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Category Archives: Tustin

A Santa Ana man suspected of murder was killed in a fight with an O.C. jail inmate

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ORANGE, Ca. (January 19, 2020) –At approximately 4 p.m. on Jan. 18, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. The inmate, 57-year old Kirk Price, was transferred to the hospital December 27, 2019 due to injuries he sustained during a fight with another inmate.

Price, a Santa Ana resident, was arrested March 25, 2016 by Tustin Police investigating the death of  OC Boxing MMA Academy owner Fahness Lutalo, who died the day before Price’s arrest by a man who walked into the gym and shot him several times, according to the O.C. Register.

Price was booked into Orange County Jail on March 25, 2016, by the Tustin Police Department on suspicion of murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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.

The SAPD arrested an Uber driver on charges of sexual assault

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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.

Santa Ana woman arrested for stabbing and killing a man during a robbery in Tustin

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Tustin police have arrested a couple, Miguel Orellana of Anaheim and Erika Pineda of Santa Ana, and they have been charged with stabbing 62-year-old David Nakaki in Tustin, according to the O.C. Register.

The Tustin police say the motive for the fatal attack was robbery. They did not indicate what was stolen.

Police said the victim, 62-year-old David Nakaki, was taking his evening walk on Dec. 9 when he was attacked. People driving in the area found Nakaki on the ground near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Norwood Park, according to ABC News.

Nakaki is survived by two older children.

Orellana, 19, was charged with felony murder with enhancements for using a deadly weapon and special circumstances of it also being a robbery. Pineda, 25, was charged with felony counts of conspiring to commit a crime and being an accessory after the fact.

A fight at a Santa Ana laundromat turned into a stabbing and a carjacking

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You may have noticed a ruckus last night, at a laundromat located at Grand and Fairhaven in Santa Ana. Turns out there was a fight that turned into a stabbing and then a carjacking, according to CBS.

Apparently a fight broke out among a group of young men at the laundromat. Not sure what they were doing there. Perhaps laundry? The other stores at that plaza include a massage business and a Big Lots as well as Buccaneer Pizza, which makes terrific gourmet pizzas.

One of the boys who was attacked in the fight called his mom and asked for a pickup. The fight then moved to nearby streets in Tustin.

The dutiful mom showed up to pick up her attacked son but then the situation got uglier as she was carjacked at Fairhaven and Eastwood. Thankfully she was not hurt.

The carjacked vehicle was a Ford Expedition. The police put out an alert about the vehicle and it was eventually spotted in the area by police officers. They subsequently arrested three juvenile suspects at about 10:45 p.m. Monday night at the 13300 block of Flint in Tustin.

Eventually a man showed up at a local hospital with stab wounds. He is expected to survive but he was arrested and police believe he is the one who started the fight at the laundromat.

The SAPD is also apparently looking for the young man who called his mom for a pickup, inadvertently setting off the carjacking incident.

A Tustin woman is the first person to get the West Nile Virus in the O.C. this year

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(Santa Ana, CA) — A Tustin woman in her 50s was diagnosed this week with West Nile Virus (WNV) fever. She is the first human WNV infection identified in Orange County this season, according to the O.C. Health Care Agency.

In 2018, there were 12 reported human infections of WNV and 1 WNV-related death reported in Orange County. Most people who become infected with WNV do not experience symptoms, but about 20% will develop fever and may have headache, body aches, nausea, tiredness and sometimes a skin rash. More serious symptoms, such as severe headaches, neck stiffness, confusion, muscle weakness or paralysis, occur more rarely, but people who develop these symptoms should seek medical care immediately. People over 50 years of age and those with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of serious complications from WNV infection.

“West Nile Virus is endemic in Orange County, recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall,” said Dr. Nichole Quick, County Health Officer. “The best way to avoid West Nile Virus infection is to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.”

Recommended WNV precautions include:

  • Emptying all standing water on your property to reduce areas in which mosquitoes may breed, including flower pots and pet bowls.
  • Making sure your window and door screens are in good condition.
  • Using insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or products containing IR3535, always following label directions.
  • Limiting outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.

Information on mosquito control is available on the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s website at www.ocvector.org. Other websites with helpful information about WNV include:

A woman was arrested in Costa Mesa in a stolen pickup truck after a crash and a police pursuit

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An unidentified woman who fled the scene of a crash in Tustin in a stolen vehicle led police on a pursuit through Costa Mesa on Thursday, Aug. 15, according to the O.C. Register.

