Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Crime

The Santa Ana City Council will discuss the new homeless camp in DTSA at their Tuesday meeting

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, homeless, Santa Ana Leave a comment

At tomorrow night’s City Council meeting, the Santa Ana City Council will be discussing the large homeless encampment that has sprouted up on Ross St. in the wake of the abrupt closing of the Courtyard homeless shelter in DTSA, as reported by the Saving Santa Ana Facebook page.

The new homeless encampment is right next to at least five schools and a public library:

  1. Willard Intermediate School
  2. El Sol Academy
  3. Storybook Preschool & Kindergarten
  4. Orange County School of the Arts
  5. Orange County Educational Arts Academy
  6. Santa Ana Public Library

On Tuesday night, March 2, the Santa Ana City Council will be discussing a closed session action item regarding the increase in homeless encampments at the 837 N. Ross St. Join the Zoom Webinar directly at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. 

What is being discussed in whether the City should have Code Enforcement rules upheld or let it slide.

Unfortunately the City currently is very strict about who can stay at their homeless shelters. As a result many of the homeless end up in the streets. Generally the City requires proof that the homeless are from Santa Ana. However that is a moot point. They are here and they are not leaving! Many have been here for years. Santa Ana is the County seat, which attracts the homeless as they come here to avail themselves of County and State services.

This situation poses a conundrum for the City of Santa Ana. They can face potential legal issues if they look the other way and allow the homeless encampment to continue. However if they make exceptions as to who can stay at their shelters that too will result in problems as those exceptions will become the new standard.

You can call in to the City Council meeting, which will be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic at around 4:45 p.m.

Speakers will be called in order of call-in time starting at 5 p.m. It won’t take long and you should be done by 5:20 or so.

You can begin joining the speaker queue at 4:30 p.m.. Once you call (669) 900-9128 and enter Meeting ID: 315-965-149#, then press *9 [this informs the City you wish to speak]. You will be placed in a holding queue. You will be prompted to speak in the order received.

After the City Clerk confirms the last three digits of the your phone number unmute yourself by pressing *6 to speak. You are encouraged, but not required, to identify yourself by name. You will be provided three (3) minutes to speak. Again….Call (669) 900-9128 and enter Meeting ID: 315-965-149#. Once connected press *9 [this informs the City you wish to speak]. The City Clerk will confirm the last three digits of the your phone number and unmute you when it is your time to speak. You’ll need it press *6 to speak.

If you are not comfortable speaking, you can submit a brief one or 2 sentence opinion via email. Email: Send your comments in by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, to eComment@santa-ana.org.

The Agenda item in question is: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – POTENTIAL LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 of the Government Code: One Case, El Centro Cultural de Mexico.

Click here to see the City Council meeting agenda.

Bike theft suspect arrested in Tustin was selling meth too

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Crime, Drugs, Tustin 2 Comments

An observant Tustin Police Department K-9 Officer stopped a bicyclist for a California Vehicle Code (CVC) violation, on Friday.

The suspect, Eulalio Rivera, was riding a stylish pink beach cruiser bicycle. Earlier that day, Tustin PD investigated the theft of a very similar bicycle.

A search of Mr. Rivera revealed 20 individual bags of methamphetamine and he admitted to possessing them with the intention of sales.

Mr. Rivera was arrested for possession of drugs for sale and booked into jail. We are still attempting to contact the owner of the possible stolen bicycle.

Costa Mesa convict caught with drugs again

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs Leave a comment

During a patrol check yesterday, at about 10AM, Costa Mesa police officers contacted an individual staying in the 2000 block of Harbor Boulevard who is on Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) with search conditions.

Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) is a form of supervision provided to an offender who has been released from a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institution to the jurisdiction of a county agency, pursuant to the Post Release Community Supervision Act of 2011.

During a search of the room, the police officers located 31 grams of methamphetamine, over eight grams of what is suspected to be fentanyl, a large amount of cash, a scale, and drug paraphernalia.

The individual on PRCS and another subject who was present were then taken into custody.

Suspect arrested for defrauding O.C. models

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Fraud, Orange County Leave a comment

This is worth the read. Especially if you’re the parent of a young woman or an aspiring model/influencer looking to have professional pictures and work done for a portfolio.

