New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Huntington Beach

Former H.B. police investigator charged with stealing drugs from a suspect’s car

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Editor Posted in Drugs, Huntington Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former Huntington Beach Police Department crime scene investigator has been charged with stealing drugs from an attempted murder suspect’s vehicle, ingesting the drug, and then driving a police vehicle under the influence.

Sean Patrick Lotts, 53, of Huntington Beach, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of embezzlement by a public official, one misdemeanor count of seizing property under the color of authority, and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.

Lotts is scheduled to be arraigned on April 7, 2021 at the Stephen K. Tamura Justice Center in Westminster in Department W1. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

On January 23, 2020, Lotts was working as a crime scene investigator for the Huntington Beach Police Department when he was assigned to photograph a vehicle belonging to an attempted murder suspect. While processing the vehicle, Lotts is accused of taking photos of several pills found inside the vehicle and ingesting at least one of the pills. The pills were later identified as Flualprazolam, a rare designer drug.

Lotts is then accused of driving a Huntington Beach Police Ford Explorer to his home while under the influence of the drug.

Lotts resigned from the Huntington Beach Police Department in lieu of termination.

“I am disappointed and angered by this conduct. As the elected District Attorney, it is my responsibility to prosecute corrupt police officers and law enforcement personnel,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The public has an expectation that law enforcement employees – whether they are sworn or civilian – will conduct themselves in a way that is in accordance with the laws they are tasked with enforcing. It is ludicrous that someone processing a crime scene would even think of – much less act on – stealing evidence from a crime scene and then using that evidence for their own recreational purposes.”

Deputy District Attorney Frank Acosta of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

Holiday drive-thru event for O.C. families in need set for Dec. 12

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Editor Posted in Charities, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana 2 Comments

The Priority Center of Santa Ana will distribute holiday gifts to some of the neediest Orange County families in its program with a drive-through holiday experience on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The event will take place at Freddie Georges Production Group HQ Parking lot, warehouse, docks and ramp at 15362 Graham St., Huntington Beach, California.

More than 270 families are participating this year, up nearly 100 percent from 2019’s event. Approximately 140 families received children’s gifts and gift cards last year. The dramatic increase in need has been attributed to the economic devastation triggered by COVID-19.

The Priority Center will distribute nearly $130,000 worth of gifts for the children and gift cards for food and other basic necessities during the drive-through event. Families will stay in their cars and wear masks. Gifts and gift cards will be placed in the trunks of their vehicles for contactless delivery.

The funds for the gifts and gift cards were raised by families who participated in The Priority Center’s annual “Families Helping Families” holiday program. This is the first-ever drive-through distribution for The Priority Center.

Volunteer “Santas” will work in three shifts to distribute the gifts to the families. All volunteers will wear masks and gloves and their temperatures will be taken. All volunteers, families, staff and other participants are required to adhere to state and county health and safety guidelines.

The annual “Families Helping Families” holiday program has assisted Orange County families for the past 17 years. Each year, the families provide a wish list. Individuals, companies and other families “adopt” these Priority Center families by donating funds which are then used to purchase the children’s gifts and family gift cards.

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on these families, some of which were already living paycheck to paycheck. People have lost their jobs and exhausted their savings. For them, it’s a matter of choosing between paying rent and utilities or buying food. Money for holiday gifts for their kids is not an option.

Some of the most popular gift items requested this year by the children include video games, dolls and toys. Others simply want warm socks, a jacket or pair of shoes.

About The Priority Center

Formerly known as the Child Abuse Prevention Center, The Priority Center serves at-risk children, adults and families in crisis to prevent and break the generational cycle of trauma and abuse. The Priority Center also works with adolescents and adults in crisis with mental illness and suicidal ideations who need intervention services. Established in 1983, the center matches families at risk of abuse with professional caseworkers who work with them directly within their homes. The center employs 125 professional staff members, two-thirds of whom provide direct services to individuals in need. In 2019, the center’s programs served more than 6,000 individuals in crisis and families. The center’s corporate office is located at 1940 E. Deere Ave., Suite 100, Santa Ana, California.

