On June 22, 2020, at approximately 12:30 PM, the pictured suspects entered the Home Depot at 3500 W. MacArthur Blvd., selected various items, and left without paying.
When employees attempted to stop the suspects, one of the suspects peppered sprayed the employee. Both suspects fled the location on foot.
Anyone with information to identify/locate wanted suspects, contact Detective Prewett at (714) 245-8323 / DPrewett@santa-ana.org.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Stanton man has been charged with a hate crime for using a hatchet to break out a car window while a man was driving away after an altercation at a park. The man hurled a racial slur for black people at a man playing basketball with his cousins and attempted to punch him before the victim and his fellow basketball players got in the car and attempted to leave.
Christopher Robargae, 33, of Stanton has been charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of violation of civil rights with a violent injury, and a felony enhancement of a hate crime. Robarge has also been charged with one misdemeanor count of vandalism. He pleaded not guilty today.
Robargae has prior strikes for assault with a deadly weapon and burglary. He faces 38 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
On June 30, 2020, the victim and his cousins were playing basketball in a Westminster park when a man, later identified as Robargae, is accused of approaching the victim and called him a derogatory name for black people. The man took a swing at the victim, but missed.
The victim and his cousins left the basketball court and attempted to drive away, but Robarge is accused of following them and using a hatchet to smash the driver’s window.
“We have made it incredibly clear at every opportunity, including statements to the media, public appearances and in court filings that hate will be punished to the fullest extent of the law in Orange County. This defendant must not have gotten the message,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The full force of the District Attorney will be behind this case so that this defendant and any other person who tries to hate in the future by an act of violence will know Orange County is not a place to be a hater.”
Robargae is currently being held on $750,000 bail at the Intake Release Center.
Deputy District Attorney Matt Plunket of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A U.S. Forest Service firefighter has been charged with felony possession of child pornography and lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 that occurred in the City of Newport Beach. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying additional potential victims.
Jacob Daniel Carothers, 38, of San Jacinto, was arrested July 1, 2020 by Newport Beach Police detectives.
Carothers, who has worked as a federal firefighter for the last 16 years, has been charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography and two felony counts of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under the age of 14. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all charges.
Carothers was most recently assigned to the Cleveland National Forest.
On May 29, 2020, a woman called Newport Beach police to report that her 12-year-old daughter had been inappropriately grabbed by a man riding by on a bicycle two separate time while the girl and two friends were walking in swimwear on Balboa Peninsula.
The man, later identified as Carothers, fled the scene on his bike was found by police in an alley nearby. The investigation revealed a significant amount of pornographic photos and videos depicting children in Carothers’ possession.
Carothers was arrested by Newport Beach police on a warrant on July 1, 2020.
Carothers is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, July 6, 2020 in CJ1. He is currently being held at the Intake Release Center on $100,000 bail.
“We rely on firefighters to come to our aid when our homes are on fire and our lives are at risk. We hand firefighters choking babies and expect them to breathe life back into them. We count on them to keep our homes from burning to the ground and prevent lifetimes of memories from being reduced to ash,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Unfortunately, not everyone who takes the oath to become a firefighter is worthy of having the public’s trust. Children enjoying a summer day at the beach with their friends should not have to worry about being assaulted by a predator, especially one who took an oath to safeguard lives.”
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying additional potential victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Newport Beach Police Detective Kelley Maslin at 949-644-3776.
Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
While patrolling the area of 1200 blk of W. Brook today, northeast of the corner of S. Bristol and W. McFadden, SAPD MET detectives attempted to contact a male juvenile, according to the SAPD’s Twitter account.
The subject ran from officers on foot while holding his front waistband.
He was in possession of a semi-auto handgun w/ additional magazine in his pocket. The gun was recovered by the detectives.
The SAPD did not identify the suspect or detail the charges he is facing.
On Sunday, July 5, 2020 at 10:07 PM, the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls of a male down in the roadway at the intersection of S. Bristol St. and W. Myrtle St. Officers responded to the area and found an adult male down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the male before pronouncing him deceased at the scene.
