New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Westminster

Drugs and a ghost gun were found on a convicted felon in Westminster during a traffic stop

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Guns, Westminster Leave a comment

On August 4 around midnight, a Westminster police officer conducted a traffic stop for vehicle code violations at Goldenwest and Trask.

After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, the police officers found a loaded ghost gun (unserialized handgun) under the driver’s seat, 10 grams of crack cocaine, and 6 grams of methamphetamine.

Will you still vote for Sarmiento even though his family is suing the City of Santa Ana?

The driver was a convicted felon, and of course, prohibited from possessing firearms.

The police officers arrested the driver for several charges including felon in possession of a firearm and drugs sales.

Person of interest identified in Westminster murder

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, Westminster Leave a comment

PERSON OF INTEREST: Donald Nichols is wanted for questioning by Westminster Police for a homicide investigation.

The Westminster Police have identified Nichols as a person of interest in the shooting death of a man whose body was found at an ARCo gas station in Fountain Valley. Police detectives believe the murder took place at the parking area of the Calespana Apartments, located at 15200 Magnolia St. in Westminster.

Will you still vote for Sarmiento even though his family is suing the City of Santa Ana?

Description: Male, White, 5’11”, 220 lbs., hazel eyes, brown hair.

For any tips or leads on his whereabouts, please contact any of the following:

Detective M. Lopez at (714) 548-3773 or mlopez@westminster-ca.gov
Detective M. Pierson at (714) 548-3759 or mpierson@westminster-ca.gov
Westminster PD Watch Commander – (714) 548-3767

Anonymous information can also be submitted to www.occrimestoppers.org or 1-855-TIPS-OCCS.

Man fatally shot in Westminster and left in a van at an Arco in Fountain Valley

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Westminster Leave a comment

41-year-old Donald Joshua Ratzlaff of Huntington Beach was shot to death on Sunday at an Arco gas station at 10975 Edinger Ave., in Fountain Valley.

Westminster police officers were initially called early on Sunday, at 4:10 a.m., to an apartment complex at the 15200 block of Magnolia Street after getting reports of shots fired. However the responding officers did not find anything and cleared the call.

Will you still vote for Sarmiento even though his family is suing the City of Santa Ana?

Twenty minutes later Fountain Valley police officers responded to reports of a gunshot victim in a white van at the Arco gas station.

The victim was identified as Ratzlaff.

The van’s driver ran off before the police officers arrived, leaving behind Ratzlaff’s body.

The Fountain Valley police contacted their counterparts in Westminster and were able to piece together the facts, showing that there was an argument at the Westminster apartment complex before the gunshots were heard.

Anyone with information on the shooting should contact Detective M. Pierson of the Westminster Police Department at 714-548-3759, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or by logging on to occrimestoppers.org.

Police officers fatally shot the transient who murdered Nascar driver Bobby East in Westminster

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, homeless, Westminster Leave a comment

On July 13, 2022, at about 5:51 pm, Westminster police officers responded to the 76 gas station, located at 6322 Westminster Blvd., regarding a stabbing. The victim turned out to be former NASCAR racer Bobby East., who was 37-years-old.

East was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area. Officers attempted life saving measures until OCFA paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury.

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

East’s attacker was identified as Trent William Millsap (pictured above), a 27-year-old transient know to frequent the Westminster, Garden Grove, and Anaheim areas.

East was an American professional stock car racing driver. He raced in USAC, ARCA, and NASCAR, according to Wikipedia.

On Friday, July 15, 2022, Westminster Police Department detectives received information that Millsap was in an apartment located in the 3300 block of Lincoln Avenue in the City of Anaheim. The West County SWAT Team responded to serve a search/arrest warrant for the suspect.

During the service of the search warrant, an officer involved shooting took place. Millsap was killed.

No police officers were injured; however, a police K-9 sustained a single gunshot wound that was not life threatening.

The Westminster Police Department, along with members of the Orange County District Attorney’s office are currently investigating the shooting.

The Westminster Police are searching for a stabbing suspect with numerous facial tattoos

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Westminster 1 Comment

On July 13, 2022, at about 5:51 pm, WPD officers responded to the 76 gas station, located at 6322 Westminster Blvd., reference a stabbing. The victim was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area.

Trent William Millsap, who fled the area prior to police arrival, is suspected of stabbing the victim. Millsap also has an outstanding parole warrant. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

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

Anyone who witnessed the crime on July 13, 2022, or knows the whereabouts of the suspect, please contact the Westminster Police Department at 714-548-3212, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or by logging on to www.occrimestoppers.org. Callers may remain anonymous.

