New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Costa Mesa

Arson arrest made this morning in connection to fire set in hotel room at 3100 block of Bristol St.

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Fires Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Today, June 20, 2021, at about 6:17 a.m., a woman called from a hotel room at the 3100 block of Bristol Street and made a threat to harm herself and start a fire.

Shortly thereafter, officers arrived at the door to the hotel room the woman called from and could hear the smoke alarm sounding inside the room. The woman had barricaded the front door prior to police arrival. Officers were able to force entry to check her welfare and located the woman inside. There was thick smoke and flames inside the room and officers removed the female occupant from the room.

Other guests from neighboring rooms were evacuated as the Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Department (CMFR) was dispatched to the scene. They put out the fire and a CMFR arson investigator was on scene; this information was shared via their Twitter account.

The woman was arrested for arson and a mental health evaluation is being conducted, hence her identity will not be disclosed.

This incident will be investigated and no further information will be released.

Convicted O.C. felon is sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug and firearms charges

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs, Fountain Valley, Guns Leave a comment

On August 26, 2019, undercover Detectives from the Fountain Valley Police Department’s Crime Suppression Unit conducted an investigation into a subject, Tyler Conklin (30), who was wanted on a no-bail PRCS probation violation warrant.

Detectives initiated a surveillance on Conklin who, with the assistance of Costa Mesa Police Department, was arrested on multiple felony charges including firearms and narcotics offenses. When arrested, Conklin was wearing an empty firearm holster with a Glock-style privately made firearm (ghost gun/firearm manufactured by unlicensed subject) under the passenger seat where he was seated. The firearm had a round in the chamber and the magazine had seven additional rounds. Two additional magazines with seven rounds each were also found under the passenger seat.

A search of Conklin’s residence revealed multiple additional firearms, magazines and ammunition. Conklin was booked at the Orange County Jail with no bail.

In collaboration with agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FVPD Detectives continued to investigate the case. Ultimately, Conklin was prosecuted federally for this case.

As a result of this prosecution, the defendant, Tyler Conklin, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his conviction on federal narcotics and firearms charges.

This was an excellent example of collaboration between FVPD and our Federal counterparts.

Here is the press release from the ATF regarding Conklin’s conviction:

LOS ANGELES – A convicted felon from Orange County has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his conviction on federal narcotics and firearms charges, including that he possessed five privately made firearms without serial numbers, aka “ghost guns.”

Tyler Jacob “Jake” Conklin, 31, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge James V. Selna. Conklin after he pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Conklin was arrested following a traffic stop on an outstanding warrant in August 2019 for violating the terms of his Post-Release Community Supervision in relation to multiple drug dealing convictions from O.C. Superior Court dating back from August 2018.

When arrested, Conklin was wearing an empty firearm holster with a Glock-style privately made firearm (ghost gun) under the passenger seat where he was seated. The firearm had a round in the chamber and the magazine had seven additional rounds. Two additional magazines with seven rounds each were also found under the passenger seat.

According to the federal complaint, following Conklin’s arrest, his residence was searched and law enforcement seized 2,243 rounds of ammunition, various components to manufacture firearms, and four privately made firearms including:

One Glock-style, .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol bearing no serial number.
One SIG SAUER-style firearm, 9 mm semi-automatic, subcompact pistol bearing no serial number.
Two Glock-style, 9 mm semi-automatic pistols, bearing no serial number.
A Glock-style frame with rear rail system and locking block rail system installed.
Glock-style slide.
Three Glock-style barrels.
Jig and bits used to complete a SIG SAUER-style frame.
SIG SAUER-style barrel.
Springs and base plates for Glock-style magazines.
Fire control and other internal components for Glock-style and SIG SAUER-style pistols.
Five large-capacity magazines with capacities ranging from 17 to 33 rounds of ammunition.

Also seized at Conklin’s residence were various drugs including nine baggies totaling 189 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, empty baggies, syringes, glass pipes, and a ledger with pay-owe entries next to a list of firearm components consistent with those used to make private firearms. Conklin admitted in his plea agreement to possessing five privately made firearms without serial numbers.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fountain Valley Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.

ATF recognizes the role privately made firearms play in violent crimes. ATF’s mission is to target armed violent offenders and career criminals, firearms traffickers, violent gang activity, and domestic and international arms traffickers. ATF investigates and recommends prosecution of these offenders to reduce the level of violent crime and to enhance public safety. ATF also strives to increase state and local awareness of available federal prosecution under federal statutes.

