New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: sapd

Pedestrian struck and killed in hit and run accident today at 17th and Fairview

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Angelica Amezcua, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A pedestrian, Agustin Perez-Sosa, a 25-year-old resident of Santa Ana, was struck and killed by a silver Chevy Malibu today at around 1:25 p.m., near Seventeenth and Fairview Ave., in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

Perez-Sosa was was flung 50 feet in the air, according to ABC News. The driver of the Malibu fled the scene.

The victim was a tree trimmer who was picking up cones along the side of the street, according to ABC News. He was in his second year of employment at West Coast Arborists, which is reportedly contracted by the City of Santa Ana. He is survived by his wive and a 10-year-old daughter. Continue reading→

Gang member shot a few blocks from Segerstrom High School

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 3 Comments

A man who admitted to being a gang member was shot at around 5:30 p.m. yesterday at the 3500 block of South Fairview Street, in Santa Ana, in what the SAPD believes was a gang-related attack, according to the O.C. Register.

When the police arrived at the scene the shooting victim was gone however a few hours later the Fountain Valley Regional Medical Center contacted the police to report that they were treating a man with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Continue reading→

Dental assistant arrested for sexually assaulting two girls at OC Kids Dental

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Family Crimes Detectives Arrest Dental Assistant For Sexual Assault

Believe There Are Additional Victims

On 9/16/15, Santa Ana Police Department Family Crimes Detectives arrested Tommy Medina for sexually assaulting two girls under 10-years-old while he was employed as a dental assistant. Medina, 25, of Santa Ana, was arrested from his place of employment, OC Kids Dental, 630 S. Main Street, Unit #C, in Santa Ana.

It is alleged Medina, while working as a dental assistant, sexually assaulted two female victims while in a private room at the dental facility. One of the victims was assaulted in 2013 and the other in 2014. Continue reading→

The SAPD is seeking to identify a man who has robbed several 7-11 stores

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Orange, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives Request Media & Public Assistance Identifying Robbery Suspect

Suspect:

Male- Hispanic-20’s-5-4 to 5-8- 150 to 170 pounds –Goatee
Weapon: Large semi-automatic handgun
Possible right arm tattoo sleeved down to knuckles Continue reading→

Learn what to do in an emergency at Santa Ana’s CERT class starting on 10/3

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Earthquakes, Education, Emergencies, Entertainment, Public Safety, Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community Alert: Join the City of Santa Ana’s Community Emergency Response Team

In the event of a major disaster or a more common emergency, learn how to care for yourself, your family and your neighbors until help arrives.

Join the City of Santa Ana’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) by participating in the free training course (must attend all three sessions): Continue reading→

Teen shot by two alleged gang members near 17th and Spurgeon

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A male teenager was shot in Santa Ana on Friday at around 6:30 p.m. when he was walking near the 1700 block of North Spurgeon St., according to the O.C. Register.

The young man was approached by two males. He began running away due south on Spurgeon St. and both of the suspects then pulled out guns and fired multiple shots at the teen. He was hit in his right arm and left hand. Continue reading→

Armed Santa Ana auto theft suspect caught with the help of a County helicopter

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: OCSD Airship “Duke” Assists SAPD Locate Armed Auto Theft Suspect After Pursuit

On Thursday 9-10-15 at midnight, an officer was patrolling the area of 500 S. Oak Street when he observed a suspicious vehicle occupied by a lone male occupant. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle for traffic violations but the driver failed to yield and led officers on a pursuit. During the pursuit, suspect Jeffery Zavala tossed a handgun out of the vehicle.

The pursuit ended in the city of Tustin when the driver fled on foot to a nearby school. The officer chased Zavala and used his Taser but it was ineffective. Zavala temporarily eluded capture until Orange County Sheriff’s Air Support “DUKE” observed him inside a nearby apartment complex. Officers established a perimeter and ordered Zavala to surrender. When he refused, the K9 was deployed and the suspect was taken into custody. The weapon Zavala tossed out of the vehicle during the pursuit was located and recovered by assisting officers.

Continue reading→

Delhi gangbanger pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter of a Santa Ana woman

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Garden Grove, Santa Ana 66 Comments

Jaime Prieto Rocha aka “Slimmer”

Jaime Prieto Rocha, 42, pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter. He also admitted a sentencing enhancement for gang activity and a murder charge was left open. Rocha was ordered to return to court Oct. 30 for a pretrial and sentencing hearing, according to the O.C. Register. He is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction.