On Thursday, February 18, 2021, the Seal Beach Police Detective Bureau became aware of a fraud suspect scheduled to meet a victim in Seal Beach. Days prior, the victim, a young adult woman, was contacted by the suspect via Instagram. The suspect claimed to be an intern for record label and was recruiting models for an upcoming photoshoot and music video. The suspect offered to pay the victim up to $175 an hour for the photoshoot. The victim, believing the offer was legitimate, agreed to meet the suspect in Seal Beach.

On February 18, 2021, the victim met with the suspect near the Seal Beach Pier. After taking several photographs, the suspect gave the victim two checks written for over $1,000 each. He claimed that he was paying the victim upfront for future photoshoots and instructed her to sign what she was led to believe was a business contract. The victim was told to deposit the checks at two different banks and obtain the maximum amount of cash from the deposits. Both banks gave the victim $200 in cash which she then returned to the suspect. When detectives asked the victim why she would give the suspect back the money that she had “earned” for the photoshoot, the victim said that she fell for the suspect’s sweet talk and promises of future modeling work.

After the victim and suspect went separate ways, the victim was telephoned by the bank and was told that the checks she had deposited were fraudulent. It was at this point the victim discovered that she had been the victim of fraud and drove to the Seal Beach Police Department to report the incident. Seal Beach detectives immediately began to investigate.

Moments later, the suspect telephoned the victim while she was being interviewed by the investigators. The suspect asked that the victim meet him at the pier again so that she could be booked for an upcoming music video shoot. The victim agreed to meet with the suspect again. Patrol officers and detectives surveilled the area while the victim briefly met with the suspect. The suspect was quickly detained by police officers without incident.

Based on statements and additional evidence located in the vehicle, detectives identified several other young women whom they believe have been victimized by the suspect using similar scams.

The suspect was placed under arrest for six counts of identity theft, four counts of defrauding by false pretense, and seven counts of check fraud. He was identified as 24 year old Ricklynn Tyler Parnell of Long Beach, California. He was later booked at the Orange County Jail.

“As a father of young women, I find it extremely unsettling that this suspect would target unsuspecting victims, promise them a modeling career, and then defraud them of their own money” said Chief of Police Philip L. Gonshak. “There is no way of knowing how many other young women have fallen victim to this fraud, but we are hopeful that by releasing this information and the suspect’s image, other victims will come forward.”

The Seal Beach Police Department is seeking additional information about this incident. If you have information, or believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact Detective Bruno Balderrama at (562) 799-4100 ext. 1109 or bbalderram@sealbeachca.gov.

Santa Ana caretaker arrested after an alleged sexually assault of an elderly woman with dementia

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

On 02/25/2021 at 12:37 p.m., Santa Ana Police responded to the Sunflower Gardens Senior Living Facility after receiving a call that a caretaker at the facility sexually assaulted one of the residents earlier that morning. The victim is an 87-year-old woman with dementia.

The suspect is Juan Sandoval, a 33-year-old caretaker at the facility. Sandoval took the victim as she walked down a hallway into a bedroom where he sexually assaulted her. Another caretaker at the facility walked by the room, which had the door open, and interrupted the sexual assault. Sandoval got dressed and left the room. The witness immediately reported the incident to a supervisor.

Sandoval was still working at the facility when police arrived and arrested him. Sandoval worked at the facility for the past three years.

Santa Ana Police Special Crimes Detectives responded to the facility and interviewed over 40 residents but did not locate any additional victims. All of the residents at this facility have some form of Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Detectives booked Sandoval for Rape, Elder Abuse, and Kidnapping with intent to commit Rape. He is being held at the Orange County Jail and his bail was set at $1,000,000.00.

The investigation is still ongoing and detectives believe there could be additional victims. Detectives are asking for anyone with information to contact Detective Corona at (714) 245-8343, GCorona@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

There was a drive-by shooting in Santa Ana’s Park Santiago neighborhood

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Guns, Santa Ana, SAPD 4 Comments

A drive-by shooting was reported in Santa Ana’s Park Santiago Neighborhood yesterday, at the 2500 block of Larchmont, at the corner of Joana, in broad daylight at 3:22 p.m.

Four SAPD vehicles responded to the scene as well as a department helicopter.

Two victims, allegedly age 18-25, were injured in the shooting and apparently made their way to a local hospital after getting shot.

