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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: SAPD

The SAPD is searching for a carjacking and kidnapping suspect

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On 10/04/2009, wanted suspect Sergio Cruz, a 39-year-old man from Tustin, carjacked and kidnapped a victim at gunpoint. Cruz forced that victim to drive to the area of 10th and Ross Streets.

While there, Cruz exited the vehicle and attempted to carjack another victim. Cruz then robbed a third victim and forced them into a residence at gunpoint. While inside, Cruz robbed a family and subsequently fled the area on foot.

Description: Male, Hispanic, 5’6”, black hair and brown eyes

Anyone with information on Cruz’s whereabouts is asked to please contact Detective Corporal D. Padron at (714) 245-8545 or DPadron@santa-ana.org

Councilman Solorio announces a major reduction in homicides in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana, SAPD 7 Comments

SANTA ANA, CA — City Councilman Jose Solorio announced a significant decline in homicides in Santa Ana and called on the police department to focus on enforcing anti-camping and related laws in order to continue the City’s progress reducing crime and making neighborhoods and business corridors safer.

Santa Ana experienced an overall 36% decline in homicides and a 44% decrease in gang-related homicides in 2019. There were 5 gang-related homicides in 2019 compared to 9 in 2018.

As chair of the City’s public safety committee in 2017, Councilman Solorio led the effort to hire more police officers and championed the police department’s initiatives to increase the size of the gang unit and bring back a vice unit. Under Police Chief David Valentin’s leadership, the Department re-allocated resources to provide 7-day a week gang suppression and intervention enforcement, prioritize getting dangerous and illegal guns off the street, and begin to rebuild the vice and narcotics unit.

“These statistics are proof that our policing strategy is working,” Councilman Solorio said. “As we see the homicide rates go down, we must also make sure we’re tackling growing areas of concern, which is why I’m calling on the Santa Ana Police Department to focus on enforcing anti-camping laws and addressing the high number of crimes committed against or by homeless individuals.”

“We need new initiatives to help reduce neighborhood crimes that residents bring to our attention, enhance community-oriented policing programs, and continue to lower 911 response times. These steps will move us toward being a safer City,” continued Councilman Solorio.

As a result of the last collective bargaining agreement signed with the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, the City has been successful in recruiting and retaining more officers — a record 50 new officers were hired in 2019. Councilman Solorio also urges the City to continue to improve staffing, technology, and youth development programs to make all Santa Ana neighborhoods safer.

The Santa Ana Police Department compiles and reports on homicide data on a monthly basis. After being elected in 2016, Councilman Solorio asked police for ongoing reporting of crime statistics to track the progress of our City’s public safety initiatives and make appropriate changes to ensure the safety of Santa Ana’s residents.

Jose Solorio is a Santa Ana City Council Member. He previously represented the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana in the State Assembly for six years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.

To learn more about City Councilman Jose Solorio, visit www.JoseSolorio.com, Facebook.com/SolorioForSantaAna, Instragram.com/SolorioForSantaAna or Twitter.com/JoseSolorio.

A bus and an SUV crashed this morning south of Madison Park

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SAPD police officers are currently working an OCTA bus vs SUV collision in the area of St Andrew Pl & Standard Ave., south of Madison Park, according to the SAPD’s Twitter page.

The accident happened at about 8 a.m. this morning.

Four bus passengers and the SUV driver have been transported to a nearby hospital, none w/ life threatening injuries.

Please stay away from this area until cleared.

A suspect crashed into a truck this morning during an SAPD police pursuit

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On Thursday, January 16th, 2020 at approximately 12:59 AM, Santa Ana Police Officers attempted to stop a truck driving at a high rate of speed in the area of Fairview Street and McFadden Ave. The driver of the truck failed to yield to Officers and a pursuit was initiated.

The truck continued west on McFadden traveling in the opposing lanes of traffic of McFadden Ave. As the truck was entering the intersection of McFadden Ave and Harbor Blvd on a red light, a bobtail truck was traveling north on Harbor Blvd. The bobtail truck collided into the vehicle being pursued.

Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and briefly treated the male (suspect) before he was transported by CARE Ambulance to the UCI Medical Center. The male sustained serious injuries and is in critical condition at UCI Medical Center. The driver of the bobtail truck did not suffer any injuries as a result of the crash. The truck was later determined to be stolen out of the City of Huntington Beach.

The California Highway Patrol was called and is handling the collision investigation. The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is assisting in the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Corporal Daniel Carrillo at (714) 245-8346.

The SAPD is looking for a suspected arsonist

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

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 motorcyclist died after crashing into a pole in Santa Ana on Sunday morning

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Many of our Facebook readers were wondering what happened today, Sunday, Jan. 12, after the SAPD closed streets at First and Grand. It turns out there was a fatal motorcycle accident, according to the O.C. Register.

Authorities received a call from a witness this morning, at about 11 a.m., after a man driving a motorcycle lost control and crashed into a pole, at the 1000 block of East First St., between Standard and Grand Avenues.

The SAPD police officers who responded found the sole rider of the motorcycle to be unresponsive.

The victim was taken to OC Global Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the SAPD. They did not reveal his identity and the crash is still under investigation.

SAPOA President responds to the Register’s Op-Ed against the recall of Councilwoman Iglesias

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Gerry Serrano, Politics, Santa Ana, SAPD, SAPOA 3 Comments

Editor’s Note – While we do not support the current recall campaign against duly elected Santa Ana City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias, to be fair we have extended an opportunity to Gerry Serrano, the President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, known as SAPOA, to rebut the Op-Ed that recently was published in the O.C. Register regarding the recall.

Truth & Facts: Cecilia Iglesias is unfit for office

Gerry Serrano

By: Gerry Serrano

Recently, the OC Register and other news blogs have posted articles that are very misleading. The articles tend to reduce support for and are slanted against our blue-collar public safety professionals, the very same people that dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our community. The question is why? There are facts to the contrary that should be reported.
Truth be told, Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias has been ruthless and unethical going back to her days on the Santa Ana Unified School Board. She has attacked teachers and school employees and their respective unions. She has bullied them, and no one has ever stood up to her. That’s newsworthy.

Now, as a Councilwoman, she has become more unethical and her behavior risen to an unacceptable level, verging on criminal. Our elected officials are held to a higher standard. They are not above the law and surely must be held accountable.

Local citizens, thousands of them, initiated a process to recall Ms. Iglesias because Santa Ana is suffering from a housing crisis and she voted no for affordable housing; she supports President Trump’s immigration policies of building a wall and separating children from families at the border; she opposed revenue initiatives supporting after-school programs, homelessness and public safety; and, she posted a video advocating the defunding of the Santa Ana Police Department. Good reasons to question her ability to represent the citizens of Santa Ana. That’s newsworthy.

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association does not take a position on federal immigration policy, but we do advocate and support after-school programs, addressing homelessness and providing the best public safety to our community.

Facts: the city of Santa Ana finished the fiscal year ’18-’19 over $6 million in the positive, per their budget. They underestimated revenues by over $16 million. (page 128, city report) Claiming that needed programs can’t be funded is wrong. That’s newsworthy.

The Police Officers Association supports this recall because since Ms. Iglesias has been in office her slanderous comments about the Association, her lies, have been repeated and continuous, interfering with the Association’s right to represent its members. (see compliant) She violated the City Charter by interfering in a civil service personnel hiring creating huge financial exposure for the City. She filed a frivolous lawsuit against the City of Santa Ana costing taxpayers thousands. She voted “No” on the Centennial Education Center which is “No” to a much-needed branch library and “No” to a community center and park improvements. This is not about a contract vote over a year ago, rather she is unfit and her behavior illicit. That’s newsworthy.

Finally, someone had the courage and will to stand up to an unfit and unethical politician. Over 16,000 residents signed a recall petition for various reasons. That’s newsworthy. This is a democracy and the will of the residents should not be silenced. Posts and stories that mislead the public are wrong. The city of Santa Ana deserves BETTER.

The SAPD is searching for a missing elderly man with dementia

Posted on by Posted in Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAPD, Seniors Leave a comment

Jose Ayala (74) was last seen walking away from his family’s home today at approximately 7:45 AM. Ayala suffers from Dementia and Schizophrenia and has a history of walking away from his residence.