A co-defendant, Irvin Tellez, 27, a Garden Grove resident, will begin soon. His case is expected to be assigned to a judge on Tuesday. He is also charged with felony murder but also attempted murder with sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death, personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, and great bodily injury. He faces up to 75 years to life in prison if found guilty, according to the OC Weekly. Continue reading→

Santa Ana High School teacher arrested for unlawful sex with a minor student

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD 39 Comments

Alvar Albert Gonzalez

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD & SA School Police Arrest Teacher For Unlawful Sex With A Minor Student

On 9/4/15, after a joint investigation between the Santa Ana Police Department and the Santa Ana Unified School District Police, detectives arrested Alvar Albert Gonzalez, 45, of Santa Ana, for possessing/producing obscene matter and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

The female victim first met the suspect when she was in his class her freshman year at Santa Ana High School. In 2013, Gonzalez arranged to meet the 16-year- old victim in his classroom during school lunch breaks. There, Gonzalez allegedly engaged in consensual sexual intercourse with the victim on over 9 occasions. This activity was initially not reported. Continue reading→

Man arrested for molesting children whose families attend a Jehovah’s Witness church in Santa Ana

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Santa Ana & Tustin Police Departments Arrested Suspect For Multiple Counts Of Sexual Assaults Against Children.

On 9/4/15, after a joint investigation between the Santa Ana Police Department and the Tustin Police Department, detectives arrested Jose Aguilera, 41, of Santa Ana, for multiple counts of sexual assaults against children.

Aguilera met, and befriended, the four families of his victims at the Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witness church in Santa Ana where they worship. Aguilera is not an employee of the church. Aguilera created situations where he was allowed to visit the victims’ homes or transport victims in his car. The alleged assaults occurred when Aguilera was alone with the children. Continue reading→

Homeowner took a gun away from a burglary suspect and shot him

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A Santa Ana homeowner, Erickson Dumaual, defended himself early today when a man tried to break into his home, at the 2500 block of West Manly Ave., in Santa Ana’s Ward 6, which is represented by Councilman Sal Tinajero.

The homeowner shot the suspected burglar and held him at gunpoint. The shots were fired before 4:30 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

Dumaual saw two suspects in his backyard and he told the police that one of the suspects appeared to be brandishing a gun. Somehow Dumaual was able to wrestle the gun away from the suspect, who has been identified as 19-year-old gang member Bryan Bravo. Dumaual shot Bravo while the other suspect ran off. Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for Sep. 4 at 500 W. 1st St.

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting DUI/Drivers License checkpoint Friday, Sept 4th, 2015, 9:00PM – 3:00AM, 500 W. First Street

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, September 4th, 2015. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 500 W. First Street, Santa Ana, CA.

The primary purpose of a DUI Checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. The DMV reports that unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to cause a fatal crash than a licensed driver. Continue reading→

Law enforcement is looking for more victims of suspected molester barber in DTSA

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ruben Olguin

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: REQUESTING PUBLIC’S HELP IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF BARBER CHARGED WITH MOLESTING TEEN BOY

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a barber who is charged with molesting a teen boy during a haircut. Ruben Olguin, 51, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of lewd act upon a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. He is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for continued arraignment tomorrow Sept. 4, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in Department
CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Undercover SAPD sting nabs a man suspected of stealing over $400k worth of computer parts

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A Riverside man, Walter Levar Mallet, 37, was arrested by Santa Ana police in an undercover sting Wednesday over the theft, on May 22, of high-end computer parts from a computer manufacturer located at the 1300 block of East Edinger Avenue, according to the O.C. Register.

Mallet is thought to be one of three hooded men who smashed a glass door to get into the computer business, where over the course of several hours they made off with around $400K worth of computer components that are used in aircraft and medical equipment, according to the SADP.

The SAPD investigators are not sure how the burglars were able to disable the computer manufacturer’s security system for three hours. Continue reading→

Elderly woman crashes into the Wells Fargo bank across from the F&M bank that was robbed

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana, Seniors Leave a comment

Elderly woman crashes into the Wells Fargo bank at 1801 E. 17th St.

Picture courtesy of the SAPD

The banks at 17th Street and Cabrillo Park Drive, in north Santa Ana, are having a real tough time this week. We previously reported about the Farmers & Merchants Bank that was robbed on Monday. Now comes news that an 82-year-old woman crashed into the Wells Fargo Bank located across the street from the F&M Bank, at 1801 East 17th St., in Santa Ana, on Tuesday at about 2:50 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

I actually stop by that Wells Fargo branch to use their ATM machines, on occasion. The SAPD released a picture of the crash and it sure looks like perhaps the driver may have gone forward when she meant to go in reverse. Then she likely stomped on the gas pedal when the car got stuck on the curb. This can cause a vehicle to hop the curb and then crash into whatever is in front of it. Continue reading→