The shooters were reportedly two Hispanic males. One of them was sitting on the corner with an “OC” tattoo on his lower right leg and the other was standing on the south side of Joana. The tattooed suspect shot once at two Hispanic males in a black Nissan 4-door coupe, apparently aiming at the driver. The passenger in the black Nissan leaned out and and apparently was able to fire one shot back.

The driver of the Nissan then drove his car from Joana, turned right, heading north, into Larchmont, where the passenger shot at the first shooter.

A neighbor said she heard a total of three shots. She saw two men hop into a gold-colored car that came into the area through Grovemont, from Lincoln.

Neighbors were shocked by the shooting as this type of crime is rare in the Park Santiago area. There are questions now as to whether or not any of the victims or suspects actually live in the area or were just passing through.

The SAPD did not issue a press release about the incident.

Many of the residents of the Park Santiago neighborhood opposed a proposed luxury apartment development at 2525 N. Main last year. The City Council flipped on that project and it was derailed. The dilapidated office building at that site is now a focal point of nefarious activities by drug users and transients who hang out at Santiago Park.

SAPD cop pleads guilty to taking $128,000 in bribes

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

Steven Lopez, 28, of Chino, s Santa Ana police officer, admitted on Wednesday, Feb. 24, to accepting $128,000 in bribes in exchange for shielding an an illegal business from law enforcement.

Steven Lopez, 28, of Chino pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge as part of a plea deal in which he acknowledged using his law enforcement status to both accept and solicit money from an unnamed business operator.

Steven Lopez, 28, of Chino, was charged with bribery in a single-count information filed on Dec. 14, 2020, in United States District Court. In a plea agreement, Lopez agreed to plead guilty to this felony offense.

According to his plea agreement, Lopez served as a police officer with the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) from April 2016 to November 2020. From August 2019 until November 2020, Lopez received approximately $128,000 in bribes from an individual – named in court documents as “Co-Schemer 1” – seeking to influence Lopez in the performance of his official duties as a police officer, the plea agreement states. Lopez admitted that he agreed to prevent or stop law enforcement compliance checks at businesses illegally operating under Co-Schemer 1’s control, law enforcement efforts to shut down those businesses, and law enforcement searches and seizures at those illegally operated businesses.

In August 2020, Lopez accepted $16,000 in bribes from Co-Schemer 1, the plea agreement states. Lopez further admitted that in September 2020 he solicited a bribe payment of at least $5,000 from Co-Schemer 1, who met Lopez – who was on duty and wearing his police uniform – during the late evening of September 14, on the top floor of a parking structure located directly across the street from SAPD headquarters. During this meeting, Lopez accepted Co-Schemer 1’s bribe payment, according to the plea agreement.

On the evening of November 2, Lopez – once again on duty, wearing his police uniform and driving an SAPD-marked vehicle – met Co-Schemer 1 at the corner of First and Fairview streets in Santa Ana, and accepted a $2,500 bribe payment.

Upon entering his guilty plea, Lopez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

This matter was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Justice, and the Santa Ana Police Department.

The SAPD is looking for a suspect who threatened to kill his girlfriend

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Domestic Violence, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

On 12/25/2020, during a verbal argument with his girlfriend, suspect Jose Antonio Villalobos Avalos put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Avalos also threatened to shoot her.

Wanted Suspect: Jose Antonio Villalobos Avalos (23)

Suspect Description: Male, Hispanic, 5’08”, 180 lbs., brown hair and green eyes

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Avalos is asked to please contact Investigator Ruvalcaba at (714) 245-8348.

Transient arrested in Garden Grove after a violent assault

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, homeless Leave a comment

On January 22, 2021 a victim was walking home when he was approached and violently attacked by a transient, in Garden Grove.

After an investigation, the suspect was identified as John Mendoza, a transient.

Yesterday while on routine patrol, SRT Officers encountered a subject in a makeshift encampment who they recognized as Mendoza and wanted for the brutal assault with a deadly weapon.

Mendoza was arrested and later booked into Orange County Jail.

Four Garden Grove gang members arrested during a drug bust

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Drugs, Gangs, Garden Grove, Guns, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Garden Grove Police Department Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) had been conducting an ongoing investigation into gang members selling narcotics in Garden Grove.

Over the weekend, GSU police detectives were able to develop information on the suspects’ whereabouts and conducted a vehicle stop.

Three pounds of Marijuana was found in plain view, with $20K in cash also seized from the vehicle.GSU then obtained and served a search warrant, with the help of the K9Unit and patrol officers.

