Sat. Oct 12th, 2024

Amy Martinez, a 12-year-old girl, was walking to Lathrop Intermediate School this morning when an apparently deranged 34-year-old homeless woman, Claudia Cruz Hernandez, aka Claudia Hernandez Diaz, put her in what Martinez referred to as a bear hug and started walking away with her, according to KTLA.

Martinez bravely screamed for help – and Hernandez responded in Spanish by admonishing the little girl not to cry.

Martinez told NBC that Hernandez also told her that “the demons are coming, Satan is here.”

And that is when a mother who had just dropped off her own child at Lathrop drove by and saw what was happening. She immediately came up with a plan to stop the suspect, according to the SAPD.

The Good Samaritan told Hernandez that she was Amy’s mom and she told her to let the little girl go.  She had to repeat that command three times before Hernandez finally let the little girl go.

The Good Samaritan, who asked to remain anonymous, then took Martinez to school.

The Good Samaritan also gave the SAPD a detailed description of the suspect, and the SAPD then “saturated” the area and was able to track down and arrest Hernandez.

There is no telling what might have happened to Martinez if the Good Samaritan had not taken the initiative to save her.

Clearly Santa Ana’s homeless problem has become a flaming mess and our children are now in danger!





author avatar
Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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