Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Author Archives: Art Pedroza

Time to clean up and improve our Santa Ana parks!

Posted on by Posted in Art Pedroza, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Bathroom at Jerome Park

I was disappointed by the results of my school board campaign however when one door closes another one opens up. My good friend Ceci Iglesias was elected to the Santa Ana City Council, after withstanding withering attacks and she is going to appoint me as her representative on the Board of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation.

As my readers know I have been very frustrated by the conditions of our parks here in Santa Ana. They are not safe for our kids and families any more. Drugged out vagrants have taken over, the park bathrooms are disgusting, the lights often don’t work, etc.  Continue reading→

Santa Ana 2018 General Election updated results

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Advisory: CITY OF SANTA ANA 2018 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION UNOFFICIAL RESULTS FOR MAYOR & COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MEASURES

Santa Ana, CA – Based on unofficial results posted by the Orange County Registrar of Voters Office at 1:48 a.m., the following are the results thus far with an estimated 418,600 ballots left to count in the County of Orange and for various districts: Continue reading→

An armed suspect finally surrendered to the police after an 8-hour standoff in the Wilshire Square Neighborhood

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

An armed man held off the SAPD for 8 hours today at his home before finally surrendering, according to the O.C. Register.

The unidentified suspect, described as a man in his 60’s, was suspected of pointing a rifle at people from the front yard of his property, located at the 1400 block of Van Ness Ave.  Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido finally has a City Council majority he can work with

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, David Penaloza, Juan Villegas, Santa Ana 2 Comments

While voter turnout in yesterday’s General Election, here in Santa Ana, was very low the results worked out in favor of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who was easily reelected to what will be his last two-year term after he trounced his opponent, termed out City Councilman Sal Tinajero.

The successful City Council candidates, including Ceci Iglesias in Ward 6 and David Penaloza in Ward 2, are likely to ally with Pulido. Current City Council member Juan Villegas can be counted on as well. With Pulido that makes a four member City Council majority. Continue reading→

The SAPD is dealing with an armed man who has barricaded himself at a home

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

The SAPD responded today at around 11:15 a.m. to reports of a man holding a gun in the front yard of his property, at the 1400 block of Van Ness Avenue, according to the O.C. Register.

The situation appears to be ongoing and has been described as a barricade scenario. Santa Ana police were at the scene with an armored vehicle, according to ABC News. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s voters opted to raise their own taxes but are giving Tinajero the boot

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Sal Tinajero

The votes have not yet been completely tallied but so far it looks like Santa Ana’s voters have decided to raise their own sales and property taxes as Measures X and I are winning easily.

However the architect of Measure X, Sal Tinajero, is getting thoroughly trounced by longtime Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who has a comfortable 2,000 vote margin. This means the increasingly strident Tinajero is finished as he is now termed off the City Council as well.  Continue reading→

Man charged with murder after a DUI crash that killed an off-duty Costa Mesa Fire Captain

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

Stephen Taylor Scarpa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 6, 2018

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS AND COLLIDING WITH OFF-DUTY COSTA MESA FIRE & RESCUE CAPTAIN

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was charged today with ­­­­­murder for driving under the influence of drugs and colliding with off-duty Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Captain Mike Kreza, who was cycling in Mission Viejo.

Defendant: Stephen Taylor Scarpa, 25, Mission Viejo

Charged today with: Continue reading→

Armed and dangerous fugitive from L.A. could be in Orange County

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Los Angeles County, Orange County Leave a comment

LASD – Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept Information Bureau (SIB)

Community*Update* #LASD Updated Wanted Bulletin for Person of Interest – Jesus “Chuy” Guzman, Littlerock, CA

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau Detectives continue to seek Person of Interest, Jesus “Chuy” Guzman regarding a double murder which occurred February 20, 2018 on the 11000 block of Hample Avenue, Littlerock, CA. and the discovery of human remains found at the 30900 block of 106th Street in the unincorporated area of Littlerock, CA on October 11, 2018

Mr. Guzman is a 34 y.o. male Hispanic with black hair, brown eyes, 5’5″ and 150lbs. He owns a black 2009 Toyota Corolla (CA license 6SCD663). Continue reading→

Would you hire the Santa Ana political candidates you are voting for?