Tustin police officers reported to the scene of a reported collision at about 5:30 p.m.. However the driver of a blue pickup truck involved in that crash took off before the police arrived.

The police later found out that the truck in question had been reported stolen. Fortunately they spotted it later that day in Tustin.

The suspect however did not pull over and instead led the police officers on a pursuit through Costa Mesa. The pursuit finally ended at about 6 p.m. in the area of Bristol Street and Anton Boulevard, according to the Tustin Police.

The suspect was identified to be a woman and was arrested on Thursday evening. The police did not release her identity to the media.

No injuries were reported in either the initial collision, or the eventual police pursuit.

Police are looking for a man who conducted an armed robbery at the District in Tustin

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An male suspect conducted an an armed robbery with a handgun at an unidentified store at the Tustin District on Friday, July 26.

The suspect was seen in the area and may have brandished the gun at another victim.

The suspect was described as a male White or Hispanic, mid-40s, 5’7”, thin build, last seen wearing a white and black colored ball cap, plaid long sleeve shirt, and blue jeans.

If you have information regarding this incident or believe you may have seen the suspect, please contact the Tustin Police at 714-573-3225.

A Santa Ana man was among four killed in a head-on motorcycle collision on Sunday

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Picture from David Terman’s Facebook page

A Santa Ana resident, David Mark Terman, 59, died in a head-on motorcycle collision on Sunday, according to the O.C. Register.

Terman was on a motorcycle with Edith Mae Hegy, 62, of Elko, Nevada. They both died in the crash.

The Register reported that a Harley-Davidson, with a rider and a passenger, were traveling north about a quarter-mile south of Hicks Haul Road, northwest of Silverado Canyon and south of Irvine Lake and tried to pass a vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol said: It went into opposing traffic and slammed into a second motorcycle, a Honda, with two people aboard.

Terman is pictured on an older Facebook page on a Honda motorcycle.

The others that were killed in the crash were Regina Michelle Crowder, 48, of Fountain Valley and Jon Michael Schwarz, 50, of Tustin. Each motorcycle involved in the collision was carrying a man and a woman.

Terman’s current Facebook page noted that he was “getting into carpentry work instead of plumbing.” He was a Missionary at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was originally from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Santa Ana check forgery suspect is now in custody

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Update: Wanted suspect is now in custody thanks to the help of our partners at the Tustin Police Department.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE – Wanted Suspect: Tawnya Nicole Little (37)

On 04/06/2018, Tawnya Nicole Little entered the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 3764 W. McFadden Ave, Santa Ana. Little presented a stolen personal check that had been washed and forged. Little has an outstanding felony warrant for Forgery and Possession of Fictitious Instruments. Anyone with information on the suspects whereabouts is asked to contact PIS F. Munoz at FMunoz@santa-ana.org

Santa Ana man arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Tustin

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Emiliano Diaz-Cruz, 41, of Santa Ana was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexually assaulting and kidnapping a 14-year-old girl in Tustin on Thursday morning, according to KTLA.

The victim was walking on Newport Avenue near Irvine Boulevard at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning when a man in a red Toyota pickup truck pulled up next to her and asked her if she needed a ride.

The victim “willingly” got into the man’s vehicle after he agreed to driver her to a nearby store, according to the Tustin police.

However the suspect did not drive the girl to the store. Instead he drove her to a different location where he sexually assaulted her.

The suspect drove his victim to another location in Tustin after he was done sexually assaulting her, and dropped her off.

The victim called the police after the incident. They found the suspect in Tustin. He was arrested without incident.

The suspect was arrested on charges including kidnapping with the intent to rape and kidnapping with the intent to molest a minor.

The Tustin police believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information was asked to call the Tustin Police Department at 714-573-3246.

A woman was arrested in Tustin for allegedly stabbing several victims at a gas station

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Tustin police detectives have no idea why a woman who may have been armed with a knife wounded three people at a Tustin gas station near Frontier Park yesterday at about 6.p.m., according to a press release.

Tustin police officers responded to a business near the corner of Red Hill and Mitchell Avenues after they received several 911 calls. They found a woman in the street near a knife the police later recovered. She was arrested as a suspect in the attack.

The police did not identify the suspect. They did say there was no obvious relationship between the suspect and her victims.

Two women in their 50s were stabbed and injured. They were taken by paramedics to OC Global Medical Center. They both had serious injuries, but the wounds did not appear to be life-threatening.

The third victim that was injured did not want to go to the hospital.

Police are searching for two armed suspects who robbed a Tustin liquor store

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Two male suspects walked into One Stop Liquor, located at 14252 Newport Ave., grabbed cases of beer and then tried to leave without paying, on Saturday, March 16, according to a Tustin Police press release.

