There was a fire reported this morning at an apartment building located at the 600 block of East Walnut, in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Fire Authority.
Twenty seven OCFA firefighters were able to knock down the fire by 11:19 a.m.
The fire reportedly started in a second-floor unit of the apartment building and it spread to the building’s attic, according to the OCFA. Continue reading→
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Press Release: Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sales Arrest Incident
File Number(s): SW16198009
On January 16, 2016, at 5:24 AM, deputies were dispatched to the 45000 block of Pechanga Parkway reference a report of possible drug activity occurring out of a vehicle parked inside a parking structure.
Upon arriving on scene, deputies contacted the occupants of the vehicle identified as Rudy Torres and Karina Melgoza, both residents of the city of Santa Ana. Continue reading→
Santa Ana briefly turned into a scene from the Mad Max movie on Sunday, at 7:45 p.m., as two vehicles that were traveling north on South Main Street became involved in a road rage incident, according to the SAPD.
The suspect vehicle cut off the victim’s vehicle then proceeded to honk at the victim. The suspect, a male Latino, then pulled up next to the victim’s car and pointed a handgun at him. Continue reading→
Super King Market Opens a New Store in Santa Ana
Source: Mayor Miguel Pulido’s monthly newsletter
On July 12, 2016 Mayor Miguel Pulido attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for Super King Market’s new store in Santa Ana. Located at 2741 W. MacArthur Blvd., Super King Market opens their doors to the public Friday, July 15th at 9:00 am.
Super King Market is an international store providing top quality foods at a low cost. Super King consistently delivers the highest quality products at excellent values in clean stores. They also seek to support organizations active with food, families and the community by providing donations. Continue reading→
Mayor Pulido and Lady Gaga Work Together to Oppose Sexual Violence and Bring Awareness to the Cause
Source: Mayor Miguel Pulido’s monthly newsletter
Mayor Miguel Pulido recently had the honor of meeting Lady Gaga as the super star artist took part in a panel discussion on the global significance of building compassionate cities along with His Holiness the Dali Lama during the US Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. A victim of sexual assault at the age of 19, Lady Gaga emphasized the importance of working with young people to develop kindness and compassion.
As part of her efforts to stand against sexual violence, Lady Gaga has joined Vice President Joe Biden on his “It’s On Us” initiative to end sexual assault on college campuses. Gaga’s Oscar-nominated song “Til It Happens To You” is the track she co-wrote and recorded for The Hunting Ground, the 2015 documentary film about sexual assault on campuses. Continue reading→
A juvenile male was shot on Friday night in Santa Ana, just before midnight at the 1400 block of South Spruce St., according to the O.C. Register.
The victim was walking with several others when a vehicle pulled up alongside them and an unknown suspect fired one shot from a gun. The police do not yet know who the suspect was targeting. Continue reading→
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 13ZF0162
12CF3070
Date: July 15, 2016
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced today to 25 years to life state prison and two defendants were sentenced for their roles in the 1995 cold case kidnapping and brutal meat cleaver hacking murder of a man. Shannon Ray Gries, 45, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2016, to one count of felony-murder for murder during the commission of kidnapping and was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
Co-defendant Diane Tran, 47, Costa Mesa, pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2014, to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement for being armed with a firearm in the commission of a felony. Tran was sentenced today to four years in state prison. Kody Tran, Diane Tran’s husband, was also involved in the murder but died before charges were filed in this case. Continue reading→
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 12CF1907
Date: July 15, 2016
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A drunken driver was sentenced today to 22 years to life in state prison for murdering a 6-year-old girl and severely injuring the child’s sister and mother by crashing into them in a crosswalk after driving through a red light. Jessicah Louise Cowan, 37, Lake Hughes, was found guilty by a jury on April 15, 2016, of one felony count each of murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, hit and run with permanent injury or death, hit and run with injury, two felony counts of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, two felony counts of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more causing bodily injury, and an infraction for possession of marijuana while driving. Allegations and sentencing enhancements for causing bodily injury to Eloisa M. and Grisea M., having a blood alcohol content of .20 percent or more, fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter, and causing great bodily injury were found true. Continue reading→
City of Santa Ana
The Friends of Santa Ana Zoo (FOSAZ), a non-profit organization, is pleased to announce its 24th annual Zoofari “Year of the Monkey” gala fundraising event. Tickets sales and media and sponsorship opportunities are now generally available to the public for purchase online or by calling (714) 953-8555 x10.
