New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: ward 4

Bicyclist killed by hit and run driver near Warner Ave. and S. Bristol St.

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Bicycles, Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ricardo Martinez, a 44-year-old has been identified as the bicyclist who was killed at the 1400 block of West Warner Ave., just east of the South Pacific Avenue intersection, at about 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, by the driver of an SUV who sped away after the accident, according to the O.C. Register.

Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Witnesses did not provide the police with a description of the SUV’s driver. However the SUV was reported to have traveled eastbound on Warner after the fatal crash. Continue reading→

Juvenile gangbangers arrested after shooting at another gang while kids played nearby

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Members of two opposing gangs opened fire on each other on Tuesday at around 2:43 p.m., at South Raitt Street and West Monte Vista Avenue, in Santa Ana, where kids were playing at the time, according to the O.C. Register.

Two SAPD motorcycle officers showed up at the scene after they received reports of shots fired at the 1900 block of West McFadden Avenue. The police officers arrested two of the juvenile suspects – one of them had a firearm.

Two other suspects took off on a bicycle, headed toward South Townsend St. Continue reading→

Car thieves arrested while hiding at the Smart and Final store on Bristol and Edinger

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A reader told us yesterday that there were a lot of SAPD police cars and a police helicopter near the Smart & Final store, located at 1308 W. Edinger Ave. Now we know why.

Fernando Ceja, a 32-year-old wanted parolee with a long history of crime, and his girlfriend, Martha Carraco, 24, both of Santa Ana, were arrested yesterday and charged with stealing a pickup truck and then trying to hide in the unfortunate Smart & Final store, according to the O.C. Register.

This mess started at 12:30 p.m. yesterday when a man left his Toyota Tundra running, outside his home at the 2600 block of South Baker Street, next to Coastal Communities Hospital, while he went inside his home. Continue reading→

Three more shootings reported last night as Santa Ana’s gang war continues unabated

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Gangs, Michele Martinez, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 13 Comments

Friday was another bloody day in Santa Ana as yet another shooting took place. This time a man in his 20’s was shot in the face, at the 3300 block of South Bristol St., according to the O.C. Register.

The victim was found at South Bristol St. and and West MacArthur Blvd. He ended up at a local hospital, in serious condition.

The police were not able to find any witnesses to the shooting but several people heard a gunshot and three males were seen running into a light-colored truck and speeding away going north on Bristol. Continue reading→

Two more shootings reported in Santa Ana since last night

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Gangs, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 4 Comments

The SAPD is finally acknowledging the increase in shootings, mostly gang-related, in Santa Ana since New Year’s Day. There have been 16 shootings since Jan. 1, according to the O.C. Register. Fortunately only one shooting has proved fatal.

There were two new shootings in the past day. One took place at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday as two men were arguing outside a home at the 1300 block of West 3rd, near Lydia Romero-Cruz Elementary School, according to a witness who spoke to the police. Continue reading→

Two men in Santa Ana shot while the rest of us rang in the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

It’s a New Year today but last year’s violence in Santa Ana has continued as two men were shot on New Year’s Eve and early on New Year’s Day, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers responded on Thursday night, at about 9:50 p.m., to a shooting call at the 1000 block of South Sullivan Street, just west of Jerome Park, where they found that a male homeless person had been shot from behind by an unknown attacker.

The homeless victim was shot in the lower calf and ended up at a local hospital with a wound that did not appear to be life-threatening. Continue reading→

Man defends himself with a skateboard and kills an attacker at a Santa Ana Starbucks

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Starbucks at 3345 South Bristol in Santa Ana

A man his early 50s died this afternoon just before 1 p.m. after being struck in the head with a skateboard by a a man in his 20s just outside a Starbucks at 3345 South Bristol Street, just north of MacArthur Blvd., in Santa Ana on Tuesday, according to the O.C. Register.

The older man was allegedly “bugging people” in the shopping complex when he went into the Starbucks and began to harass the younger man, according to a witness identified only as “Geovanni.”

