New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Crime

An inmate at Theo Lacy died of a suspected suicide

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Domestic Violence, OC Sheriff, Orange County Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (December 3, 2021) – On Thursday, December 2, 2021, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died of a suspected suicide.

The inmate was booked into jail on November 30, 2021 on a domestic violence related charge.

Yesterday afternoon, he was found unresponsive in his cell. Deputies and corrections medical staff attempted life-saving measures. The inmate was pronounced deceased by paramedics at the Theo Lacy Facility at approximately 4:15 p.m. Preliminarily, there are no suspicious circumstances.

The decedent was identified as Roddy Giacomini Jr., 44, of San Juan Capistrano.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.

A janitor allegedly took pictures of women using a restroom at an O.C. Courthouse

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Editor Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OC Sheriff, Orange, Orange County Leave a comment

Three female lawyers are alleging that a janitor at the Orange County Courthouse took pictures of them while they were in the restroom.

Unbelievably the allegations date back to the end of October and the OC Sheriff and the OCDA have yet to identify or charge the suspect.

The incidents happened in the Lamoreaux Justice Courthouse, which is located in Orange, CA. The facility handles Juvenile, Family Law and Domestic Violence. Also housed at this facility is a Self-Help Center, Family Court Services and the Office of the Family Law Facilitator.

One of the victims said that sheriff’s deputies who showed her the disturbing images of her in the bathroom.

The janitor has not been seen in the courthouse since early November, but the victims want to know who else he might have targeted and whether or not he uploaded to the internet.

The victims also want to be sure all of the janitor’s electronics are searched, according to CBS News.

The Orange Police are searching for an arsonist who damaged a vehicle

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Fires, Orange Leave a comment

On December 1, at 11:00 p.m., an unknown male poured a flammable liquid onto two vehicles parked in the victim’s driveway and then ignited it. The fire burnt itself out quickly but still caused minor damage to the victim’s vehicle.

The suspect fled in the SUV.

This incident occurred in the area of Esplanade and La Veta.

An Orange City Fire arson investigator responded to assist in the investigation.

Click here to watch a video of the arsonist in action.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Ray at 714-744-7316.

OCDA challenger Hardin pledges to reopen the Mater Dei hazing case if he is elected

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, OCDA, Pete Hardin, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA–Today, Former Marine Judge Advocate and candidate for District Attorney, Pete Hardin, called for additional investigation into battery, hazing and child endangerment charges and pledged to reopen the Mater Dei High School case if elected.

“The public is rightly concerned with DA Spitzer’s decision to reject police recommendations to file felony charges, and to do so without requesting further investigation,” said former Marine Judge Advocate Pete Hardin. “For a physical altercation to be considered ‘mutual combat,’ the combatants must have both participated willingly. Yet just one party escalated the altercation far beyond the ridiculous game, ‘bodies,’ causing broken facial bones and a traumatic brain injury–and only one party continued to batter the other as they stood still with blood streaming down their face. The DA’s decision not to charge the crime of hazing without any explanation also comes as a shock.

“Equally concerning to me as a parent is the lack of any investigation into Coach Bruce Rollinson for child endangerment. Rollinson admitted to being fully aware of the ongoing, violent, ritual hazing, and yet allowed it to continue. That puts every kid on this team in danger. As a parent there’s no chance I would let my son participate in a football program when the coaching staff willingly subjects the young men under their care to such an unreasonable risk of harm.

“The DA should immediately request further investigation. If he fails to do so, and if elected in June, I will review this matter to determine if charges are appropriate. Baffling decisions like these issued with virtually no explanation contribute to the crisis of faith and trust in our criminal justice and policing systems. DA Spitzer has turned the DA’s office into a black box, and that undermines effective democratic governance. We need transparency from our leaders and our public institutions.”

Woman arrested in Costa Mesa for stealing high-end retail merchandise worth over $300K

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime 3 Comments

Ekatarina Zharkova, a 38-year-old, was arrested in the Orange County city of Costa Mesa and she was charged with stealing well over $300,000 worth of high-end merchandise from stores in Southern California, according to a CHP task force.

When the CHP investigators searched Zharkova’s home they found bags and clothing from brands including Gucci, Prada and Jimmy Choo packed wall to wall in every room.

Zharkova was taken down by the CHP’s Retail Crime Task Force.

Zharkova worked alone. She used tools to avoid theft-detection equipment. However CHP investigators were able to directly observe her stealing from the stores, on several occasions.

In one instance she walked into a Nordstrom Rack store and proceeded to fill a shopping cart with high-end retail items. To escape the store she placed a coat over the shopping cart to cover up the goods and then used a device to defeat the sensors so she could remove them before leaving the store with over $3,500 worth of stolen merchandise.

That was her last hurrah as she was arrested when she got to her car.

When the CHP task force got a search warrant so they could check out her home they proceeded to find 2,333 stolen items worth nearly $330,000.

Many of the items still had store tags in place and several had disabled security sensors on them.

