New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Tustin

Tustin police officers made a drug bust after pulling over a convicted felon

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Guns, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Early Saturday morning, Tustin police officers stopped a driver for multiple vehicle code violations. The officers began a DUI investigation and the driver was ultimately arrested for DUI marijuana.

During the investigation, the officers also learned that the driver was a convicted felon and a narcotics registrant.

Who will you vote for in the OC 2nd Supervisorial District?

When the vehicle was searched, the officers found an unregistered loaded handgun and an ounce of marijuana.

The driver was booked into Orange County Jail.

A Tustin K9 police dog helped to stop a pair of catalytic converter thieves

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Editor Posted in automobiles, Crime, Tustin Leave a comment

A Tustin Police Department K9 officer sniffed out a suspicious occupied vehicle in the commercial area of Walnut and Franklin during nighttime hours.

After a curious conversation, it became apparent the two vehicle occupants were in the area for nefarious activities.

A search of the vehicle yielded a reciprocating saw, crowbars, a grinder, gloves, two-way radios, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and other contraband.

Both suspects were arrested for possession of burglary tools, conspiracy, and drug offenses.

Based on the circumstances, it appeared crimes such as vehicle theft, catalytic converter theft, and burglary were likely prevented by the proactive enforcement of the Tustin Police Officers.

Tustin podiatrist convicted and sentenced to 364 days in Jail for insurance fraud

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Health and Medical, OCDA, Tustin Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A judge has rejected a Tustin podiatrist’s request to extend her jail surrender date to serve time for seven felony counts of insurance fraud for billing insurance companies for hundreds of appointments and services that never happened. In addition to jail time, Witt also faces a 10-year suspension of her medical license.

Renae Louise Witt, 42, is scheduled to report to the Orange County Jail on June 17, 2022 after being convicted in February of seven felony counts of filing a fraudulent claim for a health benefit. She was sentenced to 364 days in jail, two years formal probation and ordered to pay restitution to the insurance companies.

Between August 28, 2015 and April 3, 2017, while working as a doctor of podiatric medicine at the Tustin Place Medical Group, Witt billed two insurance companies for $174,395 for podiatrist appointments that never happened and for medical services that were never performed for six different patients. The insurance companies paid out $75,861.52 for these fraudulent claims.

One of the patients was not even in the country on some of the dates that Witt billed appointments on her behalf.

When Anthem Blue Cross began investigating patient complaints about the billings, Witt provided fabricated medical records to try to justify the fraudulent billings.

“Doctors are entrusted with the most serious of responsibilities to maintain and restore human health,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Instead this doctor violated that position of trust and used her unsuspecting patients as a revenue stream by bilking insurance companies out of tens of thousands of dollars for work she never performed. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting patients from unscrupulous doctors and protecting insurance companies from being defrauded. Holding bad actors accountable prevents insurance rates from being increased and keeps costs down for patients. ”

Deputy District Attorney Steven Bunn of the Insurance Fraud Unit prosecuted this case.

The SAPD and Tustin Police gun seizure report for the week of May 14 to 20

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Guns, Santa Ana, SAPD, Tustin Leave a comment

The SAPD announced their weekly gun seizures for the week of 05/14/2022 – 05/20/2022.

SAPD police officers were conducting a patrol check when they observed a suspicious vehicle parked near a school. A records check revealed that the registered owner of the vehicle had an arrest warrant.

The officers checked the vehicle and located an adult male seated inside the vehicle. The officers then conducted a pat-down search for weapons and located a .45 caliber pistol on the male suspect.

A records check then revealed that the handgun had been reported stolen. The suspect was found to be a convicted felon and was booked at the Santa Ana Jail for weapon violations.

The officers then gained information regarding a storage unit that belonged to the suspect. A search warrant for that storage unit was obtained and during the search the officers recovered over 4,000 pounds of various caliber ammunition, a shotgun barrel and hunting gear believed to have been associated with a burglary.

SAPD MET detectives followed up on an investigation involving a subject wanted for felony possession charges. With the assistance of the OCDA (AB 109) investigators surveillance was then conducted in Costa Mesa.

The suspect was identified. Upon contact the subject fled on foot from the detectives and was eventually taken into custody without incident.

