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Category Archives: Orange

Homeless man on parole arrested for stealing a $2,000 bike from Orange Cycle

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Crime, homeless, Orange 2 Comments

At 4:09 this morning, an alarm company for Orange Cycle reported a window smash activation. When the police officers arrived, they observed a window smash and found a $2,000 bicycle missing.

A graveyard officer observed a male riding a new bicycle in the area of St. Joseph Hospital. The suspect immediately fled, ditched the stolen bicycle at Batavia and La Veta, and jumped a fence into the Sisters of St. Joseph property.

A perimeter was established and the suspect was subsequently located (with the help from K9 Danto) and arrested.

The suspect, a transient on parole was identified as Alejandro Zermeno.

The suspect was booked at the Orange County Jail and the bicycle was returned to Orange Cycle.

The Orange Police Department hopes that the parole hold and felony arrest will keep Zermeno in jail this time.

Flag nabbing transient arrested in Orange

Posted on by Posted in Crime, homeless, Orange 1 Comment

This evening, an astute witness observed a transient walking from the City Hall in Orange with a POW-MIA flag wrapped around his waist and an American flag 🇺🇸 draped over his shoulders.

The witness looked at the City Hall flag pole and called the Orange Police Department when she saw the flags had been stolen.

Police officers quickly responded and detained the suspect.

The suspect was arrested for the theft and booked at Orange County Jail.

Orange police officers were honored to raise the flags back at City Hall.

The Orange Police Dept. is conducting a DUI and Driver’s license checkpoint tonight

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The Orange Police Department is conducting a DUI and Driver’s license checkpoint tonight at 600 W. Katella Avenue between 9:00 pm and 2:15 am.

The checkpoint will be at a light industrial/retail area a block west of a Home Depot.

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

A tip from a hotel employee led to a Fentanyl bust in Orange

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On Jan. 12, before midnight, an employee from a local hotel called the Orange Police Department to report drug paraphernalia left in a vacant room.

Orange graveyard police officers were collecting approximately 13 grams of suspected Fentanyl, a scale, and empty baggies when a male and female, who were previously residing in the room, returned to the area.

The male, 28-year-old Timothy Shenett, was on probation and in possession of controlled medication without a prescription. Shenett was also in possession of property used to commit identity theft and burglary tools.

The female, 31-year-old Melissa Parks, was in possession of an additional 51 grams of fentanyl. Based on the quantity and other mentioned items, Parks was arrested for possession of fentanyl for purposes of sales.

Both subjects were booked at the Orange County Jail.

The Orange Police Department cannot express enough the dangers of fentanyl and the potential it has to kill. They are grateful for the employee who called the Orange Police Department and the opportunity to remove this illegal substance from our streets.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.1

There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin 100 times stronger than morphine
However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous.

OCDA challenger Pete Hardin shatters O.C. fundraising records

Posted on by Posted in 2022 Elections, Crime, Elections, Lawyers, OCDA, Orange, Orange County, Pete Hardin, Politics Leave a comment

ORANGE – Today, Marine combat veteran and former military prosecutor, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and Deputy District Attorney, Pete Hardin, announced that his campaign for Orange County District Attorney had raised over $640,000 since the campaign launched in March. The campaign has received contributions from over 2,000 individual contributors and the majority of contributions are under $100. Pete Hardin is a first time candidate facing a 25-year politician in incumbent DA, Todd Spitzer.

“The outpouring of support reflects a community that wants safety, justice, and integrity,” said former Marine Judge Advocate Pete Hardin. “Our message of a modern system of justice that’s based on data and social science instead of hyperbole is resonating with voters, but we are shattering records because Todd Spitzer has shattered the public’s trust. He spends his time going on ultra-conservative talk shows to critique prosecutors in other counties while crime and homelessness continue to rise here in OC. He is distracted, he has dropped the ball, and it’s time to end the sideshow that defines his time in office.”

Since Todd Spitzer took office, violent crime has spiked, homelessness has skyrocketed more than 40%, and hate crimes against the AAPI community have jumped more than 1800%. Furthermore, Spitzer faces at least five lawsuits for turning a blind eye to rampant sexual harassment in his office, including one lawsuit alleging he knowingly promoted a perpetrator of sexual harassment to a senior staff position. Election Day is June 7.

Current Orange County District Attorney Republican Todd Spitzer’s tenure has been defined by scandal. Four women in Spitzer’s office have filed claims asserting Spitzer promoted an employee and close friend despite having been made aware of the sexual harassment complaints against him. Spitzer later allowed the employee, who was the best man at his wedding, to retire with top flight benefits. Spitzer also attempted to drop sexual assault charges against high-profile defendants, leading a judge to remove him from the case. Survivors of the sexual assault survivors were “dragged through the mud” and “grossly mistreated” by Spitzer for two and a half years, leading two of them to abandon their case.