A hit and run driver struck a woman walking her dogs in Westminster

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Westminster Leave a comment

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 6:13 AM, officers responded to the area of Klamath Drive and Iroquois Road reference a report of a female subject laying in the roadway. Upon arrival, officers determined the female victim had been struck by a vehicle while she was crossing the street. The vehicle subsequently failed to stop and fled the scene.

The Orange County Fire Authority responded and transported the victim to UCI Medical Center in critical condition.

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

Members of the Westminster Police Departments Traffic Division responded to the scene and are currently investigating the cause of the accident and following up on leads to identify the suspect vehicle.

Preliminary information obtained describes the suspect vehicle as a newer model, Ford Explorer, silver in color, with custom silver wheels and a temporary registration in the lower right corner of the front windshield. The vehicle may have damage to the hood and left front corner of the vehicle.

VICTIM: Identity withheld pending notification of family; female, 30-35 years old

An updated press release will be sent out once video and still photos of the suspect vehicle are obtained. Anybody who may have witnessed the accident is asked to call Sergeant Anil Adam of the Westminster Police Department Traffic Division at (714) 548-3770.

A man was fatally shot in Westminster

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Guns, Westminster Leave a comment

The scene of the crime, courtesy of the Westminster Police Dept.

A man was gunned down in an alley in Westminster Thursday afternoon.

According to Commander Kevin MacCormick of the WPD, police were called at 3:26 p.m. to the 13900 block of Cedar Street regarding a shooting.

Arriving officers found a man lying down in an alley west of Cedar Street. He had suffered what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the face and upper body.

Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene. He was identified initially only as a male 30 to 35 years old. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Witnesses at the scene told police the suspect vehicle was a 2010 to 2014 model purple sedan. It was last seen traveling westbound on Westminster Boulevard from Locust Street.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective M. Pierson at (714) 548-3759 or Detective M. Lopez at (714) 548-3773. Callers can remain anonymous.

The Westminster Police are trying to find out who severely beat a resident

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Westminster Leave a comment

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – On the evening of May 27, 2022, 35 year old Westminster resident, Jason
Lawless, was severely beaten by an unknown assailant(s). He remains hospitalized with significant
injuries. The Westminster Police Department has been actively investigating the incident. At this time,
we are still unsure of where the assault occurred. No witnesses have have come forth and we are
seeking the public’s assistance.

“Somebody knows something and must have the courage to come forward and help us investigate this
case. Mr. Lawless has a long road to recovery ahead and he deserves justice in this case. Any bit of
information can help. We have some information that the crime may have occurred in the area of 5555
Garden Grove Blvd. (Los Alisos Mobile Estates) to the 13000 block of Springdale St., but this is
unconfirmed”, said Deputy Chief Cameron Knauerhaze.

Anyone with any information can contact Detective Henry Tran. Callers can remain anonymous.
Anonymous tips can also be made by submitting a tip at OCCrimestoppers.org.

Felony probationer busted for stealing from self-storage units in Garden Grove

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Garden Grove, Westminster 2 Comments

Garden Grove police detectives had been investigating a series of burglaries from a local self-storage facility, dating back to 2020.

After countless hours of investigation, detectives identified the prolific thief as Nancy Carranza (44-years-old of Westminster), a felony probationer.

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

Carranza was located and detained as she was leaving her home. A probation search of the residence found stolen property from the burglaries, as well as the clothing she wore during each incident.

Carranza was arrested and later booked into Orange County Jail.

So what will happen to Carranza now? Unfortunately for her when you are arrested and charged with another crime while you are serving probation in California, you will most likely be prosecuted for the new charge, and the probation you are serving will likely be revoked. That means she will have to serve the rest of her original sentence and is looking at even more years in prison if she is convicted on the new charges.

However Carranza will also get free room and board and medical treatments while she resides in prison for the next few years.

A Theo Lacy inmate arrested in Westminster died on Sunday

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, OC Sheriff, Orange, Orange County, Westminster Leave a comment

ORANGE, Ca. (April 19, 2022) – On Sunday, April 17, 2022, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died at the hospital.

The inmate was booked into jail on April 6, 2022, by the Westminster Police Department for criminal threats and vandalism. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Orange County Coroner’s Division.

The man was pronounced deceased at the hospital after being transferred to the hospital for a medical issue shortly after midnight on Sunday. His death does not appear to be suspicious. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology and an independent autopsy.

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 former Westminster Police civilian investigator only got community service after stealing from the department

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, OCDA, Westminster Leave a comment

a person with handcuffs holding a sign that says fraud — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Nadia Arlett Alvarez Poblete, 26, of Huntington Beach, a former Westminster Police Department civilian investigator, accepted charges of making fraudulent requests for overtime pay and she was sentenced to only 100 hours of community service.

The plea agreement is amazing given that Poblete was charged with 15 felonies for lying on her timesheets and claiming to have worked hundreds of hours that she never worked. Poblete was originally facing a maximum sentence of 12 years and four months in state prison if convicted on all counts.

