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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Fires

The SAPD is looking for a suspected arsonist

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On 12/01/2019 at 5:30 AM, an unknown suspect intentionally lit a door on fire at a hotel located in the 100 block of East MacArthur Blvd. This unidentified suspect is a person of interest in this arson investigation.

Description: Male, Hispanic, 5’6”, medium build, eyeglasses, dark hooded sweatshirt and pants, dark/light colored shoes, light colored backpack.

Anyone with information identifying the suspect in this case is asked to contact Detective A. Castro at (714) 245-8345 or acastro@santa-ana.org.

A suspicious fire broke out a tow yard used by the SAPD

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A suspicious fire at the MetroPro Road Services tow yard at 2550 S. Garnsey Avenue on Friday night, Nov. 29, burned about 13 cars, according to the O.C. Register.

OCFA firefighters were got the call just after 11:30 p.m. Whey they arrived they found that several vehicles were on fire. They were able to put out the fire and no injuries were reported.

The SAPD uses this tow yard for their towing services. The tow yard also offers towing services to other parties.

OCFA investigators believe the fire may have been an act of arson. This has not yet confirmed. SAPD police investigators will be working with OCFA investigators to determine if any criminal actions were involved.

A home near Santa Ana High School was damaged by a fire this afternoon

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A fire broke out at a granny flat this afternoon in Santa Ana at the 500 block of S. Garnsey St., according to the OCFA. The fire occurred just south of Santa Ana High School.

It took crews just 23 minutes to knock down the fire in Santa Ana after dispatched at 2:44 pm. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is unknown.

The Red Cross was called to assist 3 displaced adults after the fire extended into the home.

A honey oil lab was found in a burning Santa Ana building yesterday

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We reported a major fire yesterday via our Facebook page and now we know what happened – it was possibly an illegal drug lab that caught fire.

The OCFA reported that their Emergency Communications Center received a report of a Fire around the 2000 block of S. Main Street at 12:09. This happened just south of Superior Grocers, at W. St. Andrew Place.

The OCFA firefighters were able to knock-down the fire with around 35 firefighters. No injuries were reported.

The firefighters encountered what appeared to be a drug lab while trying to douse the building, according to the O.C. Register.

The drug lab was described as an elaborate honey oil operation, according to KTLA.

Hash oil, also known as honey oil or cannabis oil, is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish. It is a concentrated form of cannabis extracts containing many of its resins and terpenes – in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids. There are various extraction methods, most involving a solvent, such as butane or ethanol. Hash oil is usually consumed by smoking, vaporizing or eating. Hash oil may be sold in cartridges used with pen vaporizers. Preparations of hash oil may be solid or colloidal depending on both production method and temperature and are usually identified by their appearance or characteristics. Color most commonly ranges from transparent golden or light brown, to tan or black. Cannabis retailers in California have reported about 40% of their sales are from cannabis oils, according to Wikipedia.

The SAPD is claiming that this year they have zero tolerance for illegal fireworks

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Proactive Illegal Fireworks Enforcement Totals as of JUNE 28, 2019, from the SAPD:

  • 9 undercover operations
  • 7 $1,000 admin citations issued
  • 1 additional arrest
  • Just under $10,000 street value of illegal fireworks seized
  • 2,919 individual illegal fireworks, including M80 1/4 stick dynamite type devices

Everyone is strongly encouraged to only use safe and sane fireworks. Santa Ana PD will continue to enforce the law and issue citations for illegal fireworks.

You can anonymously report possession/use of illegal fireworks by calling(714) 245-8771

The vacant Marie Callender’s in Santa Ana was damaged in a fire on Saturday morning

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Do you remember the Marie Callender’s restaurant that used to be located at 1821 N. Grand Ave., in Santa Ana? It has been closed for some time but things took a turn for the worse early on Saturday morning when a fire broke out at the abandoned building.

OCFA Firefighters responded to the scene at 1:29 a.m., according to the OCFA Twitter page.

The firefighters were able to put out the fire in about 40 minutes. No injuries to any civilians or firefighters were reported.

The fire caused $80,000 in damages to the building and $60,000 to the contents, according to the OCFA.

The SAPD questioned a few people who were near the building at the time of the fire, but no one was arrested, according to the O.C. Register.

A couple of people were questioned near the building early Saturday morning, but no arrests were made, said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Andy Alvarez.

Marie Callender’s filed for bankruptcy back in 2011, and ended up closing over 60 locations. Locally there are Marie Callender’s in Anaheim, Buena Park, Orange, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster. In total there are 49 locations still open, according to their website. Their first restaurant opened up in Orange, in 1964.

The SAPD has arrested the mobile home arson suspect

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Update: Suspect Ruben Valdez Garcia (44) In Custody

On 4-19-2019 at approximately 1:45pm a community member contacted SAPD Communication advising, the wanted arson suspect they saw posted on social media was walking southbound in the 700 block of South Harbor Blvd. Responding officers located suspect Garcia in the 1100 block of South Harbor Blvd where he was taken into custody without incident. Garcia was booked into SAPD Jail for the charge of Arson.

Original Post: Suspect: Ruben Valadez Garcia (44) Santa Ana: Male Hispanic, 5-6, 190, Black Hair and Brown Eyes

On 4-18-19 at 8:47am, Officers were dispatched to assist the Orange County Fire Authority with a fire located at the Gable Estates Mobil Home Park, 4800 Block of West First Street. After the fire was extinguished by the OCFA, their Arson Investigators responded and took over the investigation. Arson Investigators worked with detectives from SAPD and determined the fire was an arson. The suspect was identified as Ruben Valdez Garcia (44). Video from the complex shows Garcia walking up to an inhabited mobile home where he lit two large bushes on fire that were located along the west side of the mobile home. The fire spread causing the front of the home to catch fire. At the time of the fire, there were two residents inside who were able to escape unharmed.

Video Surveillance: https://youtu.be/sT5RkL9gRvg

Suspect Garcia resides at the Gable Estates Mobil Home Park; however, has not returned to his residence since the fire and remains at large. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of suspect Garcia is asked to SAPD Detective A. Castro at 714-245-8375, acastro@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

The SAPD has identified the suspected arsonist who set fire to a mobile home

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Suspect: Ruben Valadez Garcia (44) Santa Ana: Male Hispanic, 5-6, 190, Black Hair and Brown Eyes

On 4-18-19 at 8:47am, SAPD police officers were dispatched to assist the Orange County Fire Authority with a fire located at the Gable Estates Mobil Home Park, 4800 Block of West First Street. After the fire was extinguished by the OCFA, their Arson Investigators responded and took over the investigation. Arson Investigators worked with detectives from SAPD and determined the fire was an arson.

The suspect was identified as Ruben Valdez Garcia (44), by the SAPD. Video from the complex shows Garcia walking up to an inhabited mobile home where he lit two large bushes on fire that were located along the west side of the mobile home. The fire spread causing the front of the home to catch fire. At the time of the fire, there were two residents inside who were able to escape unharmed.

Suspect Garcia resides at the Gable Estates Mobil Home Park; however, has not returned to his residence since the fire and remains at large.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of suspect Garcia is asked to SAPD Detective A. Castro at 714-245-8375, acastro@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

Five cats were saved from a burning Santa Ana home by firefighters

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OCFA firefighters in Santa Ana came to the rescue of five cats trapped inside a burning home on Monday afternoon, according to ABC News.

A home located at the 300 block of East Virginia Street caught fire and responding firefighters quickly doused the flames as they searched for any residents inside the building. What they found was not people but rather five cats.

Sadly two other cats died as a result of the fire. The remaining cats were in rough shape. The firemen gave them oxygen via special air masks designed for cats. All OCFA firetrucks now carry these masks to help revive pets and save their lives.

OCFA firefighters believe the fire may have been started by the people living there as there appeared to be food left cooking on the stove.

The firefighters were able to contain the flames to the home’s kitchen and den. Damage is estimated at $220,000.

No humans were injured.

A Santa Ana condo was damaged when a suspected drug lab exploded this morning

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A fire broke out at a Santa Ana condominium this morning just before 10:45 a.m. when a suspected drug lab exploded, according to the SAPD’s Twitter account.

Witnesses heard an explosion before the fire began. Fortunately no one was injured.

A suspicious car was pointed out to the first-responders by witnesses. SAPD police officers stopped the vehicle and searched it, about a block away from the condo. The officers found about five pounds of marijuana and items that are used to extract the drug’s oils in the vehicle, according to the O.C. Register.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested. The SAPD has not yet made his name available to the media.

Because of the explosion the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Bomb Squad was called to the scene to investigate.

A 13-year-old boy put out a house fire with a garden hose early this morning in Santa Ana

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A 13-year-old boy saved the day early this morning when he grabbed a garden hose and extinguished a fire at a home located at the 4100 block of W. 5th St., in Santa Ana, according to the OCFA.

The boy took action after a smoke alarm sounded. Firefighters showed up at the scene at 6:06 a.m. and the fire was completely out by 6:14 a.m. The firefighters commended the boy for his quick action. They also credited two housemates for getting the victims out of the burning house.

One adult male in his 40s suffered critical burns and ad adult female in her 40s suffered moderate burns. They were taken to the UCI Burn Center.

Five people were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross stepped in to help them to relocate.

Details were not available regarding the cause of the fire.

The SAPD has arrested a suspect on various arson related charges

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect For Various Arson Related Charges

On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, Burglary detectives, working in collaboration with Orange County Fire Authority, arrested Danny Noriega, a 61-year-old Santa Ana resident, who was identified as a suspect during an arson-related investigation.

On Saturday, December 15, 2018, Santa Ana Police Officers and Orange County Fire Authority responded to the 2700 block of W. Maywood Avenue regarding a possible arson. A resident in the home reported he looked outside after hearing a loud noise. Upon doing so, he observed a small fire inside his property near his vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. He immediately extinguished the fire using his water hose and called the police.

Danny Noriega

The resident reviewed his home surveillance system and observed his neighbor, identified as Danny Noriega, threw a lit object over the fence. The neighbor fled the scene on a bicycle. The object thrown by Noriega was examined by Orange County Fire Authority and found to be similar to a Molotov cocktail that contained an incendiary device.

Incendiary Device

Noriega was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on various arson-related charges. Burglary detectives are continuing their investigation with the Orange County Fire Authority.

The SAPD has identified the two people who died in a house fire on Jan. 1

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: January 1st Homicide Investigation Update – Decedents Identified

On Tuesday, January 1st, 2019, at 10:34 A.M., SAPD Officers responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at 2314 W. Manly Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found the interior of the residence engulfed in flames. Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.

Two decedents were then discovered within the residence. The deaths were determined to be suspicious in nature therefore SAPD Homicide Detectives took over the investigation.

The decedents have been identified by the Orange County Coroner’s Office as Charlene Twee Nguyen (57) and Ahmad Alassad (39), husband and wife who resided at that location. The official cause of death remains unknown as autopsies are still pending.

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.

Two people and a cat died in a Santa Ana house fire this morning

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A deadly house fire killed two people and a cat at a home located at 2314 Manly Ave., according to the O.C Register.

The OCFA reported that the blaze began on the second floor of the building. It was a two alarm fire due to the windy conditions.

The fire began at 10:45 a.m. and was quickly knocked down by the OCFA firefighters.

The firefighters found multiple dogs and cats in the two-story home. They rescued one of the dogs.

The names of the victims have not yet been revealed.

Homicide investigators were en route to the scene “because of the suspicious circumstances of behind the fire,” according to ABC News.

A protective order was taken out just four days ago for an alleged victim of domestic abuse, according to the O.C Register.

The man named on that order lived at the Santa Ana home. Ahmad Alassad, 39, was arrested on Dec. 29 on suspicion of domestic violence. That is when the protective issue was ordered. He was jailed but then bailed out on Dec. 30, according to the SAPD.

Alassad lived at the home with his wife and three renters. His wife’s family believes she died in the blaze with him. The SAPD is looking into whether or not this might have been a case of murder-suicide.

A female sex offender pleaded guilty to setting the Saddleback Lodge on fire

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Carrie Marie Immel

Carrie Marie Immel, a 41-year-old convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty Tuesday to setting a three-alarm fire in at the Saddleback Lodge apartment building at 1655 E. First St., just after midnight on July 11, that severely injured a 30-year-old man, according to the O.C. Register.

Eight to 10 apartments were damaged or destroyed in that fire, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Continue reading→