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Category Archives: Alcohol

The Garden Grove Police Department will conduct a DUI and CDL Checkpoint on July 31

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Garden Grove, Calif. – The Garden Grove Police Department will hold a DUI Checkpoint July 31st, 2021 from 2100-0300 hours at an undisclosed location within the city of Garden Grove in the County of Orange.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired.

During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

As the state continues to work to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Garden Grove Police Department is committed to keeping the public safe.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Police Chief Tom DaRé said. “We are still out there looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is still dangerous.”

The Garden Grove Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or ”operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.

Drivers charged with DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Tustin Police Dept. arrested two DUI drivers at their checkpoint on Friday night

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The Tustin Police Department’s Traffic Unit hosted an OTS DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday night at McFadden Ave west of Tustin Village Way.

As a result, two drivers were arrested for DUI. 13 citations were issued for unlicensed drivers, 2 for driving on a suspended license, and 10 for various hazardous vehicle code violations. Four vehicles were impounded.

Funding for the operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

The Costa Mesa police made four arrests at their DUI checkpoint on Friday night

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The Costa Mesa Police Department conducted a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday night, July 9, 2021, at 17th Street east of Westminster Avenue.

A total of 320 vehicles were screened and yielded 21 drivers evaluated for possible impairment, 4 DUI arrests, 14 citations including 10 for driving unlicensed and 2 for driving with a suspended license, and 5 vehicles impounded.

A total of 644 vehicles passed through this checkpoint. One driver was issued a citation for failing to stop at the checkpoint and failing to yield for officers!

The Costa Mesa Police Department would like to remind everyone to keep the streets safe. Don’t drive under the influence and obey all rules of the road.

The Costa Mesa Police Dept. will be conducting a DUI & Driver’s License Checkpoint this Friday, July 9

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COSTA MESA, Calif. (July 7, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, July 9, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“These checkpoints, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, are essential to keeping the community safe,” Sgt. Dan Miles said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

CMPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that does not involve a DUI:
Always use a designated sober driver to get home, which could be a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, a cab or public transportation.
If you see someone who is impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
If you are hosting a party, offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Four DUI suspects were arrested at a Westminster DUI checkpoint

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This past weekend, the Westminster Police Department held a DUI checkpoint to enforce traffic laws and to educate drivers on the dangers of impaired driving.

  • 665 vehicles traveled through the checkpoints.
  • 3 of those vehicles were stopped and screened.
  • 6 citations were issued.
  • 4 subjects were arrested for DUI.

The Westminster Police Department reminds you that driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime. Being a responsible driver is simple: if you are drinking, DO NOT DRIVE.

Remember, if you see something, say something! Your actions could help save someone’s life.

Repeat O.C. drunk driver convicted of killing a grandma and seriously injuring her boyfriend

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A repeat drunk driver was convicted Wednesday of hitting and killing a 77-year-old woman and seriously injuring her boyfriend when he crossed into oncoming traffic while driving on the Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano.

Edward James Nani, 41, of Lake Forest, was convicted by a jury of one felony count of second-degree murder, one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, one felony count of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more, and two felony enhancements of inflicting great bodily injury.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts.

Nani, who had been previously convicted of driving under the influence twice, faces a maximum sentence of 21 years to life. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2021.

Drivers convicted of driving under the influence in California are required to be given what is known as a Watson advisement that informs them that if they kill someone while driving under the influence they can be charged with murder. Nani received the Watson advisement when he plead guilty in 2010 to misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more.

Nani also has a prior DUI conviction from 2002.

On March 31, 2018, Nani was driving on the Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano around 8:24 p.m. A driver behind him became so concerned with Nani’s erratic driving, including crossing into oncoming traffic, that he began recording Nani as he drove behind him. The driver called 911 to report a drunk driver, telling the dispatcher the driver was going to kill someone.

Amparo Castellon Lopez, 77, and her boyfriend, Jose Robert Pacheco, 74, were driving home from visiting Lopez’ daughter and grandchildren when they were hit by Nani’s vehicle when he crossed into oncoming traffic.

Lopez was killed and Pacheco suffered a broken arm, leg, pelvis, and ribs.

“This individual repeatedly demonstrated that he had no regard for human life and it was only a matter of time before he killed someone by getting behind the wheel intoxicated,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated or high or drugs is a choice and it can be a deadly choice. With bars and restaurants back open for business following the pandemic, it is more important than ever to make good choices when you drink or do drugs. If you make the choice to get behind the wheel and you kill someone while impaired, you could be charged with murder.”  

Senior Deputy District Attorney Dan Feldman of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

The Costa Mesa Police will be conducting a DUI checkpoint this Friday, June 4

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The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint on Friday, June 4, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Sgt. Dan Miles said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

A Costa Mesa Police DUI Saturation Patrol resulted in 7 DUI arrests

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Yesterday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, the Costa Mesa Police Department’s Traffic Safety Bureau conducted DUI Saturation Enforcement, supported by California Office of Traffic Safety grant funds, which resulted in:

▪ 70 vehicles stopped
▪ 42 field sobriety tests administered
▪ 7 DUI arrests
▪ 1 drug possession arrest
▪ 5 unlicensed/suspended driver citations
▪ 3 vehicles impounded

The Costa Mesa Police Department reminds you not to drink and drive this holiday weekend.

The SAPD will be conducting 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, May 21, 2021.  It will begin at 8:00 PM and is scheduled to conclude at 2:00 AM.

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 and to ensure 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.

Truck driver arrested after a fatal DUI collision with a pedestrian in Orange

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A 19-year-old male pedestrian died from his injuries after he was struck by a suspected DUI driver.