The MET detectives then obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s room and found over a found of methamphetamine and a couple of ounces of fentanyl along with a significant quantity of U.S. currency.

SAPD gang detectives stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. Upon contacting the driver of the vehicle, he admitted that he had narcotics in the vehicle. He gave the detectives consent to search his vehicle and they then also located a loaded 9mm ghost gun in a small bag on the passenger seat.

SAPD directed patrol and Civic Center police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle. The driver then gave his consent for a search of his vehicle and the officers located a loaded .40 caliber semi-auto firearm along with a fully loaded high capacity magazine inside the center console.

Tustin police officers stopped a vehicle in the area of First St and Tustin Ave for several CVC (California Vehicle Code) violations last Friday. The male driver, a convicted felon, refused to exit the vehicle and began reaching toward the rear floorboard with his right hand.

The police officers successfully subdued the male and learned he had two felony arrest warrants.

Within the vehicle, officers located a loaded handgun in the same area where the male had been intently reaching. Additionally, they located over 100 grams of methamphetamine, a switchblade knife, and other illegal items.

The male was booked at Orange County Jail for numerous felony charges.

This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers police officers face on a daily basis. Tustin Police Officers remain committed to providing the highest level of public safety and take pride in enforcing the law.

A Santa Ana man was arrested for trying to kidnap a high school student

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Editor Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

On Friday, April 22, 2022 at approximately 9 a.m., Tustin police officers were dispatched to the northeast parking lot area of Tustin High School, located at 1171 El Camino Real. A 17-year old female student arrived and parked in the parking lot. While exiting her vehicle, she was approached by a male subject who verbally threatened her and told her to get back into her vehicle. The male subject motioned toward his waistband as if he had a weapon. Shortly after, the subject walked away and the female victim called the Tustin Police Department.

Officers arrived immediately and located the subject near the location. The subject was taken into custody without incident. There was no weapon found on his person. The subject was identified as 27-year-old, Quinnton Roberson of Santa Ana. Roberson was booked into Orange County Jail for Attempted Kidnapping, Criminal Threats and a probation violation.

The suspect is in custody and there is no ongoing threat to public safety, however anyone with information regarding this case or any similar cases is encouraged to contact Detective Haug at 714-573-3246.

A car crashed into an education building in Tustin this afternoon

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Editor Posted in Accidents, OCFA, Public Safety, Tustin 2 Comments

A two vehicle traffic collision near the 100 block of E. Main Street in the City of Tustin resulted in one of the vehicles entering an OC Department of Education facility just past 1 pm today.

Thankfully, no one was inside the structure when this occurred.

One patient was transported to a local hospital.

A man was finally convicted of killing his coworker in Tustin over just $60

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, El Salvador, FBI, OCDA, Salvadoreans, Santa Ana, Tustin Leave a comment

Juan Palacios shot and killed a coworker at a Tustin apartment complex over 15 years ago for the paltry sum of $60. He fled from the U.S. but the law finally caught up to him as he was convicted on Wednesday on felony murder charges.

Palacios is now 63 years old. He was found guilty of a second-degree murder charge with a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm in connection with the murder.

Palacios killed his coworkers, Mario Cano Santamaria, who was then 32-years-old, in 2004. The fatal confrontation started earlier that day at Salon Guadalajara in Santa Ana, where they both worked as security guards. (Why a salon needed two security guards is unknown).

The owner of the salon gave Palacios $60 but he felt he was being short-changed for the work he had done. Santamaria got involved in the argument by asking Palacios to give him the $60 in order to pay back a loan. Palacios then crumpled up the cash and threw it, and Santamaria picked it up and kept it. The argument at the salon ended and both man left.

Santamaria headed for his Tustin apartment, where he lived with his wife and three children. He allegedly told his wife that he had gotten into a fight with a co-worker over money.

Another man gave Palacios a ride to Santamaria’s apartment so that he could get his money back. Palacios knocked loudly on the door to Santamaria’s apartment then grabbed Santamaria and pulled him out of the apartment when he answered the door.

A few minutes later the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the complex. Santamaria’s wife found him bleeding in the courtyard of an adjacent apartment complex.

