New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: sapd

Are real police detectives getting punked by SAPD Police Chief Rojas?

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Rojas, Public Safety, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Chief Rojas in the Fiestas Patrias Parade

The Santa Ana Police Department has for decades leased cars for use by detectives for undercover assignments like the gang detail, narcotics and vice.

The detective staff relies on the use of the lease vehicles for their own safety and as necessary tools to be able to conduct investigations. This is the norm in almost every major department and state and federal police agency across the country that uses undercover police cars.

SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas’ detectives are really upset because Chief Rojas has taken the leased vehicles away from the undercover assignments and assigned them to his handpicked top staff – the Commanders and two Deputy Chiefs. This group is represented by the police management association. A labor group just like the Santa Ana Police Officers Association only it represents just the Commanders and Deputy Chiefs. Continue reading→

Downtown Santa Ana traffic on 10/5 will be a mess due to the Ciclovia

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Traffic, Transportation Leave a comment

Santa Ana Ciclovia

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SOMOS EVENT ADVSORY – TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT

On Sunday, October 5th, between 6 AM and 5 PM, the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Section will be working the City sponsored SOMOS event. This event includes a complete closure of Main St. between 3rd Street and Warner for the entire day.

The streets for this event will be posted “No parking” starting at 6 AM until 5 PM to help facilitate the event. Violations in the designated “No Parking” areas will be enforced and vehicles are subject to being towed. Continue reading→

The SAUSD’s Walk to School Day is set for October 8

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Walk to School Day

Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer October 1, 2014

(714) 558-5555 Office/(714) 673-4995 Mobile

Media Advisory: Fitness and Safety Promoted at Walk-to-School Day – October 8, 2014

Franklin Elementary School

Event: Join the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD), the Orange County Health Care Agency, the Santa Ana School Police and Santa Ana Police Department as they participate in the Annual International Walk to School Day. Students, parents, and community members will take part in this global event to bring awareness to the importance of practicing safe walking, biking, and traffic skills. In addition, participants will review ways to maintain secure routes before, during and after school hours throughout the city of Santa Ana, while promoting physical activity. Continue reading→

Pulido and Velasquez endorsed by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Mirna Velasquez and Carlos Rojas

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association has announced their endorsements with regard to the upcoming November City Council election. While it was not surprising to see them endorse incumbents David Benavides and Sal Tinajero, in Wards 4 and 6, it was refreshing to see them back a challenger, Mirna Velasquez, in Ward 2.

SAPOA also is backing Mayor Miguel Pulido instead of Roman Reyna. Continue reading→

The Feds grant Santa Ana $1.2M to hire ten more cops

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Miguel Pulido, Public Safety, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Pulido with the police

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community Alert: CITY OF SANTA ANA AWARDED $1.2 MILLION TO HIRE ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS – COPS GRANT FUNDING ANNOUNCED

SANTA ANA, CA (September 30, 2014) – The City of Santa Ana was awarded with over $1.2 Million for the hiring of ten additional police officers by the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. The award represents the largest allocation in Southern California and will be used to meet the City’s public safety hiring goals.

“This is great news for the City of Santa Ana,” said Mayor Miguel Pulido. “Public safety is the community’s number one priority and with our new strengthened financial position we will be able to take advantage of this grant and hire much needed police officers. Having recently gone on a ride along with our officers I know first-hand how this funding will make an impact.” Continue reading→

How many Santa Ana residents will be ticketed at the upcoming Ciclovia?

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bicycles, Civic Affairs, Crime, Gerardo Mouet, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Santa Ana bicycle registrations

Gerardo Mouet, executive director of the City of Santa Ana’s parks, recreation and community services agency, told the OC Register this week that “Santa Ana is the county seat and the most urban section in the county. Biking and walking in an urban setting is of growing interest, and Santa Ana is a great place to illustrate this trend to the entire county.”

Mouet is very proud of the fact that Santa Ana will be hosting Orange County’s first ever Ciclovia – an open streets event where the streets will be closed to cars and opened to bikers, walkers and runners. SOMOS or “Sunday On Main Open Streets” is scheduled for Sunday, October 5, 2014 from 9 am to 4 pm.

But here is the problem – the City of Santa Ana has a mandatory bike registration program in place that is run by the Santa Ana Police Department. If your bike is not registered with the police they can stop you and actually give you a pricey ticket! Hardly any of our residents know about this program. How many people are they going to ticket at the Ciclovia? Continue reading→

The Food 4 Less robbery suspect has been arrested

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives Identify Suspect in Food 4 Less after community members sees suspect during TV News story.

Arrested: Antonio Delgado Juarez (35) Santa Ana

Details: On 9/25/14, SAPD Robbery Detectives requested the media and community’s assistance in identifying a suspect involved in the 9/18/14 robbery of a Food 4 Less grocery store. After the story aired on television (unknown which Station), detectives received a tip from a community member who advised that they had watched the story and believed they knew who the suspect was. Detectives were provided information that led them to suspect Antonio Delgado Juarez. The Detectives found that suspect Juarez was already in SAPD custody on an unrelated incident. On 9/22/2014, Juarez was taken into custody by SAPD for Burglary, Battery and Possession of Burglary Tools. Continue reading→

Do two weird stripping incidents mean bath salts have arrived in Santa Ana?