About FG/PG

For nearly two decades, the woman-owned production group FG/PG has defied the ordinary leading the experiential marketing arena. The privately held production group creates award-winning work for global companies such as Facebook, Tito’s Homemade Vodka, Fortnite, Netflix and LEGO. The company is motivated by a profound desire to give back to the community and has established #fgpg4good as its corporate giving and volunteer initiative. FG/PG proudly partners with such organizations as Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Priority Center, Susan G. Komen and Wounded Warrior Project, to name a few.

A 79-year-old Santa Ana grandfather was struck and killed by a car in Huntington Beach

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Juan Martinez Tovar of Santa Ana, a 79-year-old man, was walking on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach when he was struck by a vehicle early on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The crash that killed Tovar dead occurred about 5:10 a.m. just south of Brookhurst Street, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Tovar was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 59-year-old man from Newport Beach, was the driver of the vehicle that hit Tovar. The driver stayed at the site of the crash and he cooperated with the police.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call Huntington Beach police investigator D. Demetre at 714-536-5670.

Tovar’s family has started a Gofundme page to raise money for his funeral.

O.C. man sentenced to more than 24 years for nationwide Fentanyl trafficking and money laundering

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Federal Government, Huntington Beach, Justice 1 Comment

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Huntington Beach, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Fentanyl Analogue and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering was sentenced on September 14, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Damon Vincent Jobin, age 35, was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Fentanyl Analogue, and 240 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, all to run concurrently. Jobin was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Jobin was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2018. He was arrested in Los Angeles on November 29, 2018. Jobin was ordered to appear before the magistrate court in the District of South Dakota on February 11, 2019, but in an apparent attempt to evade prosecution, fled to Thailand. A federal warrant was issued for his arrest. He eventually was apprehended in Thailand, taken into the custody of the Royal Thai Police on June 7, 2019, and transported back to the United States from Thailand by U.S. Marshals from the District of South Dakota.

Jobin pled guilty to the charges in the Indictment on June 24, 2020.

Jobin, along with other co-conspirators, utilized the Dark Web to distribute approximately 100,000 pills that they had manufactured containing fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue in 2017 to South Dakota drug dealers either suspected or convicted of distributing the pills in Chamberlain, Mitchell, and Sioux Falls. Twenty thousand of these pills were seized from the U.S. Mail by law enforcement in South Dakota. The pills tested positive for cyclopropyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue or derivative.

The investigation revealed that, in all, Jobin manufactured and mailed approximately 200 packages containing over 2.6 million fentanyl or fentanyl analogue pills to addresses in 32 different states. Jobin himself would press over 16,000 pills per hour at the height of the organization’s manufacturing. Based on records kept by Jobin, the total weight of the pills he and other co-conspirators made and distributed exceeded 259 kilograms. Experts estimate that one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to produce approximately one million fatal doses. Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

“This defendant was selling millions of poisonous, home-pressed fentanyl pills to people all over the country,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “He was caught because of some great police work done right here in South Dakota. This case demonstrates the dramatic, national impact that federal, state, and local law enforcement, working together, can have in getting these poisons off the streets. The detective work done by these law enforcement officers saved a lot of lives.”

Jobin and his coconspirators also used online cryptocurrency exchanges to launder the funds derived from the sale of the cyclopropyl fentanyl on the Dark Web. Jobin was estimated to be making between $25,000 and $35,000 per week for his involvement in the conspiracy. Judge Schreier noted that this was the largest fentanyl conspiracy case she has seen in her courtroom to date.

“Today’s sentencing is another step towards combating the opioid epidemic fueled by the distribution of illicitly manufactured fentanyl,” said Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “The financial expertise of IRS-CI plays a vital role in capturing offenders by following the money that facilitates the drug trade. We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect America’s taxpayers by taking traffickers of dangerous drugs off the streets.”

