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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Costa Mesa

Man charged with pimping two women and a boy in Costa Mesa

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

December 1, 2016

Case # 16CF3024, 16WF0849, 16CF2991

CORONA MAN ARRAIGNED FOR PIMPING AND PANDERING TWO WOMEN AND 17-YEAR-OLD BOY IN COSTA MESA THEN ASSAULTING AND FURNISHING METH TO THE MINOR

*Co-defendant charged with dissuading witnesses for contacting the victims on behalf of the incarcerated man

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Corona man was arraigned yesterday for pimping and pandering two women and a 17-year-old boy in Costa Mesa, then assaulting and furnishing meth to the minor. Kenneth Wayne Phillips, 28, was charged on Nov. 29, 2016, with one felony count of human trafficking of a minor, one felony count of pimping a minor, one felony count of pandering a minor over 16 by promise, threat, or violence, one felony count of furnishing methamphetamine to a minor, three felony counts of dissuading a witness, and three felony counts of violation of a protective order, with a sentencing enhancement for crime-bail-crime. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Phillips is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Dec. 7, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Car theft suspect fled from the Costa Mesa police then escaped in Santa Ana

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Costa Mesa and Santa Ana Police were searching for a man who led officers on a short, high-speed vehicle pursuit early this morning, but got away, according to the O.C. Register.

Costa Mesa police officers tried to pull the suspect over this morning for a vehicle code violation at 2:35 a.m. as he was driving a Honda Accord near the intersection of 17th Street and Newport Boulevard, according to the Costa Mesa police. Continue reading→

Costa Mesa man convicted of killing his girlfriend after listening to a Guns N’ Roses song

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 12ZF0154

Date: November 9, 2016

MAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING-MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND DURING CONFRONTATION AFTER LISTENING TO GUNS N’ ROSES SONG

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted today of the shooting-murder of his live-in girlfriend during a confrontation after listening to a Guns N’ Roses song. Thomas Michael Wilhelm, 52, Costa Mesa, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of first-degree murder and a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death was found to be true. He faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Feb. 3, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-45, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Arts Roundtable II set for Aug. 27 at the Segerstrom Center

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Artists Wanted! Segerstrom’s Center for the Arts, Santa Ana Unified, The City of Santa Ana and Business Improvement Groups Downtown Inc. and Santa Ana Business Council want you to be part of an innovative arts map and index connecting Santa Ana artists and arts organizations with buyers, grantors and employers.

What: Arts Roundtable II: Artists Wanted!
Date/time: Saturday, August 27, 1-5 PM
Location: Segerstrom Center for the Arts Concert Hall Lobby
RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artists-wanted-tickets-26919145890 Continue reading→

Suspect in South Coast Plaza sexual assault arrested after he turned himself in

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Eduardo Vidal Avalos, 20, of Orange was arrested after he turned himself into the SAPD earlier this week, on Thursday, after he was accused of an alleged sexual assault at the South Coast Plaza, according to the O.C Register.

Avalos was booked into Costa Mesa Jail on suspicion of assault with intent to commit a felony and attempted penetration with a foreign object, according to the Costa Mesa police. Continue reading→

Police are looking for a young man who sexually assaulted a woman at the South Coast Plaza

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The Costa Mesa Police are searching for a male believed to be in his late teens to early 20s, who is suspected of sexually assaulting a female yesterday in a parking area at South Coast Plaza, according to the O.C. Register.

Tuesday evening, at around 5:45 p.m., the Costa Mesa police responded to a call about a male suspect who had followed a female to her vehicle in the parking area and then sexually assaulted her. Continue reading→

Man gets three years in prison after pimping two women from Fresno in Orange County

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

August 9, 2016

Case # 16WF1638

MAN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR PIMPING AND PANDERING TWO WOMEN HE DROVE FROM FRESNO TO ORANGE COUNTY TO SOLICIT COMMERCIAL SEX

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to three years in state prison today for pimping and pandering two women he drove from Fresno to Orange County to solicit commercial sex. Kurtis Chappell, 23, Fresno, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of pimping, two felony counts of pandering by procuring, and one misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a license. Continue reading→

Suspect in Circle K stabbing-murder arrested in Long Beach

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD – August 7th, 2016 Homicide Suspect Taken Into Custody By Long Beach PD

Victim/Deceased: Jason Paul Torres (40) Costa Mesa

Suspect: Logan James Cunningham (27) Long Beach

Charge: PC 187(a) – Homicide, Bail: $1,000,000
Details: On Sunday, August 7, 2016, at 9:07 pm, SAPD Officers responded to a report of a stabbing near the Circle K convenience store at 710 East Dyer Road. The officers found an adult male stabbing victim and a nearby crime scene. The victim later identified as Jason Paul Torres was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The SAPD Homicide Detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. During their investigation, Detectives identified Logan James Cunningham (27) as the suspect in this homicide. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man arrested after a police pursuit from South Coast Plaza

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Police arrested an unidentified driver on suspicion of DUI, speeding and red-light violations after a high-speed pursuit that began near South Coast Plaza and ended in Santa Ana early today, according to the O.C. Register.