The charges included one felony count of grand theft by an employee and 14 felony counts of presenting a false claim.

The fraudulent activity was discovered by the Westminster Police Department and turned over to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Alvarez was accused of fraudulently altering her timesheets to reflect that she worked twice the amount of hours she had actually worked. A supervisor in the Westminster Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit noticed Alvarez was often not at her workstation during her assigned shift and would leave well before her shift was over.

Westminster police confirmed Alvarez had been paid for 566 hours that she did not work between January 6, 2021 and October 22, 2021, costing the City of Westminster a total theft of $12,106.74.

Needless to say Alavarez was let go by the Westminster Police Department.

“The trust that the public must have in its law enforcement agencies does not rest solely with the uniformed officer,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The public’s confidence rests in the professionalism and ability of every person employed by that agency, from the front counter staff to the chief and everyone in between. Thankfully, the Westminster Police Department recognized the untruthfulness by one of its employees and took immediate action to put a stop to it and protect precious taxpayer dollars.”

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Spires of Special Prosecutions prosecuted this case.

Santa Ana man charged with hate crime for vandalizing a mosque in Westminster

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Hate, OCDA, Santa Ana, Westminster 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 40-year-old man has been charged with a hate crime and felony vandalism of a place of worship for using a gallon-sized paint can and paint to vandalize a mosque in Westminster.

Ernesto Martinez, 40, of Santa Ana, has been charged with one felony count of vandalism of $400 or more, one felony count of vandalism of a place of worship with the purpose of intimidation, one felony hate crime enhancement, and one misdemeanor count of violation of civil rights – property damage.

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

On March 30, 2022, an employee at the Al Noor Foundation Mosque in the 14500 block of Goldenwest Street in Westminster saw a man, later identified as Martinez, try to break one of the mosque’s windows. Martinez is also accused of hitting the mosque’s front door with a gallon-sized paint can and then throwing paint onto one of the windows.

A Westminster police officer stopped Martinez as he walked near the mosque. Martinez had paint on his clothes and hand and told the officer that the mosque’s God had disrespected his God.

Martinez is currently being held without bail at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.

“Houses of worship are sacred places that should be safe havens from hate and violence,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Today, Muslims across the world begin celebrating Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Those celebrations must be able to go on uninterrupted and without the fear of someone trying to deface a house of worship. No one has the right to take that serenity from another person and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything we can to hold haters accountable and protect the rights of everyone to worship in peace.”

Deputy District Attorney William Ha of the Hate Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.

The Westminster Police arrested a man and seized his coke, guns and cash

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Guns, Westminster Leave a comment

Westminster Police Department officers responded to Club Bleu regarding a report of a person brandishing a firearm in the parking lot on Sunday, March 28.

The suspect fled the area in his vehicle but was located a short distance away by responding police officers.

After searching the suspect’s vehicle, a stolen firearm, a ghost gun, ammunition, cash, and 61 grams of cocaine were recovered.

The suspect was discovered to be a convicted felon and was booked at the O.C. Central Jail on weapons and drug charges.

A man with a shaved head is targeting female juveniles in west Orange County

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Editor Posted in Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Westminster Leave a comment

On Monday, March 28, 2022, at approximately 8:20 AM, a 14-year-old female juvenile was walking to school in the area of Edwards Street and Humboldt Street when she was approached by a white 4-Door sedan with tinted windows.

The suspect (male/hispanic, approx. 30 y/o, shaved head) was persistently asking if she wanted a ride and followed the victim as she walked to school but eventually drove away. A similar incident occurred in the city of Stanton on Friday, March 18th, but it has not yet been determined if both cases are related.

The investigation is ongoing, and WPD detectives urge anyone who has information to contact the
Westminster Police Department at 714-548-3212, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIPOCCS, or by logging on to www.occrimestoppers.org. Callers can remain anonymous.

O.C. church volunteer arrested for sexual assault of a minor

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Cochino Alert, Crime, Garden Grove, OC Sheriff, Westminster 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 9, 2022): On Wednesday, March 2, members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail arrested Terry Lyn Myers, 65, of Garden Grove, for felony aggravated sexual assault.

He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail. Myers is booked on charges related to a suspected sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1990s.

Myers has been a volunteer at multiple churches in Orange County. He was a volunteer at Grace Community Church, formerly known as Nutwood Church, in Garden Grove from 1995-2013. Since 2013, Myers has been volunteering at MidCities Baptist Church in Westminster.

Due to the suspect’s role at these churches and his access to children, investigators believe there may be additional victims.

Anyone with information regarding possible additional victims or with information they believe may assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7419, or submit an anonymous tip to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or at occrimestoppers.org.