O.C. Supervisor Sarmiento is allowing criminals to camp out in the County’s flood control channel in Santa Ana

Santa Ana City Councilman Phil Bacerra and Mayor Valerie Amezcua were able to get a criminal arrested when they went to check on the progress on the construction of the new fence going up between the County’s flood control channel next to Flower Street and the City’s bike trail.

Amezcua and Bacerra observed a trespasser camping out in the County’s flood control channel under Alton Avenue. They called the Santa Ana Police Department and the responding police officers arrested the suspect for trespassing.

Recently, a person camping out under Alton Avenue came out of the County’s flood control channel and attacked two children as they were waiting for the bus at the nearby bus stop.

Amezcua and Bacerra have been working with the Santa Ana City Manager and City staff to expedite construction of a fence to attempt to prevent access to the County flood control channel from the adjacent bike trail.

Not only has the County allowed their flood control channel to become a haven for drug dealing and other criminal activity, the County’s neglect has led to trespassers burrowing into the sides of their flood control channel, which could compromise the ability for this infrastructure to function properly and further endanger nearby residents and school children.

Bacerra recently posted on Facebook about his disappointment with Orange County Supervisor Vincent Sarmiento who has taken no actions stop this criminal activity in the County’s flood control channel despite multiple calls and pleas for help.

Sarmiento and members of his family are known for bashing law enforcement and for suing police departments on behalf of criminals.

In addition to arresting a person for trespassing in the County’s flood control channel under Alton Avenue on September 14, the Santa Ana Police Department brought in the City’s Quality of Life Team (QOLT) to do the County’s job of clearing the debris that had accumulated within the County’s flood control channel.

However, a water drain off of the County’s flood control channel, south of Alton and Flower remains clogged with debris and is impacting water flow. The blockage is about 15-20 yards from the channel, with an estimated 5 yards of trash and debris that still needs to be cleared by the County to restore proper drainage.