Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Crime

The victim of this morning’s shooting by Century High School has been identified

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – SAPD Detectives Investigating Homicide – Victim Has Been Identified

Victim has been identified as Hugo Sanchez Jr. (34) Santa Ana

On Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at 1:47 AM, police officers from the Santa Ana Police Department responded to reports of a possible carjacking or kidnapping from the Shell gas station located at 1501 East Edinger Avenue. Responding officers located the victim vehicle, described as a late 90’s Ford pick-up truck, abandoned at the 1400 block of East Wilshire Avenue. Officers discovered a deceased adult male in the street near the vehicle. The male died of apparent gunshot wounds. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics assessed the victim and declared him deceased at scene. Continue reading→

A man was found dead after two men entered his vehicle near Century H.S.

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A man was killed early this morning, August 14, after two unknown men hopped into his truck while he was at the Shell station at Edinger and Grand Avenues, according to the SAPD.

The SAPD does not yet know if the suspects forced their way into the truck while the man was gassing it up at 2 a.m., or if they were invited in by the driver. Continue reading→

Three men charged with trafficking teenage girls in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 18CF2249

THREE MEN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING 16-YEAR-OLD AND 17-YEAR-OLD GIRLS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Three men were charged yesterday with trafficking 16-year-old and 17-year-old girls.

Defendants:

  • Rafael Montano, 18, Pittsburg, CA
  • Ivan Ulises Zamora, 18, Oakland

Charged on Aug. 9, 2018 with the following felony counts: Continue reading→

The SAPD is conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint this Friday night

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday, August 10th, in the area of 500 W. Warner St.

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday, August 10th, 2018. It will begin at 8:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 500 W. Warner Street, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Two local men on trial for the hit and run killing of a 9-year-old boy in Orange

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, OCDA, Orange 1 Comment

Roderick Kent Jerro

Case # 15CF1773

Date: August 7, 2018

TWO MEN TO FACE TRIAL FOR FATAL HIT-AND-RUN AFTER SPEEDING THROUGH RED LIGHT AND KILLING 9-YEAR-OLD BOY IN CROSSWALK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Two men are scheduled to face trial tomorrow for a fatal hit-and-run crash after speeding through a red light and killing a 9-year-old boy in a crosswalk.

Defendant: Roderick Kent Jerro, 53, Orange

Charged on Aug. 10, 2015, with the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Century H.S. volleyball coach facing 11 years in prison for alleged sex with three students

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Omar Rojas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 18CF2213

Date: Aug. 7, 2018

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL COACH CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH THREE MINOR STUDENTS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Law enforcement is seeking potential additional victims of a high school volleyball coach charged today with unlawful sexual intercourse with three minor students.

Defendant: Omar Rojas, 28, Santa Ana

Charged today with the following felony counts: Continue reading→

Santa Ana Unified School District’s statement on the arrest of Omar Rojas

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Omar Rojas

NEWS RELEASE

Santa Ana Unified School District’s Statement on the Arrest of Omar Rojas

SANTA ANA, CA (August 7, 2018) – Santa Ana Unified School District was notified, August 3, 2018 that Omar Rojas, a volleyball coach at Century High School and District Safety Officer at Sierra Preparatory Academy was arrested and booked for allegations of sexual misconduct with a former student of Century. These allegations are being taken seriously and are in direct conflict of the District’s zero-tolerance policy relating to staff misconduct, in which all district employees are held at the highest ethical standards. This includes reporting any suspicious activity involving abuse or neglect of a child directly to authorities, as mandated by law. Failure to do so is a criminal violation of the law. Continue reading→

Century High School volleyball coach and safety officer arrested on multiple sexual assault charges

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Omar Rojas

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: DETECTIVES ARREST HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL COACH & SAFETY OFFICER FOR MULTIPLE SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

Arrestee: Omar Rojas (28) Santa Ana

Synopsis: A 28-year-old volleyball coach at Century High School was arrested for having sex with several minor students. Omar Rojas is also currently employed as a District Safety Officer for the Santa Ana Unified School District. Santa Ana Unified School District Police contacted the Santa Ana Police Department to report allegations that Rojas had sexual intercourse with several students.