Last night at approximately 10:09 p.m., the Orange Police Department and Orange Fire responded to a traffic collision involving a pedestrian and a pickup truck. The collision occurred in the crosswalk at the intersection of Tustin Street and Heim Avenue. A witness reported the truck was driving south on Tustin Street and failed to stop for the red light at Heim Avenue.

The pedestrian, a resident of Orange, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the truck, 39-year-old Sitani Pinomi from Orange, remained on scene. Officers determined Pinomi was impaired as a result of alcohol intoxication. Pinomi was arrested for DUI and driving on a suspended license. Based on a prior conviction of DUI, Pinomi was booked at Orange County Jail for murder.

Orange Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating this case. Anyone with information should contact Motor Officer Suarez at 714-744-7342.

The passenger in a Costa Mesa fatal hit and run collision now facing charges and is a fugitive

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Meghann Carrie Carlisle, of Costa Mesa, a 38-year-old woman, has been listed as a fugitive by the OCDA’s office in relation to a hit-and-run collision which killed Richard Frost, a 74-year-old man in Costa Mesa, on April 10, 2021. Carlisle was a passenger in the hit and run vehicle, which was driven by 28-year-old Costa Mesa resident Stewart Leacky Waithanji.

The OCDA is charging Carlisle with two felony counts of being an accessory to a crime after the fact and for her involvement in a hit-and-run collision causing serious or permanent injury.

Carlisle has also been charged with two misdemeanor counts of hit and run causing property damage, stemming from the hit and run incident.

Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021, Costa Mesa police were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident on Newport Boulevard south of 17th Street with witnesses attempting stop the driver from leaving the scene. Officers found an injured 74-year-old man in the street. The man was treated by paramedics and taken to a local hospital where he died.

Witnesses reported the victim was attempting to stop the driver of a silver Chevy Malibu from leaving the scene when he was struck. The driver, later identified as Waithanji, continued driving. He was arrested a short time later in the parking lot of a Los Alamitos bar.

Waithanji was wanted on a warrant on a September 2019 driving under the influence case and also on second warrant for an October 2019 driving under the influence case. Court records maintained by the state of Iowa indicate Waithanji was convicted for first-, second- and third-degree DUI offenses committed in January and May of 2016 and November 2017, according to the L.A. Times.

Waithanji currently faces one count of felony murder, along with two felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and two misdemeanor charges related to property damage caused during the collision. He faces a maximum sentence of life if convicted of all charges, according to the OCDA.

Carlisle, who apparently has also used the surname Nguyen, was arrested and released on April 13, according to the OCDA. The OCDA complaint alleges that Carlisle was the owner of the Malibu driven during the incident. The OCDA alleges that she failed to stop and notify authorities or communicate with victims following the collision. She is also accused of unlawfully harboring, concealing and aiding Waithanji so he “might avoid and escape from arrest, trial, conviction and punishment for the felony.”

While the relationship between the two suspects is unknown, an online inmate locator maintained by the sheriff’s department lists Carlisle’s occupation as “receptionist,” while Waithanji is described as a “server.”

Waithanji is scheduled to be arraigned in court on May 12.

12 vehicles impounded by the Costa Mesa police at Friday night’s DUI Checkpoint

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The Costa Mesa Police Department screened 194 vehicles, which resulted in 12 field sobriety tests, at their DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on 19th Street East and Pomona Avenue, on Friday night, May 7, 2021.

The Costa Mesa police officers also issued 11 citations including 10 for driving unlicensed and one open container cite, and 12 vehicles were impounded.

The SAPD, in contrast, rarely if ever announces the results of their DUI and driver’s license checkpoints.

The Costa Mesa police arrested a DUI driver after a rollover accident

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This morning at about 7:50 a.m., Costa Mesa police officers responded to a rollover traffic collision in front of Costa Mesa High School.

The 64-year-old female driver of the blue sedan had been weaving through traffic on Fairview Road, clipped another vehicle, lost control, and rolled over onto its roof.

The driver and adult male passenger climbed out on their own and the driver was transported to a nearby hospital by Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue for what are believed to be minor injuries.

She displayed signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol impairment and was subsequently arrested for DUI.

Traffic on Fairview Road was congested due to the fact that school was starting.

Luckily, no one was seriously injured and no students were involved in the collision.

The Costa Mesa Police Dept. is conducting a DUI Checkpoint on May 7

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COSTA MESA, Calif. (May 5, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint on Friday, May 7, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Sgt. Dan Miles said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

CMPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

CMPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that does not involve a DUI:
Always use a designated sober driver to get home, which could be a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, a cab or public transportation.
If you see someone who is impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
If you are hosting a party, offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying at home.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A DUI driver drove up onto a curb in DTSA on Sunday

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A driver suspected of being under the influence while behind the wheel drove his white Kia sedan up onto a curb, right past where people were eating outside at the popular DTSA restaurant Chapter One, on Sunday, May 2, at about 11:45 a.m.

The car slam into a raised flower bed next to the entrance of the parking structure at the 300 block of W. 3rd St. The driver then exited the Kia and ran but he did not get far. Witnesses were able to catch up to the driver and restrain him until the police arrived.

The white Kia Optima ended up leaking fluids next to the entrance of the Artists Village Parking.

There were at at least 50 people in the outdoor dining area at Chapter One when the suspect’s Kia careened past them.

The suspect driver was strapped onto a stretcher and taken away by ambulance. Witnesses said he appeared to be conscious

The SAPD later arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI. For whatever reason the SAPD did not reveal the suspect’s name.

Fortunately there were no other injuries reported but this could have ended very badly had the car slammed into the outdoor diners. They are protected by barriers but who knows what could have happened in such an instance?

Who gets drunk before noon? On a Sunday?