Santa Ana mom catches a school cop roughing up a kid at John Adams Park

Elvia Fernandez, a Santa Ana mom, is having trouble processing what she saw happen today at John Adams Park, in Santa Ana.  She videotaped a burly Santa Ana Unified School District Police Officer who jumped on top of a kid he caught tagging at the park.  Allegedly the cop threatened to pepper spray the kid.

According to eyewitnesses the child was perhaps fourteen years old.  You can hear him crying in the video that Elvia shot.  And the cop clearly shouts at Elvia and another bystander – demanding that they stop speaking in Spanish. They were telling the child to stop struggling and were trying to calm him down.

Tagging sucks, that we understand.  But roughing up little kids like this is worse.  And this cop surely doesn’t seem to know how to work with people in our community.  How did this guy get hired in the first place?

If you want to contact the SAUSD School Board Members, good luck.  They no longer list any email addresses on their website! Fortunately I have some of their personal contact information available, as follows:

Rick Miller, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Phone: (714) 558-5512
Fax: (714) 558-5610

Antonette Roberto
Confidential Assistant
to the Superintendent
Phone: (714) 558-5512
antonette.roberto@sausd.us

Cynthia Gastelo
Recording Secretary
Board of Education
Phone: (714) 558-5515
cynthia.gastelo@sausd.us

Rosie Rosales
Executive Assistant
Phone: (714) 558-5511
rosie.rosales@sausd.us

Travis Tamasese
Sr. Executive Secretary
Phone: (714) 558-5513
travis.tamasese@sausd.us

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • Well tagging cost millions of tax money and How did he get him hired? , well because he is a bit strong they dont want a weakling that can't do anything like this cop is holding the kid down with force I know it's wrong but saying "f@ck the pigs" won't do anything by saying that you ain't any better to whomever is saying that.Yeah I know using force on a lilttle kid is wrong and all but he shouldn't be tagging at all like whats his problem making tax payers pay there money just because of his tagging seriously I hope he learns his lesson to never do that again.

    • Your whole comment is retarded. Just because he was tagging doesnt mean he was commiting a felony crime. Its a tagging 10 year old for crying outloud, Not a 200 pound guy. The cop was in the wrong, had no proper use of force. These school cops are rejects and think their big boys bullying the younger kids.

  • How can we trust this Mike Dalati guy that you keep flashing us pictures of?
    He looks too much like "The Situation" if you ask me. Did he stuff a situation in your front pocket? He must have. huh?

  • "Rob Richardson" I hear that is the creepy old white dude that likes to hold the plantation hostage.

  • Hi i just uploaded this video to fox news national website hope it gets approved i made sure it said school cop officer.as a parent i am furious i understand not all kids behave but to act like if he was dealing with a hardcore delinquent and hear the kid cry that is sad like the gentlemen said he is not a man

  • I agree with Jon. As a father if my kid was tagging i would love a cop to takle him a scare him straight. If you look at the video you hear the kid crying about "Getting arrested" not because the cop is "choking him" If he was he wouldnt be able to speak. I think hes more worried about the butt whipping his parents hopefully gave him when he got home.

    • Guess what? He doesn't have a father. If you don't know what really went on then don't go around opening your mouth making yourself look like a dumbass. I bet your one great father to your Kid, fkn jackass.

  • As an employee of sausd I have personally witnessed school police using excessive force. Yet, after stating a concern nothing happened. It's a shame they work in the community and treat the community like crap. A ten year old compared to a grown man...

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