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Drugs, Santa Ana 3 Comments

A woman stripped off her clothes inside a Santa Ana market yesterday and died shortly after she was subdued by store employees, according to the Fountain Valley Patch.

Shortly before 9 a.m., a woman in her 40s began yelling and screaming in the liquor section of the El Toro Market in the 1300 block of West First Street, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said, according to the O.C. Register.

Two store employees, a security guard and the store’s manager subdued her and called authorities, but the woman died while paramedics and police were en route to the scene. Continue reading→

The SAPD needs help tracking down a man who robbed a Food 4 Less on S. Bristol

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives Request Media and Public Assistance In Identifying Robbery Suspect

SYNOPSIS: On 09/18/14 at about 0957 hours, the above depicted suspect entered the Food 4 Less grocery store. After entering the store, the suspect used a handicap motorized scooter to ride around the store. The suspect dismounted the scooter, approached the store manager from behind and placed him in a headlock. The suspect forced the manager to the front office. Inside of the office, the suspect ordered the manager and bookkeeper to fill his backpack with cash. The manager and bookkeeper complied. The suspect also ordered the manager to handover his vehicle keys. The manager complied and gave the suspect his vehicle keys. The suspect then grabbed the manager by the arm and walked him to his vehicle.

After reaching the manager’s vehicle, the manager fled as the suspect entered the vehicle. As of 09/24/14, the manager’s vehicle is still outstanding. Continue reading→

Man who is alleged to have knifed his wife and shot her with a pellet gun is arrested

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Homicide Detectives locate suspect wanted in Attempt Murder Case

Arrested: Juan Carlos Guadarrama (42) Santa Ana

Details: On 09/20/14, Juan Carlos Guadarrama arranged to meet his estranged wife at a location in the 1200 block of East Dyer Road in Santa Ana. During their encounter the suspect assaulted his estranged wife with a knife, stabbing her multiple times; the suspect also shot the victim with a pellet gun, causing great bodily injury. The victim was transported to a local trauma center in critical condition. Continue reading→

Estranged husband stabbed his wife and shot her with a pellet gun

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana police officers were called to the 1200 block of East Dyer Road about 9 p.m. Saturday after reports of a woman screaming and a man running from a parking lot, Santa Ana police Cmdr. Jason Viramontes said, according to the O.C. Register.

The police reported that the woman was stabbed multiple times and was also apparently shot with a pellet gun. They found a knife and a pellet gun at the scene. Continue reading→

Man convicted of shooting a customer at Panaderia La Chapina

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Israel Pena Lopez

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2014

Case # 10CF3188

MAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING-MURDER OF VICTIM PREPARING COFFEE IN BAKERY

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted today of the shooting-murder of a victim in a Santa Ana bakery while the victim was preparing a cup of coffee. Israel Pena Lopez, 38, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. He faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in state prison at his sentencing Oct. 10, 2014, in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Frankie Esteban Giraldo, 32, Santa Ana, was charged with murder but was found not guilty in this case.

At approximately 7:40 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2010, Lopez and Giraldo drove in separate vehicles to Panaderia La Chapina bakery on Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana. Lopez parked in a marked stall in front of the bakery and Giraldo drove through the parking lot before parking on a side street. The defendants got out of their vehicles and met outside the bakery. Continue reading→

Police Chief Rojas blames his own cops instead of dealing with the SAPD’s problems

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Rojas, David Cavazos, Paul Walters, Public Safety, Santa Ana 10 Comments

SAPD Chief Carlos Rojas and new recruits

Apparently our article about the low morale at the Santa Ana Police Department struck a nerve. SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas was reportedly so angry about it that he threatened to fire his police officers. I was told that he went to the daily briefings and told all of the officers and their supervisors that they have to stop talking to the press. He said that he had read what they were saying about him and demanded that they stop talking about him or the department or he would personally fire them – and no one could protect them because the police union was on his side.

Rojas reiterated that all media requests had to be directed to his hand-picked public information officer and that he had better not find out who was telling the press about internal issues. He also told them that low morale was their own fault. He said it was not his problem or the department’s problem…it was their own problem that they each needed to take care of themselves. Continue reading→

Santa Ana parents should demand the return of the fired school crossing guards

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, Education, Politics, Public Safety, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD 3 Comments

Santa Ana pedestrian accidents

Santa Ana parents are demanding that city officials reverse their decision to remove school crossing guards without warning, saying the move is putting children’s lives in danger, according to the Voice of OC.

About 25 crossing guards were removed near Santa Ana schools as of the start of the school year last Tuesday, according to police officials.

But parents from at least one campus protested, and the city has since reinstated a crossing guard, at least temporarily, near Santiago Elementary School, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Emanuel Nunez shot to death near Cedar Street and Harwood Place

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Emanuel Nunez

A man initially thought to be in his 20s was killed Tuesday night during a shooting in a Santa Ana neighborhood, police said, according to the O.C. Register.

On 09/09/14, at approximately 6:55 pm, officers were dispatched to a call of a male victim shot in the area of Harwood Place and Cedar Street. Officers located the victim in the 900 block of east Harwood Place. The victim was later identified as Emanuel Nunez (33), resident of the City of Santa Ana. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by Orange County Fire Authority Medics, according to the SAPD.

The deceased was identified by police today as Emanuel Nunez, 33, of Santa Ana, according to the OC Weekly. Continue reading→