Art Pedroza

A Santa Ana man got arrested for pointing a laser at the O.C. Sheriff’s helicopter

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in OC Sheriff, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

A Santa Ana man learned the hard way that pointing a laser at a police helicopter is a very bad idea.

On January 13, 2019, the O.C. Sheriff’s Duke 1 helicopter crew was working a call over the City of Santa Ana. While on the call, the crew was struck multiple times by a green laser. The Duke1 crew used their HD Thermal camera and successfully located the subject in the back yard of a residence and contacted Santa Ana Police units for assistance.

After an investigation, officers were able to identify the suspect and recover the laser he used during the crime. The suspect was arrested for multiple violations of Penal Code Section PC 247.5

Pointing any type of laser at an aircraft in operation, while in motion or in flight, could severely damage the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft. It is a felony and also a Federal offense.

A suspicious package sickened four County workers at the O.C. Courthouse today

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, OC Sheriff, OCFA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

There was a commotion this afternoon at about 2 p.m. at the Orange County Courthouse as several County workers had to be treated for symptoms related to the opening of a suspicious package found at the main Courthouse according to the OC Sheriff.

A total of four individuals were affected, including one Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy and three civilian court workers.

The Deputy and one of the civilians were transported to a hospital. The two additional civilians were in the process of being transported for medical treatment but had no life-threatening injuries.

There were no evacuations as surrounding courtrooms were holding in place and the Court’s west wing was contained.

A sheriff’s deputy and three court workers were treated for unspecified symptoms after a suspicious package was found at Orange County’s main courthouse in Santa Ana on Thursday, Jan. 17.

The item was found in a courtroom, which was not in session, on the third floor of 700 Civic Center Drive in the courthouse’s west wing according to the O.C. Register.

The symptoms reported by the affected deputy included having difficulty breathing and skin irritation.

OCFA Haz-Mat & the OCSD Bomb squad were jointly investigating.

According to one of our readers Eastbound traffic on Civic Center is blocked due to the ongoing Sheriff’s investigation.

A woman in Santa Ana has become the O.C.’s first flu fatality this year

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, OC Health Care, Santa Ana Leave a comment

(Santa Ana, CA) — The County of Orange Health Care Agency (HCA) has confirmed Orange County’s first influenza-related death in a person under 65 years of age this season. An adult female resident of Santa Ana who had underlying health conditions died of complications related to influenza infection. Public Health Laboratory testing confirmed that she was infected with influenza A virus.

“This is an important reminder that influenza can cause serious illness, particularly in persons with underlying health conditions,” County Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler said. “Everyone over six months of age should be vaccinated each year.”

Influenza is a seasonal contagious respiratory illness, which can be caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. Flu illness can be severe, leading to missed school or work, hospitalization and even death.

Flu virus is mainly spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes. The best way to protect against both influenza A and B viruses is by getting vaccinated each year. Vaccinations are recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older, and are especially important for infants, young children, pregnant women, adults over 50 and those with chronic medical conditions. Close contacts and caregivers of these high-risk people should also be vaccinated.

Most insurance plans including Medi-Cal and Medicare cover flu vaccination from your health care provider. In addition, many clinics and pharmacies offer no-cost or low-cost flu shots throughout Orange County. The HCA will be offering free seasonal influenza vaccinations for people six months of age and older. If you do not have a medical provider or insurance, we encourage you to get vaccinated through our Family Health Clinic in Santa Ana.

Vaccinations are available on a walk-in basis on the following days and times:

Every Thursday
8 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
1725 West 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706

Remember these important steps to help stop the spread of flu and other germs:

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue (or sleeve if you are caught by surprise)
Wash your hands often with soap and warm water (or alcohol-based sanitizer, if not available)
Stay home if you are sick (at least 24 hours after your fever is gone

The most current local information, including vaccination locations, is available at www.ochealthinfo.com/flu or by calling the Health Referral Line at 800-564-8448 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Is it time to change the name of Eddie West Stadium to the People’s OC Marijuana Stadium?