Palacios fled the scene with the same driver who had brought him to the apartment. He told that driver “if you say anything I’ll kill you,” according to the prosecutors. Palacios also previously threatened to kill Santamaria over money he felt was owed to him.

The prosecutors told the Orange County Superior Court jury that Palacios basically went to Santamaria’s home, hunted him down and murdered him.

Tania Rebecca Vallejo, Palacio’s public defense attorney, said that Santamaria was the aggressor in the fatal confrontation. She alleged that Santamaria hit Palacios with a gun and then the two men fought before the gun went off, striking Santamaria. Vallejo told the jurors that Palacios was afraid and he defended himself.

Palacios ended up making his way to the Mexican border after the killing after his brother gave him a ride. He told his brother that he was having problems with his wife.

The FBI finally tracked Palacios down in his native country of El Salvador many years later. Palacios was arrested in 2016 and he was then extradited to the United States to face a murder charge in 2018.

The jury deliberated for less than a day before finding Palacios guilty.

Third striker looking at life in prison for killing his roommate in Tustin

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Tustin Leave a comment

Raul Delagarza Jr., age 49, already had two strikes when he gunned down his roommate at a halfway house in Tustin. Now he is looking at up to 53 years to life in prison after being convicted again on March 24.

Delagarza, Jr. was convicted on felony charges of voluntary manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is set to be sentenced on June 3.

Delagarza’s criminal record includes a November, 2006 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury and grand theft auto and leading police on a chase with a sentencing enhancement for gang activity in March of 2011.

The killing of Delagarza Jr.’s roommate, Seilala Faamausili, age 43, happened at about 7:20 a.m. on July 24, 2017, at the 14500 block of Carfax Drive in Tustin.

Other residents at the halfway house recalled seeing Delagarza leave quickly after the shooting. The responding police officers found Faamausili in his room with a single gunshot wound to his lower back and two other bullet holes were seen in the wall.

The prosecutors told the jury that as Delagarza left he told a witness, “You’re a lucky (expletive), you’re lucky”.

Delagarza claimed that he killed his roommate in self-defense. He was arrested three and a half hours following the shooting at his aunt’s house.

Who will be Santa Ana’s next County Supervisor?

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Editor Posted in 2022 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Garden Grove, Juan Villegas, Kim Nguyen, Orange, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Tustin, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

We now have certainty as to who the candidates will be for the 2nd Supervisorial District, which includes Santa Ana and parts of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange and Tustin. This seat was carved out to have a Latino majority – however as we saw in Santa Ana’s last Ward 3 elections sometimes a candidate can win despite gerrymandering if the vote is split.

The 2nd District candidates include:

Juan Villegas, a former Santa Ana councilman and special officer with the OC Sheriff’s Department
Jon Dumitru, Orange Councilman
Cecilia Iglesias, a former Santa Ana councilwoman and policy director
Kim Bernice Nguyen, Garden Grove Councilwoman
Vicente Sarmiento, Santa Ana Mayor

Who do you support for the O.C. Board of Supervisors in District 2?

While 52% of the voters in Santa Ana are registered Democrats 42% of the voters are either Republicans or Decline to State voters. The balance of the voters belong to third parties. There are enough Republicans and Decline to State voters in the rest of the 2nd District to make this seat winnable for a candidate who is not a Democrat.

While the seat is majority Latino there are three Latino candidates including Kim Nguyen who is half Latina and half Vietnamese.

This election is also non-partisan so the candidates cannot boast about their party affiliations or endorsements in their ballot statements.

Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County however he has spent his Mayoral term bashing the police – that may not sell to the voters at this point.

Seventy-eight percent of voters surveyed in a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times said that crime has risen statewide over the last year, and 65% said it has increased locally, according to the L.A. Times. Most voters now say that they would support changes to Proposition 47, which reduced some theft and drug felonies to misdemeanors as a way to reduce incarceration rates and save the state money.

Will voters fed up with crime get behind Sarmiento when he bashes the police consistently?

Sarmiento’s support is also known to be very thin. He won the Santa Ana Mayor’s race in 2020 with only 33% of the vote according to Ballotpedia. Previously he barely won against unknown challengers in 2016 and 2012 when he ran for reelection on the Santa Ana City Council.