The preliminary investigation has revealed the male pedestrian was crossing S. Bristol St at W. Myrtle St. when he was struck by a vehicle that was traveling south. The driver of the vehicle was contacted at the scene. A witness stated the vehicle that remained at the scene was involved in a street race with a second vehicle, prior to striking the pedestrian. At this time, it is unknown if a street race occurred but speed did play a factor in the collision.
The driver, identified as Bryan Lemus, was arrested at the scene for felony vehicular manslaughter. He was booked at the Santa Ana Jail.
The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Cpl. W. Hadley at (714) 245-8216 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.
On 6/20/20 at about 9:30am, a garage burglary was reported from the 18000 block of Applewood Circle in Huntington Beach. The victim discovered his garage had been forced open and numerous items were stolen. Officers on scene located video which showed the crime to include the suspect vehicle and vehicle license plate. The video also showed two suspects, a male and female, stealing items from inside the garage.
Officers were later able to locate the vehicle at a hotel in Westminster and identified the two suspects seen in the video. John Cassaro and Sara Thames were subsequently arrested for the garage burglary and booked into the Huntington Beach Jail. Cassaro was able to post bail and released a few hours later, but Thames was unable to post bail and remained in custody.
On 6/24/20 at about 1:50pm, officers responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at a storage facility located in the 7000 block of Slater. A female called 911 and told dispatchers she was stuck inside a U-Haul truck. Officers located the U-Haul truck as well as the female and another male, identified (once again) as John Cassaro.
Cassaro was found to be in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine and detained pending further investigation. Investigation revealed the U-Haul was reported stolen and was parked next to a storage unit in the name of Sara Thames. Detectives from the Property Crime Unit responded and assumed the investigation.
Inside the stolen U-Haul was approximately $50,000 in stolen merchandise from an unreported commercial burglary in the City of Santa Ana. Inside the storage unit, additional stolen items were discovered to include stolen items from the garage burglary on Applewood, as well as stolen items from Quiksilver in the City of Huntington Beach. A large amount of additional narcotics was also located inside the storage unit.
Cassaro was again arrested on various charges to include possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of narcotics.
This investigation highlights the fact that property (and narcotics) crimes are often committed by the same suspects. Our Officers and Detectives work diligently to identify, locate, and arrest these suspects, only for them to return to the streets to continue their crime sprees.
There are many items pictured that we have not been able to identify the owners of the stolen property. If you recognize any of it as yours, please contact Detective Parker at rparker@hbpd.org.
On Saturday, July 4th, 2020, at approximately 1:20 AM, the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls of a male down in the roadway in the 2400 block of South Fairview Street. Officers responded to the area and found an adult male down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the male before pronouncing him deceased at the scene.
The preliminary investigation revealed the male was in the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle driving south on Fairview Street. The vehicle involved fled from the scene prior to the arrival of officers. It is unknown if alcohol is a factor in this collision; the collision remains under investigation.
Investigators located the involved vehicle, which was parked a short distance from the collision scene. The vehicle led investigators to a residence where they identified the driver as Jonathan Padilla from Santa Ana. Padilla was arrested for felony hit and run, and he was booked at the Santa Ana Jail.
The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Investigator N. Quinones at (714) 245-8284.
During their investigation of this collision, Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit was able to identify the driver of the suspect vehicle as Joel Giovanni Andalon. On Thursday, July 2, 2020 at approximately 12:15 PM, Andalon was taken into custody with assistance from detectives from our Career Criminal Unit, Homicide Section, and Major Enforcement Team. Andalon was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on charges of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter and Felony Hit and Run.
Traffic Investigators are releasing video of the crash in hopes that the driver of the white van (seen in the video) will contact them with additional information, as they are believed to have witnessed the collision.
Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact Investigator Cpl. Carrillo at (714) 245-8208 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.