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The City of Santa Ana is broke – for many reasons including the granting of raises to the top executives at City Hall a couple years ago as well as our tradition of hiring overpaid city managers then firing them with a six figure parting gift. On top of that we are facing millions of dollars in pension and health care costs for our retired city employees. So what to do?

One idea that many cities are embracing is selling naming rights to city venues. Santa Ana could rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by doing this!

For example, did you know that Eddie West Field is named after Eddie West, who became the sports editor of The Orange County Register in 1922? Now we can keep calling that stadium Eddie West or we can sell the naming rights to perhaps one of our top local marijuana dispensaries and help them to promote their pot sales while filling up our city coffers with the naming rights fee and the taxes we now collect on cannabis sales.

How about the Dan Young Soccer Complex? That former Mayor retired eons ago and now lives in Coto De Caza. Why put his name on this complex? Let’s name it the Nike or Adidas Soccer Complex and make some money!

We can also put ads on city trucks and turn them into rolling billboards? We can even put logos on our city uniforms and sell those rights too!

Many cities are doing this! Why is Santa Ana so behind the times yet again?

Click here to read what Wikipedia has to say about civic naming rights.

Is it time to start up a new Santa Ana Swap Meet?

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana 3 Comments

There used to be a swap meet in Santa Ana, many years ago, that was held at Eddie West Field. That was a long time ago but the City of Santa Ana is broke now and our city would greatly benefit from having a Swap Meet once again.

I found an old Los Angeles Times article about the shut down of the old Santa Ana Swap Meet that noted “Outdoor swap meets began to fall out of favor in the city in 1987, when it shut down a popular swap meet held at Eddie West Stadium after receiving complaints from neighboring homeowners about excessive trash and noise.”

That article also cited a Santa Ana Planning Agency report that stated that “outdoor swap meets in the city have historically resulted in parking problems, theft, noise, trash and “neighborhood intrusion” by swap meet customers.”

I think we know by now that what happened in 1987 was probably more of a racist reaction to the Swap Meet than anything else. Remember back then the folks running the City of Santa Ana, including most of the appointed and elected officials, were white. They were for the most part very uncomfortable with the city’s growing Latino population.

Today Santa Ana residents have to drive to other cities to participate in Swap Meets, including Santa Fe Springs and Costa Mesa.

Besides possibly generating income for the City of Santa Ana, it turns out there are other benefits too such as:

Swap Meets can help residents to learn how to develop and grow small businesses. I am reminded of a friend of my son, when they were both at Godinez High School, whose father sold shoes at the Costa Mesa Swap Meet. That fellow raised his family with that income! He would go to the garment district in Los Angeles, buy the shoes at wholesale, then sell them at the Swap Meet at good prices but with enough of a mark-up to raise his family.
Swap Meets are great incubators for residents interested in food-related businesses. They can sell their homemade foods there, such as baked goods or tamales, and figure out how to progress to a larger enterprise such as a restaurant, food truck or catering business.
Swap Meets celebrate diversity! Imagine how awesome a Swap Meet in Santa Ana would look like now with Latino, Asian and African American vendors that reflect our community today. The food offerings alone would be incredible!
Swap Meets keep stuff out of our landfills. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
Swap Meets allow folks with limited incomes to buy neat stuff at much lower prices than the stores – including used items that are still in good shape.

Isn’t it time to launch a new Santa Ana Swap Meet already? Orange Coast College has one in Costa Mesa. Why not Santa Ana College too?

The SAPD has arrested a very dumb bank robbery suspect

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Crime, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – SAPD Robbery Detectives Arrest Suspect Wanted For Attempted Bank Robbery

Suspect: Samuel Hunter McClintock (20) Garden Grove

Based on a tip received from the community, on January 14, 2019 at approximately 12:30pm robbery detectives with the assistance of patrol officers arrested suspect Samuel Hunter McClintock at his place of work. McClintock was booked into the Santa Ana Jail for attempted bank robbery.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE –

On December 19, 2018 at approximately 2:45 pm, suspect depicted in the photographs entered the Wells Fargo bank located at 3764 W. McFadden Avenue. The suspect walked to the teller window and passed a note demanding money (editor’s note: the note had the robber’s DNA on it). The teller then activated the alarm and the suspect exited the bank (editor’s note: without any money).

