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Tag Archives: sapd

The SAPD is searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a relative for a year

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On or about 09/07/2019, wanted suspect Jose Alejandro Guevara repeatedly sexually assaulted a family member for approximately one year.

Guevara fled from his residence prior to police arrival and is aware he is being sought out for this crime.

Shortly after fleeing, Guevara contacted family members and is believed to still be in the area. Guevara is known to frequent bars in the area of Main & McFadden and Standard & McFadden.

Suspect Description: 5’05”, 170 lbs., black hair and brown eyes

Vehicle Description: 2007 Silver, 4-Door Toyota Camry. License Plate# 8JOY543

Anyone with information on Guevara’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Gallardo at (714) 245-8378 or JGallardo@santa-ana.org

Suspects in a stolen car were arrested by the SAPD after a car crash

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We reported a hit and run crash very early yesterday morning, at Flower Street and Warner, after getting a tip from a reader, who also sent us a picture of the scene.

Now we know what happened! Two people were injured after a stolen SUV filled with suspects crashed into another vehicle, late on Monday night, according to the City News Service.

A Chevrolet Suburban stolen in the City of Covina, and occupied by four suspects, crashed into another vehicle at around 11:05 PM.

While the suspects ran off as police officers responded to the scene, they were quickly caught and arrested.

The drivers of both vehicles were taken to local hospitals with injuries describes as non-life threatening.

An unfortunate utility pole was also damaged in the crash, which led to area roads being closed for several hours.

The SAPD is still investigating this incident. No details were released regarding the suspects.

Three men stole fragrances from the MainPlace Macy’s last night

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On Thursday, 11/7/2019, at 7:53 pm, three male black adults entered the Macy’s store at the MainPlace Mall during normal business hours. They were wearing hoodies and possible bandannas covering their faces.

The suspects walked directly towards the fragrance counters and shattered the glass display cases. The suspects removed fragrances and placed them inside black duffel bags, which they carried into the store.

The suspects then exited the store via the south doors to an awaiting vehicle, possibly a silver sedan. The vehicle was last seen leaving the parking structure, northbound onto Main Street and out of sight.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Lim at (714) 245-8417 / Slim@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

The SAPD will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint this Friday night

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The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday November 8th, 2019. It will begin at 9:00PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 400 N Fairview Street, in the City of Santa Ana.

The primary purpose of a DUI Checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. The DMV reports that unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to cause a fatal crash than a licensed driver is.

The checkpoint will be staffed by officers trained in the detection of alcohol and drug impairment to provide on-the-spot assessments of drivers suspected of alcohol or drug impairment. All checkpoints are conducted in accordance with the guidelines for DUI checkpoint operations outlined in the California Supreme Court decision, Ingersoll v. Palmer.

All vehicles may be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs will be arrested. Our objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and / or drugs – Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest. The public is encouraged to help keep roadways safe by calling 911 if they see a suspected impaired driver. Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A man was shot at a backyard party last night near Delhi Park

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While most of us were watching football on T.V. last night, or participating in Halloween festivities, a shooting was taking place at a backyard Halloween party in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

A man was hospitalized early this morning with non-life threatening injuries suffered in that shooting.

The shooting took place at the 2200 block of South Orange Avenue, northwest of Delhi Park, at about 11 p.m. on Thursday night.

SAPD police officers found the male victim down in the street with two gunshot wounds to his upper body.

The SAPD has not yet determined a motive for the shooting nor have they released any information about the suspect(s).

The SAPD is trying to identify a catatonic man found in August

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John Doe: Male, Hispanic, 20-30 years old, 5’7 – 5’11”, 150-190 lbs. and circular scar on upper left arm

Wearing (when contacted): blue/gray tank top, black pants and black shoes

On August 31, 2019 at approximately 7PM, Santa Ana PD Dispatch received a call of a subject who was seated in the area of 5200 W. 7th Street, non-responsive and to have been staring down at the ground for several hours. SAPD Officers and OCFA medics arrived to provide medical aid.

John Doe was ultimately transported to Fountain Valley Hospital where he remains under medical evaluation. He continues to be non-responsive, non-communicative and attempts to identify him have yielded negative results.