Description: Male, Hispanic, 5’6”, 168lbs., Gray hair, Gray Mustache & Brown Eyes. Last seen wearing a white long sleeve shirt and black/green checkered shirt.

Last Seen In the Area Of: 300 Block of East Grant Street.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jose Ayala please contact Santa Ana PD Dispatch at (714) 834-4211.

The SAPD arrested an Uber driver on charges of sexual assault

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

Santa Ana Police Department Special Crimes Section detectives arrested an Uber driver on January 8, 2020, for a sexual assault that occurred in July of 2018. Amir Attia, a 45-year-old resident of Tustin, was arrested for the sexual assault. On the date of this incident, the victim, a 25-year-old woman, was involved in a traffic collision and arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) by the Tustin Police Department. The victim reported that upon her release from the Tustin Police Department, she requested an Uber respond to drive her home.

Attia, an Uber driver, drove the victim from the Tustin Police Department to her home in Santa Ana. Somewhere along the way, Attia stopped and sexually assaulted the victim. This was confirmed through DNA evidence.

Attia was arrested and confessed to sexually assaulting the victim. He was booked at the Orange County Jail for PC 289(d) Digital Penetration and PC 243.4(a) Sexual Battery. His bail has been set at $150,000.00. Attia has a previous conviction for sexual battery from 1993.

Santa Ana Police Department Detectives are asking that anyone with information regarding this case, or who may have been victimized by suspect Attia, contact Corporal Maria Lopez at 714-245-8542, mlopez15@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

The SAPD is looking for four suspects who attacked two juveniles and tried to rob them

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On December 30, 2019 at approximately 9:55 pm, both juvenile victims were walking westbound on W. Wilshire Avenue east of S. Ross Street. An older model, tan colored Honda Accord, with a sunroof, was also traveling westbound on Wilshire Avenue and stopped near the victims. Four suspects exited the vehicle and approached the victims.

The suspects questioned the victims about their gang affiliation and demanded the victims’ property. The victims refused and started to run away. The suspects chased the victims and assaulted both of them. One victim was also struck with a baseball bat.

The suspects took both victims’ property and fled the location in the suspect vehicle westbound on Wilshire Avenue and then northbound on Flower Street. The victims suffered minor injuries.

Anyone with information identifying the suspects in this case is asked to contact Detective Prewett at (714) 245-8323 or Dprewett@santa-ana.org.

The Santa Ana police union is misusing the recall process to target their critics

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Elections, Labor, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

The Orange County Register’s Editorial Board slammed the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA) today in a stunning editorial that is 100% spot on. Here it is – please read it and share with your friends, family and neighbors.

Santa Ana cop union targets truth-tellers

The Santa Ana police union-funded recall campaign against Councilmember Cecilia Iglesias last month submitted 16,000 signatures to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, which has until February to verify the signatures before putting it on the ballot. The union has dropped $220,000 on the effort — and another $100,000 on a separate (but now stalled) campaign to recall Councilmember Juan Villegas.

What have these elected officials done to deserve this harsh reaction? They had the audacity to tell the truth about the city’s finances.

They opposed massive police raises that the city couldn’t afford and that drained funds from a previous tax hike that slapped residents with a county-high 9.25 percent sales tax.

They refused to be intimidated by over-the-top rhetoric from Police Officers Association officials.

The union has enormous influence on the council, which in part explains why it voted 4-2 in last year to approve $25.6 million in retroactive raises over three years even though it had not identified how it was going to pay for them. The approval pushed the city’s deficit from $600,000 to $4.8 million in one fell swoop.

In September, the Register reported that money from Measure X — the tax hike that promised to fund street and park maintenance, neighborhood safety, homeless prevention and other needs — was not apparently being spent as promised, according to oversight committee members. The money, members feared, might mainly to cover these police raises and pension obligations. By the way, the city projects a significant budget deficit for the coming year.

Members of Measure X’s oversight committee also feared that the tax boost was a Band-Aid and that the city is locking itself into unsustainable long-term expenses. That echoes the warnings that Iglesias and Villegas had previously made.