Zharkova was able to make money by selling the items online.

She was booked into the O.C. Jail on suspicion of grand theft but already got out on bail.

The CHP is continuing its investigation and they say that industry representatives have helped to inventory all of the stolen goods.

A domestic violence suspect was arrested in Irvine after a 7 hour police standoff

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Domestic Violence, Irvine Leave a comment

An unidentified suspect involved the Irvine police in a standoff that lasted more than seven hours. He was finally arrested at about 2:30 a.m. this morning.

The suspect was apparently involved in a domestic violence incident and the Irvine Police believed him to be armed and dangerous.

He barricaded himself at his apartment, at the 1000 block of Elements Way, starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.

The Irvine Police were able to arrest him after they deployed a diversionary device.

The unfortunate residents in that area were evacuated for several hours and the police closed off the surrounding streets until this morning.

Will the suspect use the mental health defense popularized in Santa Ana by Mayor Vince Sarmiento and City Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez?

A man was fatally shot early this morning in Santa Ana’s Cornerstone Village Neighborhood

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Guns, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

On Thursday, December 2, 2021, at 2:48 a.m., Santa Ana Police officers responded to the 800 south block of Minnie Street regarding reports of a male shot.

Officers located an adult male unresponsive along the east sidewalk with apparent gunshot wounds to his upper torso.

Orange County Fire Authority arrived on scene and pronounced the subject deceased at 3:02 a.m. SAPD Homicide Detectives responded and assumed the investigation.

Detectives are attempting to identify and locate any witnesses who can shed light on this incident.

The incident occurred in a residential neighborhood that abuts a light industrial corridor on the eastern edge of the Cornerstone Village Neighborhood.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. This case is eligible for the Gang Reward Program.

55 street racing citations were issued during a recent O.C. enforcement operation

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, SAPD, Street Racing Leave a comment

In response to the continuous problem of street racing, the SAPD along with Garden Grove Police Department, Irvine Police Department, CHP and Costa Mesa Police Department (members of STEARRD – Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) conducted a street racing enforcement operation on 11/19-11/20 that resulted in:

(55) Citations
(2) Impounds
(1) Felony Warrant Arrest
(1) Felony Evading Arrest

These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety. The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and have made this issue a top priority.

The SAPD seized a gun and ammo after a shooting at an apartment complex

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD 2 Comments

SAPD police officers responded over the weekend to a call regarding a person who had been shot. The victim was retrieving mail from his previous apartment complex when he was confronted by a known suspect.

The victim and suspect became involved in a verbal argument and the victim decided to drive away. As the victim drove away, the suspect fired two rounds striking the vehicle twice.

The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived.

A search of the suspects residence resulted in the recovery of a loaded ghost gun, ammunition and high capacity magazines.

Santa Ana man arrested for the fatal shooting of a man in Anaheim

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Orange, Santa Ana 5 Comments

On November 28, 2021, just after midnight, Orange Police Department officers responded to the 2000 block of East Fairway Drive after receiving calls about a disturbance.

Upon their arrival they located a male adult lying on the sidewalk suffering from a single gunshot wound. The victim, later identified as 39-year-old Michael Tovar from Anaheim, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

On November 28, at 4:00 p.m., detectives from the Orange Police Department arrested 21-year-old Joseph Andrew Ruelas from Santa Ana for the murder.

Ruelas was booked at Orange County Jail. This investigation is on going and anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Matt Moss at 714-744-7455.

A Garden Grove carjacking suspect was caught in Newport Beach after a police pursuit

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Newport Beach 1 Comment

William McNair, a 45-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of carjacking and felony evading for allegedly snatching a vehicle from a man at an ATM machine in Garden Grove and then leading police on a chase that ended all the way in Newport Beach, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.

The victims were a man and a woman in their 50s drove the vehicle to an ATM at 11:35 p.m. on Saturday night, in the area of Harbor and Garden Grove boulevards. They were spotted by McNair, who allegedly approached the male driver and dragged him from the driver’s seat after the woman had exited from the vehicle.

McNair took the vehicle and fled from the scene, nearly striking the male victim as he drove out of the parking lot.

Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) Police Officers were in the area and saw the vehicle speed past them as the call was being broadcasted on the radio. GSU caught up to McNair and attempted to initiate a high-risk vehicle stop, but he continued to flee from officers.

The pursuit continued through two cities and finally terminated at Channel Rd and Ocean Blvd, in Newport Beach. To prevent further escape, the suspect was boxed in, with the help of the Newport Beach Police Department Bearcat.

Officers gave several commands and utilized non-lethal means, but the suspect remained uncooperative and refused to exit the vehicle. K9 Officer Kody was then deployed and assisted in apprehending McNair. He was later positively identified by witnesses as the carjacking suspect.

McNair, a resident of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading.

It is not known yet if McNair will plead that he was just having a bad mental health day.