Suspect was seen getting into the passenger seat of a teal colored Jeep Wrangler that was being driven by a second suspect described as: male, caucasian between the ages of 40-50 years old. Anyone with information is asked to please contact Detective David Prewett at (714) 245-8323, dprewett@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

Santa Ana man charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a bus stop

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, OCTA, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN AT BUS STOP IN SANTA ANA

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged today with sexually assaulting a woman at a bus stop in Santa Ana.

Erick Alvarez Hernandez, 27, Santa Ana, was charged with one felony count each of kidnapping to commit a sex offense, forcible oral copulation, attempted forcible rape, and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, with a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury to a sexual assault victim and sentencing enhancement allegations for kidnapping and inflicting great bodily injury. He faces a maximum sentence of 41 years to life in state prison. Hernandez is scheduled for a continued arraignment on Feb. 8, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

On Jan. 5, 2019, at approximately 8:30 p.m., 52-year-old Jane Doe was sitting on a bench at a bus stop on the 1000 block of MacArthur Boulevard in Santa Ana. Hernandez is accused of approaching the victim from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck, and pulling her to a secluded area. The defendant is further accused of punching and sexually assaulting Jane Doe, then fleeing the scene when a bus approached the stop.

The incident was partially captured on surveillance video from an OCTA bus and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) investigated this case.

SAPD identified the defendant following several tips from the public. On Jan. 10, 2019, SAPD arrested the defendant at his workplace in Irvine.

Deputy District Attorney Kristin Bracic of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

Who is going to be Santa Ana’s next City Manager?

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, David Cavazos, Fuad Sweiss, Jill Wallace, Kristine Ridge, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Raul Godinez, Santa Ana, Steven Mendoza, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

We are starting to receive snippets of information and chisme regarding who the Santa Ana council is looking to hire as our next City Manager, since apparently the current City Manager, Raul Godinez, has in effect resigned after offering the city a separation agreement. He was a friend of former City Councilmembers Michele Martinez and Sal Tinajero and they led the charge to overpay him. It is going to cost a small fortune to settle with him now.

Mayor Pulido, at the time that Godinez was hired, was pushing to hire Kristine Ridge, who used to work for the City of Anaheim, as their Assistant City Manager.

Now it appears that Pulido is pushing for Ridge again. Ridge was supposed to be next in line to be the City Manager of Anaheim but a split City Council sent her packing.

Would she come on a split package and try for a year, in Santa Ana, like Godinez? You see if a City employee gets one year at a high salary that salary will be used to calculate their future pension benefits. So often these volatile positions are attractive because of their salary not their longevity.

Ridge is a City Manager for the City of Laguna Niguel now – we hope she and her local Sheriff’s Deputies are not sending their homeless to us!

Some around town, in Santa Ana, are wondering if she might be willing to leave her current post, as the best she could hope for is a 4-3 vote.

Some of the City Council Members appear to be concerned that Ridge is apparently very friendly with Jill Wallace (aka Jill Arthur), who used to work at Santa Ana’s City Hall as Pulido’s Assistant. There are allegations that Wallace wants to influence the situation in Santa Ana.

Wallace remains very close with Pulido andis his closest confidant. But she freaks people out some folks at City Hall, for whatever reason.

Since Ridge is a City Manager already in South Orange County, don’t be surprised if she wants a salary package in Santa Ana that compares to previous City Manager David Cavazos’ $500,000+ salary. In fact the word is that she has already made a very high salary request.

Would the Santa Ana City Council, which still appears to lack a solid majority, want to hire a new City Manager without a transparent process, when she was already passed over in Anaheim?

Remember the last time the City engaged in a rushed city manager hiring process they ended up with a hot mess, namely Cavazos.

The current City Council is split and some of them, starting with Council Member Jose Solorio, want to have the City Council consider people both from outside and inside City Hall.

Solorio supported Ridge the last time around, but he commented on our last post about this and said that Santa Ana needs to focus on a fair process to consider who the next acting or interim City Manager might be.