– ORIGINAL MESSAGE –
On Friday, June 26th, 2020, at approximately 9:46 am, the Santa Ana Police Department received a call of a traffic collision involving multiple vehicles in the area of 1st and Lacy. Officers responded to the area and located the collision involving two vehicles. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and began to treat the injured parties. All three of the injured parties were transported to the hospital for further medical attention. One of the injured passengers, who was eight months pregnant, underwent emergency surgery. During the surgery, the fetus was pronounced deceased as a direct result of the collision.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that one of the vehicles was traveling east on 1st making a left turn onto Lacy. A second vehicle, traveling west on 1st at a high rate of speed, struck the vehicle making the left turn onto Lacy. The driver traveling west on 1st fled the scene on foot prior to the arrival of police. Investigators are still determining if alcohol played a role in the collision, but speed is believed to be a factor. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone having information about this collision is asked to contact Investigator Cpl. Danny Carrillo at (714) 245-8208 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.
As 4th of July approaches, we would like to remind our community that only fireworks bearing the “Safe and Sane” seal are permitted to be used within the City limits, during the following days and hours only:
• Wednesday, July 1st – 12:00pm (noon) to 10:00pm
• Thursday, July 2nd – 10:00am to 10:00pm
• Friday, July 3rd – 10:00am to 10:00pm
• Saturday, July 4th – 10:00am to 9:00pm
The use of illegal fireworks may contribute to serious injuries and fires in our community. The Santa Ana Police Department wants to remind the community that “Possession and/or Use of Illegal Fireworks” is a CRIME. Violators may be subject to $1000 fines and up to one year in jail. Community members can anonymously report the use of illegal fireworks at (714) 245-8771 or via email reportfireworks@santa-ana.org.
SOLO SE PERMITE “SEGURO Y SANO” FUEGOS ARTIFICIALES
A medida que se acerca el 4 de julio, La Ciudad de Santa Ana les recuerda que sólo los fuegos artificiales que llevan el sello “Seguro y Sano” (“Safe and Sane”) están autorizados para uso dentro de los límites de la ciudad y solo durante los siguientes días y horas:
• miércoles, 1 de julio – 12:00pm (mediodía) a 10:00pm
• jueves, 2 de julio – 10:00am a 10:00pm
• viernes, 3 de julio – 10:00am a 10:00pm
• sábado, 4 de julio – 10:00am a 9:00pm
El uso de fuegos artificiales ilegales puede contribuir a lesiones graves e incendios en nuestra comunidad. El Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana quiere recordarle a la comunidad que “posesión y / o uso de fuegos artificiales ilegales” es un DELITO. Los infractores pueden estar sujetos a multas de $ 1000 y hasta un año de cárcel. Miembros de la comunidad pueden reportar el uso de fuegos artificiales ilegales anónimamente al (714) 245-8771 o por correo electrónico reportfireworks@santa-ana.org.
On 01/30/2020, wanted suspect Gilbert Conley Trevena (34) was captured on video surveillance breaking a large window and the glass front door of the Bowers Museum causing over $3,000.00 in damage. Trevena is a transient and frequents the Orange County area.
Wanted Suspect: Gilbert Conley Trevena (34)
Description: Male, 5’10”, 190 lbs., Brown Hair and Green Eyes.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Trevena is asked to contact Detective Castro at (714) 245-8345 or ACastro@santa-ana.org
The remains of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old soldier reported missing from a U.S. Army base in Texas in April, were recently found and a suspect killed himself as U.S. Marshals closed in on him, in Texas, according to Fox News.
A candlelight vigil in Guillen’s memory will be held in Santa Ana, on Friday, July 3, at the U.S. Army Recruiting Center located at 2142 N. Tustin Ave.
Guillen went missing from the U.S. Fort Hood Army post in Texas where she was stationed. She was last seen in the parking lot of her barracks on April 22, 2020. Before Guillen went missing, she informed her family that she was being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants at Fort Hood. She did not identify the man by name. Before her disappearance, Vanessa’s mother, Gloria, advised her to report him. Vanessa informed her mother that other women had reported the sergeant and that they were dismissed. In response, Vanessa stated that “she could put a stop to it herself,” out of fear that her mother would be harmed if her mother were to report the sergeant. A few weeks later, Vanessa disappeared, according to Wikipedia.
Guillen was a small arms repairer from Houston, of Hispanic descent, and she stood 5 feet, 2 inches tall, at 126 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
On June 28, 2020, a Fountain Valley construction company reported a $3,000 cement mixer had been stolen from their enclosed fenced yard. Surveillance video showed the cement mixer being towed away by a van.