H.L. Mencken wrote that the politicians Americans “detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” We think the curmudgeonly late journalist was being overly cynical. After Santa Ana voters evaluate the Iglesias recall, we suspect they will stand by a council member who levels with them rather than trades in fiscally imprudent fantasies.

The SAPD is searching for a bald armed robbery suspect

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On 11/20/2019, at 12:08pm, a Ford Explorer, occupied by six suspects, parked directly behind the victim’s business. Two suspects entered the business and attempted to sell jewelry to the employee victim. One of the suspects then approached the victim and demanded “rent” money, while brandishing a black revolver. The victim was ordered to the ground and was physically assaulted. The suspects forced the victim to stay on the ground while two other suspects entered thru the back door to assist in robbing the victim of his property. Suspects fled out the back door to the awaiting Ford Explorer.

Based on the investigation, wanted suspect Clarence Louis Reil IV (33) has been identified as the driver of the vehicle involved in the armed commercial robbery.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of wanted suspect Reil should contact Detective Greaver at (714) 245-8362 or DGreaver@santa-ana.org

Former instructor charged with molesting a Middle College High School student

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Santa Ana, Calif. – A former Santa Ana College welding instructor has been charged with four felonies for molesting a 15-year-old high school student enrolled in his class. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying other possible victims of the instructor who taught at several high schools and community colleges across Southern California.

Santa Ana Police Special Crimes Section detectives arrested George Moreno, 59, of Cherry Valley, at Alessandro High School in the City of Hemet on January 7, 2020. He is currently employed through the Riverside County Office of Education as a welding instructor at the high school.

Moreno has been charged with four felony counts of lewd acts with a 15-year-old child. He faces a maximum sentence of five years if convicted. He was released from the Orange County Jail after posting $50,000 bail.

Moreno was a welding instructor at Santa Ana College from 2007 to 2018. Students from Santa Ana Middle College High School, which is part of the Santa Ana Unified School District, were enrolled in his class during that time.

In August 2019, a woman reported to Santa Ana police that she had been sexually molested by Moreno beginning in 2015, when she was 15 years old. The victim reported numerous incidents that occurred on campus over a three-year period.

“Teachers are entrusted with our most precious resource – our children,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Classrooms should be safe place where children can learn – not hunting grounds for predators.”

Authorities are asking for anyone with additional information to contact Santa Ana Police Detective Gerry Corona at 714-245-8343, Gcorona@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. Devin Crowley of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

Santa Ana train accident victim identified as Juan Jose Espinoza Padilla

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On Monday, January 6, 2020 at approximately 5:30 p.m., the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) began receiving several calls of a train versus vehicle collision at the railroad crossing on Grand Avenue just north of Hunter Avenue.

Just after the collision occurred, an SAPD Officer headed south on Grand Avenue came across the collision scene and requested Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel. OCFA personnel responded to the scene and ultimately pronounced the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, Juan Jose Espinoza Padilla (61) Santa Ana, deceased.

A large dog was found injured inside the occupant compartment of the vehicle and was transported to a nearby veterinarian for treatment.

The initial investigation has revealed the Metrolink train, occupied by 3 employees and 219 passengers, was headed to the Santa Ana train station from Irvine. The two sets of train tracks intersect Grand Avenue in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction. As the train was headed in a northwesterly direction it collided with a white Toyota sedan that was headed north on Grand Avenue in stop and go traffic. The vehicle was broadsided on its passenger side and pushed over 600’ down the tracks before the train came to a stop.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the scene and handled the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision are asked to contact Corporal Danny Carrillo at (714) 245-8346.

The SAPD is searching for a missing 13-year-old girl

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On 11/22/2019 at approximately 9 AM, Roxanne Altamirano (13) voluntarily left a family member’s residence on 10th Street in Santa Ana. Roxanne is in the custody and care of Orange County Social Services.

Description: Female, Hispanic, 5’4″, 100 lbs., Brown Hair, Brown Eyes. She was last seen wearing a black sweater and black pants.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Altamirano are asked to contact Investigator Jurado at (714) 245-8353 or Detective Garcia at (714) 245-8408.