New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Costa Mesa

Man arrested for using a drone to try to smuggle drugs into the Theo Lacy Jail

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Drugs, Guns, OC Sheriff, Orange, Orange County Leave a comment

ORANGE, Ca. (Sept. 16, 2021) The Custody Intelligence Unit (CIU) on Tuesday, Sept. 14, arrested a man suspected of using a drone in an attempt to smuggle drugs into the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.

CIU investigators were advised of a drone carrying narcotics that landed in an outdoor recreation area of the jail. The drone was carrying 2 grams of heroin, 4 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 15 Xanax pills and approximately 15 muscle relaxers.

Through their investigation, the CIU identified a possible suspect in the city of Costa Mesa and obtained a search warrant for the man’s residence. During their search, investigators confiscated numerous illegal firearms, fentanyl and a controller determined to pair with the drone that landed at Theo Lacy.

The suspect also was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle and had been renting his residence using fraudulent identification. Investigators also recovered materials determined to be associated with identify theft and fraudulent criminal activity in the man’s residence.

Chey Cody Smart, 43, of Costa Mesa was arrested on suspicion of multiple felony drug and firearms charges, along with grand theft. He was booked into the Orange County Jail on Sept. 14. It also was determined Smart had a warrant for his arrest issued by Mendocino County, California for felony weapons charges.

“The Custody Intelligence Unit is extremely proactive in intercepting narcotics attempting to come into our jails,” said Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes. “They have adopted an investigative strategy that includes locating the outside entities attempting to bring narcotics into our facilities, and this case is a great example of that work. We will continue to stay diligent in keeping those entrusted to our custody and care safe, and we will hold accountable those who attempt to threaten that safety.”

The Costa Mesa police made 10 DUI arrests at their last DUI checkpoint

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

On Friday night, Sept. 3, 2021, at the Costa Mesa Police Department’s DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Newport Boulevard and Flower Street, with assistance from Orange County Sheriff’s Department, CA and CHP – Santa Ana, a total of 290 vehicles were screened.

The DUI screenings yielded 25 field sobriety tests, 10 DUI arrest, 6 citations issued for driving unlicensed including 1 driver with a suspended license, and 13 vehicles impounded.

A total of 1,938 vehicles passed through this checkpoint.

The checkpoint was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The Costa Mesa Police Department is conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Sept. 1, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“These checkpoints, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, are essential to keeping the community safe,” Sgt. Dan Miles said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

CMPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that does not involve a DUI:

Always use a designated sober driver to get home, which could be a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, a cab or public transportation.
If you see someone who is impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
If you are hosting a party, offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A convicted New York felon was arrested again in Costa Mesa

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Guns Leave a comment

On Sunday, Costa Mesa police officers stopped two suspects in a vehicle for expired tags and for littering as they left a parking lot on Bristol St.

The male driver gave false identifications, and multiple counterfeit ID’s and checks were found in the car. The driver was arrested and while they searched him, officers found he had a loaded gun in his underwear.

The driver was identified as a convicted felon from New York who had attempted to murder a police officer. The driver and female passenger, from Baltimore, were also in possession of over $10k in cash.

They were both arrested for fraud with an additional booking charge of felon in possession of a firearm for the driver.

Over one million guests attended the 2021 OC Fair

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, OC Fair Leave a comment

COSTA MESA (Aug. 25, 2021) – The OC Fair has announced that 1,055,770 guests attended the 2021 event which ran from July 16 through Aug. 15, 2021.

Advance tickets were required for the first time as the Fair moved forward with limited daily capacity and a slightly slimmed down array of booths and attractions. Also for the first time, the OC Fair sold out 16 of its 23 days due to capacity limitations.

“While we’re so pleased that more than a million people came out to support the return of the OC Fair this year, increased attendance is no longer a number by which we will measure the success of the Fair,” said OC Fair & Event Center CEO Michele Richards. “More important to us is the great guest experience we were able to create, our ability to responsibly manage our resources and achieve profitability, and our efforts to be good neighbors and support the community in times of need.”