In stark contrast to Sarmiento is Juan Villegas a longtime employee of the O.C. Sheriff’s Department and former Santa Ana City Council Member. Villegas has actually worked in Downtown Santa Ana, on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department, for years. He is not just tough on crime he has also worked tirelessly to keep kids from getting in trouble and has done a lot for crime victims as well.

Iglesias and Dumitru will be fighting for the OC GOP’s endorsement at their Endorsement Committee meeting tonight. Dumitru probably has the longest odds of all the candidates. Iglesias was recalled from the Santa Ana City Council a few years ago after tangling with the head of the Santa Ana police union and she came in third in the last Santa Ana Mayor’s race. The Democrats will likely attack her for being a Trump supporter although she has not been very partisan and has instead focused mostly on education over the past few years as a former SAUSD Trustee who now advocates for charter schools.

Nguyen is the x-factor in this race as the candidate in the best position to get support from local Vietnamese American voters in the 2nd District. Like Sarmiento she is a liberal Democrat but does not have his negatives. Whether she can get enough funding without the support of her party remains to be determined.

Ballots will be mailed to every registered voter in district 2 starting as early as May 9, and polling places also will open for in-person voting several days ahead of the June 7 election.

The Tustin Police Dept. will conduct a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Feb. 18

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, automobiles, Crime, Drugs, Tustin 1 Comment

The Tustin Police Department will hold a DUI Checkpoint on February 18, 2022 from 8:00 pm until 3:00 am at an undisclosed location within Tustin 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 Tustin Police Department is committed to keeping the traveling public safe.

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

Tustin PD 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 a first-time 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 OC Rescue Mission urgently needs hygiene item donations for formerly homeless residents and Veterans

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Editor Posted in Charities, homeless, Tustin, Veterans Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (February 14, 2022) – The Orange County Rescue Mission is urgently seeking help from the local community to provide critically-needed hygiene items to the formerly homeless men, women, children and veterans residing across the Rescue Mission’s multiple transitional living facilities in Orange County.

According to Jim Palmer, President of Orange County Rescue Mission, the organization is in dire need of basic hygiene items to provide to its 178 homeless individuals across multiple of its campuses including the Village of Hope, Tustin Veterans Outpost, and Double R Ranch.

“The health and comfort of our residents is one of our top priorities, and in order to ensure proper safety and wellness for all of our residents, we need to continuously meet the basic hygiene needs of the population residing at our transitional living facilities,” says Palmer. “Now, more than ever, we rely on donations of personal hygiene items for our residents, so they have an adequate supply of basic necessities that most of us take for granted.”

If you are in a position to donate and help the Rescue Mission provide basic hygiene products to its residents, below are some recommended items for the men, women and children currently living at the Rescue Mission’s Facilities:

• Bars of soap
• Bottles of shampoo
• New underwear for children (all sizes)
• New underwear for women (all sizes)
• Tubes of toothpaste
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Feminine hygiene products
• Laundry detergent
• Rolls of toilet paper

In addition to these items, Orange County Rescue Mission also has an urgent need for new twin-size sheet sets, new bath towels, and new bed pillows.

“We remain humbled and grateful for the community’s continued support of Orange County Rescue Mission during these especially trying times,” continues Palmer. “It is only through the compassion and generosity of our neighbors that we are able to provide for our residents as they are in the process of transforming their lives.”

Donations may be dropped off at Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope located at 1 Hope Drive, Tustin, California, 92782. Items can also be purchased online and delivered to the Village of Hope address. For more information, please visit https://www.rescuemission.org/hygiene-needs/.

The donation warehouse is open between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

About Orange County Rescue Mission

Orange County Rescue Mission’s goal is to minister the love of Jesus Christ to the Least, the Last, and the Lost of our community through the provision of assistance in the areas of guidance, counseling, education, job training, shelter, food, clothing, health care and independent living communities.
The Rescue Mission was formed as a faith-based organization in 1963. Since that time, the Rescue Mission has shared hope through Jesus Christ to those without hope in Orange County. Our programs are designed to give comprehensive services that move homeless men, women, veterans, and children to self-sufficiency. Its programs and dedication to going above and beyond have earned the organization numerous recognitions including Charity Navigator’s highest rating of 4 stars.
To make a donation or inquire about volunteer opportunities with Orange County Rescue Mission, please contact (714) 247-4300 or visit www.rescuemission.org.

