Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: Santa Ana

Brazen gangbangers shoot one and pistol whip two at Centennial Park in broad daylight

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 1 Comment

One of our readers reported yesterday on our Facebook page that there was a shooting at Centennial Park. Today that was verified by the O.C. Register as they reported that one man was shot and two others pistol-whipped by gangbangers at Centennial park on Tuesday afternoon.

The suspects, as many as six males, approached three 19-year-old men at the park, which is located at 3000 Edinger Ave., yesterday at around 4 p.m.  Then, as usual, the suspects asked the victims where they were from and gunfire ensued, leaving one victim wounded in his lower torso. Continue reading→

Community Policing forum for northeast Santa Ana residents set for March 30

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2016

West End Community Oriented Policing to present third Community Policing Forum for Santa Ana residents in North East District

Santa Ana, CA, – West End Community Oriented Policing, along with Connect-to-Council, will present the third Community Policing forum for the residents of Santa Ana. This forum will offer residents the opportunity to provide their input and assist in creating a community policing plan for Santa Ana. At the previous forums in January and February, some participants suggested that SAPD should build stronger partnerships with the community and faith-based organizations. Other suggestions are being solicited and the public is invited to share input. There are two more forums scheduled for the remaining policing districts (North East, and South East) in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

The SAPD had to be called in on Saturday at Santa Ana College when campus security was MIA

Posted on by Posted in Claudia Alvarez, Crime, Education, Santa Ana 10 Comments

An unidentified suspect described as a 6-foot tall Caucasian male between 50-60 years old terrorized a classroom at Santa Ana College on Saturday and prompted a professor to call 911 after campus security failed to answer his calls, according to the campus newspaper, El Don.

Communication Studies Professor Vera Holder took action after the suspect entered the C-Building on the east side of SAC’s main campus. Holder was teaching a class and leading a Communications Club meeting at around 4 p.m., at the time. Holder did not recognize the suspect so she asked him if he needed help.  Continue reading→

Suspect in theft of Buddhist statues arrested on South Harbor Blvd.

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Little Saigon, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – SAPD Detectives Request Assistance In Locating Suspect Wanted In Theft Of Buddhist Statues

On 03/18/16 detectives received information that suspect Trang Thu Pham was in the 900 block of South Harbor Blvd. Detectives contacted Pham and she was placed in custody for the no bail probation violation warrant.

Pham was transported to SAPD where she was interviewed by detectives reference the current allegations. Based on that interview she was booked into the SAPD Jail for two counts of Grand Theft and the no bail warrant. Continue reading→

SAUSD Trustee Valerie Amezcua flew to DC to learn about school governance

Posted on by Posted in Education, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 4 Comments

SAUSD’s Valerie Amezcua Joined NALEO Educational Fund and Latino Policymakers in Nation’s Capital for Policy Institute on School Governance

Two-day event equipped Amezcua and more than 40 other Latino officials with the skills and information needed to advance student success in their communities

(Santa Ana, CA) – Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education Clerk Valerie Amezcua joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the nation’s preeminent Latino leadership organization, and more than 40 other Latino school board members and trustees from across the country for the group’s National Policy Institute on School Governance.

The two-day Institute, held from March 15-16, 2016 in Washington D.C., focused on providing Latino public servants with the enhanced capacity and governance skills needed to become effective advocates for their students, families and communities. During the event, Amezcua and other participants had the opportunity to engage with leading education experts from the public, private and non-profit sectors who tackled pressing education policy and governance topics. Continue reading→

Female suspect allegedly steals Buddhist statues from a temple she vandalized before

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Request Assistance In Locating Suspect Wanted In Theft Of Buddhist Statues

On February 26, 2016, the Chua Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist Temple located at 1924 West 2nd street had two of its Buddhist statues stolen from their property. Surveillance video recorded a female removing two statues (each about 2 feet tall) from a shrine adjacent to the sidewalk in front of the temple. The same female suspect returned to the temple on March 6th, 2016 and stole a third statue. Each statue is valued at $1,000.

After viewing surveillance video, the victim recognized the suspect as the same suspect that was arrested in 2015 for vandalizing another temple. The victim remembered the media coverage from the previous incident and searched the Internet for the story. Continue reading→

22nd annual SAUSD Parent Conference set for March 19

Posted on by Posted in Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Contact:

Deidra Powell Williams (714) 558-5555

SAUSD Parent Conference to Provide Valuable Resources for Student Success

(March 16, 2016) – Parents of the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) are invited to attend the 22nd Annual Parent Conference on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at Villa Fundamental Intermediate School, located at 1441 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701. This year’s theme is SAUSD – Investing in the Future because students are our future leaders and citizens of tomorrow.

The event will feature a host of workshops and seminars, and community resources that are specifically designed to aid parents in supporting their student’s success. This event is free, and transportation is being provided from each school in the district to the location. Please visit the Santa Ana Unified School District website at www.sausd.us for pick up times. Continue reading→

Register for free for the Santa Ana Media Summit that is coming up on April 13

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For Immediate Release

Santa Ana Media Summit: Changing the Narrative

At the Santa Ana Media Summit: Changing the Narrative, our community will explore how the media covers Santa Ana and what we can all do to share our stories

The Santa Ana Media Summit: Changing the Narrative will bring together local print, radio, blog and social media reporters, editors and experts who will introduce community and business attendees to media and public relations topics such as How to Get Press Coverage, Latino Media, and how topics like crime and gentrification impact the narratives about Santa Ana and what we can do about it.