The Costa Mesa police responded initially to the South Coast Plaza due to an alarm that went off. When they got there they heard screeching tires and began to pursue the suspect’s vehicle. Continue reading→

Santa Ana DUI driver arrested after fleeing from a Costa Mesa police officer

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Brian Reyes, a 25-year-old Santa Ana man, was arrested early today on suspicion of driving under the influence after colliding at a 405 freeway on-ramp, nearly hitting a parked car and leading police on a chase, according to the O.C. Register.

A Costa Mesa police officer was on patrol near the South Coast Plaza this morning at 4:12 a.m. when he heard tires screeching at Bear Street and South Coast Plaza Drive. Continue reading→

Son of a former Real Housewives of O.C. star tried to hide at a Santa Ana store after shooting a man

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Joshua Waring, the 27-year-old troubled son of Lauri Peterson, a former star on “The Real Housewives of Orange County” was charged on Wednesday with three counts of attempted murder after leading police on a chase and hiding in a store in Santa Ana, on Monday morning, according to the O.C. Register.

Police allege that Waring shot a 35-year-old man in the lower torso around 2:30 a.m. at the man’s home in the 2900 block of Babb Street, in Costa Mesa, after a disagreement, according to the L.A. Times. Continue reading→

Man stabbed in the arm while walking near the Triangle Shopping Center

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An unidentified man was stabbed in the arm with an unknown object as he walked near The Triangle Shopping Center at 19th Street and Harbor Boulevard early this morning, at around 1:40 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The incident was not immediately reported to police, according to the Costa Mesa Police. In fact the victim drove himself to the nearby Hoag Hospital, where he is in stable condition.

Apparently the victim was walking near the Triangle Shopping Center when two male suspects approached him and they indicated that they wanted to fight him. Continue reading→

Two men charged with pimping a teenage girl and a woman in Costa Mesa

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16WF1188

Date: June 7, 2016

MAN ARRAIGNED FOR TRAFFICKING AND ATTEMPTING TO PIMP MINOR TEENAGE GIRL AND ALSO CHARGED WITH PIMPING AND PANDERING ANOTHER WOMAN WITH CO-DEFENDANT

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was arraigned today for trafficking and attempting to pimp a minor teenage girl and was also charged for pimping and pandering another woman with his co-defendant. Marice Lavell Curry, 25, Fresno, is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor, attempted pimping of a minor, pandering with a minor over 16 years old by procuring, pimping, and pandering. If convicted, Curry faces a maximum sentence of 13 years and four months in state prison.

Donald Ray Phelps Jr., 23, Fresno, is charged with one felony count of pimping and one felony count of pandering. If convicted, Phelps faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. They are both being held on $100,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. They were both arraigned today and are scheduled for pre-trial on June 15, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-12, West Justice Center, Westminster. Continue reading→

Anaheim man charged with inciting a riot at a Trump rally

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16WF0899

Date: May 2, 2016

MAN CHARGED AND ARRAIGNED FOR THROWING OBJECT THAT DAMAGED CHP PATROL VEHICLE AND INCITING RIOT AT DONALD TRUMP RALLY

*Other arrests made by the Costa Mesa Police Department have not been submitted to the OCDA yet

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – A man was charged and arraigned today on charges of throwing an object that damaged a patrol vehicle and inciting a group of protesters to riot at a Donald Trump presidential campaign rally in the City of Costa Mesa. Other arrests made by Costa Mesa Police Department have not yet been submitted to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA). Luis Fernando Alarcon, 19, Anaheim, is charged with one felony count of vandalism with damage over $400, and one misdemeanor count of inciting a riot. If convicted, Alarcon faces a maximum sentence of three years in Orange County jail. The defendant was arraigned this afternoon and is being held on $25,000 bail. Alarcon is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on May 9, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. in Department W-12, West Justice Center, Westminster. Continue reading→

Volleyball coach in Costa Mesa arrested for lewd conduct with a minor

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OC Child Exploitation Task Force Arrests Coach for Engaging in Lewd Behavior

Investigators Seek Additional Victims

COSTA MESA, CA (April 13, 2016) – On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Detail (SVD) and the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF) arrested Troy Linehan Crutchfield, 26, Costa Mesa, on charges related to sending harmful matter to a minor electronically and communicating with a minor to engage in lewd behavior. Crutchfield is suspected of taking and sending lewd videos of himself to a minor. Crutchfield was arrested following an investigation that started in March 2016.

At the beginning of March, 2016, an investigator with the OCSD Special Victims Detail assigned to the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force was contacted regarding a female minor victim who was having inappropriate conversations with a male online. An investigation was initiated. During the course of the investigation, Troy Crutchfield was identified as a possible suspect. Continue reading→