“This investigation reflects the successful teamwork between the United States Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners with bringing to justice those who use the dark net and the U.S. mail to distribute illegal narcotics. Postal Inspectors have been at the forefront of dark net investigations for years, bringing to justice those who use the U.S. mail to distribute illegal narcotics behind the dark net’s false veil of anonymity. We continue to challenge the anonymous nature of the dark net, proving you are never truly anonymous,” stated Ruth Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division, of the United States Postal Inspection Service, covering the State of South Dakota.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Western Cyber Crimes Unit, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of State, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Costa Mesa Police Department, and the Chamberlain Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.

Jobin was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Burglar who targeted a medical group arrested in Irvine

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine 1 Comment

Fountain Valley, July 30 – On July 22, 2020, Fountain Valley Police Department Officers responded to Memorial Care, located in the 17900 Block of Brookhurst Street, where they took a report reference a commercial burglary.

The initial investigation revealed a male suspect, later identified as Mitchell Starbuck, a 36-year-old resident of Huntington Beach, pried a door leading to the IT Department.

Once inside, Starbuck ransacked the interior and stole the following: 44 Apple iPad Pro’s, 2 Apple MacBook’s, 2 Apple iPhones, and several other electronics valued at over $50,000.

A records search revealed Starbuck was on active parole and had an outstanding no bail warrant.

On July 28, 2020, FVPD Detectives located Starbuck in the City of Irvine while driving the same vehicle used in the commission of the burglary.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, FVPD Detectives located 32 of the stolen iPads, MacBook’s, iPhones, and several other stolen electronics all belonging to Memorial Care.

The recovered items in the vehicle were valued in excess of $41,000.

Starbuck was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail for numerous felony charges including commercial burglary, grand theft, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, and the no bail warrant. (DR# 20-23494).

Santa Ana man indicted for stealing $783,328 from Boeing employees’ retirement plan

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Federal Government, Fraud, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Westminster Leave a comment

LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today indicted an Orange County man on charges that he fraudulently obtained access to Boeing employees’ retirement accounts and siphoned their money by making hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fraudulent money transfers to himself.

Hoa Vo, 30, whose aliases include “Hoa Thanh Tran Vo” and “Andy Vo,” of Santa Ana, is charged with three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, from January 2019 to June 2019, Vo obtained the personal identifying information of Boeing employees, along with information about their retirement accounts, known as Voluntary Investment Plan (VIP) accounts. Vo then allegedly made fraudulent withdrawal requests for checks and electronic money transfers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the VIP accounts of various Boeing employees.

Knowing that notifications and checks related to these fraudulent requests would be mailed out, Vo placed holds on the Boeing employees’ mail with the United States Postal Service, the indictment further alleges. Once the mail was held, Vo allegedly intercepted the mail by presenting to a postal employee a fraudulent California driver’s license with a Boeing employee’s personal identifying information, and a fraudulent note purportedly written or signed by the Boeing employee authorizing Vo to pick up the employee’s mail.

Vo allegedly then deposited the stolen checks into a bank account that had been fraudulently opened in a Boeing employee’s name. Vo also cashed checks written to himself from the fraudulently opened bank account by using the Boeing employee’s forged signature, and endorsed the checks himself, according to the indictment.

In total, Vo attempted to obtain approximately $783,328 from Boeing employees’ VIP accounts, and actually obtained approximately $360,847, the indictment alleges.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted of all charges, Vo would face a statutory maximum sentence of 92 years in federal prison.

This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Huntington Beach Police Department, the Irvine Police Department, and the Westminster Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

Suspects arrested in Huntington Beach with meth and items stolen in Santa Ana

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana 6 Comments

On 6/20/20 at about 9:30am, a garage burglary was reported from the 18000 block of Applewood Circle in Huntington Beach. The victim discovered his garage had been forced open and numerous items were stolen. Officers on scene located video which showed the crime to include the suspect vehicle and vehicle license plate. The video also showed two suspects, a male and female, stealing items from inside the garage.