The Media Summit will occur Wednesday, April 13, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Santa Ana’s Downtown Artist’s Village, which will open historic buildings and art spaces as a multi-venue downtown campus. Continue reading→

Last chance to tell the City of Santa Ana how you feel about the arts

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: Last Chance for Arts and Culture Master Plan Survey 

The City of Santa Ana would like to hear from you on the topic of arts and culture in our community

The Arts and Culture Master Plan Community Survey will be closing on March 31st. Please take a moment to complete the survey and enter to win a $100 Visa gift card! If you have already completed the survey – Thank You!

You can help us reach more people by forwarding the survey to your friends and family, everyone is welcomed to participate! Continue reading→

Alzheimer’s patient missing in Santa Ana

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: MISSING PERSON: Prasert Sornnoi (78)

Description: Male, Asian, 4’11”, 119 pounds, gray hair, black eyes. Last seen wearing blue and white horizontal striped shirt, blue jeans, and brown sandals. Prasert Sornnoi was wearing a lanyard with a name tag containing his personal information at the time he went missing.

Last seen: Sornnoi was left alone in a vehicle parked at 1600 block West Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana while his roommate went into an office building for an appointment. When the roommate returned Sornnoi was not in the vehicle. Continue reading→

Discovery Cube Program receives a 2016 Superintendent Award

Posted on by Posted in Education, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

DISCOVERY CUBE’S PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM – FUTUROS RADIANTES – EARNS 2016 SUPERINTENDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSEUM EDUCATION

Spanish-Speaking Parents Learn How to Prepare Preschoolers to Enter Kindergarten Successfully through Discovery Cube’s Futuros Radiantes/Bright Futures Program

SANTA ANA, Calif., March 7, 2016 – Discovery Cube receives one of only six 2016 Superintendent’s Awards for Excellence in Museum Education for its Futuros Radiantes/Bright Futures program, recognized for helping Spanish-speaking parents teach children ages 5 and younger how to read, understand the concept of numbers and develop complex language skills. The program features a series of bilingual Spanish and English workshops designed to engage low-income families in science, technology, engineering and technology (STEM) education and prepare young learners to succeed in school. Continue reading→

Bubblefest is returning to the Discovery Cube on March 26

Posted on by Posted in Education, Entertainment, Family, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

DISCOVERY CUBE PREPARES TO BLOW YOUNG MINDS WITH 20th ANNUAL BUBBLEFEST

Outdoor Festival Combines the Artistry of Bubbles with the Awe of Real Science in a Spellbinding Laser, Lighting and Magic Show for the Whole Family

SANTA ANA, Calif.  – Calling all budding bubbleologists, Discovery Cube invites Southern California families to spend spring break at the 20th annual Bubblefest, an outdoor festival featuring bubble scientist and performance artist Deni Yang. This hands-on exhibit has been the most popular attraction at Discovery Cube for two decades, since 1996. Bubblefest will run March 26 to April 10, 2016 at Discovery Cube’s Orange County campus. Continue reading→

Two serial rapists/murderers who targeted Santa Ana women facing the death penalty

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

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 14ZF0337

Date: March 15, 2016

OCDA TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY AGAINST REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FOR SPECIAL-CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER OF FOUR WOMEN AFTER KIDNAPPING AND RAPING THE VICTIMS

*Co-defendant also facing the death penalty

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas announced today that he will seek the death penalty against a registered sex offender for the special-circumstances murder of four women after kidnapping and raping the victims. Franc Cano, 29, Anaheim, was 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.

Prior to seeking the death penalty against Cano, a special circumstances committee consisting of the District Attorney, the Senior Assistant and Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Homicide Unit, and other prosecutors experienced in capital cases met and discussed the nature of the crime, the vulnerability of the victims, the defendant’s criminal record, and other factors. The committee also considered mitigating circumstances presented by the defense attorney. Continue reading→

Santa Ana community budget outreach meeting set for March 29

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: Community Budget Outreach Meeting / Presentación Comunitaria sobre el Presupuesto Municipal

The community is invited to participate in the upcoming Community Budget Outreach Meeting on Tuesday March 29, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (20 Civic Center Plaza). This meeting is being held in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance which implements additional measures aimed at making city government more transparent.

Topics to be covered include: Continue reading→

The SAPD is continuing to try to suppress gang operations in Santa Ana

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Continues It’s Criminal Street Gang Suppression Operations

In an effort to address the surge in gang-related violence, the Santa Ana Police Department has developed a strategy, which incorporates continuous criminal street gang suppression enforcement operations.

On Sunday, March 13, 2016 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Santa Ana Gang Task Force, which consists of personnel from the Santa Ana Police Department, FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with Santa Ana Police Department’s Gang Unit, Field Operations Bureau, and Orange County Probation Department conducted a citywide gang suppression enforcement operation. The enforcement operation resulted in a total of 13 gang-related arrests. Continue reading→