Santa Ana man charged with murdering woman found under a Newport Beach bridge

At approximately 7:40 p.m. on Friday, September 6, Newport Beach Police Detectives arrested Jaime Rocha in connection with the murder of Nancy Hammour. Rocha has been charged with one felony count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of  25 years to life in state prison if convicted, according to the OCDA. He is being held on $1 million  bail. Rocha is accused of murdering Nancy Hammour on Sept. 2, 2013. The ongoing  investigation is being conducted by the Newport Beach Police Department.

On Monday, September 2 at approximately 8:45 a.m., the Newport Beach Police Department responded to a call of a woman lying face down underneath the Bay Bridge, near the intersection of East Coast Highway and Bayside Drive. Newport Beach Police personnel responded and determined that the woman was deceased at the scene, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

The Orange County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Nancy Hammour, a 28-year-old resident of Santa Ana, California. The Coroner has also concluded that the cause of death was a gunshot wound. Newport Beach Police Detectives have reclassified this case as a Homicide. This is an ongoing investigation and no further information is being released at this time, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.