Officers were later able to locate the vehicle at a hotel in Westminster and identified the two suspects seen in the video. John Cassaro and Sara Thames were subsequently arrested for the garage burglary and booked into the Huntington Beach Jail. Cassaro was able to post bail and released a few hours later, but Thames was unable to post bail and remained in custody.

On 6/24/20 at about 1:50pm, officers responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at a storage facility located in the 7000 block of Slater. A female called 911 and told dispatchers she was stuck inside a U-Haul truck. Officers located the U-Haul truck as well as the female and another male, identified (once again) as John Cassaro.

Cassaro was found to be in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine and detained pending further investigation. Investigation revealed the U-Haul was reported stolen and was parked next to a storage unit in the name of Sara Thames. Detectives from the Property Crime Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

Inside the stolen U-Haul was approximately $50,000 in stolen merchandise from an unreported commercial burglary in the City of Santa Ana. Inside the storage unit, additional stolen items were discovered to include stolen items from the garage burglary on Applewood, as well as stolen items from Quiksilver in the City of Huntington Beach. A large amount of additional narcotics was also located inside the storage unit.

Cassaro was again arrested on various charges to include possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of narcotics.

This investigation highlights the fact that property (and narcotics) crimes are often committed by the same suspects. Our Officers and Detectives work diligently to identify, locate, and arrest these suspects, only for them to return to the streets to continue their crime sprees.

There are many items pictured that we have not been able to identify the owners of the stolen property. If you recognize any of it as yours, please contact Detective Parker at rparker@hbpd.org.

Man charged with poisoning eight O.C. homeless people

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, homeless, Huntington Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 38-year-old man has been charged with poisoning eight homeless people, including an elderly person, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, in a series of attacks that were videotaped to record the victims’ reactions to eating food laced with oleoresin capsicum, which is twice as strong as the pepper spray used by police.

The victims, who were all poisoned in the City of Huntington Beach, suffered a variety of symptoms including seizure-like symptoms, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and intense mouth and stomach pain. Several of the victims required hospitalization.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta, Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates, and Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy are asking for the public’s help in identifying additional victims and suspects in connection with the series of poisonings which began in mid-May.

“These human beings were preyed upon because they are vulnerable,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “They were exploited and poisoned as part of a twisted form of entertainment, and their pain was recorded so that it could be relived by their attacker over and over again. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Huntington Beach Police Department are committed to identifying any and all perpetrators responsible and getting justice for all of these individuals who were victimized in these attacks.”

Many of the victims were unaware the food they were being given had been tampered with prior to eating it. Several victims were given other food and beer to entice them to eat the poisoned food.

William Robert Cable, 38, of San Andreas, has been charged with eight felony counts of poisoning, one felony count of inflicting injury on an elderly person, eight misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and an infraction for consuming alcohol or smoking marijuana while driving.

He faces a maximum of 19 years and three months if convicted on all charges. Cable is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $500,000 bail.

Cable was arrested on May 22, 2020 by the Huntington Beach Police Department.

“The cruel nature of these crimes shocks the conscience of our community,” said Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta. “I am proud of the persistence of our HBPD detectives in finding those responsible for these heinous acts. We also appreciate our partnership with the District Attorney’s office in the continued pursuit of this important investigation.”

“The inhumane nature of the crimes combined with targeting a vulnerable population shocks the conscience,” said Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy. “The fact an adult criminal would involve a juvenile is even more reprehensible. I am proud of the extraordinary effort put into solving this case by our police officers, detectives and also our firefighters who reported suspicious circumstances from observations while treating the victims.”

Some of the victims were told they were participating in a “spicy food challenge” before being given the food laced with oleoresin capsicum; others were not.

“Crime of any kind is intolerable, but this one is particularly disturbing,” said Orange County City Attorney Michael Gates. “I am grateful to the Huntington Beach Police for the investigation and arrest of the suspect, and grateful to the Orange County District Attorney, Todd Spitzer, for his department’s handling of the prosecution.”