A Costa Mesa couple has been arrested for the road rage killing of Aiden Leos

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Editor Posted in CHP, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

The CHP has confirmed the arrest of the two suspects believed responsible for the shooting death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos.

Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, and Wynne Lee, 23, were arrested at their home in Costa Mesa.

They are expected to be charged with murder. Both suspects are being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bond each.

California Highway Patrol investigators had been watching the couple and followed them home from a restaurant before arresting them outside their Costa Mesa home.

On Monday, CHP officials said they received a tip and worked to enhance an image of the license plate on the vehicle, which led them to identify the couple. They then began to investigate the couple’s backgrounds and determined that they commuted along the 91 corridor to two workplaces in the Inland Empire, according to the L.A. Times.

The Volkswagen was registered to an address where Lee had lived with her parents, but it was recovered from an address in Whittier where Eriz’s father lived in the mid-1990s, according to public records. The owner of the home may be one of Eriz’s relatives.

The gun used to kill Leos was found in a location other than the home in Costa Mesa where the two suspects live.

The reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects has surpassed $500,000. However it is not known at this time if anyone will be eligible to get the reward.

Leos was in a booster seat in the back of his mother’s Chevrolet Sonic, on his way to kindergarten in Yorba Linda, on the morning of May 21, when the shooting incident occurred on the northbound 55 Freeway in the city of Orange.

The suspects were involved in a road rage incident with Aiden’s mother, Joanna Cloonan, over a perceived unsafe lane change, according to the CHP.

Detectives believe a woman was driving and a man, who was in the front passenger seat, committed the shooting itself.

Pink-haired theft suspect nabbed by the Costa Mesa police

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Early on Wednesday, Costa Mesa police officers responded to a theft of a laptop computer from a restaurant at the 3000 block of Harbor Blvd.

The suspects, a woman and a man, were seen stealing the computer on surveillance video and the woman was identified by her payment. She stood out due to her pink hair. The police officers took a report.

Later that day, a caller reported seeing a man and a woman with pink hair that were suspects from a porch theft which occurred a day earlier in the area. The caller kept observing the suspects until officers arrived and made contact.

The police officers confirmed they were the same suspects from both thefts. The suspects were found to be in possession of the laptop computer, drugs, and other suspected stolen property.

The woman with pink hair, Taylor Weber, 23, and her accomplice, Victor Garcia, 31, were promptly arrested.

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

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

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 Santa Ana man died at the O.C. Intake Release Center of a suspected suicide

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, OC Sheriff, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (June 1, 2021) –A 32-year-old male inmate housed at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana died the evening of May 30, 2021 of a suspected suicide.

The inmate, Robert Martin of Santa Ana, was booked into jail in May 2021 by the Costa Mesa Police Department on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence, cruelty to a child, false imprisonment and a probation violation. He was located in his cell around 7 p.m. and deputies and medical staff attempted lifesaving measures. The inmate was pronounced deceased by the Orange County Fire Authority at approximately 7:45 p.m.

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.

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

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

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.

A resident tip led to the arrest of a catalytic converter thief in Costa Mesa

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Editor Posted in automobiles, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

Before 4 a.m. yesterday, the Costa Mesa Police Department received a call from a woman who believed a catalytic converter theft was occurring near a building carport at the 2700 block of Peterson Place. She reported seeing headlights and hearing the sound of a saw being used.

Police officers responded and attempted to detain a man, who quickly got into his vehicle and sped off through the complex. Officers activated their overhead emergency lights and initiated a pursuit.

The suspect attempted to evade and for a short distance, was on the wrong side of the road of Adams Ave. He then abandoned his vehicle at Baker Street and Mesa Verde East and fled on foot.

Officers quickly took the subject into custody.

Officers found an electric saw and a catalytic converter, which was later matched up to a victim vehicle in this picture.

The Costa Mesa police made a big meth bust when checking on a probationer

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs Leave a comment

Last week, investigators from the Costa Mesa Police Gang Unit partnered with deputy probation officers from the OC Probation Department to contact individuals on supervised release, including probation or post release community supervision, to confirm they were complying with the court-ordered terms of their release.

The police officers contacted a woman at her residence who was on probation for a prior methamphetamine sales conviction. The other individual at the home was on parole for a prior burglary conviction.

During the search of the residence, pursuant to the terms of their respective supervised release, investigators found approximately 2.8 pounds of methamphetamine, over $17,000, and other evidence of illegal methamphetamine sales.