“Time for Fun,” was the theme of this year’s Fair and guests agreed. The 2021 guest survey showed that the Fair earned an overall enjoyment rating of 4.2 out of 5 and the advance ticketing process earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating from visitors.

Some 16 percent who answered the survey said they attended the OC Fair for the first time and fairgoers said their favorite parts of the event were food, animals and exhibits.

Visitors also enjoyed music at this year’s Fair with 20 sold-out concerts in The Hangar and so far nine sold-out shows in Pacific Amphitheatre.

Concerts under the stars are continuing with five more shows in Pacific Amphitheatre:

Aug. 25 – Goo Goo Dolls with special guest Sister Hazel – Buy tickets

Aug. 26 – Flaming Lips with special guest Greer – Buy tickets

Sept. 2 – Chase Rice with special guest Breland – Buy tickets

Sept. 11 – Pacific Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s “1812” Overture – Buy tickets

Sept. 23 – Hank Williams Jr. with special guest Jackson Dean – Buy tickets

The 2020 OC Fair was canceled due to the pandemic and a virtual event was held online. Attendance at the 2019 OC Fair was 1,393,482.

Support of OC Fair & Event Center provides year-round educational opportunities and helps fund community give-back programs

O.C. street racer ends up serving only one year in jail after killing his cousin at a street takeover

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Editor Posted in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Street Racing Leave a comment

Mynor Augusto Esquivelvalle, a man who killed his cousin, 23-year-old Sergio Marroquin, Jr., during a Oct. 22, 2020 rollover crash at a street takeover in Costa Mesa, walked out of court a free man after he was sentenced to one year in jail and then immediately freed after receiving credit for time served while awaiting trial.

The rollover accident also injured two bystanders.

Esquivelvalle was in jail for less than a year after the rollover accident. He was able to escape a worse penalty when he agreed to a judge’s offer requiring he plead guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving causing injury charges, as well as admit to a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian ended up sentencing Esquivelvalle to one year in jail and three years probation. After receiving more than a year’s worth of credit for time served behind bars while awaiting trial, Esquivelvalle was able to go home.

O.C. prosecutors did not like the sentence one bit. They wanted Esquivelvalle to serve time in state prison. If he had he been convicted at trial, the vehicular manslaughter charge alone would have carried a potential six-year sentence.

Unfortunately the family of Esquivelvalle’s dead cousin allegedly did not want the court to give him any sort of severe punishment. And reportedly the two bystanders that were injured did not want to be involved in the criminal case or the trial.

The prosecutors also felt that Esquivelvalle has “shown no remorse” for a death and injuries caused by his own “dangerous driving maneuvers” and alleged that during the investigation he repeatedly lied to police about the cause of the crash and his involvement in a large street takeover.

That street takeover happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 when a large group of between 60 and 70 cars and 100 to 150 pedestrians blocking off the intersection at Highland and Sunflower Avenues.

The responding Costa Mesa police officers found a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado on its side and a man was laying in the street. That man was later identified as Marroquin. He as pronounced dead at the scene. Two bystanders that were reportedly struck by the vehicle as well were later found at local hospitals by police investigators.

Esquivelvalle admitted to officers at the scene of the crash that he was the owner and driver of the pickup truck however he told police investigators that another car had struck his vehicle while he was driving through the intersection, which dragged his cousin from the vehicle.

Police detectives believe that Esquivelvalle was doing doughnuts in his pickup truck while Marroquin was hanging on the outside of the truck on the passenger side door, based on the evidence and interviews. The pickup struck the two bystanders before rolling over and crushing Marroquin, according to the prosecutors.

An online group that had set up other street takeovers had set up the Costa Mesa event. They first showed up at the Anaheim Plaza parking lot on Euclid Street at around 1:30 a.m.

Witnesses reported that both Esquivelvalle and Marroquin were at the Anaheim meetup and they were allegedly watching when another vehicle doing doughnuts in the lot hit an 18-year-old woman. They then drove to the Costa Mesa intersection, with the other drivers.

