Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Crime

Santa Ana police oversight community feedback survey

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Crime, Police Brutality, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

What kind of oversight should the Santa Ana Police Department have? At the direction of the Santa Ana City Council, the City has created a survey to find out the community’s views on police oversight.

The survey is on the City of Santa Ana website at www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight and is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. All members of the public are encouraged to participate.

At the June 16, 2020, City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare an informational report providing examples of police oversight models in place across law enforcement agencies in the United States. More specifically, the City Council directed staff to explore best practices for police oversight, identify various models of oversight, and evaluate the various frameworks.

The City Council had a follow-up discussion on Sept. 15, 2020, and directed staff to conduct additional research and outreach, including launching a feedback survey. City officials plan to return to the City Council on Dec. 15 with additional research and a presentation of the survey results.

For more information and to take the survey, please visit www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight.

Encuesta sobre Supervisión Policial

¿Qué tipo de supervisión debería tener el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana? Bajo la dirección del Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana, la Ciudad ha creado una encuesta para conocer las opiniones de la comunidad sobre la supervisión policial.

La encuesta se encuentra en el sitio web de la Ciudad de Santa Ana en www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight y está disponible en inglés, español y vietnamita. Se anima a todos los miembros del público a participar.

En la reunión del Concejo Municipal del 16 de junio del 2020, el Concejo Municipal ordenó al personal que preparara un informe con ejemplos de modelos de supervisión policial implementados en las agencias de aplicación de la ley en los Estados Unidos. Más específicamente, el Concejo Municipal ordenó al personal que explorara las mejores prácticas para la supervisión policial, identificara varios modelos de supervisión y evaluara los diversos marcos.

El Ayuntamiento tuvo una conversación de seguimiento el 15 de septiembre del 2020 y ordenó al personal que realizara investigaciones y actividades de divulgación adicionales, incluido el lanzamiento de una encuesta de comentarios. Los funcionarios de la Ciudad planean regresar al Concejo Municipal el 15 de diciembre con una investigación adicional y una presentación de los resultados de la encuesta.

Para obtener más información y realizar la encuesta, visite www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight.

Khảo sát Phản hồi của Cộng đồng về Giám sát Cảnh sát

Sở Cảnh sát Santa Ana nên có hình thức giám sát nào? Theo chỉ dẫn của Hội đồng Thành phố Santa Ana, Thành phố đã có một cuộc khảo sát để tìm hiểu ý kiến của cộng đồng về giám sát cảnh sát.

Cuộc khảo sát có trên trang web của Thành phố Santa Ana tại www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight và có trong tiếng Anh, tiếng Tây Ban Nha và tiếng Việt. Chúng tôi mong rằng tất cả thành viên của cộng đồng đều tham gia khảo sát.

Tại cuộc họp Hội đồng Thành phố ngày 16 tháng 6 năm 2020, Hội đồng Thành phố đã chỉ dẫn nhân viên chuẩn bị một báo cáo đầy đủ thông tin, nêu các ví dụ về các mô hình giám sát cảnh sát tại các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật ở Hoa Kỳ. Cụ thể hơn, Hội đồng Thành phố đã chỉ dẫn nhân viên tìm các phương pháp giám sát cảnh sát tốt nhất, xác định các mô hình giám sát khác nhau và đánh giá các khung chương trình khác nhau.

Hội đồng thành phố đã có một cuộc thảo luận tiếp nối vào ngày 15 tháng 9 năm 2020 và chỉ dẫn nhân viên tiến hành tiếp ngoại và khảo sát bổ sung, bao gồm cả việc khởi xướng một cuộc khảo sát phản hồi. Các viên chức Thành phố dự kiến gửi lại Hội đồng Thành phố kết quả khảo sát bổ sung và bản trình bày kết quả khảo sát vào ngày 15 tháng 12.

Để biết thêm thông tin và tham gia cuộc khảo sát, vui lòng truy cập www.santa-ana.org/cm/police-oversight.

A woman was killed in a DUI crash with an SAPD vehicle

Posted on by Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

On Friday, November 20th, 2020 at 11:20 PM, two Santa Ana Police Officers were sitting in their parked police unit in the area of Washington Ave. and Lowell St. A vehicle traveling east on Washington Ave. struck the parked police unit. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the officers and occupants of the other vehicle. All involved parties were transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. The passenger of the second vehicle was pronounced deceased at the hospital by medical staff.

The preliminary investigation has revealed a Honda was travelling east on Washington Ave. at Lowell St. The police unit was parked on Washington Ave. facing west at Lowell St. As the Honda proceeded east on Washington Ave., it collided head on into the police unit.

