ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
July 5, 2017
Case # 17CF1662
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Minnesota man was arraigned today for human trafficking and attempted pimping of two fictitious minors he met through social media.
Defendant: Nigel Ezekiel Samuels, 25, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Charged today with: Continue reading
Contact: Lt. Lane Lagaret, 714.904.7042, LLagaret@ocsd.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UPDATE: OCSD Investigating Misidentification by OC Coroner Office
SANTA ANA, Calif. (June 26, 2017) – The decedent who was previously misidentified as Frank M. Kerrigan, 57, has been positively identified by fingerprints. The Coroner Division is attempting to locate and notify family therefore we will not be releasing the name of the decedent at this time. Until his family can be found or all efforts are exhausted, his body will remain interred at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery. Continue reading
Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to retire at end of current term
Endorses Undersheriff Don Barnes as her successor
Santa Ana, CA – – Sandra Hutchens, Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, announced today that she will not seek reelection in 2018 and is endorsing Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes.
“At the end of my current term, I will have spent almost 40 years in law enforcement and over 10 years as Sheriff of Orange County,” said Hutchens. “It has been a great honor and privilege to serve as Sheriff and I would not even consider retiring if there was not a highly qualified and electable candidate ready to serve. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lt. Lane Lagaret, 714.904.7042, LLagaret@ocsd.org
OCSD statement on ACLU of Southern California’s Jails Project Report
SANTA ANA, Calif. (June 27, 2017) – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California released a report today on the Orange County jail system managed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The report presents a purposely distorted view of the Orange County Jails. The ACLU’s findings are largely based on interviews and surveys of former inmates. While inmates certainly have a perspective to offer on our jail system, the failure to include the perspective of law enforcement has resulted in a report that only tells one side of the story. Continue reading
Orange County’s homeless population is becoming a big criminal problem, not just in Santa Ana but in surrounding areas.
On Monday, June 19, at about 5 p.m., when it was still broad daylight, a homeless man entered an Arco gas station located at 2490 Fairview Road, and he pretended to be armed with a weapon, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading
OCTA Scholarship Program Invests in Education
Employee-funded program awards more than $13,000 to 26 students
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority recently held its annual scholarship event, awarding $13,000 to students through a fund that is raised entirely from employee donations.
The OCTA Scholarship Fund provided 25 deserving students with awards of $500 to offset their college tuition and help advance their academic careers. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Date: June 13, 2017
*Allegations characterized by the Orange County Grand Jury as “witch-hunt”
OCDA is addressing only the parts of the report pertaining to the Office and defers inquiries regarding the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County Grand Jury’s (OCGJ) report released today entitled “The Myth of the Orange County Jailhouse Informant Program,” confirms the steadfast position of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) both in court and in the media regarding informant matters. The OCGJ debunked the media “witch-hunt” for agency corruption, in examining People v. Dekraai and People v. Wozniak.
“The OCGJ is confident there is no program of jailhouse informant use for criminal investigation in the Orange County jails.” (p. 19). Furthermore, the OCGJ found that “Allegations of intentional motivation by a corrupt district attorney’s office … to violate citizen’s constitutional rights are unfounded. Disparate facts have been woven together and a combination of conjecture and random events have been juxtaposed to create a tenuous narrative insinuating nefarious intent. That narrative does not stand up to factual validation.” (p. 5)
Key points and findings include: Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 17CF1377
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Palmdale felon is facing additional charges for pandering seven victims and pimping two young women in Costa Mesa and Garden Grove. His co-defendant faces initial charges in the amended complaint filed yesterday.
Defendant: Antonio Alon Johnson, 23, Palmdale
Felony Charges: Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 96F00267
SANTA ANA, Calif.— The California Supreme Court affirmed yesterday the death penalty verdict for the “Bedroom Basher,” a serial rapist and murderer who committed a string of home invasion rape-murders in Orange County in the late 1970s. This affirmation followed the defendant’s automatic death penalty appeal.
In October 1998, Gerald Parker, a former Marine, was convicted by a jury of the first degree murders of Sandy Fry, Kimberly Rawlins, Marolyn Carleton, Chantal Green, Debora Kennedy, and Debora Senior, with the special circumstances enhancements for committing multiple murders and murder during the attempted commission or commission of a rape and burglary. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 17CF1361-17CF1369, 17CF1372-17CF1373
Date: June 5, 2017
*Largest number of attorneys charged in one case in Orange County history
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Ten attorneys and six cappers were charged today for participating in a massive multi-million dollar workers’ compensation insurance referral scheme that exploited persons in predominantly Spanish-speaking communities. This is the first phase of filing resulting from a 3-year insurance fraud investigation by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Bureau of Investigation, Insurance Fraud Unit with assistance from the California Department of Insurance (CDI). Continue reading
At the Board of Supervisor’s Meeting Tuesday, Santa Ana resident Flor Roman was appointed by Supervisor Andrew Do to the Assessment Appeals Board No. 3.
Flor Roman was born and raised in Mexico City, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration before immigrating to the United States in 1990. Flor has had extensive experience in the financial and real estate fields. In 1995, Roman joined Maxwell Real Estate in Santa Ana and obtained her Real Estate Broker’s License. In 1999, Roman acquired Maxwell Real Estate and changed the name to Roman Realtors & Financial Services, Inc., where she now serves Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, with the same enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism that has helped propel her to great heights in the real estate industry. Continue reading
Andrew Do – Supervisor, First District, Board of Supervisors
County Approves Plan to Help Homeless on the Riverbed
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the homeless ad-hoc committee’s proposal to create a six month pilot program, which is designed to position the County as the lead in providing the Continuum of Care services needed to assist our citizens out of homelessness.
The homeless ad-hoc committee consisting of Supervisor Do and Supervisor Spitzer proposed this pilot program as a step towards a comprehensive plan to end homelessness, especially in encampments around the County. Continue reading
Orange County Launches Campaign to Raise Awareness of Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation
The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a national and statewide epidemic that deserves our highest attention. Today, the County of Orange, in partnership with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Association of California Cities-Orange County (ACCOC), Orange County Juvenile Court, Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF), The Raise Foundation, and Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women & Justice launched a campaign to raise awareness of child sex trafficking and exploitation, highlighting the theme: “Be the One to Help Out: Sex Trafficking. It’s Not What You Think. Children are Victims, Too”. Orange County elected officials and community leaders gathered to promote the campaign’s goals of raising awareness of the risks and indicators of child sex trafficking and exploitation and ensuring that the community is aware of how to help potential victims. Continue reading
OC Office on Aging Launches OC Senior Resources Mobile App
Santa Ana, CA (May 26, 2017) — At the South County Senior Summit hosted by Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, Fifth District, in Laguna Woods, the Orange County Office on Aging announced it launched the OC Senior Resources mobile application.
The free mobile app allows the public to easily access senior services and resources, such as disability services, caregiver support, employment, education, financial assistance and insurance. Additional features allow individuals to seek hotline numbers, behavioral health services, veteran benefits and volunteer opportunities. Continue reading
Notice regarding Communication Linkage Forum (Com-Link) General Meeting – Thursday, May 25, 2017
Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, who represents the First District (which includes Santa Ana) will be speaking at the next meeting of the Communication Linkage Forum (Com-Link) about the County’s effort to address homelessness in our city and in the County.
The Com-Link meeting is set for Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 7:00 pm at the Santa Ana Police Department in the Community Room – 60 Civic Center Plaza (on Boyd Way from W. Civic Center Drive), Santa Ana. Parking will be validated. Continue reading