Street racers in Orange County have run amok during the pandemic as the State’s stay-at-home orders resulted in roadways with less traffic and the street racers were out of work and bored. And local car enthusiasts were unable to go to any legitimate venues, due to pandemic-related closures, which meant they had to find other means to show off their expensive and unsafe vehicles.

Unfortunately street takeovers are inherently unsafe for both the participants and bystanders. There are no barriers to protect the public.

Four men from L.A. were arrested after a high-speed police pursuit in Costa Mesa

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Los Angeles County Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif (July 20, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) yesterday arrested four men after a traffic stop turned into a short high-speed pursuit and a yard-to-yard search.

On Monday, July 19, 2021, at approximately 12:15 p.m., a CMPD officer was patrolling the parking lot at the 3300 block of Bristol Street when he observed a white sedan with dark tinted windows. The officer stopped the vehicle for the Vehicle Code 26708(a)(1) violation and contacted the driver and three passengers. The driver, later identified as Dennis Junior Johnson, 25, Los Angeles, did not have any form of ID and did not truthfully identify himself.

As the officer opened the driver’s door and asked Johnson to step out of the vehicle, Johnson drove away at a high rate of speed. The vehicle drove south on Bear Street, driving on the shoulder of the roadway, crossing the center median, and driving into oncoming traffic. Officers pursued the vehicle, which went through a red light and reached a speed of over 80 mph. There were no injuries or collisions during the pursuit.

As the officers reached the intersection of Bear and Baker Streets, they lost sight of the vehicle. The vehicle was located in the intersection of Bear Street and St. Clair Street after it hit a curb and crashed into a stop sign. Johnson and the three occupants fled from the vehicle. Witnesses saw the subjects run west into the neighborhood. A handgun was located in the roadway near the suspect vehicle.

Officers established a perimeter in the neighborhood and conducted a yard-to-yard search. Johnson was located in the 800 block of Sonora Road. Two passengers, Myles Edward Rutledge and Naypone Malik Gaines, both 22 from Los Angeles, were found hiding together in a backyard in the 2800 block of Drake Avenue. Officers found Dvaryae Deshawn Bryant, 18, Los Angeles, hiding in a storage bin in the back yard of a home in the 800 block of Santiago Road.

The officer who had stopped the vehicle identified all the subjects. The four were arrested and booked on evading police, obstruction, and felon in possession of a firearm.

We would like to thank the observant witnesses that assisted us with helpful information. We would also like to thank the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for assisting us with K9 services and the Anaheim Police Department for assisting us with the use of their helicopter, Angel.

Anyone who may have additional information on this incident is asked to contact Detective Jerad Korte at 714-754-5051 or Detective Sergeant Monique Beckner at 714-754-5352.

The Costa Mesa police made four arrests at their DUI checkpoint on Friday night

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

The Costa Mesa Police Department conducted a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday night, July 9, 2021, at 17th Street east of Westminster Avenue.

A total of 320 vehicles were screened and yielded 21 drivers evaluated for possible impairment, 4 DUI arrests, 14 citations including 10 for driving unlicensed and 2 for driving with a suspended license, and 5 vehicles impounded.

A total of 644 vehicles passed through this checkpoint. One driver was issued a citation for failing to stop at the checkpoint and failing to yield for officers!

The Costa Mesa Police Department would like to remind everyone to keep the streets safe. Don’t drive under the influence and obey all rules of the road.

The OC Fair opens this week

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Entertainment, OC Fair, Youth Activities Leave a comment

COSTA MESA (July 12, 2021) – Summer’s most anticipated celebration is returning this week for its full 23-day run the OC Fair is back July 16-Aug. 15.

With limited daily capacity, tickets could sell out. Advance admission purchase is required; visit ocfair.com or download the OC Fair 2021 mobile app.

“Bringing back the OC Fair to our community means our staff can do what we love to do and what we do best – make people happy!” said Michele Richards, OC Fair & Event Center CEO. “This year’s fair theme is ‘Time for Fun’ and it could not be more fitting.”

There is lots of fun planned for every day with activities ranging from experiencing the animals in the petting zoo to checking out exhibits and enjoying local groups performing on community stages.