The driver of the Honda, identified as Jesus Emmanuel Perez from Santa Ana, was arrested at the hospital for felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. 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 Inv. N. Guijarro at (714) 245-8284 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

77 street racing citations and 6 arrests were made in Orange County this week

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

The SAPD, in partnership with other agencies as part of STEARRD (Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Reckless Driving) program conducted additional street racing enforcement this week.

From 11/12 – 11/14 their enforcement efforts resulted in 77 Cites, 14 Impounds, 6 Street Racing Related Arrests, 10 Spectator Arrests and 4 Unrelated Arrests.

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

Two suspects arrested in Tustin with drugs and a gun

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Drugs, Guns, Tustin Leave a comment

A Tustin Police Department officer recently struck up a conversation with David Phan and Priscilla Lopez at an apartment complex. The officer was surprised to find that were drugs and drug paraphernalia in plain view in their vehicle.

A further search of the vehicle yielded a loaded 9mm Beretta handgun. In total, they possessed over 8 grams of methamphetamine, 1.75 grams of heroin, and indicia for drug sales.

Both Phan and Lopez were booked into jail on numerous felony charges, including possession of drugs for sale, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm and a controlled substance, and many more.

This week, the Tustin Police Department handled 1084 calls, took 153 reports, and made 50 arrests.

The SAPD is looking for an armed transient

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

Suspect Jose Francisco Armas, a 29-year-old transient, has an outstanding $100,000.00 bail arrest warrant issued for him for carrying a dirk/dagger.

Armas is a transient and is known to frequent the area of McFadden Avenue and Standard Avenue.

Anyone with information on Armas’ whereabouts is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Department Communications at (714) 245-8049.

A dead body was found at a brush fire by the Santa Ana River

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

On Thursday, November 19th, 2020, at 3:26 a.m., Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded to a call of a brush fire along the Santa Ana riverbed trail, near the 3000 block of West First St. Firefighters located a small fire in shrubbery which was quickly extinguished.

The partially burned body of a deceased male was then located within the shrubbery. SAPD was notified of the suspicious death and SAPD Homicide Detectives assumed the investigation.

The circumstances surrounding the male’s death are currently being investigated. The identity of the male remains unknown pending identification by the Orange County Coroner’s Office.

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

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.

Former O.C. physician assistant admits to writing opioid prescriptions for local drug dealers

Posted on by Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs, Federal Government, Justice, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, California – A former physician assistant at a Fountain Valley medical clinic pleaded guilty today to a federal charge that he conspired to issue and sell prescriptions for oxycodone, a highly addictive opioid painkiller, without a medical purpose, to drug dealers, knowing the drugs would be sold on the street.

Raif Wadie Iskander, 54, formerly of Ladera Ranch, but who now resides in Ennis, Montana, pleaded guilty via videoconference to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

to his plea agreement, from 2018 to April 2019, Iskander, who was a licensed physician assistant in California, wrote prescriptions for “patients” he had never met or examined, including an undercover law enforcement officer. Iskander provided to drug dealers multiple paper prescriptions that he had signed, but with the patient names left blank, to be filled in by drug dealers later.

In exchange for cash, Iskander wrote fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions for co-defendants Johnny Gilbert Alvarez, 40, a.k.a. “M.J.,” of Santa Ana, and Adam Anton Roggero, 37, of Costa Mesa, who sold the prescribed drugs on the street as well as to an undercover officer, according to the plea agreement.

Iskander admitted he knew that the oxycodone filled from the prescriptions would be sold to drug customers who were not using the oxycodone for legitimate medical purposes and whom defendant had never met or examined.

United States District Judge James V. Selna has scheduled an April 26, 2021 sentencing hearing, at which time Iskander will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Roggero pleaded guilty on October 20 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Alvarez is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2021.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

The SAPD is looking for a Raiders fan who stole a car

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

On 10/31/2020 at approximately 9:14 PM, the victim parked his vehicle in the front parking lot of the 900 block of East 1st Street and left the keys inside the vehicle. The wanted suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and fled East through the parking lot to Standard Avenue. The vehicle has since been recovered.

Suspect Description: Male, Hispanic, 25-30 years old, medium to heavy build, black curly hair, black hair on chin. Last seen wearing a Raiders ball cap, black Nike hooded sweater and dark blue jeans.

Anyone with information on the identity / whereabouts of the wanted suspects is asked to please contact Detective B. Romero at (714) 245-8529 or BRomero@santa-ana.org

The SAPD seized more guns and drugs over the weekend

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

SAPD Directed Patrol police officers stopped a vehicle in the area of 3300 S. Main St. on Sunday. During a search of the front passenger who was on parole, officers located a firearm inside his backpack.