“Orange County has worked hard to address the homeless crises. It is unacceptable to see someone target these vulnerable people. These individuals do not deserve to become the target of acts of cruelty simply because they are homeless ,” said Michelle Steel, Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. “I am grateful for the quick response of the Huntington Beach Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s office to ensure these criminals are no longer able to prey on the vulnerable members of society.”

Woman arrested for impersonating a cop in Costa Mesa

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Huntington Beach 2 Comments

The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is seeking to identify any potential victims of a woman arrested for impersonating a police officer. The arrestee’s photo and vehicle are included.

On the evening of Nov. 1, 2019, the CMPD Gang Unit conducted a traffic stop on a white, 4-door, 2016 Chevrolet Impala equipped with a law enforcement light bar, and California exempt license plates in the area of Harbor Boulevard and Merrimac Way in the City of Costa Mesa.

The sole occupant and driver, Michelle Brianna Hughes, 30, Huntington Beach, was wearing a tactical vest with a “POLICE” patch on the front of the vest. Hughes was also wearing a law enforcement duty belt which had handcuffs, a fake law enforcement badge, a Taser, and a loaded unregistered handgun with a high-capacity magazine on her belt.

Hughes identified herself to the arresting officers as a deputy for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Hughes is not a law enforcement officer and was in possession of other police uniforms from other law enforcement agencies as well as other government exempt license plates. She was arrested for carrying an unregistered loaded firearm, being in possession of a high capacity magazine, and impersonating a police officer. She then bailed out.

CMPD is seeking the public’s help in identifying victims who have possibly had contact with Hughes while falsely impersonating a police officer. Anyone with information pertaining to this suspect as it relates to impersonating a law enforcement officer, is asked to contact CMPD Detective J. Smith at jsmith@costamesaca.gov or 714-754-5097.

Did Carolyn Torres’ SAUSD school board campaign resort to breaking the law?

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Editor Posted in 2019 Elections, Carolyn Torres, Crime, David Benavides, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

SAUSD School Board candidate David Benavides had no choice but to file a police report when someone called the company that is handling his mailers, Mailing Pros and pretended to be Benavides.

The caller told the folks at Mailing Pros that he was David Benavides and he proceeded to ask questions about the campaign mail plan that Mailing Pros had been hired to execute on Benavides’ behalf.

The caller then said he had forgotten how many mail pieces had been ordered and asked how many total pieces were planned.

This sort of behavior is called social engineering – and yes it is highly illegal. Fortunately the folks at Mailing Pros did not fall for it. They called Benavides’ political consultant and he called Benavides.

Benavides and his consultant then ordered a caller identification and lo and behold the phone that was used to make the call belonged to a fellow named Erick Carbajal. Who is he? Well he is the longtime boyfriend of Carolyn Torres.

Torres is perhaps the most liberal candidate for the open SAUSD School Board seat that Benavides is also running for, in the upcoming Nov. 5 Special Election. She is a union teacher in Anaheim and while the Santa Ana teacher’s union did not endorse her many of their most liberal and extreme members support her.

Did Torres know what Carbajal was up to? Who knows? But it is a bad look.

You can read the Huntington Beach police report for yourself here.

The SAUSD responds to last night’s racist signs at the Segerstrom football game

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Editor Posted in Education, Football, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Sports 12 Comments

As we reported last night on our Facebook page, at 11:45 p.m., yet another episode of racism occurred at an SAUSD football game, which featured teams from Segerstrom High School versus Marina High School. The incident has blown up today and resulted in the release of a joint statement by the SAUSD and the Huntington Beach Union High School District:

JOINT STATEMENT FROM SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD PRESIDENT VALERIE AMEZCUA AND HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD PRESIDENT DR. DUANE DISHNO REGARDING OCT. 25, 2019 FOOTBALL GAME:

Last evening, an incident occurred during a football game between Segerstrom High School and Marina High School in which two student-generated signs with racial undertones were displayed near the entrance of the stadium and in front of the snack bar.