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Angie Rosario Cano, Art Pedroza, Cecilia Aguinaga, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, David Penaloza, Education, John Palacio, Jose Solorio, Juan Villegas, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Paul Gonzales, Phil Bacerra, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

As voters we sometimes fail to recognize that electing someone to represent us on any elective body, such as the Santa Ana City Council or the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education, is similar to hiring someone to work for us. We are entrusting these candidates to do right by the community.

But if you were hiring someone to work for you, would you consider the folks who are running for local office in Santa Ana this year? In that case what factors would you weigh in trying to determine who to support for local offices? Continue reading→

A young man was shot and killed early this morning just south of Memorial Park

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

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Investigating a Homicide in the 2300 Block of Ramona Drive

Victim – Male Hispanic (19), pending identification from the Coroner

On Monday, November 5, 2018, at 1:10 AM, SAPD Officers responded to reports of a shooting at 2329 Ramona Drive. (Editor’s note – This happened just south of Memorial Park and Washington Elementary School). Officers located an unresponsive adult male suffering from gunshot wounds on the front lawn of a residence. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics responded and pronounced the male deceased at 1:24 AM. Continue reading→

An off-duty LA County Sheriff’s Deputy was assaulted and robbed while sleeping in his car in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Los Angeles County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

For some reason an off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy decided to sleep in his car as it was parked in front of a friend’s home in Santa Ana, at the 900 block of S. Hickory St., early on Nov. 4. That decision did not pan out for him as he ended up getting assaulted and robbed, according to the O.C. Register.

The deputy ended up with minor injuries. According to the SAPD it looked like he had been punched. His assailant stole the deputy’s cell phone and cash. Continue reading→

An auto thief on parole was arrested in Santa Ana after a police pursuit

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

Kenneth Durazo

Garden Grove police set up surveillance on a vehicle that was stolen in a residential burglary on Oct. 25. The vehicle was left in the area of Euclid and W. First Streets, in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

The surveillance trap worked! A suspect got into the stolen red Jeep Liberty at 11:45 a.m yesterday. and started to drive it away. Police attempted to stop the suspect but he sped off. Continue reading→

We need to save the green space at the Willowick golf course from needless development

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Garden Grove, Parks and Recreation, Planning, Santa Ana 1 Comment

I recently attended a Willowick Golf Course Visioning meeting, at Spurgeon Intermediate. It only took me a few minutes to realize it was a total farce.

The Willowick Golf Course site, located in the City of Santa Ana, California, is a greenfield site situated on
5th Street, adjacent to the Santa Ana River, at 3017 W 5th Street. The property, which consists of eight separate parcels totaling approximately 102 acres,  is owned by the City of Garden Grove. It currently operates as an 18-hole golf course, and is located two miles from the State Route 22 Freeway and four miles from the Interstate 5 Freeway. The site is adjacent to the Santa Ana River on the east, and the Pacific Electric (PE) Right-of-Way on the north, and abuts Garden Grove’s Buena Clinton neighborhood, a multifamily residentially zoned neighborhood with multiple two-story apartment buildings and the Willowick Royal Mobile Home Park. To the east across the Santa Ana River, is Spurgeon Intermediate School and Spurgeon Park. Directly to the south, is Cesar Chavez Campesino Park. Continue reading→

The U.S. government is trying to deport a Santa Ana business owner who has seven children

Posted on by Posted in immigration, mexico, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Gualterio Santos found himself in New York 27 years ago as he left the State of Oaxaca, in Mexico, and traveled north to find work. He ended up in the fresh flower business. But a few years later he made a mistake that continues to haunt him today. He accidentally drover over the border into Canada – and U.S. border officials quickly figured out that Santos did not have a visa or any other residential documentation.

Santos was released at the time and he eventually ended up in Santa Ana, CA, where he continued to work in the fresh flower business. In fact fifteen years ago he started a business in Santa Ana, Santos Flowers. Now he is literally fighting for his life as ICE has found him and is trying to deport him – to a country he has not lived in for almost thirty years. Continue reading→