Gang Detectives stopped a vehicle for traffic violations in the area of the 55 Freeway and MacArthur Blvd. Detectives contacted the driver of the vehicle and noticed a small amount of methamphetamine on the floorboard. A loaded AR 15 rifle with extended mags, 1/2 pound of methamphetamine, and $1,700.00 in US Currency was located in the trunk of the vehicle.

SAPD MET Detectives were conducting crime suppression in the area of Edinger Ave. and Standard Ave. and stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. The driver was found to be on federal probation and in possession of drug paraphernalia. Detectives searched the vehicle and recovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun under the passenger’s seat.

Gang Detectives stopped a vehicle for minor traffic violations. The front passenger in the vehicle immediately fled on foot while the female driver stayed in the vehicle. While apprehending the suspect, a loaded semi-automatic pistol fell out of his waistband. The driver of the vehicle was in possession of one ounce of methamphetamine.

While conducting a traffic stop, Gang Detectives recovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a large quantity of methamphetamine from inside the vehicle.

While responding to a call of a domestic dispute, SAPD Patrol Officers determined a man who lived there was on probation for being in possession of a firearm. Two firearms were recovered from the residence.

All suspects involved were arrested for felony and firearm violations.

Couple arrested on suspicion of murder after shooting man outside a Costa Mesa motel

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

COSTA MESA, Calif. (November 13, 2020) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) has arrested two individuals on suspicion of murder after shooting a man outside a local motel.  

On Nov. 7, 2020, at approximately 5:14 a.m., CMPD received a call of a male with a head wound outside a motel at the 2000 block of Harbor Boulevard. CMPD officers and Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue paramedics responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, they located 24-year-old Dakota Hansen, who was unconscious with a head wound. Hansen was transported to a nearby hospital, where it was determined he had a gunshot wound to the head. He was then put on life support.

Nick Lavey

No suspects were located at the time; however, CCTV footage indicated there were two suspicious subjects and a vehicle at the scene. During the subsequent investigation, CMPD detectives were able to identify the owner of the suspicious vehicle seen at the scene as Nick Ryan Lavey, 34, Costa Mesa.  

Kaley Lippmann

Yesterday, Nov. 12, 2020, detectives located and contacted Lavey and his girlfriend, Kaley Joanne Lippmann, 28, Costa Mesa. Lavey and Lippmann matched the description of the suspects. A search warrant was obtained for Lavey and Lippmann’s residence, where detectives recovered items suspected to be related to the crime. Both suspects where then arrested and booked on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to commit a crime. 

Today, Nov. 13, 2020, Hansen was taken off life support and pronounced dead at the hospital. This investigation is ongoing and the booking photos and CCTV footage will not be released at this time. Anyone who may have information concerning this incident are asked to contact Detective Jonathan Tripp at 714-754-5364, jtripp@costamesaca.gov, or Sergeant Scott Stafford at 714-754-4933, sstafford@costamesaca.gov. 

The Orange Police Dept. is conducting a DUI and Drivers’ License Checkpoint tonight

Posted on by Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Drugs, Orange Leave a comment

The Orange Police Department is conducting a DUI and Driver’s license checkpoint tonight at 1800 W. Chapman.

Funding for this checkpoint was provided by a $288,500 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant will assist in the Orange Police Department’s efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on the City of Orange roads.

“These are trying times, and now more than ever, it is important that we are at the forefront of traffic safety,” Orange PD Sergeant Trevor Cullen said. “This funding allows us to educate and enhance the safety of all residents.”

The one-year grant is for the 2021 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.The grant will fund a variety of traffic safety programs, including:

  • Patrols with emphasis on alcohol and drug-impaired driving prevention.
  • Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
  • Patrols with emphasis on education of traffic rights for bicyclists and pedestrians.
  • Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: excess speed, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.
  • Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speed, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
  • Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

“Through education and behavior changes, we hope to create an environment that is safe and equitable for all road users in our community,” said Sergeant Cullen.Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The SAPD highlights the murder of Andrew Loera in a new video

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

This month’s segment of the SAPD’s “For the Record: A Homicide Spotlight” highlights the murder of Andrew Loera.

Andrew Loera

Loera and his friend were at a party at 2020 S. Eastwood Avenue where they were both assaulted.

Loera’s injuries were severe and he was pronounced deceased just after midnight.

Detectives encourage anyone with information regarding this case to come forward and help bring closure to family/friends. Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Detective McLeod at (714) 245-8390.

Stay tuned for the next SAPD segment to be released on December 13.

