Continue reading→