Anyone with information on identification of John Doe is asked to contact Detective A. Garcia at (714) 245-8408 or AGarcia@santa-ana.org

The SAPD will host a joint press conference on Tuesday regarding the man they arrested for raping and killing a child

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The SAPD is going to hold a joint press conference with the OCDA, OC Sheriff’s Department Crime Lab and the California Attorney General’s office regarding the Montebello man, Francisco Javier Lopez, who has been charged with twelve felonies in connection with the 2012 kidnapping and rape of a child, in Santa Ana.

The joint press conference will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at 10:00 am at the Santa Ana Police Department’s Community Room.

ATTENDEES:

  • Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin
  • Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer
  • CA Department of Justice, Assistant Bureau Director for the Bureau of Forensic Services, Elissa Mayo
  • Orange County Sheriff’s Crime Lab Director, Bruce Houlihan

ARRESTEE: FRANCISCO JAVIER LOPEZ (45) MONTEBELLO

Lopez has been charged with the following:

  • 1 felony count of kidnapping to commit a sex offense
  • 1 felony count of oral copulation of a child under the age of 11
  • 3 felony counts of sexual penetration of a child under the age of 11
  • 1 felony count of sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 11
  • 5 felony counts of a forcible lewd and lascivious act with a child under the age of 14
  • 1 felony count of dissuading a witness.

Lopez has also been charged with four sentencing enhancements of causing bodily injury to a child under 14 and aggravated kidnapping.

He faces life without the possibility of parole if convicted of all charges, and is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.

Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin will join the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office to discuss how a statewide effort by local and state agencies led to Lopez’s arrest.

A bicyclist was badly injured by a hit and run driver in Santa Ana on Sunday morning

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On Sunday, October 13th, 2019 at approximately 5:20 am., the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) received several calls of a vehicle vs. bicycle traffic collision at the intersection of Main Street and Warner Avenue. Officers responded to the area and found a male down in the roadway in the middle of the intersection with visible head trauma. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and began to treat the male before he was transported by CARE Ambulance to the OC Global Medical Center. The male is currently in extremely grave condition.

The preliminary investigation has revealed the male bicyclist was headed north on Main through the intersection when he was struck by a vehicle headed west on Warner. The vehicle involved in this collision fled from the scene prior to the officers’ arrival. It remains outstanding and it , along with the driver, remain unidentified. Alcohol is believed to have played a role in this collision. The collision remains under investigation.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Corporal Brett Nelson at (714) 245-8208.

DUI suspected after a Santa Ana street racer crashed into a tree

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On Thursday, October 10, 2019 at approximately 11:35 pm, Santa Ana Police Officers were dispatched to the 3200 block of W. Warner Avenue in regards to reported street racing activity. As the officers arrived in the area, they observed a vehicle exhibiting speed and being operated in a reckless manner. Upon seeing the police vehicles, the driver fled east on Warner Avenue at a high rate of speed. Officers went after the vehicle in an attempt to initiate a traffic stop for the observed vehicle code violations. The suspect did not yield and the officers initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle fled continued east, as it passed through the intersection of Warner Avenue and Raitt Street, failing to stop for the overhead red signal light. After passing through the intersection, the driver began to lose control and collided into a tree in the center median of the roadway. The driver and passenger were trapped in the vehicle. The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) responded to the scene and had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate both occupants from the wreckage. Both occupants were briefly treated at the scene before being transported by CARE Ambulance to a local hospital with major and life threatening injuries. Drugs are believed to have played a role in this collision. The investigation is ongoing.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the scene and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Collision Investigator Wes Hadley at (714) 245-8216 or Corporal Brett Nelson at (714) 245-8208.

The SAPD has arrested two suspects in a series of armed robberies

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SAPD Robbery detectives have been working on a series of armed commercial robberies that happened over the weekend.

The first incident occurred on October 4th, 2019, at 9:52 pm at a lunch truck parked in the area of 400 N. Euclid. The suspect, a “heavy-set” male Black adult, entered the lunch truck with a black handgun and robbed the employees of cash from the register.

The second incident occurred on Sunday, October 6th, 2019, at 7:25pm from the area of 800 S. Sullivan when a male with the same description used a handgun to rob the employee in a food truck for money from the cash register.

The third incident occurred on Monday, October 7th 2019, at 10:45am from a recycling center located at 1340 W. McFadden. The same described suspect brandished a handgun and took cash inside of a cash register.