Spitzer has been involved in an evidence booking scandal, a jailhouse informant scandal, and has defamed a victim of OC’s deadliest mass shooting as retaliation for peaceful protest. Spitzer has also defended a DNA collection program known informally as “Spit and Acquit” that coerces defendants to give up their DNA to law enforcement, a practice the ACLU has called “unconstitutional.”

Pete Hardin is a former Judge Advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, Deputy District Attorney, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and one of Southern California’s leading litigators running for Orange County District Attorney. Pete entered public service when, in 2005, he earned his commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. A combat veteran, Pete served in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 as a member of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Pete is a member of the Democratic Party.

Orange County’s rapidly changing electorate has led Democrats to now outnumber Republicans in Orange County holding a 4.1% voter registration advantage.

The OCTA Board selects Orange Mayor Mark A. Murphy to serve as Chairman

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ORANGE – Orange Mayor Mark A. Murphy was unanimously elected today as the new Chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors, responsible for planning, funding, and delivering transportation improvement projects and public transit for all of Orange County.

Chairman Murphy served as the OCTA board’s Vice Chairman for the last year. He replaces outgoing Chairman Andrew Do, also the county’s First District Supervisor, who remains on the board.

“This is an important time for Orange County as we continue to keep safety first and work to improve how people move through all modes of transportation,” said Chairman Murphy, also the mayor of Orange. “I appreciate my colleagues entrusting me to serve as chairman and I look forward to working with all of them for a balanced, sustainable transportation network for all of Orange County.”

Chairman Murphy is a lifelong resident of the city of Orange, born at St. Joseph’s Hospital and a graduate of Orange High School.

He attended college first at Santa Ana College before earning a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Southern California. He began serving on the Orange City Council in 1993, applying his business career and knowledge to better serve his community.

Among his awards, Chairman Murphy was named Orange County’s “Local Elected Official of the Year” in 1998 and Orange’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2010. He also supports several community organizations, including Orange Home Grown, the Orange Elks Lodge #1475, the Friendly Center, the Orange Public Library Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Orange, in addition to several youth education and sports groups.

Chairman Murphy has served on the OCTA board since January 2017, representing the Third District.

He and his wife, Vikki, live in the eastern part of Orange. His personal interests include music, sports (especially basketball), vintage autos and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Elected by the board to serve as Vice Chairman was Director Gene Hernandez, also the Mayor Pro Tem of Yorba Linda. Hernandez has served on the OCTA Board since 2019. Prior to his retirement, Director Hernandez worked in law enforcement for 34 years, retiring as the Chief of Police for the City of Chino.

The OCTA board is comprised of 18 members, including the five county supervisors, two members from city councils in each of the five supervisorial districts, two public members and the Caltrans District Director serves in a non-voting ex-officio capacity.

A stabbing occurred in unincorporated Orange County this afternoon

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Orange County Sheriff Deputies arrived at N. Olive Ave. near E. Main St. in the unincorporated area of Orange Olive investigating a stabbing at about 1 pm. today.

The victim has been transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

Please avoid the are while deputies attempt to locate the suspect.

The stabbing occurred in a light industrial area just north of Lincoln Ave.

A Santa Ana man was arrested for several liquor store burglaries

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A witness reported a subject smashing the front window of a liquor store at Collins and Glassell at 4:30 this morning and then fleeing the area in a white sedan.

Officers responded to the location, confirmed a burglary, checked the area and located a vehicle matching the description near Glassell and Washington.

A car stop was conducted and a male and female occupant were detained. Property from the liquor store was located inside the suspect’s vehicle.

The female, 27-year-old Jamilla Awad from Perris, had blood on her hands and blood was located at the crime scene. The male driver, 30-year-old Roberto Torres from Santa Ana, was on Parole.

Inside the vehicle, officers located stolen property related to another liquor store burglary in Orange that occurred on 1/4/21.

Detectives responded and were able to arrest Torres for an additional liquor store burglary that occurred on 12/31/21 in Orange.

Awad and Torres were booked into OC Jail for commercial burglary.

Two teens in Orange busted for shooting paintballs at pedestrians from a car

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Two 18-year-old males from Orange did not get their new year off to a good start. On January 1st around 1:00 p.m., their were a series of four drive-by assaults with a paintball gun take place in the downtown Orange area.