Solorio, and Council Members Vince Sarmiento, Roman Reyna and David Penaloza met last week in a closed session meeting and who knows what direction they gave to city staff?

Solorio also said that this all, including the City Manager’s separation agreement, will be on the upcoming January 18th City Council meeting agenda.

Inside choices to replace Godniez may include Steven Mendoza, who is the acting City Manager, while Godinez is still on “vacation.” Some Council Members are apparently pushing for Fuad Sweiss, who is the current Santa Ana Public Works Director. Sweiss is credited with getting the city’s newest emergency homeless shelter , The Link, built in a record 28 days.

Sweiss is already on the City payroll, so hiring him as the interim city manager would save the city some money. He previously worked for the city of San Francisco, so who knows what his politics might be? But now that we have a new Governor who hails from San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, Sweiss’ background in the Bay Area could be a plus. In fact we hear that Sweiss is very friendly with Newsom.

No question Pulido will be working to get support for Ridge up until the closing bell. But will he be able to get four votes on the City Council for Ridge?

To be continued…

The SAPD is looking for a hit and run driver who injured an elderly man on Saturday night

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

One of our readers reports that her father-in-law ,who is 72 years old, was struck by a vehicle in a hit and run collision this Saturday night, Jan. 12, at about 5:30 – 6 p.m., in Santa Ana.

The victim was on his way to fill his water bottles at the time and was crossing the street at S. Hickory and E. First St. when he was struck by a vehicle that witnesses reported was a Mustang.

The victim is currently in the ICU with multiple fractures all over his body, broken bones and swelling in his brain.

The police are looking for video camera footage from the alley where it’s believed the vehicle in question came from.

If you have any information about the driver who struck the victim please contact the Santa Ana police department at (714) 245-8049.

This week’s Cochino List includes Superior Grocers

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Disease, Food, Food & Health, Insects, 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 Jan. 3 to Jan. 11, 2019. Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

Superior Grocers, 1720 E. 17th St., Santa Ana, Closed: Jan. 7, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 7
Birrieria Nochistlan, 1628 S. Standard Ave., Santa Ana, Closed: Jan. 3, Reason: Operating without a valid health permit, Reopened: Jan. 3
Golden Flower Veggie, 14942 Bushard St., Garden Grove, Closed: Jan. 11, Reason: Rodent infestation
BC Liquor, 12017 Beach Blvd., Stanton, Closed: Jan. 9, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 10
Tin Tin Seafood Restaurant, 669 N. Euclid St., Anaheim, Closed: Jan. 9, Reason: Cockroach infestation
7-Eleven, 2850 N. Brea Blvd., Fullerton, Closed: Jan. 9, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 11
Grinderz, 7561 Center Ave., Suite 53, Huntington Beach, Closed: Jan. 8, Reason: Cockroach infestation, Reopened: Jan. 9
Tribute Coffee at Circle K, 13960 Harbor Blvd., Suite B, Garden Grove, Closed: Jan. 8, Reason: Cockroach infestation, Reopened: Jan. 11
Beba’s, 1909 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, Closed: Jan. 8, Reason: Cockroach infestation, Reopened: Jan. 11
Sugar Shack Cafe, 2319 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, Closed: Jan. 4, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 4
Rene’s Donuts, 440 N. Lakeview Ave., Anaheim, Closed: Jan. 3, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 4
Poke + Roll 808, 129 Avenida Del Mar, Suite A, San Clemente, Closed: Jan. 3, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 4
Los Primos Cantina, 10176 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach, Closed: Jan. 3, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Jan. 4
Update: Goc Ha Noi Corner at 8516 Garden Grove Blvd., Garden Grove, closed Jan. 3 because of a cockroach infestation, reopened Jan 4.
Update: Tana Ethiopian Restaurant & Market at 2622 W. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, closed Dec. 27 because of a cockroach infestation, reopened Jan. 11

The SAPD arrested the suspect who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at a bus stop

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect Of Violent Sexual Assault

Suspect: Erick Alvarez Hernandez (27) Santa Ana

Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested Erick Alvarez Hernandez, a 27 year-old resident of Santa Ana, for a sexual assault that occurred on Saturday, January 5, 2019 in the 1000 block of West MacArthur. The assault was captured on surveillance video from an OCTA bus. This case received extensive media attention and detectives have followed up on numerous tips from the public, since the night of the attack.

