Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: Santa Ana

The SAPD has arrested an alleged serial child molester

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD 2 Comments

Javier Ortiz Pichardo

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect for Ongoing Sexual Abuse of Minors & Believe There May Be Additional Victims

Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested Javier Ortiz Pichardo for child molestation. Pichardo began molesting children in 1999 when he was a cook at the New China restaurant in Santa Ana. The restaurant closed in 2004.

Pichardo’s first victim was only seven-years-old when the child’s family were regular customers at the restaurant. Pichardo molested the victim in the restaurant bathroom. He then befriended the family and gave them free food, which gained the victim’s family’s trust. He was eventually allowed to pick the victim up from school. Pichardo repeatedly abused the victim for seven years. The abuse stopped when the victim was 14-years-old and the victim’s family lost contact with Pichardo. Continue reading→

Orange County will install new fences to keep the homeless out of the flood control channels

Posted on by Posted in Andrew Do, Crime, homeless, OC Sheriff, Orange County, Public Safety, public works, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Current fencing at Fisher Park

Public Safety: Orange County Installs Secure Fencing at 24 Sites along Flood Control Channels to Prevent Homeless Encampments

Santa Ana, California – The County of Orange is installing new fencing at 24 sites along flood control channels to keep neighborhoods safe and prevent homeless encampments.

Supervisor Andrew Do, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, worked with city leaders, county staff and law enforcement agencies on the fencing projects in Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Westminster after reports of criminal activity, including a series of fires set by a homeless arsonist. Continue reading→

Neighbors are upset about a new charter school in the Marbury Park neighborhood

Posted on by Posted in Education, Miguel Pulido, Neighborhood Associations, Planning, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Traffic 4 Comments

https://www.facebook.com/SavingSantaAna/videos/385646538633067/

A new charter school that opened up this month at 1500 17th St., at a church located at the corner of 17th St. and N. Wright St., in Santa Ana has riled up the Maybury Park Neighborhood. The school is called Legacy College Prep. It is part of the Ednovate program sponsored by USC.

The issue that has the neighbors perturbed is that this school opened up suddenly at Calvary Chapel Tustin. There were no public hearings or meetings. Apparently the Santa Ana Planning Agency did not get involved as the church likely has the proper zoning to support a school. Continue reading→

Ward 6 candidate Velasquez hits back at her opponent Mendoza with an Anti-SLAPP motion

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Courts, Mirna Velasquez, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Nelida Yanez

Mirna Velasquez, Candidate for Ward 6, responds to Nellie Mendoza lawsuit with an Anti-SLAPP motion for attorney fees

Santa Ana City Council Ward 6 candidate Mirna Velasquez responded to Nelida Mendoza lawsuit about her ballot designation and residency with facts and an Anti-Slapp motion for Attorney Fees.

Mendoza alleged that Velasquez was not a resident of Santa Ana Ward 6. However, Mendoza acknowledged in her complaint that Velasquez has lived in Ward 6 since at least her registration date of November 21, 2017. Not only did she register in the district more than 30 days before filing but Velasquez moved into the Ward on November 1, 2017 per her response. So there was no merit to the 1st cause of action by Ms. Mendoza. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman charged with hate crimes after vandalizing two Buddhist temples

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Courts, Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Trang Thu Pham

Case # 18CF2388

Date: August 24, 2018

WOMAN CHARGED WITH VANDALISM AND HATE CRIMES AGAINST TWO BUDDHIST TEMPLES IN ORANGE COUNTY

*Defendant was out of custody after being convicted of vandalism of a religious property

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman was charged today with vandalism and hate crimes against two Buddhist Temples in Orange County.

“An attack on one religion is an attack on all. We must stand up to bigotry and respect everyone’s right to worship,” stated District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

Defendant: Trang Thu Pham, 49, Santa Ana

Charged today with the following felony counts: Continue reading→

The Santa Ana Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Monday re the 2525 N. Main St. apartment development

Posted on by Posted in Development, Housing, Planning, Real Estate, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The City of Santa Ana Planning Commission will allow residents to speak at their meeting on Monday, August 27, at 5:30 p.m. regarding the contentious plan to develop the property at 2525 N. Main St. into the Magnolia at the Park apartment complex. This has the adjacent Park Santiago Neighborhood up in arms.

