New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: ocda

Irvine man who overdosed then got into a fatal DUI crash facing a murder charge

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Irvine, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder for killing a 61-year-old woman while driving under the influence of drugs just hours after being released from the hospital following a fentanyl overdose. The driver had already been charged in a 2019 driving under the influence case in which he had been warned of the deadly dangers of driving under the influence.

Luis Marcial Diaz, 21, of Irvine, has been charged with one felony count of murder for killing Kyu Chen, 61, of Irvine, who was on her way to work.

Diaz faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life if convicted. He is scheduled to be arraigned on October 14, 2021 in CJ1. He is currently being held at the Intake Release Center on $1 million bail.

Diaz was arrested Tuesday by the Irvine Police Department.

Just after 4 a.m. on September 27, 2021, Diaz is accused of running a stale red light at the intersection of Sand Canyon Road and Irvine Center Drive in the City of Irvine. Chen was driving through the intersection on a greenlight on her way to work when she was broadsided by Diaz’ vehicle. Chen later died.

On July 30, 2019, Diaz was arrested by the Huntington Beach Police Department on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs, one misdemeanor count of possession of nitrous oxide, and one misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license. He pleaded not guilty to the three misdemeanor charges.

Drivers arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in California can be given what is known as a Watson advisement that informs them that if they kill someone while driving under the influence they can be charged with murder. Diaz received the Watson advisement in connection with his 2019 arrest for driving under the influence of drugs. The Steve Ambriz Act, authored by then-Assemblymember Todd Spitzer, requires people applying for a California driver’s license to sign a form acknowledging that they can be charged with murder if they kill someone while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“The Irvine Police Department is committed to holding accountable those who choose to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” said Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent. “Mr. Diaz showed a complete lack of regard for the lives of others when he chose to get behind the wheel that Monday morning. Our hearts go out to Mrs. Chen’s family and we hope they get the justice they deserve for this tragic loss.”

“This is a tragedy that should have never happened,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Just hours before Mrs. Chen was murdered, doctors managed to save the defendant from overdosing on drugs. Instead of taking that near-death experience to heart, he continued to engage in incredibly dangerous behavior and it cost Mrs. Chen her life. She was just driving to work and now she is dead. And the tragedy of it all, is she didn’t have to die. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything it can to ensure justice is done for Mrs. Chen and her loved ones – and to send a strong message to drivers that there are serious consequences for driving under the influence.”

Deputy District Attorney Casey Cunningham of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

O.C. homeowner who shot and killed an intruder cleared by the OCDA

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Guns, Newport Beach, OCDA, Orange County 2 Comments

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has cleared a Newport Beach homeowner of any criminal wrongdoing for shooting and killing an intruder who broke into his home in August.

At approximately 4:10 a.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2021, 23-year-old Henry Lehr (pictured above) left a residential detox center. Before he left, Lehr told staff at the detox center that he was hearing and seeing “demons.”

After leaving the center, Lehr broke into the backyard of a home a few doors down, near Indus Street and Redlands Drive. He then went to the front door of the home and repeatedly banged on the door and rang the doorbell, demanding to be let inside.

He then broke down the front door and started to walk up the stairs where the homeowner and his wife had been sleeping in their bedroom.

The commotion at his front door woke up the homeowner, who retrieved his pistol and found an intruder, later identified as Lehr, on his stairs. The homeowner yelled at the intruder to identify himself and told him not to keep coming up the stairs. The intruder did not answer and charged up the stairs.

The homeowner fired his weapon once, hitting the intruder in the upper chest. The homeowner told his wife to call 911 and ask for police and medical aid. Lehr was pronounced dead.

The homeowner later told police that he shot the intruder in his home because he feared for his life and safety and that of his wife.

California Penal Section 198.5 states, in pertinent part, the following: “Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury within his or her residence shall be presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household when that force is used against another person, not a member of the family or household, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence and the person using the force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred.”

“A homeowner has the absolute right to protect themselves from someone who breaks into their home in the middle of the night and threatens their safety,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The loss of life is tragic in any situation and this situation is made even more tragic by the fact that an individual who went to a group home to get help with his addiction issues ended up on a deadly collision course with a homeowner who just sleeping in his own bed in his own house. I have fought against allowing group homes in residential neighborhoods my entire career, including as a member of the state Legislature, for this very reason. People at that group home knew that young man was struggling – yet no one went to check on him. People struggling with addiction issues need to have a safe environment where they can work toward sobriety and people living in residential neighborhoods should not have to live in fear of waking up to someone struggling with addiction breaking down their front door.”