“Segerstrom students and parents saw the signs and received them as offensive.

“Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) officials have shared their concerns with Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) administrators regarding the incident, and are working together to resolve the issue and to use the unfortunate incident as a teachable moment for students.

“HBUHSD and Marina High School accept responsibility for the incident and apologize to the students, families and staff of Segerstrom High School.

“SAUSD and HBUHSD believe strongly in the principles of diversity and inclusion. Every student deserves to feel valued and respected. What happened Friday night was offensive and contrary to both districts’ guiding principles – and for that, HBUHSD apologizes.

“The Marina High School Principal has also apologized and will be meeting with the Principal of Segerstrom High School to consider next steps in collaboration with Segerstrom through restorative circles to help strengthen relationships as well as provide diversity training for Marina’s Associated Student Body and other student organizations.

“HBUHSD has reached out to the Orange County Human Relations Commission and to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), to assist in working with Marina students to build greater understanding of why what occurred was wrong and how we can build and maintain a strong relationship based on mutual respect.

“The safety, along with the social-emotional and mental well-being of each and every one of our students, is of utmost importance to SAUSD.

“Santa Ana Unified will employ Restorative Practices to address the issue; staff will meet when school reconvenes Monday to converse with Segerstrom students who were impacted by the incident; and communicate with our parents and families our joint district plan to resolve the concern.

“Both districts want to assure students, parents, staff and community that both HBUHSD and SAUSD reject racism in any form in our schools and community and that it is never acceptable.”

The OC Sports Zone reported that Marina won the game 25-14 to inch closer to its first league title since 1986.

A registered sex offender was charged with raping a developmentally delayed woman in Garden Grove

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Disabled, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

Matthew Jason Weaver, a 45-year-old registered sex offender was charged Monday, July 22, on suspicion of raping a 19-year-old developmentally delayed woman in Garden Grove, according to the O.C. Register.

Weaver picked up the victim in Huntington Beach on April 15, then drove her to Garden Grove, where he allegedly raped her, according to the Garden Grove Police. The young woman had visited the beach and was looking for a ride home after missing her bus.

Weaver was previously convicted in March 2014 of two misdemeanor counts of lewd conduct in a public place and one count of indecent exposure. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to do eight hours of community service.

Weaver bot busted again while he was still on probation, when he exposed himself in his car while making eye contact with two victims on July 11, 2016. That led to another conviction of two felony counts of indecent exposure and two misdemeanor counts of lewd conduct in a public place and he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

In that case the victims took a picture of the Weaver’s car and gave a license plate number to the police.

Two days later Weaver tailgated another driver and swerved to pull up in the lane next to her, then — while yelling to get her attention — contorted his body upward in an attempt to expose his crotch.

In this latest case Weaver was charged with sexual penetration by a foreign object and force, sexual battery, attempted sodomy by force and forcible oral copulation, all felonies, according to court records. He is being held without bail.

The SAPD is looking for a missing female transient

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Editor Posted in homeless, Huntington Beach, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Missing Person: Danielle Bechtloff (25) Transient

Description: Female, White, 5’4”, 147 lbs, Red Hair, Brown Eyes, last seen wearing black top with a gold zipper, black leggings, black shoes.

Location: Last seen on 5/1/19 at 1200 hours at 1030 W. Warner Avenue Santa Ana

Danielle Bechtloff was on a conservatorship and placed at Royal TRC where she was being treated for mental health disorders. Bechtloff has a long history of methamphetamine abuse.

Bechtloff was allowed to leave the facility on a 2-hour “buddy-pass” on 05/01/19. Bechtloff went AWOL and never returned.

Bechtloff is possibly with a male identified as Jesse Warren Sprague (37) Transient. Bechtloff and Sprague frequent Huntington Beach and live a transient lifestyle.