A man was fatally shot in Orange on Sunday morning

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Orange Leave a comment

The Orange Police Department is investigating the fatal shooting of an unidentified man outside a home in Orange that occurred early on Sunday morning, Nov. 28.

Police officers responded to the home, at the 2000 block of East Fairway Drive, at about 12 midnight. They found an injured man outside the residence. He had one gunshot wound.

The man died at the scene. The Orange police do not believe he lived at that address.

The shooting occurred near the Rehabilitation Institute of Southern California, which offers comprehensive therapeutic services and programs for physically disabled persons of all ages to include childcare, early intervention, adult day care (and health daycare), aquatics, independent living skills training, social services, PT, OT, speech and vocational services.

The victim’s identity has not been released yet.

The Orange Police do not yet know of a potential motive for the fatal shooting. Nor do they have any idea as to the suspect in the shooing.

A man was shot and killed in Anaheim on Nov. 26

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Anaheim, Crime Leave a comment

ANAHEIM, Calif. (November 29, 2021) – Anaheim Police Department homicide detectives are asking for the public’s assistance regarding the recent shooting death of 23-year-old Anaheim resident Jonathan Romero.

On Friday, November 26, 2021, at about 5:33 p.m., Anaheim police officers responded to the area of 1200 N. Placentia Avenue regarding a shooting.

Officers located Romero in an alley way suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Romero was transported to a local area hospital where he was taken into surgery. At about 10:30 p.m., Romero died as a result of his injuries.

Anaheim PD homicide detectives are asking anyone with information on the shooting to call APD Homicide at 714-321-3669 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.

Tennessee man caught in Orange County facing charges of molesting his niece and kidnapping his toddler

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Editor Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with kidnapping his three-year-old son from Tennessee and sexually assaulting his 16-year-old niece after bringing the children to California. The missing children, who were the subject of a Tennessee Amber Alert that launched a multi-state manhunt, were found at Doheny State Beach last week after a Good Samaritan recognized them from coverage about their disappearance.

Jacob Francis Allen Clare, 35, has been charged with one felony count of kidnapping from outside California, two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, two felony counts of oral copulation with a minor, one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object of a minor, and two felony counts of incest.

He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years and 4 months in state prison if convicted on all charges. Clare is currently being held on no bail at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana. He is scheduled to be arraigned today in CJ1.

Clare is facing additional charges in Tennessee.

Clare and his 3-year-old son were reported missing by the boy’s mother on Nov. 7, 2021 after the boy failed to return from a scheduled visit. Clare’s 16-year-old niece was reported missing from her Kentucky home several days later. Authorities believe the teenager went willingly with Clare.

Clare is accused of kidnapping his 3-year-old son from Tennessee and taking him out-of-state failing to return him to his mother, prompting the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue an Amber Alert for the missing child and his father. Clare is accused of taking his 16-year-old niece along on a cross-country trip that ended in California.

Authorities found Clare’s abandoned vehicle in San Clemente and urged residents to be on the lookout for Clare and the missing children.

Between November 11 and November 18, 2021, Clare is accused of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with his 16-year-old niece.

Clare was arrested on November 18, 2021 after a Good Samaritan noticed the man and two children walking on Pacific Coast Highway near Doheny State Beach in Dana Point and called authorities. Both children have been reunited with their mothers.

“No parent should have to suffer the trauma of not knowing where their child is and when or if they are ever coming home,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The blatant exploitation of these children and the pain and misery the actions of a single individual has caused is unconscionable. These are innocent children and the selfish and depraved acts of this individual ripped a little boy out of the arms of his mother and stole the innocence of a little girl. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything it can to prevent this monster from hurting any more children.”

Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

The Garden Grove police are targeting alleged Gypsy robbery crews

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Garden Grove Leave a comment

In the last six months, the Garden Grove Police Department has received numerous reports of robberies involving Gypsy crews. The suspects tend to target elderly Asians and use various distraction methods to remove the victim’s jewelry and replace it with counterfeit pieces. On some occasions, they would aggressively and forcefully removed the victim’s property, causing injuries.

GGPD Detectives are extensively investigating these cases. And this week, Detectives and Community Impact Unit (CIU) Officers collaborated with Westminster Police Department, CA and Orange County Auto Theft TaskForce (OCATT) Detectives in a multi-agency operation to address the problem.

During the operation, detectives were able to catch a two-man crew in the act of robbing a victim and attempting to flee the area. Both the male driver and female thief were arrested for robbery, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property. We are also seeking charges of child endangerment due to the two young children in the vehicle with them, at the time of the crime.

This investigation is ongoing.

Editor’s Note: The term Gypsy is not widely used today. They are now referred to as the Romani people. They are originally from Northern India. In Europe, Romani people are associated with poverty, and are accused of high rates of crime and behaviors that are perceived by the rest of the population as being antisocial or inappropriate, according to Wikipedia. The Romani people have faced persecution and genocide in Europe and the Nazis are thought to have killed perhaps as many as 220,000 and 1,500,000 of them during WWII.