In all of the assaults, the victims were pedestrians who described the suspect vehicle as a sports car with a spoiler, which was occupied by at least two males. In each incident, the suspects used a paintball gun to shoot paintballs containing yellow paint. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

At 2:30 p.m., patrol officers located the suspect vehicle at 130 N. Lemon. Police officers conducted a traffic stop and detained the two occupants who were in possession of paintball guns and yellow paintballs.

In-field show-ups were conducted and the vehicle and passenger were identified as being involved in the incidents. The suspects were arrested and booked at Orange County Jail. We will not tolerate such heinous behavior in Orange and we hope they learned their lesson.

Three suspects were arrested at the Outlets of Orange as they tried to steal thousands of dollars of clothing

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The CHP arrested three retail thieves at The Outlets at Orange as they were trying to steal thousands of dollars of retail merchandise.

Two of the thieves were spotted by CHP officers from the Organized Retail Crime Task Force when they were seen walking toward the mall with bags lined with foil to help to steal merchandise without triggering the anti-theft alarms at stores.The bags are referred to as “booster bags.”

The CHP officers saw one of the suspects come out of a store with his booster bags fully loaded. As the male suspect walked out a female accomplice walked in.

The suspect then dumped the stolen merchandise into a minivan in the parking lot. The CHP investigators then arrested him and waited for his accomplice to return to the minivan as well.

The suspects used the booster bags as well as tools designed to disable security sensors to steal 31 pairs of Levi’s jeans worth $2,202.

The CHP investigators stuck around at The Outlets and about an hour later saw another suspect acting in a suspicious manner. The suspect had another booster bag filled with merchandise. The CHP investigators stopped him and found he had expensive Gucci clothing worth at least $2,499. The suspect also had burglary tools that were almost identical to the tools the other suspects were equipped with.

The three suspects were arrested on charges of violating California’s Organized Retail Crime law and multiple other theft charges.

The OCTA focused on safety and sustainability in 2021

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ORANGE – In 2021, the Orange County Transportation Authority continued to adapt and push ahead despite the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, keeping its promises to maintain safety first while delivering a balanced and sustainable transportation network for Orange County.

The OCTA Board led the way in directing policy that made necessary adjustments to protect the health and safety of the public and OCTA employees, while continuing to keep Orange County moving.

That included pushing ahead on important freeway and transit projects and gradually and safely adding back bus service as demand picked up again. 

“Even with the many ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 public health crisis, I’m very proud of the work everybody at OCTA has done in the last year to continue providing essential transit services and transportation improvements for the people of Orange County,” said OCTA Chairman Andrew Do, also the Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

In 2021, OCTA marked its 30th year and succeeded in advancing projects promised to voters through Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. Among them are important freeway improvements on I-405 and I-5 in South County.

The I-405 Improvements Project, the largest OCTA freeway project, reached nearly 70 percent completion, including reconstruction of nine bridges. And thanks to an innovative refinancing effort, the OCTA Board saved taxpayers $158 million by resetting the interest rate on the project’s federal loan.

OCTA also made strong progress building the OC Streetcar in Santa Ana and Garden Grove, now approximately 60 percent complete, and funded additional street improvements and traffic signal synchronization projects. The Board made $40 million available for projects aimed at reducing congestion and improving traffic flow. And to date, 94 signal synch projects have eased travel at more than 3,200 intersections.

While safety remained the focus during the public health crisis, the OCTA Board gradually added back bus service hours and enhanced the OC Bus system. Cypress and Irvine Valley Colleges joined the College Pass Program, which gives tens of thousands of students free bus rides and better access to education, jobs and additional opportunities for success.

The board increased transit access and affordability to Orange County’s youth by launching a promotional program offering free OC Bus rides to all youth ages 6 to 18 years.

OCTA boosted its zero-emission bus efforts, continuing to test 10 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and beginning a pilot program to test 10 plug-in electric buses.

A strong focus on the environment this past year included launching a website to share OCTA’s environmental achievements, culture of sustainability, and commitment to safeguarding our natural resources and communities. View that website at www.octa.net/green.

OCTA also demonstrated its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with a new website and ongoing engagement throughout the agency. View those efforts at www.octa.net/equity.

OCTA was honored to end the year by being selected as one of Orange County’s 2021 Top Workplaces in a program that anonymously surveyed employees through The Orange County Register.  

For more on all of OCTA’s projects and programs and its efforts to enhance Orange County transportation, please visit www.octa.net.

A homeless man stopped a suspect who stole a fire truck in Orange

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, CHP, Crime, Fires, OCFA, Orange 1 Comment

OCFA firefighters brought a patient to the UCI Medical Center in Orange early on Tuesday morning, at around 1:40 a.m. While the firefighters were loading medical gear onto the fire truck, a suspect jumped into the vehicle and took off.

