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Category Archives: OC Sheriff

Santa Ana man’s meth lab shut down by the F.V. police

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Drugs, Fountain Valley, OC Sheriff, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

On November 17th, 2020, a narcotics related search warrant was executed by the Fountain Valley Police Department at the 17000 block of Stearns Drive in the unincorporated area of Santa Ana, near the City of Tustin. Christian Gibbons, a 28-year-old Santa Ana resident, was contacted inside his rented suite within the residence.

An operational meth lab consisting of various chemicals, heating instruments, and lab equipment was located inside Gibbons’ suite.

Members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad, Methamphetamine Clandestine lab, and Crime Lab teams responded and assisted with processing the scene. Approximately two ounces of methamphetamine were located during the search.

Members of the household (including children) were unaware of Gibbons’ illegal activity and unduly subjected to hazards associated with manufacturing methamphetamine.

Gibbons was subsequently arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, manufacturing of a controlled substance, and child endangerment. He is being held at the Orange County Jail on $75,000.00 bail. Incident 20-38289

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

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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.

Human bones found at a Santa Ana sidewalk repair job near Mater Dei High School

Posted on by Posted in OC Sheriff, Santa Ana, SAPD 11 Comments

On Tuesday, 10/27/20 at approx. 9a.m., at the 1600 block of W. Borchard Ave., a few blocks west of Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana Public Works Staff was digging to repair a sidewalk and discovered some bones approximately 4 feet deep in the ground, according to the SAPD’s Twitter account.

The O.C. Sheriff Coroner responded and determined the bones that were located are in fact human.

SAPD Homicide Detectives were notified and responded to the scene to handle the investigation.

Former O.C. Sheriff’s Deputy charged with stealing guns and burglarizing the home of a dead man

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OC Sheriff, Orange County 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with breaking into the Yorba Linda home of a man he found dead during a welfare check. The 12-year veteran was captured on home surveillance video returning to the home several times, including once while on duty and wearing his Sheriff’s uniform, and taking guns and other items from the home.

Steve Hortz, 42, of San Dimas, has been charged with three felony counts of second degree burglary and two felony counts of grand theft of a firearm in connection with breaking into the deceased man’s Yorba Linda home.

Hortz is scheduled to be arraigned on October 13, 2020 at the West Justice Center in Department in W3 at 8:30 a.m. He faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in state prison if convicted on all charges. Hortz resigned in lieu of termination effective September 30, 2020.

Hortz responded along with two other Sheriff’s Department employees to a home on Via Angelina Drive in Yorba Linda on July 20, 2020 to conduct a welfare check. The homeowner was found deceased of what was later determined to be natural causes.

Hortz is accused of returning to the home in uniform on July 27, 2020 and breaking into the home while he was on duty. He is also accused of returning to the home on two more occasions – on August 10, 2020 and August 16, 2020 – shortly before he was scheduled to work and stealing items from the home, including a total of 15 firearms.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department initiated an investigation after the probate attorney handling the deceased homeowner’s estate reported that a law enforcement officer may have stolen items from the home.

Hortz was arrested on September 10, 2020 by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

“The failure of a single law enforcement officer to live up to his or her oath does not just tarnish that officer’s badge, it tarnishes the badge of the hundreds of thousands of honorable law enforcement officers who work day in and day out to protect and serve,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “When we call on law enforcement officers for help, we expect that they answer that call for help with the purest intentions to help those in need, not as an opportunity to scope out the situation in order to return later and victimize the very people they are sworn to protect.”

Deputy District Attorney Laila Nikaien of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

BLM organizer arrested after plowing her car into Trump supporters in Orange County

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Long Beach, OC Sheriff, Politics, Santa Ana 5 Comments

YORBA LINDA, Ca. (September 26, 2020): A protest today resulted in two arrests and injuries to multiple individuals, with a vehicle driving into a crowd and striking two individuals.