Santa Ana man arrested on child porn charges

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

Roberto Tiro, 31, was arrested on November 12, 2020, for a felony charge of possession and control of child pornography.

Santa Ana Police Department Civilian Investigator, assigned to Special Investigations, received multiple CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that Tiro utilized a social media site to upload electronic files containing child pornography. The SAPD Civilian Investigator subsequently identified Tiro after executing online and residential search warrants.

The investigation revealed that Tiro sent over 600 pornographic images involving young children. The investigation also uncovered thousands of images of child erotica and child pornography stored by Tiro.

SAPD personnel, along with members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce, executed a search warrant at Tiro’s residence in the City of Santa Ana. The search warrant reaffirmed the suspicion that Tiro was storing approximately 1,000+ sexually explicit files in a data storage device located in his home.

The SAPD Civilian Investigator is a member of the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC) – a task force dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of persons involved in child abuse and exploitation involving the internet https://www.icactaskforce.org/

The O.C. Sheriff’s Department awarded a DUI testing and training grant

Posted on by Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Drugs, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Traffic Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (November 10, 2020): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department – OC Crime Lab has been awarded a $117,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for training and enhanced drug-impaired driving testing. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will use the funding to facilitate the efficient testing of all blood samples collected in DUI investigations for the presence of drugs, regardless of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

“With illicit drug use on the rise, coupled with the introduction of fentanyl onto our streets, this type of efficient testing is a necessary tool to keep Orange County roadways safe,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “This grant will assist Orange County law enforcement’s efforts to identify those individuals who drive while under the influence and hold them accountable for their actions.”

The prevalence of drug-impaired driving is increasing on our roadways. Based on case-derived data collected by the Orange County Crime Laboratory, more than 50% of drivers arrested for DUI in Orange County have at least one impairing drug in their system other than alcohol.

Illicit drugs and certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause impairment in an individual. These substances in combination with even a small amount of alcohol can cause a person to become unable to operate a motor vehicle safely.

“Drug-impaired driving is a significant problem in California,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Effective drug testing is needed to combat the rise in cases and assist in the prosecution of those who put lives at risk.”

While alcohol remains the worst offender for DUI crashes, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription medications and marijuana can also be impairing by themselves, or in combination with alcohol, and can result in a DUI arrest.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The OCSD Coroner releases a new image to help ID a John Doe from 23 years ago

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OC Coroner, OC Sheriff, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (November 10, 2020) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), have released newly updated images in hope to identify a John Doe found in Trabuco Canyon nearly 24 years ago.

On Dec. 13, 1996 Coroner Division Investigators and OCSD Homicide Investigators responded to reports of human remains found in a wilderness area east of Trabuco Creek Road in the unincorporated area of Trabuco Canyon. At the time, it was estimated the remains had been there up to two years, with environmental factors affecting their condition. Investigators believe the decedent went missing sometime in 1995 or 1996.

Based on initial anthropological estimates from 1996, it was believed this unknown male subject was around 15 – 19 years old, approximately 5’2” to 5’8” with a medium build. An odontologist’s report, which showed the decedent’s teeth were in poor condition, was taken and submitted to a Department of Justice database. He was given the name John Doe as investigators worked to learn his identity.
In 2020, the Sheriff’s Department contracted with the DNA Doe Project in an attempt to identify the subject. Initial genealogical DNA examinations confirmed he was Hispanic or Native American in origin, and not primarily Caucasian as had initially been suspected. Additionally, based on further genetic testing, it is believed the subject is likely from a remote/rural area in Latin America due to the very low threshold of genetic matches. In fact, the threshold is so low that at this time, familial DNA analysis cannot be further pursued at this time because the population demographic to date is underrepresented in genealogical databases.

In 2018, the Coroner Division again partnered with NCMEC in an attempt to generate leads that might deliver an identification. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the skull was created and submitted to NCMEC, which used the latest reconstruction techniques to develop renderings of what John Doe may have looked like. With the new information, NCMEC modified their initial sketch from 2019 to produce a new likeness that reflects the suspected Latin American decent of John Doe.

“Over the years, there have been occasional leads, yet he has not gotten his name back,” said Kelly Keyes, Supervising Deputy Coroner. “As with all of our unidentified cases, which date back to the 1950s and includes nearly 100 cases, we continue to review these cases with the hope that John Doe will finally get a name.”

“Sometimes seeing a picture can spark a memory and that could lead to information,” Keyes said. “We’re looking to match that face to a name so we can bring closure to his family.”

Anyone who has any information about John Doe can contact the Orange County Coroner Division at 714-647-7000 or coroner@ocsd.org, reference case number 96-07901-MU.