The two men argued and at some point the situation became physical and the younger man ended up hitting the older man in the head with his skateboard, outside of the coffee shop. Continue reading→

LoJack device leads police to a stolen Honda Accord at the MainPlace Mall

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A car thief took a gold 1996 Honda Accord today at around 2:45 p.m., from the Target parking lot at the 3300 block of South Bristol St., according to the O.C. Register.

Ordinarily the thief would have probably gotten away with it but not this time. He took a car that was equipped with a LoJack device.

SAPD police officers were able to track the stolen Accord, by following signals emitted by the car’s LoJack device. The signals led them to a parking lot at the Westfield MainPlace Mall. Continue reading→

Police pursuit of a stolen vehicle results in three arrests by Sandpointe Park

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A driver of a stolen Honda Civic, while attempting to get away from the police this morning, at around 10:45 a.m., led them on a chase in the stolen car then on foot after he crashed the vehicle, near West Alpine Avenue and South Parton Street, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident resulted in a lockout at the nearby MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School, located at 600 W. Alton Ave. The lockout was lifted at about 11:10 am today. Continue reading→

Suspect with a knife arrested after robbing a business near Bristol and Sunflower

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A man with a knife robbed a business today in Santa Ana at the 3800 block of South Bristol Street at around 1 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The man demanded that an employee of the targeted business turn over an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect took the money and fled from the crime scene. Continue reading→

Two armed robberies and a home burglary happened in Santa Ana today

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

It was a hot and muggy day today in Santa Ana – and the criminals were more active than usual. A man robbed another man at gunpoint this morning at the Chevron located at 3301 South Bristol St., which is just west of Saddleback High School, and another robber robbed a 7-Eleven store at 1700 East Dyer, after brandishing a knife, according to the O.C. Register.

The robber at the Chevron gas station made off with an unknown amount of cash but he was eventually arrested. The robber at the 7-Eleven got away with an unknown amount of money. Continue reading→

Man shot in the leg near Saddleback High School

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana 1 Comment

A man was shot at several times today at round 3:05 pm, near the intersection of Central and Rosewood avenues, in Santa Ana. One of the bullets struck him in one of his legs, according to the SAPD, as reported by the O.C. Register.

Witnesses were not sure if the man who shot the victim was on foot or if he fled in a vehicle. Continue reading→

Two men shot while working on a vehicle in their driveway, near several schools

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Another day another ridiculous shooting in Santa Ana. This time two men with no gang connections were badly wounded as they were shot while they worked on a car in their driveway at the 1300 block of South Rita Way, in Santa Ana, at around 9:15 p.m. on Thursday evening, according to the O.C. Register.

One victim, identified him as 21-year-old Juan Seneseros, was shot in the back. The other victim, a 26-year-old man was shot in the upper and lower torso and was in serious condition. Continue reading→

Two men stabbed, one in the face, in separate attacks in Santa Ana

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 1 Comment

What a bloody year it has been in Santa Ana so far in 2015. Last night, on Thursday, two more men were stabbed in separate incidents, according to the O.C. Register.

In the first incident the SAPD showed up at an attempted robber, at around 11:40 pm, in the 700 block of South Van Ness Avenue, which is in Santa Ana’s Ward 2, which is represented by Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Apparently a suspect who was wearing a ski mask and gloves ran up to a man and proceeded to stab him in the face! Continue reading→

Police catch a suspected car thief after a brief chase in Ward 4

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

A suspected car thief in a burgundy car was chased briefly by the SAPD on the south side of the city, near South Bristol Street and West Segerstrom Ave., at around 9:45 pm on Tuesday night, according to the O.C. Register.

When the chase came to an end the suspect tried to run away on foot but was caught and arrested.

A driver of an apparently stolen vehicle led Santa Ana police on a short chase in the south end of the city Tuesday night before he attempted to flee on foot. Continue reading→