The suspect did not realize that OCFA fire trucks are equipped with GPS trackers which allowed the CHP to give chase as the suspect drove through many Orange County cities, including Fountain Valley and Irvine.

The pursuit finally came to Anaheim, near Ball Road and Brookhurst Street, when something unexpected happened.

An unidentified man walked up into the stopped fire truck’s path and placed his hand on the window.

The suspect tried to back up the fire truck repeatedly to go around the man but was never able to get the truck past him.

The man outside the fire truck then exchanged words with the suspect.

Finally, at around 3 a.m., the suspect got out of the fire truck and surrendered to the police. The unidentified driver was taken into custody without further incident.

The man who stopped the fire truck thief walked away. Police later said he was homeless.

The fire truck sustained minor damage during the chase.

Two mountain lion kittens welcomed at the OC Zoo

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ORANGE, Calif.— OC Zoo veterinarians and staff are caring for two mountain lion kittens found outside a Thousand Oaks office complex.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) brought the two female kittens to a local veterinary hospital in Orange County for treatment when they appeared to languish without any sign of their mother. Following further assessment and treatment the two kittens were transported to the OC Zoo in Orange, Calif. where they will later be housed in a new habitat.

“OC Parks and I are thrilled to welcome these newest residents of our zoo,” said Supervisor Wagner after meeting the two cats. “They’re a great present to the people of Orange County this holiday season.” Wagner continued, “Once they’re a bit more comfortable in their new home, and our large mammal enclosure is ready for them early next year, we’ll introduce Orange County’s newest stars to what I am sure will be their adoring public.”

An employee at a Thousand Oaks office building that abuts open space reported Nov. 29 seeing four small mountain lion kittens under a picnic table near their building. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the animals appeared to be about six weeks old and were alone and thin, but in stable condition.

NPS biologists captured and examined the kittens, fitting them with tiny tracking collars, and monitored them with trail cameras to see if their mother returned. After a few days, with no sign of the mother, they noticed one of the kittens was in particularly poor health. CDFW rescued the kittens that day, Dec. 1, and took them to a local veterinarian.

Two of the kittens died overnight. CDFW took the two surviving kittens to the veterinary hospital in Orange County the next day. Subsequently, the two kittens were transported to the OC Zoo for further care.

According to the NPS, their mother was likely killed or abandoned the kittens. Due to their very young age, they cannot be released back into the wild.

The OC Zoo will continue to care for the kittens The animals are not yet available for the public to view.

The zoo will house them in its upcoming large mammal habitat. The habitat is currently under construction and scheduled to open early next year.

The OC Zoo, inside Irvine Regional Park, focuses on animals native to the southwestern U.S., including black bear, mountain lion, eagle, beaver, porcupine, bobcat and more. Many are injured, orphaned, confiscated or not releasable into the wild.

An NPS press release regarding the monitoring and rescue of the kittens can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/four-mountain-lion-kittens-found-outside-a-thousand-oaks-office-complex.htm

OC Parks manages nearly 60,000 acres of parks, historical and coastal facilities and open space for the County of Orange as part of OC Community Resources. http://www.ocparks.com

The OCTA wins 2021 Top Workplaces Award

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ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority, the county’s transportation planning agency, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by the Orange County Register.

The list of top workplaces is based solely on employee feedback gathered in a third-party survey administered by Energage, an employee engagement technology company.

The anonymous survey measures 15 workplace culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, to name a few.

“I’m incredibly proud that OCTA has been recognized with this honor,” said CEO Darrell E. Johnson. “It would be an exciting recognition any year but especially during this last year. We’ve persevered together through so many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued serving the transportation needs of Orange County with a strong spirit of teamwork, safety and innovation.”

More than 560 OCTA employees participated in the survey. The Orange County Register recognized a total of 155 companies countywide in its list this year.

“During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward.”

For more information on OCTA and to explore job opportunities, visit www.octa.net.

About OCTA: The Orange County Transportation Authority is the county transportation planning commission, responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for a balanced and sustainable transportation system that reflects the diverse travel needs of the county’s 34 cities and 3.2 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail, environmental programs and active transportation.

The identity of a man who recently died in Orange has been confirmed

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Family members identified the male decedent who recently died in Orange as Danny, 19, from Rialto.

Officials would not disclose the last name of Danny, who was a resident of Rialto, because the “coroner’s investigation is still ongoing.

The Rialto resident was seen Nov. 27 on security footage at the Metrolink Station on Chapman Avenue, where he paid cash for a train ticket to San Bernardino but missed the train.

The man died on December 1, 2021, at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The decedent was transported to the hospital on November 27, 2021, after being discovered unresponsive on the sidewalk near Chapman Ave. and Main St. in the city of Orange.