During the service, a Glock 22 .40 Cal ghost gun, a Glock 43 .9mm ghost gun, over 500 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an additional $5k in cash (totaling $25K), 1000 MDMA pills, an additional six pounds of Marijuana, 500+ Xanax pills, several vials of Ketamine, and 500+ Oxycontin/fentanyl pills was seized.

Four suspects were arrested and later booked in Orange County Jail.

The Garden Grove police arrested 21 suspects and seized guns, cash and drugs at a slap house

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Drugs, Garden Grove, Guns Leave a comment

It was a busy weekend for the Garden Grove Police Department. On Friday evening, February 19, 2021, their Special Investigations Unit (SIU) served a search warrant on a suspected slap house (illegal gambling location) on the 13000 block of Cypress St., with the assistance of the Community Impact Unit (CIU), Gang Suppression Unit (GSU), the K9Unit and patrol officers.

The police officers located and seized $4K+ in cash, a Mac-10 with a loaded high capacity magazine and suppressor, two loaded handguns, and one dismantled assault rifle from the illegal gambling operation at that location. Eight gambling machines were also located in the detached garage.

A total of 21 people were arrested for either a warrant, illegal gambling and/or obstructing an officer/resisting arrest.

O.C. CHP officer charged with using confidential police records to help a friend

Posted on by Posted in CHP, Crime, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer, Westminster 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol officer has been charged with using a department computer to illegally access a confidential law enforcement database to provide vehicle information to a friend who owned a car registration service.

Todd Steaffens, 43, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of computer access and fraud and three misdemeanor counts of disclosing Department of Motor Vehicle information without authorization.

He faces a maximum sentence of three years in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Steaffens has worked for the California Highway Patrol since 2007.

Between February 2020 and July 2020, Steaffens is accused of using a CHP computer at the Westminster office to unlawfully access the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), which provides law enforcement access to national databases maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and others. Any information obtained from the system can be used for official use only.

Between February 2020 and July 2020, Steaffens is accused of accessing CLETS after receiving text messages from a friend who owns Pacific Automotive Services in Los Angeles asking the officer to run the vehicle identification numbers of different vehicles he was interested in buying. Steaffens is accused of providing that information to the owner of Pacific Automotive Services.

“This conduct of misuse of an official confidential law enforcement database to run a friend’s prospective car purchase has to be about the dumbest thing an officer can do to jeopardize his career and criminal record ,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Even minor transgressions such as these must be prosecuted because they are unlawful and still rises to the level of abuse of power.”

Steaffens is scheduled to be arraigned on April 21, 2021 at the Central Justice Center in Department C54.

Deputy District Attorney Dustin Chupurdy of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

A Costa Mesa DUI driver hit a pedestrian and a car and was arrested

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime 1 Comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2021) — The Costa Mesa Police Department has arrested a man suspected of DUI after striking a pedestrian and second vehicle earlier this morning. 

Today, Feb. 21, 2021, at approximately 2:07 a.m., officers responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision.  A driver in the first vehicle ran a red light going south on Newport Boulevard at 19th Street and struck a pedestrian at Harbor Blvd., then collided with a second car at Harbor Boulevard before rolling over. 

The pedestrian and the driver of the second vehicle were transported to a nearby hospital.

There are no fatalities in this incident. The driver, Herman Martinez, 22, Maywood, in the first vehicle did not suffer injuries and was subsequently arrested for DUI.

MAIT was called out and a Sig Alert was put out.

Presently, northbound Newport Boulevard is open. Southbound Newport Boulevard remains closed until approximately 10:00 a.m. 

The Tustin Police arrested a trio of catalytic converter thieves

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Tustin 6 Comments

Two minutes after 2 AM this Thursday, a Tustin PD K-9 Officer was in the area of Red Hill Ave. and Sycamore Ave. when he noticed a suspicious vehicle exit the Tustin Meadows neighborhood.

The police officer stopped the vehicle and contacted three occupants. The suspects were found to be in possession of a catalytic converter which was taken from a vehicle parked at the Tustin Meadows. Officers searched the area, and they were able to locate the victim’s vehicle.

The suspects were also in possession of a low-profile garage jack, a cordless saw, and drugs.

Richard Delarosa, Patrick Mendez, and Justin Jauregui were all booked at OC Jail for grand theft, possession of stolen property, conspiracy, and drug offenses.