Anti-vaxxer who attacked medical assistants at a Tustin Clinic and groped a nurse facing misdemeanor charges

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Disease, OCDA, Tustin Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif.- A man who punched two medical assistants at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Tustin and later groped a nurse who was providing him medical care has been charged with misdemeanor battery and resisting arrest.

On December 30, 2021, Thomas Apollo, 44, of Poway, was asked to leave the Families Together clinic after he refused to wear a mask. Apollo is accused of acting erratically, calling the clinic workers “murderers,” and using expletives toward employees who asked him to put on a mask or go back outside.

Apollo is accused of punching one of the medical assistants five times and another medical assistant twice. Several bystanders pinned Apollo down until police arrived.

Apollo is accused of refusing to follow commands given by Tustin police, who ultimately used a taser to be able to subdue him so that he could be handcuffed.

He is also accused of grabbing a nurse’s finger and bending it and groping her breast while she was treating him for minor cuts and scrapes while at O.C. Global Medical Center.

Apollo has been charged with one misdemeanor count of battery on a nurse, two misdemeanor counts of battery and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all counts.

“Instead of being treated with the same compassion and respect in which they treat their patients, these health care workers were punched in the face and physically assaulted for just trying to do their jobs,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Violence of any kind will not be tolerated and we will hold this individual accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Apollo is scheduled to be arraigned at the Central Justice Center in Department C54 on March 30, 2022.

Deputy District Attorney Matthew Bradbury of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

Two were partially ejected from a car after a high speed collision in Tustin last night

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Fires, OCFA, Tustin Leave a comment

OCFA firefighters responded to the area of Tustin Ranch Road and Pioneer Way for a traffic collision at 11:16 pm last night.

On arrival, the fire crew found a single vehicle that appeared to have been traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control.

The car collided with a large tree that was thrown 20-30 feet away from the point of impact, and split the car.

The driver and passenger were at least partially ejected and the car caught fire.

Both occupants were treated by firefighter paramedics and transported to the hospital.

The accident happened a block south of OCFA Fire Station #43 just west of the OCFA headquarters in Tustin.

Free pet food for the needy at the OC Animal Care Pet Pantry this Saturday

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Editor Posted in Food, OC Animal Care, Pets, Tustin Leave a comment

O.C. Animal Care is hosting their monthly Pet Food Pantry event this Saturday, November 13th. All pet owners in the community in need of pet food are welcome! The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the OC Animal Care facility located at 1630 Victory Road in Tustin.

In honor of #WishListWednesday, we wanted to thank everyone who has donated already! With your generosity, we are looking forward to helping many pets in our community. Still interested in donating? It’s not too late! Thanks to fast shipping, our Amazon Wishlist is a great and easy way to donate! Our Amazon Wishlist can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/DN5E6IRSH7SD.

If you prefer to drop off in person, we have a donation bin located outside our main entrance at 1630 Victory Rd. Tustin, CA 92782 for easy, contactless drop-off.

O.C. job seekers are getting scammed out of their vehicles!

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Editor Posted in automobiles, Crime, Fraud, Orange County, Tustin Leave a comment

The Tustin Police Department has posted a warning about a new scam that is happening in Orange County.

Apparently job seekers are looking for jobs on social media and in some cases are being told to use their personal vehicles to pick up or transport currency or even illegal contraband in exchange for $4,000 to $8,000 dollars. Sounds too good to be true? Of course! It is actually a huge scam.

What ends up happening is the victims are told to show up, in their vehicles, at a disclosed location. They are then instructed to hand over the vehicle so they can take it to another location to be loaded. If you hesitate at that point be aware that the suspects have been known to resort to taking the vehicles by force or fear if you refuse.

The vehicles are then driven away and are never returned. They are ultimately stolen!

If you actually do need a job we suggest you contact the Santa Ana Work Center instead. You may call them at (714) 565-2600.