Santa Ana Police Department Special Crimes Section Detectives commenced the investigation and concluded that the incidents occurred in 2015. Rojas was not a District Safety Officer when these crimes were committed. On numerous occasions, Rojas would have the victims excused from class in order to meet them for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity on campus. The victims were 17-years-old at the time and no longer students at Century High School. Continue reading→

Needle giveaway postponed after Orange County files lawsuit

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Needle Giveaway Postponed After Orange County Files Lawsuit

Santa Ana, CA – The Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP) has postponed its planned mobile needle giveaway program until September. This comes after the County of Orange filed a lawsuit on Friday and is planning to seek a temporary restraining order in court to block the program from beginning operation on Monday, August 6th.

In an interview with the Associated Press, OCNEP officials announced “they won’t start until September to have time to collaborate with local officials.” Continue reading→

UCI doctor charged with secretly filming guests who were using his home bathroom

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Duc Minh Vu, from Yelp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 18CM06901

Date: Aug. 3, 2018

MEDICAL DOCTOR ARRAIGNED FOR SECRETLY FILMING GUESTS IN HIS BATHROOM

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A medical doctor was arraigned today after being charged with disorderly conduct for secretly filming guests in the bathroom at his home.

Defendant: Duc Minh Vu, 33, Orange

Charged with the following misdemeanor counts: Continue reading→

Orange County to file a lawsuit to stop the drug needle giveaway

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Orange County to File Lawsuit to Stop Drug Needle Giveaway

Santa Ana, California – Orange County has approved filing a lawsuit to stop a state-approved drug needle giveaway in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange and Santa Ana.

In an emergency meeting on Friday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do’s proposal to seek a legal injunction to stop the dangerous mobile needle giveaway, which is set to begin on Monday, August 6. Continue reading→

The SAPD is seeking public input as they craft a new policing philosophy

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Valentin, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: INVITATION BY POLICE CHIEF DAVID VALENTIN FOR COMMUNITY INPUT FOR DEPARTMENTS NEW POLICING PHILOSOPHY

Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin invites you to a unique opportunity to provide input on establishing the Department’s Policing Philosophy. This invitation is centered on his open servant leadership approach to proving the best policing services possible for everyone in Santa Ana.

The Orange County Human Relations Commission will conduct four public meetings aimed at engaging residents and police officers in a joint effort to improve relationships and learn from each other about how to keep our families, friends and neighbors safe. Continue reading→

Off-duty Garden Grove police officer charged with DUI after falling asleep on the freeway

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Case # 18CM06849

Date: July 31, 2018

OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER ARRAIGNED FOR DUI AFTER FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON 55 FREEWAY

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An off-duty Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) officer was arraigned yesterday for driving under the influence (DUI) after falling asleep at the wheel on the 55 freeway.

Defendant: Jared Russell Doyle, 32

Charged on July 3, 2018, with the following misdemeanor counts: Continue reading→

Why is security at the Santa Ana Zoo so bad that a Lemur was stolen?

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By now you have heard that a lemur was stolen from the Santa Ana Zoo over the weekend. The good news is that it has since been recovered after it was dropped off at a Newport Beach hotel, according to the O.C. Register.

Apparently a group of suspects climbed over a wall on the Zoo’s perimeter then cut fences on two enclosures that contained a group of Capuchin monkeys and the lemur, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

$1.6M in illegal narcotics seized in massive LA/OC drug bust

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Multi-agency investigation leads to the seizure of $1.6 million worth of illegal narcotics

SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 26, 2018) – An investigation by a multi-agency operation to intercept narcotics and hold drug traffickers accountable has resulted in the arrest of three men and the confiscation of 184 pounds of illegal narcotics and five guns.

The investigation, which initiated in Orange County, resulted in the seizure of 68 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl, 88 pounds of heroin and about 2 pounds of cocaine from multiple locations in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Continue reading→