Using the video footage, Fountain Valley Police Department detectives discovered the van was stolen from a nearby business. Further investigation revealed the suspects listed the cement mixer for sale on the Internet.
Detectives then arranged to purchase the mixer in the area of Euclid and Fifth in The City of Santa Ana.
Richard Moya, 39 years of age, and Manuel Erenas, 41 years of age, both residents of Santa Ana, arrived and were detained. The stolen cement mixer and van were recovered.
Detectives then conducted a probation search of the suspect’s home in the 5200 block of Fifth St, Santa Ana. During this search, a stolen trailer and numerous work tools were recovered. Detectives also discovered evidence that Moya had stolen the cement mixer and van.
Moya was booked into Orange County Jail for grand theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of stolen property. Erenas was booked into Orange County Jail for possession of stolen property and a warrant for a previous vehicle theft. 20-20552
SAPD Vice Detectives, Directed Patrol & City Code Enforcement served a search warrant on a suspected illegal marijuana grow at 1305 E Wakeham, on Saturday.
Upon entry the investigators discovered the illegal dispensary was in its infancy stages and was being built to be a large scale sophisticated facility.
The illegal marijuana grow operation was located just north of the Orange County Probation Department, off of Grand Ave., between E. Chestnut Ave. and E. McFadden Ave., in a light industrial zone, a half mile north of Century High School.
On Monday, June 29, 2020, at 1:49 AM, SAPD Officers responded to a report of a shooting with a victim down on the sidewalk in the 1700 Block of West 5th Street (near Our Lady of the Pillar Church). Officers arrived within minutes and located an unresponsive adult male suffering apparent gunshot wounds. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics pronounced the victim deceased at 2:06 AM.
SAPD Homicide Section detectives responded and assumed the investigation. The identity of the decedent is being withheld pending identification by the Orange County Coroner’s Division and notification of next of kin.
The motive for the attack is unknown at this time. Detectives encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward and provide a statement.
Santa Ana Police Department Homicide Section (714) 245-8390
Orange County Crime Stoppers 1 (855) TIP-OCCS / 1 (855) 847-6227
https://occrimestoppers.org/
LOS ANGELES – A Mexican Mafia associate who ordered murders and assaults in Orange County’s jail system on the prison gang’s behalf was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for his racketeering conspiracy conviction.
Ramon Alvarez, 45, of Santa Ana, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner. Alvarez pleaded guilty in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Alvarez admitted in his plea agreement that, from October 2008 until September 2013, he agreed to assist the Mexican Mafia while he was a jail inmate. Alvarez was given the power to place fellow inmates on “hard candy” or “green light” lists, which marked other inmates for murder or assault within the Orange County jail system.
In December 2011, Alvarez authorized a co-conspirator to stab and kill a jail inmate, according to court documents. In October 2012, Alvarez identified a jail inmate victim who was cooperating with law enforcement in another inmate’s murder trial, and other Mexican Mafia associates later assaulted that inmate at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.
The prison gang’s Orange County faction was headed by Peter Ojeda, a longtime Mexican Mafia member who controlled Latino street gangs in Orange County for at least three decades. Ojeda was found guilty in 2016 of racketeering offenses and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, where he died in 2018 at the age of 76.
Ojeda was involved in the operation and management of the Mexican Mafia’s activities in Orange County, which included orchestrating murder schemes, extortion and narcotics trafficking. Ojeda ordered Latino street gangs in Orange County to pay “taxes” that consisted of a portion of the proceeds the gangs earned from various criminal activities, including drug trafficking. In return, gang members were permitted to exert influence over their neighborhoods and territories and seek protection or assistance from the Mexican Mafia.
Alvarez was one of 25 defendants named in a RICO indictment brought as part of Operation “Smokin’ Aces,” which was a multi-agency operation that targeted the Orange County wing of the Mexican Mafia and led to charges against more than 80 defendants in federal court. In total, prosecutors have secured 76 convictions in these cases.
The investigation was jointly conducted by special agents of the Santa Ana Gang Task Force, which consisted of agents and officers with the FBI; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Santa Ana Police Department; the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation-Special Service Unit.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office.