On September 17, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department became aware of a protest planned in the city of Yorba Linda for today at 2 p.m. by a group called Caravan for Justice. Shortly after, a counter protest was planned for the same time. Deputies were present at the beginning of the protests to protect the constitutional rights of all individuals and to protect life and property. Just after the beginning of the protests, it is estimated there were approximately 150 individuals total.

Approximately 30 minutes after the protests began, we began to receive reports of physical altercations occurring between the two protest groups, including at least one individual who was pepper sprayed by another protestor. At that time, the crowd grew to approximately 250 protestors. Due to the physical altercations and reports of individuals within the crowd having weapons, an unlawful assembly was declared and a dispersal order was issued. One man, Jason Mancuso, 46, of Anaheim, was arrested for failure to obey the dispersal order.

At approximately 3 p.m. after several dispersal orders, a vehicle in the parking lot of the Yorba Linda Public Library at 18181 Imperial Highway struck at least two individuals. The driver, believed to be part of the Caravan for Justice, continued to leave the parking lot and was detained a short distance away from the incident. The two people struck, a man and a woman believed to be at the protest, were transported to a nearby hospital with major injuries but are expected to survive.

The driver, Tatiana Turner, 40, of Long Beach, was arrested. She will be booked into the Orange County Jail for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, and the investigation is ongoing.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department requested mutual aid, and multiple agencies from across Orange County responded immediately to assist. We’d like to thank the outside agencies who responded.

By 4:30 p.m. the crowd had dispersed and all roads in the city were reopened.

OC Sheriff’s Deputies busted for allegedly faking military reserve duty

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (Sept. 11, 2020): In January 2020, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department identified a potential discrepancy with military orders submitted by a Deputy Sheriff. The deputy, who is assigned to custody operations, is also an Army Reservist. An internal investigation began immediately. It was discovered that the orders were not legitimate and are suspected to have been fraudulently created. The deputy was placed on administrative leave.

After this discovery, the Sheriff directed a review of all orders submitted by United States Armed Forces reservists. Several employees were believed to have created fraudulent documents allowing them to have military leave.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted criminal investigations into the actions of six additional employees who are suspected of submitting fraudulent military orders. These fraudulent orders, once submitted to the Department, allowed these employees paid time off from their work assignment with the belief that they were serving their county as military reservists.

Due to the nature of the allegations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department criminal investigations have been referred to the proper federal authorities for investigation.

To date, one deputy sheriff was released on probation, and six additional employees have been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation and subsequent internal investigation.

“Especially today, as we commemorate the actions of courageous men and women of the armed services on Patriot’s Day, it is a dishonor that these members of our organization took advantage of military service for their own personal gain,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “The actions of these seven individuals do not represent the values of this organization and absolutely do not reflect upon the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who have courageously served our country as members of our armed forces.”

O.C. Deputy Sheriff arrested for suspected burglary of a dead elderly man’s residence

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OC Sheriff, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

SANTA ANA, Ca. (Sept. 10, 2020): Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Hortz has been booked into jail on suspicion of burglary.

The deputy, a 12-year veteran of the Department, responded to a call for service on July 20, 2020 at a Yorba Linda residence regarding a man in his 70s who died from apparent natural causes. On September 9, the Department was contacted by an attorney representing the family estate who reported items missing from the residence. The attorney provided home surveillance video that captured the deputy making unauthorized entrance to the residence on at least three separate occasions and exiting with stolen property.

In the first incident, the deputy returned to the residence on July 27. While in uniform, he broke into the unoccupied residence through the rear and left a short time later. It is unclear whether a theft occurred at that time.

The deputy returned to the residence in the early morning on August 10 and August 16 while in civilian clothes and removed items including weapon safes, ceiling fans, and cases containing unknown items. It is believed the home was unoccupied.

Upon learning of the burglaries, the Department launched an immediate investigation. The deputy was arrested the morning of September 10, 2020 and has been booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary. He was also placed on administrative leave, and the Department will investigate prior calls handled by the deputy to determine if similar unreported instances have occurred.