On the night of the assault, Hernandez went to the Buffalo Wild Wings at 3800 south Bristol, just blocks from where the attack occurred. Hernandez was asked to leave the restaurant for his belligerent behavior. Evidence from the restaurant helped lead to Hernandez’ identity.

Detectives conducted hours of surveillance and arrested Hernandez at his workplace in the city of Irvine. Santa Ana Police detectives stopped Hernandez’ vehicle as he left work and took him into custody. Hernandez was charged with multiple sexual assault charges including kidnapping and booked at the Orange County Jail. His bail was set at $1,000,000.00.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE :

Santa Ana Police Detectives are investigating a sexual assault that occurred in the 1000 block of West MacArthur, on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at about 8:30 p.m. The suspect sexually assaulted a woman in her 50’s, who was waiting at a bus stop. The violent attack occurred on the sidewalk as numerous motorists drove by.

The suspect, described as a Hispanic male, was wearing a Dallas Cowboys #82 jersey. An OCTA bus arrived at the stop, and the suspect fled the area. Video surveillance from the bus captured the suspect running eastbound from the area.

Santa Ana Police Department Detectives are advising the public of this attack as the suspect has not been identified and is not in custody. Detectives are asking for anyone with information to contact Detective Gerry Corona at 714-245-8343, Gcorona@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

The police are looking for a Newport Beach home burglary suspect

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Newport Beach Leave a comment

Newport Beach Police Department

Community: Press Release UPDATE (Photo Added) – NBPD Seeks the Public’s Assistance in Identifying a Suspect in a Residential Burglary

The Newport Beach Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect in a Residential Burglary investigation. The crime occurred on January 2, 2019 between 6:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. in the area of Malabar Drive.

The suspect made entry into the home by breaking a rear glass window and fled the area before the Newport Beach Police Department Officers arrived.

After reviewing the surveillance video, it appears that one of the suspects rings the doorbell to ensure no one is home. Then, moments later, the suspects are seen entering the backyard and breaking the rear window.

The attached photo was captured by the homeowner’s Ring Doorbell at the time of the crime.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect in the photo is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant D. Joe at 949-644-3763 or djoe@nbpd.org.

The SAPD has arrested a suspect on various arson related charges

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Fires, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect For Various Arson Related Charges

On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, Burglary detectives, working in collaboration with Orange County Fire Authority, arrested Danny Noriega, a 61-year-old Santa Ana resident, who was identified as a suspect during an arson-related investigation.

On Saturday, December 15, 2018, Santa Ana Police Officers and Orange County Fire Authority responded to the 2700 block of W. Maywood Avenue regarding a possible arson. A resident in the home reported he looked outside after hearing a loud noise. Upon doing so, he observed a small fire inside his property near his vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. He immediately extinguished the fire using his water hose and called the police.

The resident reviewed his home surveillance system and observed his neighbor, identified as Danny Noriega, threw a lit object over the fence. The neighbor fled the scene on a bicycle. The object thrown by Noriega was examined by Orange County Fire Authority and found to be similar to a Molotov cocktail that contained an incendiary device.

Noriega was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on various arson-related charges. Burglary detectives are continuing their investigation with the Orange County Fire Authority.

The SAPD is looking for a suspected bank robber

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Art Pedroza Posted in Banking, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Robbery Detectives Request Assistance In Identifying Suspect Wanted For Attempted Bank Robbery

On December 19, 2018 at approximately 2:45 p.m., suspect depicted in the photographs entered the Wells Fargo bank located at 3764 W. McFadden Avenue. The suspect walked to the teller window and passed a note demanding money. The teller then activated the alarm and the suspect exited the bank.

Suspect was seen getting into the passenger seat of a teal colored Jeep Wrangler that was being driven by a second suspect described as: male, caucasian between the ageas of 40-50 years old.

Anyone with information is asked to please contact Detective David Prewett at (714) 245-8323, dprewett@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

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