When an employee confronted the suspects in the parking lot, they got into a fight. One of the robbers then pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the store employee before the suspects took off in an older model, dark colored Acura SUV.

The employee suffered minor injuries during the fight, but thankfully no shots were fired at him.

Tustin police detectives are still searching for the robbery suspects. Anyone with information about the suspects is encouraged to call Tustin Police Detective Cossack at 714-573-3269, or the watch commander at 714-573-3220. Anonymous tips can also be left with Orange County Crime Stoppers by dialing 855-847-6227 or by visiting ocrimestoppers.org.

Santa Ana man arrested for allegedly attacking a cleaning woman in Irvine

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Irvine, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2019) – The suspect in an attempted rape that occurred in the early morning hours Wednesday, February 6, is in custody. Irvine Police Department Detectives arrested Eduardo Godoy Gonzalez, 21, of Santa Ana at his workplace in Tustin on Thursday around 5 p.m. Gonzalez was in possession of a knife believed to be used in the attack at the time of his arrest. A replica Glock handgun was recovered at the scene.

Police were led to Gonzalez thanks to several tips from citizens who saw media coverage of the case.

On Wednesday around 1:20 a.m., the suspect entered an unlocked door of an office at 17877 Von Karman Ave. and approached a woman who was cleaning the facility. The suspect asked the victim in Spanish if she was the only one there. When she said yes, he made aggressive sexual comments to her and ordered her to have sex with him. When she refused and said she was going to call police, the suspect pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the victim, threatening her life.

He then pushed her into another room and forcefully tried to undress her. For four minutes, the victim is seen on video pleading for her life and fighting off the attacker.

Eventually, the victim was able to overpower the suspect and disarm him. The victim then ran for help in a nearby building.

The gun was found at the location and determined to be a replica Glock handgun. The victim also reported seeing a knife during the attack. She suffered injuries during the assault, including bruising to her arms, hands and breast and scratches to her face.

The investigation in the case is ongoing. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Irvine Police Department Detective Haldor Larum at 949-724-7194.

A teacher from Orange was arrested on suspicion of child molestation

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (January 23, 2019) – Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators arrested a man suspected of committing multiple lewd acts on a 13-year-old boy beginning in 2011.

The man, Brandon Jacob Nease, 25, of Orange, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of felony child molestation. For the past one and a half years, Nease has been a drama teacher at Costa Mesa High School. He previously taught dance at the Boys and Girls Club in Tustin and Fountain Valley beginning in 2013. From 2015 to 2017, Nease was the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Musical Theatre West in Long Beach. From 2012 to 2015, Nease was a dance specialist at Camp James in Newport Beach. From 2008 to 2016, Nease was the Choreographer/Director for the Musical Theater Village in Irvine. Nease worked closely with children in each of his roles as a dance instructor.

Due to Nease having continued access and contact with children over the past seven years, investigators believe there may be additional victims.

Nease posted $100,000 bond this morning and has been released from custody.

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.

Santa Ana woman to be charged with vehicular manslaughter after fatal car accident

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19-YEAR-OLD DRIVER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER OF TWO MINORS AFTER FATAL CRASH IN TUSTIN

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 19-year-old driver is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for the vehicular manslaughter of two minors after a fatal crash in Tustin.

Defendant: Josselyn Jazmine Anguiano, 19, Santa Ana

Charged on Nov. 27, 2018, with the following felony counts:

  • (2) Vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence
  • Child endangerment by caretaker
  • Infraction:
  • Seat belt required
  • Sentencing Enhancement: (4) Great bodily injury

Maximum Sentence: 10 years and four months in state prison

Court Date on Dec. 27, 2018, 8:30 a.m. at Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana

Circumstances of the Case

  • On March 23, 2018, Anguiano is accused of driving a five passenger sedan with a total of seven occupants in the vehicle including 17-year-old John Doe 1 and 17-year-old John Doe 2.
  • The defendant is accused of reaching 75 miles per hour (mph) before attempting to turn on a street with a 35 mph speed limit near the District in Tustin.
  • The vehicle struck a curb at approximately 47 mph, hit multiple steel/concrete poles, flipped on its side, and slid for a short distance before coming to rest.
  • John Doe 1 was pronounced dead at the scene and John 2 later died on March 25, 2018. Injuries among two other minor passengers include a broken jaw and a fractured pelvis.
  • Tustin Police Department investigated this case.
  • Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue, Homicide Unit