“The suspected criminal actions of this deputy are a violation of public trust, are inexcusable and intolerable,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “This deputy will be held accountable through a swift and thorough process including a full criminal and internal administrative investigation.

“These actions undermine the good work done every day by the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. We have proudly served the community of Yorba Linda since 2013. As your Sheriff, I want you to know that these criminal actions by a member of my staff will not be tolerated and are not indicative of the service we provide to Yorba Linda, or any other contract city.

“I will hold accountable deputies who do not honor the oath they swore to uphold. It is imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure that the men and women who have the privilege to wear the badge humbly recognize the responsibility entrusted to them as a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.”

O.C. Sheriff’s Deputy charged after giving a suspect’s debit card to her son, who used it

Posted on by Posted in Crime, OC Sheriff, OCDA, Santa Ana 2 Comments

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy has been charged in connection with taking a credit card from a suspect and giving it to her son who then used the card.

Angelina Cortez, 41, has been charged with one felony count of filing a false police report. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison if convicted.

Cortez was assigned to a training officer on November 19, 2018 when she and her training officer responded to a call of a man stealing wine and batteries from a San Clemente 7-Eleven store. Cortez is accused of taking the theft suspect’s debit card, putting it in her uniform shirt pocket and later giving it to her son, who then used it. The card was never booked into evidence.

Cortez is scheduled to be arraigned on November 18, 2020. She is on administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Department.

“The public has an absolute expectation that their law enforcement officers will carry out their duties lawfully,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “When laws are broken by the very people who are sworn to uphold them, the public trust is eroded and society as a whole suffers. The entire criminal justice system relies on the trust that those sworn to uphold the law are following it themselves.”

The OCDA says the OC Public Defender is lying about the Sheriff evidence booking fiasco

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement correcting false allegations by the Orange County Public Defender’s Office that the District Attorney has failed to oversee the Sheriff’s Department in connection with Sheriff evidence booking issues. The Sheriff’s Department has been fully cooperative with the District Attorney’s demands. The Public Defender is either failing to understand the process adopted by the District Attorney or is intentionally ignoring the facts.

These are the facts:

After being made aware of significant deficiencies in the Sheriff’s Department’s first two audits in November 2019, District Attorney Spitzer demanded that the Sheriff’s Department expand the audit to the three years in order to ensure defendants’ due process rights are protected.
District Attorney Spitzer assigned a team of District Attorney Investigators to oversee the hand search case-by-case review of more than 22,000 Sheriff’s Department cases which resulted in a conviction, in which evidence was booked more than 31 days late, and there was no justifiable reason why the evidence was booked late. The hand search of these cases was done to identify discrepancies between what was written in police reports by Sheriff’s personnel and the evidence booked.

Of the more than 22,000 hand searched cases, the District Attorney’s Office has proactively dismissed 65 cases after the expanded audit revealed the evidence had not been properly booked – and those dismissals were made on the District Attorney’s own motion.

The percentage of cases that had some or all charges dismissed in the interest of justice as a result of evidence that was not properly booked is 0.27%.

While even one case with material evidence booking deficiencies is one too many, the Orange County District Attorney’s comprehensive review of the matter has determined that only a relatively small number of cases – approximately one-quarter of one percent of all the cases reviewed – were actually negatively impacted by OCSD evidence booking issues.

Out of an abundance of caution, the District Attorney’s Office provide notice to the defense on all potentially impacted cases. More than 3,600 letters were sent to defense attorneys and defendants by the District Attorney’s Office notifying them of potential issues with evidence issues. To date, just a handful of requests were made by defense attorneys to dismiss charges, and of those requests, a thorough review of the facts revealed that only one case merited dismissal.

