Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: Santa Ana

So how will our new City Manager, Dave Cavazos, cut our city budget?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, David Cavazos 14 Comments

David Cavazos

Santa Ana’s new overpaid millionaire City Manager, Dave Cavazos, was hired in part, if you believe what the Council Members are saying, because he cut the budget at his last job, in Phoenix.  But how is he going to cut Santa Ana’s budget when it has already been cut to the bone?

Our last City Manager, Paul Walters, saved the city from its last budget crisis, by outsourcing the Santa Ana Fire Department, to the Orange County Fire Authority.  Will Cavazos have the cojones to outsource the Santa Ana Police Department to the Orange County Sheriff?

What else can he cut?  Well here are a few items he should cut right away: Continue reading→

Men from L.B. and the I.E. busted for trying to solicit sex in Santa Ana

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

OCDA Seal

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release, Case # 13CM05592/13CM07073: August 28, 2013

TWO SEX PURCHASERS SENTENCED FOR SOLICITING SEX FROM WOMAN WHOM THEY BELIEVED TO BE PROSTITUTE

SANTA ANA – Two sex purchasers were convicted and sentenced today for soliciting sex from a woman whom they believed to be a prostitute. Jose Hernandez Rojas, 35, Long Beach, and Javier Quiroz Serrano, 35, Riverside, pleaded guilty today to one misdemeanor count each of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Both defendants were sentenced to three years of informal probation, 10 days in jail with the possibility of CalTrans in lieu of jail, and must submit to AIDS testing and education. Continue reading→

Santa Ana cosmetics company goes up in flames early this morning

Posted on by Posted in Business, Fires, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Crews from multiple fire departments knocked down a four-alarm blaze that erupted early Wednesday outside at a Santa Ana warehouse belonging to the La Rosa Company, located at the 2100 block of South Anne Street.  Emergency personnel responded to the fire at about 1:15 a.m. after multiple callers reported the fire, which threatened at least four buildings, according to the KTLA.

The warehouse contained metal containers with corrosive materials, said Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Steve Concialdi. The structure did not burn, but chemicals stored outside the warehouse burned under an awning, fire officials said, according to NBC. Continue reading→

Should Santa Ana’s Cinco de Mayo and Fiestas Patrias be run by volunteers?

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, mexico, Santa Ana 18 Comments

Did you know that Santa Ana’s popular Cinco de Mayo and Fiestas Patrias festivals used to be run by local businessmen and volunteers?  That was before the City of Santa Ana decided to hire a promoter, MX Live, to run these events.

But is MX Live really doing a good enough job to justify this corporate takeover?  Check out their website,their Facebook Page and the City’s website, and you will find that there is no mention of this year’s Fiestas Patrias, which are coming up in mid-September – just a few weeks from now.  What gives? Continue reading→

Is crime in Downtown Santa Ana being under-reported?

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Downtown Santa Ana Security Guards

A friend of mine runs a small business in Downtown Santa Ana, over at what they now call the East End Promenade.  The other day he saw a drug dealer working nearby so my friend called the Downtown security guards and they came over and rousted the guy.  Before long the drug dealer was back so this time my friend called the police. They knew nothing about any of this.  And the truth dawned on my friend – the security guards in the Downtown are not passing their reports along to the Santa Ana Police Department.

Why should they?  They report directly to Ryan Chase, the son of Downtown Santa Ana landlord Irv Chase.  So of course they don’t give their reports to the police – but what this means is that the Santa Ana Police Department’s crime statistics are way off.  Most of the incidents going on in Downtown Santa Ana, at night, are not being reported to the cops.  The Downtown Inc. crowd is essentially cooking the crime books. Continue reading→

Seven men convicted for trying to solicit sex from prostitutes in Santa Ana

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

OCDA Seal

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: August 27, 2013

SEVEN SEX PURCHASERS CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR SOLICITING COMMERCIAL SEX

SANTA ANA – Seven sex purchasers were convicted and sentenced yesterday, Aug. 26, 2013, for soliciting commercial sex from women in exchange for money. Primitivo Nava, 41, Santa Ana, Israel Ruiz, 29, Garden Grove, Jesus Flores, 39, Santa Ana, and Jonathan Perralta, 21, Westminster, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution and were sentenced to three years of informal probation, 10 to 15 days in jail with the possibility of CalTrans in lieu of jail, and must submit to AIDS testing and education. Continue reading→

Garden Grove man arrested for hit and run that killed an 85 year-old pedestrian

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

SADP Advisory: Follow-up Santa Ana Vehicle vs Ped Fatal Hit and Run Arrest On 8-27-2013 at 5:13 , A male adult pedestrian was crossing the street outside of a crosswalk in the 500 block of South Euclid Street when he was struck by a vehicle travelling northbound. The motorist who struck the pedestrian fled the scene and drove to his residence. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Acting on the advice of family members, the motorist telephoned our police department and reported the incident approximately 20 minutes after the collision. Responding traffic investigators interviewed the motorist and arrested him for Felony Hit and Run causing death. Continue reading→

Man charged with killing two men in high-speed crash after running a stop sign

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Jorge Ocampo, 21, of Santa Ana

Orange County District Attorney  Press Release

For Immediate Release,  Case # 13CF2599: August 27, 2013

DRIVER CHARGED WITH KILLING TWO MEN IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH AFTER RUNNING STOP SIGN IN SANTA ANA

SANTA ANA – A speeding driver has been charged with killing two people by crashing into their car after running through a stop sign in Santa Ana. Jorge Ocampo, 21, Santa Ana, is charged with two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, one felony count of hit and run with permanent injury or death, one misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license, and sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison. Ocampo is being held on $100,000 bail and is expected to be arraigned today, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined. Continue reading→

Man who ran across 55, forcing shutdown, ends up in the hospital

Posted on by Posted in Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana police officers approached a man near the Dyer Road overpass and the 55 Freeway early Sunday morning, fearing he was about to jump.  They say that’s when the man, who was only dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, bolted back and forth across the freeway lanes, which ended up being closed by the CHP, according to ABC News.

Police made contact with the man, but he refused to cooperate, according to Santa Ana police officers.  There was a confrontation and struggle between the man and police, according to KTLA. Continue reading→

Free showcase by the Taiwu Children’s Ancient Ballads Troupe on 8/27

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Chinese, Entertainment, music, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Taiwu Children’s Ancient Ballads Troupe, with Daniel Ho, will be presented in a free educational showcase on Tuesday, August 27, 2013, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.

“To & From The Heart” promises to be an inspiring and rewarding program that revives the Taiwanese indigenous culture through music. To the children, the songs are like an umbilical cord linking them to their ancestors, and now they are proudly introducing their cultural heritage to the world through their pure and earthly voices. Continue reading→

Gang member involved in deadly hit and run accident turns himself in

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

A documented gang member, Jorge Ocampo, 21, was being held Saturday in connection with a deadly hit-and-run car crash in Santa Ana. He turned himself in to authorities late Friday evening, according to KTLA.

Ocampo was booked on suspicion of two counts of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and being an unlicensed driver, according to the SAPD.  He was allegedly behind the wheel of a speeding black Audi that ran a stop sign and broadsided a blue Nissan making a left turn at the intersection of Cabrillo Park Drive and Fruit Street around 10:43 a.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading→