Kamal Attoh, from Linkedin
Case # 18HF0719
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A drunken driver was charged today with murder for swerving onto the sidewalk and crashing into a family of four, killing the mother and injuring her husband and two teenage children.
Defendant: Kamal Akwette Attoh, 37, Santa Ana
Charged today with the following felony counts: Continue reading
Case # 18HF0720
Date: May 18, 2018
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Law enforcement is seeking potential additional victims of a music teacher who was charged and is scheduled to be arraigned today for sexually assaulting a violin student under 11 years old in Irvine.
Defendant: Peter Daesul Kwon, 32, Irvine
Charged today with the following felony counts: Continue reading
A suspect stole an OCTA shuttle bus in Irvine on Thursday night and led Irvine police officers on an approximately half-hour chase that ended with a crash into a guardrail on a freeway in Costa Mesa, according to NBC.
The bus was reported stolen from near the intersection of Barranca Parkway and Harvard Avenue at about 6:20 p.m., according to KTLA. Continue reading
Irvine Police Department Arrests Violin Teacher Accused of Sexual Misconduct
Irvine, Calif. (May 16, 2018) – The Irvine Police Department has arrested a violin teacher who is accused of felony sexual misconduct with a child from 2005-2007. Peter Kwon, 32, was taken into custody Wednesday at 11:55 a.m. outside his Irvine home.
At the time of the crimes, Kwon taught violin lessons out of his home. His victim, Jane Doe, was an 8-year-old student when the abuse began. Jane Doe came forward to Irvine Police detectives last month and an investigation was initiated. Kwon was arrested for lewd acts with a child under age 14 and digital penetration of a child under age 10. Police believe there is at least one other victim. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana
SANTA ANA, CA – On Tuesday night, Santa Ana City Council directed the City’s legal counsel to move forward with a lawsuit against the County of Orange and the cities of Irvine, Laguna Niguel and Huntington Beach for their opposition to sheltering the homeless on available County land. A County plan to locate three temporary homeless shelters in each homeless services region of the County had been adopted earlier in March but was subsequently rescinded by the County Board of Supervisors following opposition from those cities. The City’s legal action seeks to compel the parties to take action rather than merely say “no” to being part of the solution. Continue reading
Case # 18HF0329
Date: February 28, 2018
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A third-striker parolee was charged today with aggravated assault on a peace officer and carjacking after initiating a pursuit and injuring the K9 that apprehended him.
Defendant: Antonio Padilla Jr., 37, Palm Desert
Charged today with the following counts: Continue reading
UC IRVINE’S JUMPSTART LITERACY FAIR TO BRING BOOKS TO LIFE TO ENCOURAGE
EARLY CHILDHOOD READING ON SATURDAY, MARCH 3 AT HERITAGE MUSEUM IN SANTA ANA
The program works with early childhood educators to reduce achievement gaps for children in underserved communities
Families from across Orange County are expected to attend UC Irvine’s Jumpstart’s free annual Spring Literacy event on Saturday, March 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Heritage Museum of Orange County at 3101 W. Harvard St., in Santa Ana. The exciting event supports the development of literacy through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities, readings from children’s authors, activities such as making your own balloon rocket car, science experiments, and other STEAM related activities to encourage an interest in reading among preschool age children.
Jumpstart will give more than 1,000 free books to children who attend the event. Nurses from Santa Ana Unified School District will be present as well to provide free basic health screenings for children. Children’s author Annie Banannie, who brings stories to life with her unique balloon storytelling, will also be at the event. Continue reading
Puskas, an 8-year-old Dutch Shepherd and member of the SAPD Police Department, heroically took down a carjacker in Irvine yesterday but in the process he was very badly injured, according to the O.C. Register.
Puskas, who is named after Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás, chased the carjacking suspect, Antonio Padilla Jr., when he got out of a black Audi that he carjacked in Irvine. Continue reading
Antonio Padilla Jr.
Carjacking in Irvine Occurs During Pursuit
Irvine, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2018) – A female Irvine resident was the victim of a carjacking during a pursuit initiated outside of the City on Monday.
On Monday evening, the Santa Ana Police Department informed the Irvine Police Department of a pursuit in which a suspect was driving in and out of Irvine. At approximately 5:40 p.m., the suspect came to a dead end on Rosa Drew. At that time, a female Irvine resident was backing up her black Audi SUV. The suspect exited his vehicle, opened the door of the Audi and pulled the woman from her vehicle. Continue reading
Robert Weirick, a 35-year-old man, was arrested at a storage facility on Wednesday morning, Jan. 31, on suspicion of stealing a $10,000 bicycle and a car – which, officials said, he used to ram two police vehicles, according to the O.C. Register.
Weirick drew the attention of the Irvine Police Department when he allegedly stole a high-end bicycle. The Irvine Police got a tip on Wednesday morning that Weirick was in a stolen vehicle. Continue reading
Three people were arrested Thursday, Nov. 9, following a high-speed police pursuit that began in Fountain Valley and ended in Huntington Beach, according to the O.C. Register.
The suspects apparently were seen driving a Toyota Camry that had been reported stolen in Irvine, at around 5:30 a.m. this morning, near Euclid St. and Warner Ave. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 00SF0657
Date: July 14, 2017
*Defendant fled to Mexico and was extradited 10 years later
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man who was extradited to Orange County from Mexico was sentenced today to 35 years to life in state prison for murdering a 19-year-old woman in 1992.
Defendant: Leonardo Pimentel Sanchez, 59, Mexico City, Mexico
Found guilty by a jury on May 22, 2017, of one felony count of: Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
June 23, 2017
Case # 14HF0182
WOMAN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR PIMPING WOMEN OUT OF IRVINE BROTHELS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman was sentenced yesterday to three years in state prison for pimping women out of luxury Irvine apartments operating as brothels.
Defendant: Jian Zhen Zhu, 42, Santa Ana
Pleaded guilty to the court on Nov. 15, 2016, to felony counts: Continue reading
The Greenwood Homes in the Tustin Legacy development have been experiencing a spike in theft related property crimes since the beginning of the year. In addition to regular Neighborhood Watch meetings, several of the residents have installed video security surveillance systems.
On May 23rd a homeowner had a package stolen from the front porch and the surveillance video captured the suspect fleeing in a black Mercedes. On May 25th the same vehicle was involved in a package theft in a nearby Irvine neighborhood. On May 26th the suspect struck again at a different residence and he was once again captured on video surveillance fleeing in a black Mercedes. The license plate on the vehicle was stolen from a similar looking Mercedes in the City of Orange weeks earlier. Continue reading
Leonardo Pimental Sanchez, original booking photo from the 1990’s
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 00SF0657
Date: March 23, 2017
FORMER FUGITIVE CONVICTED OF 1992 COLD CASE MURDER OF 19-YEAR-OLD WOMAN
*Defendant fled to Mexico and was extradited 10 years later
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man who was extradited to Orange County from Mexico was convicted yesterday of murdering a 19-year-old woman in 1992. Leonardo Pimentel Sanchez, 59, Mexico City, Mexico, was found guilty by a jury on March 22, 2017, of one felony count of first degree murder. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. He also faces sentencing enhancements for two prior felony convictions for a 1978 robbery and a 1984 rape and digital penetration in Orange County. The defendant was arrested in Mexico in November 2012, and extradited to Orange County July 23, 2013, following extradition proceedings. A sentencing date has yet to be determined.