Two deputies have been convicted and a third has been indicted by an Orange County Grand Jury for crimes related to evidence booking issues.
Sixteen deputies have been added to the District Attorney’s Brady Notification System in connection with booking evidence late or not at all as a result of criminal referrals by the Sheriff’s Department. The Orange County District Attorney’s Brady process goes far beyond what the law requires. The decision to add a law enforcement officers to the Brady Notification System rests solely with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

As a direct result of the District Attorney demanding the audit be expanded, an additional 15 deputies have or will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for Brady review and potential criminal filings and the OCDA Conviction Integrity Unit has also referred an additional nine deputies for Brady review in connection with evidence booking.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was made aware in January 2020 that Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Devitt was the subject of a Sheriff’s Department internal investigation. To date, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has not received a criminal referral regarding Devitt.

The District Attorney’s Office initiated a Brady review of the deputy immediately upon learning of the open internal investigation on Devitt, but that review cannot be completed until the Sheriff’s Department finishes its internal criminal review and provides those findings to us.
Since that time we have made proper notification to the defense that there may be evidence booking issues related to Devitt as well as other deputies involved in People v. Sayem and provided discovery as required by law. Out of an abundance of caution, we have provided that same notification when any of the 602 deputies mentioned in the Sheriff’s Department audit are named as a potential witness in a case.

The inclusion of a deputy’s name in the Sheriff’s Department evidence booking audit does not equate to criminal behavior or even that they booked evidence outside of Sheriff’s Department policy. In fact, the hand search of the more than 22,000 cases revealed that the initial Sheriff’s audit which was based on a computer search of records, misinterpreted many legitimate situations to infer evidence was booked late when in fact it was not. For example, surveillance video was not available for several days or weeks after the date of the crime. The system recorded the days between the date of the crime and the date the video was received and booked, making it appear it was booked late when in fact it was not available for legitimate reasons.

In addition to dismissing charges and prosecuting deputies for committing crimes related to evidence booking, the District Attorney’s Office on its own motion is also removing any DNA samples from its database in connection with any cases in which DNA was submitted as a result of a conviction based on evidence that was not properly booked.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will always continue to review cases and provide notice to the defense when appropriate to ensure that defendants’ due process rights are protected.

In-custody death of an inmate at the Theo Lacy Jail

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ORANGE, Ca. (September 2, 2020) – On Tuesday, September 1, 2020 an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

The 26-year-old inmate was transferred to the hospital on August 29, 2020 for medical treatment of a self-inflicted injury sustained prior to a mental health evaluation. The inmate resisted when deputies attempted to transfer him for the mental health evaluation, and a use of force occurred. Correctional Health Services determined the self-inflicted injury required additional medical treatment at a local hospital. At the hospital, the inmate experienced medical distress, became unresponsive and ultimately died.

The inmate, Paul Gill, was transferred to Orange County Jail custody on August 14, 2020 by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Gill had multiple active warrants from multiple Orange County agencies for residential burglary, thefts and weapons-related charges.

Gill was not exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19.

Per protocol, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.

Former South O.C. pastor arrested for multiple counts of child molestation

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Cochino Alert, Crime, OC Sheriff 2 Comments

Editor’s Note – We are posting this in case the suspect also allegedly molested anyone from the Santa Ana area.

MISSION VIEJO, Ca. (August 27, 2020) – Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail investigators arrested a man yesterday suspected of committing multiple lewd acts on an underage girl beginning in 2010.

The man, Jose Andres Lopez, 67, of Mission Viejo, was arrested in San Juan Capistrano on suspicion of multiple counts of felony child molestation. Lopez previously volunteered as a pastor at Pacific Hills Calvary Chapel in Aliso Viejo between 2003 and 2005. He also volunteered at Compass
Bible Church in Aliso Viejo between 2012 and 2020.

Lopez was known to the female victim, who was under the age of 10 when the molestation began.

Sheriff’s investigators were initially contacted when the victim reported the sexual assault on August
23, 2020.

Due to Lopez having continued access and contact with children over the past 17 years and his role with the church, investigators believe there may additional victims.