Please contact Detective Corporal Mike Judson with any information (714) 245-8331 or mjudson@santa-ana.org.

Ridesharing O.C. driver accused of molesting developmentally disabled women

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Huntington Beach, OCDA Leave a comment

Costa Mesa Police Department

Advisory: We are seeking potential additional victims of a ridesharing driver arrested for sexually assaulting developmentally disabled women

Arrestee: Rusty Lee Love, 52, Huntington Beach

COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is seeking potential additional victims of a ridesharing driver who was recently arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting three developmentally disabled adult women.

Detectives have been conducting an ongoing investigation involving sexual assault allegations made by three developmentally disabled adult female victims. Love, who is an acquaintance of the victims, was identified as the man suspected of sexually assaulting each of the victims in their Costa Mesa homes while providing unlicensed massage services between 2017 and 2018.

On Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, CMPD Detectives arrested Love in the 20000 block of Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. He was booked into Orange County Jail on several charges of sexual assault against developmentally disabled persons and later posted bail.

After Love’s arrest, detectives learned he had been working as a ride-booking services driver, operating between Orange and San Diego County. Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying potential additional victims Love might have had access to through his employment as well as his personal network.

Incident/DR#: 18-5627

Arrest: Dec. 21, 2018, out of custody on $50,000 bail

Arrest Charges: one count of rape, one count of digital penetration of a developmentally disabled person, and one count of oral copulation of a developmentally disabled person

The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with additional information, or who believes they have been a victim, is encouraged to contact CMPD Detective Rob Dimel at (714) 754-5363.

I-405 set to close overnight Saturday near Magnolia Street

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Editor Posted in Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, OCTA, Transportation, Westminster Leave a comment

A full freeway closure is planned in both directions from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Dec. 29 between Warner Avenue and Beach Boulevard

ORANGE – I-405 between Warner Avenue and Beach Boulevard is scheduled to fully close from approximately 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29, to 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30, as part of the I-405 Improvement Project.
The full freeway closure, along with an overnight closure of the Magnolia Street bridge and freeway ramps, is necessary to demolish part of the bridge over I-405. The bridge, which straddles the cities of Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Westminster, will be demolished and reconstructed in two stages, allowing it to remain open to traffic during construction.

During this weekend’s freeway closure, northbound drivers will be detoured off the freeway at Warner Avenue, and southbound drivers will be detoured off at Beach Boulevard.

Drivers should expect delays in the area and are encouraged to use alternate routes if possible. Up-to-date closure and construction information is available on the project’s interactive map at www.octa.net/405map.

The $1.9 billion I-405 Improvement Project will add one regular lane in each direction between Euclid Street and I-605, and a second lane in each direction in the center of the freeway from SR-73 to I-605 that will combine with the existing carpool lanes to form the 405 Express Lanes.

The bridge is the fourth of more than 18 bridges to be built, widened or replaced as part of the project, which will speed up travel times on I-405 between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles County line, an area traveled by more than 370,000 vehicles a day.

The Magnolia Street bridge is expected to take approximately 18 months to reconstruct. Improvements to the bridge include increasing the total number of lanes from four to six and adding sidewalks and bike lanes in each direction.

This 16-mile segment of I-405 is one of the most heavily traveled stretches of highway in the nation, and both the regular lanes and carpool lanes are heavily congested during rush hour and on weekends. The project is critical to accommodate expected employment, population and housing growth throughout the region.

It currently takes drivers about an hour to travel this section of freeway during rush hour and without the project, the commute is projected to double in the next 20 years. Once the project is finished in 2023, it is expected to take about 30 minutes to drive the 16 miles during rush hour in the regular lanes and about 15 minutes in the 405 Express Lanes.

People are encouraged to visit the project website at www.octa.net/405improvement to sign up for construction alerts via automated call, text message or email.

Please click here for full detour information.

About OCTA: The Orange County Transportation Authority is responsible for planning, funding and implementing transit and capital projects serving 34 cities and 3.1 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail and active transportation.