Both individuals were arrested on suspicion of possession for sale of methamphetamine and illegal sales of methamphetamine, with no bail holds.

The Costa Mesa Police Department will focus on motorcycle safety enforcement this month

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Editor Posted in automobiles, Costa Mesa, Crime, Motorcycles, Public Safety Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. (May 13, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) has had extra officers out on patrol this month looking for violations made by drivers and motorcyclists that increase the risk of crashes. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and the Traffic Safety Bureau will continue to conduct motorcycle safety enforcement until the end of the month. With nearly 900,000 registered motorcycles in the state, many road users are going places without the same protections as drivers. Motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to die in a crash than are vehicle occupants. To help protect you and your family, keep the following tips in mind while driving or riding:
Drivers

Always check twice for motorcycles in your mirrors and blind spots.
Use your signal when changing lanes.
Never follow a motorcycle too closely. Always keep a safe distance.
When at an intersection, allow enough space before turning.

Motorcyclists:

Always wear a DOT compliant helmet and protective gear like gloves and leather clothing.
Consider adding reflective tape to your clothing to make it easier for other drivers to see you.
Keep your lights on at all times, even during the day.
Do not assume drivers see you: signal well in advance before changing lanes and watch for turning vehicles.
Although lane splitting is legal, the practice is not encouraged at high speeds in free-flowing traffic, or between large vehicles like big rigs and motor homes.

“Keeping the roads safe for our traveling community is our top priority, and the Traffic Safety Bureau recognizes the need to protect the public by looking for violations made by drivers and riders that puts the public at further risk,” said Sgt. Dan Miles. Funding for this enforcement is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Costa Mesa man facing hate crime and other charges after attacking a 7-Eleven owner

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Hate, Newport Beach Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man is facing felony hate crime and violation of civil rights charges for attacking the owner of a Newport Beach 7-Eleven with a bottle after being asked to leave the business. The defendant is accused of using racial slurs and made disparaging remarks about immigrants.

Danny Martin Loros, 64, of Costa Mesa, has been charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, one felony count of violation of civil rights causing violent injury, and one felony hate crime enhancement.

He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

On May 7, 2021, Loros is accused of throwing a liquor bottle at the owner of a 7-Eleven store, striking the victim in the stomach.

Loros is accused of using racial slurs and making denigrating comments regarding immigrants.

He is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange on $40,000 bail.

“Business owners should be able to run their businesses without fear of being attacked because of how they look,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Hate crimes are not only devastating for the individual victims, they are also devastating for the entire community because of the fear these kinds of crimes create. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is fully committed to holding haters accountable and prosecuting hate-motivated crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”

Deputy District Attorney William Ha of the office’s newly created Hate Crime Unit is prosecuting this case.

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

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime Leave a comment

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 17^th 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.

The Costa Mesa police made a drug bust after getting a tip from a resident

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Drugs Leave a comment

Yesterday, the Costa Mesa Community Policing Unit responded to a call of a suspicious woman sitting in her car for over an hour in a residential area. The Costa Mesa police officers contacted her and saw she had drug paraphernalia sticking out of her pants pocket.

Upon further investigation, she was found to also be in possession of:

10.5 grams of fentanyl
21.4 grams of methamphetamine
30 Suboxone strips
Pills of assorted prescribed medications
1 baton
1 Taser disguised as a flashlight
1 pepper spray
$639.00 in cash, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia

Officers promptly arrested the suspect thanks to the vigilant caller who saw something suspicious and reported it to the police.

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

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime, Public Safety Leave a comment

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.

There were fatal car accidents today in Tustin and in Costa Mesa

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Public Safety, Tustin Leave a comment

A car accident claimed the life an an Irvine man this morning, Sunday, May 9, in Tustin.

The Tustin police responded to the accident scene at Moffett Drive, beneath the Jamboree Road underpass, at about 11:50 a.m.

The responding police officers found a vehicle with major front-end damage. Inside the vehicle they found a 67-year-old man who was unresponsive.

The driver was declared dead at the scene of the crash by responding paramedics. The police are withholding his name pending the notification of relatives.

Tustin police investigators believe the vehicle was headed east when it crashed. At this time they do not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved in the collision. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

At about 1:54pm, the Costa Mesa Police Department responded to a fatal traffic collision at Bear & Sunflower involving 3 vehicles, including one rollover.

A 54-yr-old man has died at the scene. No other major injuries reported. Traffic was diverted. Residents were encouraged to find alternate routes and avoid the area.

The police did not announce the name of the accident victim.