Here is a note from the Park Santiago Neighborhood leaders regarding this development and this meeting: Continue reading→

Critical Santa Ana missing person has been found

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Lily Huang

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Update – Critical Missing Person Located

Update -Critical Missing Person Lily Huang has been located and with family

Missing Person, Lily HUANG was last seen around midnight on August 25, 2018. Around 9:00am, HUANG’S family discovered that HUANG was not home. Prior to going missing, HUANG told her daughter that she was going to injure herself and left a note behind apologizing for past family issues. According to family members, HUANG has been diagnosed as being bipolar. It is unknown if HUANG has been taking her prescribed medication. Continue reading→

A Santa Ana man was convicted of stabbing his cousin to death

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

Michael J. Martinez, a 32-year-old Santa Ana man, was convicted on Friday of fatally stabbing his cousin — 25-year-old Ruben J. Murga of Santa Ana, in Garden Grove last year.

Martinez was convicted of second-degree murder, with jurors also finding true a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for a critical missing person

Posted on by Posted in Mental Health, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Lily Huang

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Requesting Assistance Locating A Critical Missing Person

Missing Person, Lily HUANG was last seen around midnight on August 25, 2018. Around 9:00am, HUANG’S family discovered that HUANG was not home. Prior to going missing, HUANG told her daughter that she was going to injure herself and left a note behind apologizing for past family issues. According to family members, HUANG has been diagnosed as being bipolar. It is unknown if HUANG has been taking her prescribed medication. Continue reading→

This week’s Cochino List includes El Ranchito, Carnitas Sahuayo and El Rincon Mexicano

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Food, Food & Health, OC Health Care, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The OC Health Care Agency has released a list of the eateries (including restaurants, caterers and even school kitchens) that they inspected and shut down for the week of Aug. 17 to 24, 2018. Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

  • El Ranchito Restaurant, 2201 E. First St., Santa Ana, Closed: Aug. 23, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Aug. 24
  • Carnitas Sahuayo, 402 W. 17th St., Santa Ana, Closed: Aug. 22, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Aug. 22
  • El Rincon Mexicano, 104 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana, Closed: Aug. 22, Reason: Cockroach infestation, Reopened: Aug. 23

Continue reading→

Elderly man arrested for molesting a developmentally disabled little girl at Jerome Park

Posted on by Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD, Seniors Leave a comment

Francisco Ramirez

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Arrest Suspect For Sexually Molesting Developmentally Delayed Minor – Believe There May Be Additional Victims

Arrested: Francisco Ramirez (75) Santa Ana

Francisco Ramirez (75-years-old) was arrested for sexually molesting a 10-year-old developmentally delayed girl on multiple occasions. Ramirez was a volunteer at the Southwest Senior Center at Jerome Park. The incidents occurred during the month of July at the senior center garden. Continue reading→

The SAPD will be conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint this Saturday night

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

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday, August 25th in the area of 2100 S. Raitt.

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday August 25th, 2018. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 2100 S Raitt Street, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Several Buddhist temples in Santa Ana were vandalized this past weekend

Posted on by Posted in Andrew Do, Churches and Religion, Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Vandalism Targeted at Buddhist Temples in Santa Ana Declared a Hate Crime by OC District Attorney

By: O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do

This past weekend a number of Buddhist temples in Santa Ana were vandalized, causing extensive damage to religious statues and other temple property. Law enforcement officials have footage of a suspect in the act of vandalizing and are asking for help from the community in locating the individual.

The targeting of Buddhist temples is cause of great concern for the Vietnamese-American Community in Orange County. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas will be announcing that he will consider these criminal conducts as possible hate crime. If convicted, this will lead to greater punishments for the offender(s). Continue reading→

The SAPD is trying to locate the family of a woman who was hit by a vehicle

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Connie Gale Simms

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Family Sought for 79-Year-Old Female Involved in Serious Traffic Collision

Injured Party: Connie Gale Simms (79) Unknown

On Sunday, August 19, 2018 at approximately 11:43 a.m., the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls in regards to a vehicle versus pedestrian collision in the parking lot of Goodwill Industries located in the 2700 block of W. 5th St. The female was reportedly in and out of consciousness but breathing. Upon their arrival, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel briefly treated the female at the scene before she was transported to UCI Medical Center for treatment. Continue reading→