New rides will debut at this year’s Fair with Windsurf, Moonraker and New York New York in the main carnival midway. Winky the Whale and Liberty Wheel will be new attractions in the kids carnival. There will be more than 35 games, giving fairgoers many ways to win giant stuffed animals and other prizes.

A new show, Piano Madness, featuring dueling piano players, will perform nightly in Plaza Pacifica. More evening music will be coming from the shows in The Hangar and fairgoers can enjoy the party in the Main Mall.

For the kids and families, Explorium is moving into OC Promenade this year with special activities designed to help little ones adventure into the great outdoors and California’s National Parks. The Magic of Frank Thurston will entertain there each day.

At Centennial Farm, fairgoers can learn from OC Beekeepers, UCCE OC Master Gardeners, California Rare Fruit Growers and more. There are also milking demonstrations and produce and floral exhibits along with the farm’s resident animals and crops.

In the livestock area, there are more animals to teach and entertain. Displays and demonstrations include Oasis Camel Dairy, Friesian horses, game birds, sheep, goats, llamas and urban livestock.

The OC Fair has added more shaded tables and seating areas for dining and has increased sanitization procedures to help keep everyone safe.

Tickets must be purchased in advance with no fees on ocfair.com. Fairgoers should make sure to get tickets for special days and group adventures now, since limited daily capacity days could sell out.

Key things to know about the 2021 OC Fair:

A limited number of tickets are available each day
Advance online ticket sales only – no transaction fees
Tickets are good only for the date purchased; please choose dates carefully – no refunds
Same-day Fair admission is included with tickets to concerts during the Fair
OC Fair is not currently planning to increase capacity
Ticket prices will not increase
Sales are no longer restricted to California residents
Masks are required indoors for unvaccinated guests

Tickets are $12 weekday general admission (Wednesday, Thursday) and $14 weekend general admission (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Admission for seniors (60+) and youth (ages 6-12) is $7 every day and children 5 and younger are free.

The 2021 OC Fair mobile app is now available with information on daily activities as well as a map, news & information and tickets. Search for “ocfair 2021” in your app store.

The Fair will open each day at 10 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and midnight on weekends.

General parking is still $10, $20 for buses and limos, credit card only. The free shuttle from Experian and OCTA’s OC Fair Express bus service will not be available this year. Carnival tickets are also on sale now so fairgoers can skip the ticket booths, and tickets for concerts in The Hangar and Pacific Amphitheatre can be found at ocfair.com/entertainment.

More information is at ocfair.com/thefair. Got questions? Check out our FAQs.

OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, is home to the annual OC Fair. Year-round attractions include Centennial Farm, Table of Dignity, Heroes Hall and Pacific Amphitheatre. OC Fair & Event Center also hosts year-round events. For more information, visit ocfair.com. Support of OC Fair & Event Center provides year-round educational opportunities and helps fund community give-back programs

Job fair for over 250 new jobs in Costa Mesa set for July 14

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Jobs Leave a comment

OptumRx, a leading pharmacy care services organization and one of the Optum companies of UnitedHealth Group, will host a virtual job fair on Wednesday, July 14, from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Pacific Time, to fill more than 250 customer service representative positions. The new positions will support the needs of a growing member and client base, enabling OptumRx to continue delivering excellent health care experiences to the people it serves.

The virtual job fair will take place on Wednesday, July 14 from 9am-11am PT. Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the UnitedHealth Group Careers website to learn more about the openings before the job fair.

The positions will be based at the Optum office located at 3515 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. New employees will receive seven weeks of onsite training. After successfully completion of the training they will be deployed to telecommuter status.