Please contact the Special Victims Detail at (714) 647-7419 if you have any information. Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

An O.C. Deputy Sheriff accidentally shot a John Wayne Airport employee

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COSTA MESA, Ca. (Aug. 26, 2020): At approximately 7:02 a.m., Wednesday, August 26, 2020 an unintentional weapon discharge by an Orange County Sheriff’s Sergeant occurred in the John Wayne Airport Terminal Administrative Office. The round penetrated a wall and hit a John Wayne Airport employee in the arm. The employee, a woman in her 50s, was transported to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury.

The incident did not affect airport operations and the Terminal Administrative Office is not an area regularly accessed by the public. The Terminal Administrative Office is closed until the investigation is complete.

The Orange County District Attorney is conducting an investigation into the unintentional discharge, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an internal administrative investigation.

Crimes targeting distracted shoppers are increasing in Orange County

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (August 19, 2020) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department would like members of the public to remain vigilant as investigators have seen an increase in thefts from distracted shoppers. 

Recent investigations show an increase in wallets and personal property being taken from purses while unsuspecting victims are distracted.  In most cases, victims are followed through a store until the theft opportunity presents itself.  

The sheriff’s department is urging members of the public to maintain control of their personal property while shopping.  If you are unable to maintain personal control of your property, consider zipping your purse closed and use the strap or a clip to secure it to the cart. Thefts of this nature tend to occur at grocery stores, home improvement stores, drug stores and membership warehouses.

In addition to thefts from purses, property crimes are on the rise county-wide.  As a reminder, set car alarms, secure vehicles, do not leave property of value in vehicles and never leave anything visible that may be enticing to thieves. 

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our community. 

***LINK TO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF TWO RECENT THEFTS– https://bit.ly/329xGRQ

The OC Sheriff doubles their deployment of Naloxone for the fifth year in a row

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 30, 2020) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s deployment of Naloxone, an opioid antagonist that can be effective in opioid overdose, has continued to increase dramatically since 2015, with the number of doses administered in the first half of 2020 setting the
stage for the Department to double every year since deputies began administering Naloxone.

Annual Department-Wide Deployments (Corrections and Field Operations)
 201520162017201820192020 YTDTotal
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS3920386652188
TOTAL DOSES310245811192298

Opioid misuse and addiction have increased dramatically across the nation, and Orange County continues to be no exception. In 2016, the first full year that OCSD deployed Naloxone department wide, only nine doses were administered. In comparison, between January and June of 2020,
deputies administered 92 doses of Naloxone to 52 individuals. Between April and June of 2020, 16 of the 30 Naloxone deployments resulted in the immediate reversal of an overdose.

Since the introduction of the program in 2015, OCSD has deployed a total of 298 doses. This year is tracking to exceed all previous years’ usage.

Naloxone, while effective, does not work every time. Between April and June of 2019 for example, the Coroner’s Division reported that 17 decedents had Naloxone in their system.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department obtains Naloxone through the California Department of Health Care Services under the Expanded Access to Medicated Assistance Treatment (MAT) program. First awarded in March 2019, this grant has saved the Orange County Sheriff’s Department
$660,000 to date.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues to be committed to interrupting the supply of drugs in our county. A recent seizure by OCSD Investigators yielded approximately 400 grams of carfentanyl, an odorless white powder ultra-potent synthetic opioid used as a large-animal
tranquilizer. Carfentanyl is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and a grain of sand size amount can be lethal.

“By working collaboratively to increase enforcement against illicit drugs, coupled with education and prevention efforts to reduce drug demand, we can keep Orange County a safe and drug-free community,” said Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes.

An inmate at Theo Lacy died this morning

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 22, 2020) – At approximately 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

The 73-year-old inmate was transferred to the hospital on May 25, 2020 due to an illness.

The inmate was booked into custody by the Newport Beach Police Department on March 11, 2019 for murder and child molestation charges.

Preliminarily, there are no suspicious circumstances and no signs of trauma to the decedent. The inmate was not exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19.

Per protocol, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.