Tickets to this exclusive black-tie, fundraising gala under the stars are $300 each. Private tables for 10 are available for $3,000 each. Space is limited. Guests must purchase tickets and tables in advance of the event. The annual gala will take place Saturday, August 27 from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. at the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park, located at 1801 East Chestnut Avenue in Santa Ana. Continue reading→
Santa Ana Police Department
Advisory: Detectives request public’s assistance in identifying suspect in hardware store robbery.
Location: 1540 E. Warner/McFadden – McFadden-Dale Hardware Store
On 06/10/2016 at approximately 9 a.m. the photographed suspect took several items from the business without paying for them. He was then confronted by store employees and the suspect used force to flee the scene.
Suspect is described as: Male, White, 25-30 years old, 5’6”-5’8” tall, dark hair, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, grey jacket, black pants and a blue Quick Silver hat. Continue reading→
Did you know that former Santa Ana City Commissioner Thomas Gordon maintains a second home in Denver, CO? He has in fact served in City Commissions both in Denver and in Santa Ana. Yet Gordon today is attacking former Santa Ana Planning Commissioner Sean Mill, who resigned from his city post after Gordon and Liberal OC blogger Dan Chmielewski paid a private investigator to tail Mill to see if he was living in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.
As it turns out both Gordon and Chmielewski have been caught red-handed previously by Mill. It was Mill who discovered that Chmielewski was running a business based in Santa Ana, a few years ago, but he had not at the time acquired or paid for a Santa Ana city business license. And of course it was Mill who brought up Gordon’s own residency issues when Gordon was a Santa Ana City Commissioner. Continue reading→
Apparently several Santa Ana City Council members are scheming to get rid of our overpaid City Manager, David Cavazos, if Santa Ana City Council Member Michele Martinez is successful in her campaign for the First Supervisorial District, in the upcoming November Primary Election, according to one of our City Hall pajaritos.
The plan, which appears to be the work of City Council Member David Benavides, is to convince the rest of the City Council to replace Martinez on the City Council, should she move on to the O.C. Board of Supervisors, with Planning Commissioner Phil Bacerra. He would then join Benavides and three other City Council Members, and Mayor Miguel Pulido, in voting to fire Cavazos. Continue reading→
Irvine Police Department Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Release #: 07-12-2016
CONTACT: Farrah Emami, 949-724-7112, femami@cityofirvine.org
Irvine Police Arrest Man Following Burglary-In-Progress Report
Irvine, CA – The Irvine Police Department has arrested a man for burglarizing an electronic repair business. William Cortez, 24, of Santa Ana, was taken into custody on charges of commercial burglary and vandalism.
Shortly before 1:00 a.m. today, July 12, 2016, officers responded to an electronic repair business on Sky Park Circle regarding a burglary in progress. The owner called police after watching remote video and observing someone in his business. Continue reading→
Santa Ana Police Department
Location: 3900 W. Hazard Ave.
Suspect #1: Male, Hispanic (NFD)
Vehicle: 2007-2011, Nissan, Armada, dark gray
Synopsis: On 07/10/16 at 12:19 AM, officers responded to a vehicle vs. multi pedestrian, hit and run collision on Hazard Ave. west of Harbor Blvd. Upon arrival, the officers located the victims lying in the street on Hazard Ave. Statements obtained indicated the three pedestrians were standing in the two way turn lane on Hazard Ave. when a dark colored SUV, driven by a male Hispanic, drove eastbound in the two way turn lane and struck the pedestrians. Two of the pedestrians sustained critical injuries from the collision and one died as a result of the collision. The driver failed to stop and continued eastbound on Hazard Ave. then southbound on Harbor Blvd. Continue reading→
SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas has not only lost the war on crime in our city – he has also lost the support of his own police officers.
Rojas, who was hired by our City Council with zero executive experience (primarily because he is a Latino), inherited a police department that his predecessor, Chief Paul Walters, had built into one of the top police departments in the entire country. Walters, who is now Chief of Staff to Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, always worked well with his police officers. Continue reading→