OptumRx specializes in the delivery, clinical management and affordability of prescription medications and consumer health products. With our network of 67,000 community pharmacies and state-of-the-art home delivery pharmacies, OptumRx’s high-quality, integrated services help deliver optimal member outcomes, improved savings and outstanding customer service for the more than 59 million people we serve.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

The Costa Mesa Police Dept. will be conducting a DUI & Driver’s License Checkpoint this Friday, July 9

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. (July 7, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, July 9, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

CMPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that does not involve a DUI:
Always use a designated sober driver to get home, which could be a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, a cab or public transportation.
If you see someone who is impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
If you are hosting a party, offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The OCDA needs help finding other firearm brandishing incidents involving the suspects in a 6-year-old’s murder

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol are asking the public to come forward with any information regarding additional incidents involving firearms and the two suspects charged in the murder of 6-year-old Aiden Leos during a road rage incident on the 55 freeway.

Six-year-old Aiden Leos was in the backseat of his mother’s car on his way to kindergarten in Yorba Linda on May 21, 2021 when he was shot and killed near Chapman Avenue.

Wynne Lee, 23, is accused of being behind the wheel of her white Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen when Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, shot and killed the Costa Mesa kindergartener during a road rage incident.

Just days after Aiden was shot and killed, Eriz is accused of again brandishing a gun at the driver of a blue Tesla on the 91 freeway near Corona. Lee is accused of again being behind the wheel of her white Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen when Eriz displayed his firearm in the direction of the Tesla driver.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is asking anyone who had any interactions with a 2018/2019 white Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen on the 55 freeway in Orange County or the 91 freeway in Orange and Riverside counties involving shots being fired or a gun being brandished to come forward. The incidents would have occurred between December 2020 and June 2021.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has set up a dedicated hotline for tips at: 714-834-7000. Information about the suspects and prior firearm brandishing incidents can also be emailed to tips@da.ocgov.com

Eriz, 24, of Costa Mesa has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of shooting into an occupied vehicle, and two felony enhancements of the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death. He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years to life in state prison if convicted on all counts.

Lee, 23, of Costa Mesa, has been charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact and one misdemeanor count of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and one year in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Eriz is currently being held without bail and Lee is currently being held on $500,000 bail. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges today.

Call the Orange County District Attorney’s Office hotline at 714-834-7000 if you have any information regarding prior firearms incidents involving Eriz or Lee. Information about the suspects and prior firearm brandishing incidents can also be emailed to tips@da.ocgov.com

Arson arrest made this morning in connection to fire set in hotel room at 3100 block of Bristol St.

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Fires Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Today, June 20, 2021, at about 6:17 a.m., a woman called from a hotel room at the 3100 block of Bristol Street and made a threat to harm herself and start a fire.

Shortly thereafter, officers arrived at the door to the hotel room the woman called from and could hear the smoke alarm sounding inside the room. The woman had barricaded the front door prior to police arrival. Officers were able to force entry to check her welfare and located the woman inside. There was thick smoke and flames inside the room and officers removed the female occupant from the room.

Other guests from neighboring rooms were evacuated as the Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Department (CMFR) was dispatched to the scene. They put out the fire and a CMFR arson investigator was on scene; this information was shared via their Twitter account.

The woman was arrested for arson and a mental health evaluation is being conducted, hence her identity will not be disclosed.

This incident will be investigated and no further information will be released.

Convicted O.C. felon is sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug and firearms charges

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs, Fountain Valley, Guns Leave a comment

On August 26, 2019, undercover Detectives from the Fountain Valley Police Department’s Crime Suppression Unit conducted an investigation into a subject, Tyler Conklin (30), who was wanted on a no-bail PRCS probation violation warrant.

Detectives initiated a surveillance on Conklin who, with the assistance of Costa Mesa Police Department, was arrested on multiple felony charges including firearms and narcotics offenses. When arrested, Conklin was wearing an empty firearm holster with a Glock-style privately made firearm (ghost gun/firearm manufactured by unlicensed subject) under the passenger seat where he was seated. The firearm had a round in the chamber and the magazine had seven additional rounds. Two additional magazines with seven rounds each were also found under the passenger seat.

A search of Conklin’s residence revealed multiple additional firearms, magazines and ammunition. Conklin was booked at the Orange County Jail with no bail.

In collaboration with agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FVPD Detectives continued to investigate the case. Ultimately, Conklin was prosecuted federally for this case.