The fourth incident occurred at 2610 W. Edinger, shortly following the third incident. The same described suspect approached the victim employee at the recycling center and pressed a handgun to his stomach, demanding money. The suspect took money from the victim’s hand and opened the cash register to take an additional money prior to fleeing.

In all incidents the male was described as a “heavy-set” male Black subject armed with what appeared to be a black semi-auto handgun. The suspect was seen in at least two of the incidents entering the passenger-side of a gray SUV.

On Monday October 7th, 2019, at 11:00pm, the SAPD Gang Suppression Unit was patrolling the area of 1200 S. Bristol when they observed a gray Jeep SUV that matched the description of the vehicle involved in the robberies. The passenger in the vehicle matched the description of the suspect described in the above four robberies. A replica firearm was located in the vehicle. Both the driver and the passenger were booked at the Orange County Jail for robbery.

SAPD Detectives are working with Detectives from Garden Grove and Westminster Police Departments on possible related cases that occurred in their cities.

Suspect -1: Linsey Alvin Green (36) Rialto
Suspect -2: Derrick Stoeltin (34) Santa Ana

The SAPD is searching for a transient who burglarized a local business

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On January 19, 2019, Vantha Nhean (34), a transient, was observed on video surveillance breaking into a business in the city of Santa Ana near the intersection of Mcfadden Ave. and Lyon St.

During the commission of the burglary, Nhean stole approximately $5,000 worth of laptops, cameras and other electronics.

A warrant was issued for Nhean’s arrest reference the burglary in addition to two other outstanding warrants for drug possession.

Nhean is a transient who frequents the southeast section of the city as well as motels in the 2100 block of E. 1st Street.

Anyone with information on Nhean’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Garcia at (714)245-8732 or jgarcia@santa-ana.org

Enjoy carne asada tacos and coffee with SAPD police officers on 9/28 and 10/2

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Santa Ana residents have an opportunity on Saturday, Sep. 28, 2019, to get to know their local police officers while enjoying free Carne Asada tacos and drinks, courtesy of Northgate Market.

The event, “Carne Asada with Cops,” will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., just in time for lunch, at the Northgate Market located at 1120 S. Bristol St., in Santa Ana.

In related news the SAPD is celebrating National Coffee with a Cop and Trunk & Treat on Wed., Oct. 2, 2019, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Starbucks located at 2303 S. Bristol St., in Santa Ana.

Stop by and get a cup of coffee and a special trunk or treat event! FREE family event & don’t forget to bring your costume!

The SAPD is searching for a convicted transient who assaulted his ex-girlfriend

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On 08/21/19, wanted suspect Ruben Torres, age 30, physically assaulted his ex-girlfriend. The assault occurred in the area of Fairview/Trask, near the Chevron Gas station.

Torres pulled the victim to the ground, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her for approximately 20 feet. He proceeded to punch her in the face, head, back, and stomach area.

The victim sustained a bloody lip, bruising on her right bicep and abrasions to her left arm, stomach, and lower back.

Torres is on probation and a transient who frequents the area of the incident and the city of Garden Grove.

Anyone with information on Torres’ whereabouts is asked to contact PIS Ruvalcaba at BRuvalcaba@santa-ana.org

The SAPD arrested a suspect who barricaded himself in an auto body shop today

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The SAPD closed W. First St. today, from S. Harbor to W. Jackson, after a suspect with a gun entered a 7-Eleven located on W. First St., at about 11 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect exited the building and ran from the police when they arrived, according to the SAPD.

The suspect hid at the rear of an auto shop, Culver 7 Auto Body Shop, at 3635 W. 1st St. The SAPD police officers fortunately were able to get all the employees out of there.

The SAPD police officers surrounded the body shop and tried several times to communicate with the suspect, who did not respond. They eventually deployed a robot to monitor his position. He then tried to escape through the roof of the building, but SWAT officers were waiting for him. They arrested him at about 3:30 p.m.

The OCFA provied a fire truck with a basket, which was used to lower the suspect to the street. His identity was not announced by the SAPD.

The police officers observed the suspect hiding under cars in the body shop during the standoff and he appeared to have some sort of firearm. However no gun was recovered when he was finally arrested.

The police investigators have not been able to confirm if he was in fact armed. They were conducting a complete search of the business he was hiding in. However it is a large auto body yard with many cars, so the search could take a while.

No gunshots were heard during the incident, and no injuries were reported.