As a result of this prosecution, the defendant, Tyler Conklin, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his conviction on federal narcotics and firearms charges.

This was an excellent example of collaboration between FVPD and our Federal counterparts.

Here is the press release from the ATF regarding Conklin’s conviction:

LOS ANGELES – A convicted felon from Orange County has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his conviction on federal narcotics and firearms charges, including that he possessed five privately made firearms without serial numbers, aka “ghost guns.”

Tyler Jacob “Jake” Conklin, 31, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge James V. Selna. Conklin after he pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Conklin was arrested following a traffic stop on an outstanding warrant in August 2019 for violating the terms of his Post-Release Community Supervision in relation to multiple drug dealing convictions from O.C. Superior Court dating back from August 2018.

When arrested, Conklin was wearing an empty firearm holster with a Glock-style privately made firearm (ghost gun) under the passenger seat where he was seated. The firearm had a round in the chamber and the magazine had seven additional rounds. Two additional magazines with seven rounds each were also found under the passenger seat.

According to the federal complaint, following Conklin’s arrest, his residence was searched and law enforcement seized 2,243 rounds of ammunition, various components to manufacture firearms, and four privately made firearms including:

One Glock-style, .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol bearing no serial number.
One SIG SAUER-style firearm, 9 mm semi-automatic, subcompact pistol bearing no serial number.
Two Glock-style, 9 mm semi-automatic pistols, bearing no serial number.
A Glock-style frame with rear rail system and locking block rail system installed.
Glock-style slide.
Three Glock-style barrels.
Jig and bits used to complete a SIG SAUER-style frame.
SIG SAUER-style barrel.
Springs and base plates for Glock-style magazines.
Fire control and other internal components for Glock-style and SIG SAUER-style pistols.
Five large-capacity magazines with capacities ranging from 17 to 33 rounds of ammunition.

Also seized at Conklin’s residence were various drugs including nine baggies totaling 189 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, empty baggies, syringes, glass pipes, and a ledger with pay-owe entries next to a list of firearm components consistent with those used to make private firearms. Conklin admitted in his plea agreement to possessing five privately made firearms without serial numbers.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fountain Valley Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.

ATF recognizes the role privately made firearms play in violent crimes. ATF’s mission is to target armed violent offenders and career criminals, firearms traffickers, violent gang activity, and domestic and international arms traffickers. ATF investigates and recommends prosecution of these offenders to reduce the level of violent crime and to enhance public safety. ATF also strives to increase state and local awareness of available federal prosecution under federal statutes.

A Costa Mesa couple has been arrested for the road rage killing of Aiden Leos

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Editor Posted in CHP, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

The CHP has confirmed the arrest of the two suspects believed responsible for the shooting death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos.

Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, and Wynne Lee, 23, were arrested at their home in Costa Mesa.

They are expected to be charged with murder. Both suspects are being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bond each.

California Highway Patrol investigators had been watching the couple and followed them home from a restaurant before arresting them outside their Costa Mesa home.

On Monday, CHP officials said they received a tip and worked to enhance an image of the license plate on the vehicle, which led them to identify the couple. They then began to investigate the couple’s backgrounds and determined that they commuted along the 91 corridor to two workplaces in the Inland Empire, according to the L.A. Times.

The Volkswagen was registered to an address where Lee had lived with her parents, but it was recovered from an address in Whittier where Eriz’s father lived in the mid-1990s, according to public records. The owner of the home may be one of Eriz’s relatives.

The gun used to kill Leos was found in a location other than the home in Costa Mesa where the two suspects live.

The reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects has surpassed $500,000. However it is not known at this time if anyone will be eligible to get the reward.

Leos was in a booster seat in the back of his mother’s Chevrolet Sonic, on his way to kindergarten in Yorba Linda, on the morning of May 21, when the shooting incident occurred on the northbound 55 Freeway in the city of Orange.

The suspects were involved in a road rage incident with Aiden’s mother, Joanna Cloonan, over a perceived unsafe lane change, according to the CHP.

Detectives believe a woman was driving and a man, who was in the front passenger seat, committed the shooting itself.