Anaheim man charged with sexually assaulting a Chapman University student on campus

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Editor Posted in Anaheim, Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Orange Leave a comment

SANTA ANA — A 22-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old Chapman University freshman outside of her dormitory early Friday morning.

Dalante Jerome Bell, 22, of Anaheim, has been charged with one felony count of assault with intent to commit a sex offense and sexual penetration by a foreign object.

Bell faces a maximum of sentence of eight years in state prison if convicted on all charges. He is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange on $500,000.

Around midnight on September 23, 2021, Bell is accused of wearing a mask and attacking an 18-year-old student who was video chatting with her boyfriend. The woman fought back against her attacker, who fled the scene as people came to help the victim.

Numerous surveillance cameras captured the attacker leaving the scene.

Bell was arrested by the Orange Police Department after his parents watched news coverage of the attack and recognized their son as a person of interest

“College students should be focused on learning, not worrying about being sexually assaulted by someone lurking in the shadows outside of their dorm,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “This brave woman did what she could to fight back and call for help. Thankfully this individual was quickly arrested and is no longer able to prey on unsuspecting college students. And now the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything it can to ensure this sexual predator is held accountable.”

Deputy District Attorney Austin Neiman of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

O.C. man charged with additional hate crime for violating the civil rights of a Japanese-American Olympian in a verbal attack

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Hate, Japanese, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 26-year-old man is facing an additional hate crime charge in connection with an anti-Asian verbal attack on a Japanese-American Olympian in a park in Orange. The same man is already facing multiple hate crime charges for punching an elderly Asian couple in the face while they took a walk in the same park.

Michael Orlando Vivona, 26, of Orange, was charged today with one misdemeanor count of violation of civil rights for verbally harassing an Asian woman as she talked on the phone in Grijalva Park in Orange on April 1, 2021. Vivona is accused of aggressively yelling at the woman, threatening her, and spitting in her direction.

Seventeen days later, on Sunday, April 18, 2021, around 7:40 p.m. a 78- and 79-year-old Korean couple were taking their nightly walk at Grijalva Park in Orange when Vivona is accused of running up to them and punching the husband in the face, causing him to fall. As the couple attempted to find help, Vivona is accused of punching the wife in the head, causing her to fall.

Bystanders intervened and Vivona was arrested by the Orange Police Department. Vivona later made statements to police disparaging Asians.

Vivona was charged in April with two felony counts of elder abuse, two felony counts of battery – hate crime causing injury, and two felony hate crime enhancements. He now faces a maximum sentence of nine years in state prison and one year in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all counts. Vivona is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange on $65,000 bail.

“Anti-Asian hate incidents in Orange County are up 1800% over last year because of a national backlash against Asians during the pandemic. I will not tolerate and will punish all criminal haters. At every turn, I have encouraged more people to come forward to report hate crimes. Finally, they can have confidence that Orange County law enforcement and prosecutors are properly trained and will investigate and prosecute haters to the fullest extent of the law,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, one of Orange County’s outspoken leaders against hate. “If you witness a hate crime or you are the victim of a hate crime, report it to law enforcement. The Orange County District Attorney’s Hate Crime Unit will prosecute it when we can meet our legal standards for prosecution.”

Deputy District Attorney David McMurrin of the Hate Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.

Woke OCDA candidate Pete Hardin is an L.A. resident and he was caught trashing O.C. voters

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Editor Posted in 2022 Elections, Elections, OCDA, Orange County, Pete Hardin, Politics, Todd Spitzer 7 Comments

(ORANGE COUNTY, CA) – Criminal attorney Pete Hardin was recently caught on tape insulting Orange County and its voters, calling them the “ugly stepchild” to Los Angeles.

In addition to the derogatory comments about Orange County, Hardin can also be heard bragging about his plans to buy the election with the help of millions of dollars from the same billionaires and Super PACs that propelled George Gascon to office in Los Angeles, and Chesa Boudin in San Francisco.

The cherry on top is found in Hardin’s official campaign filing documents, which reveal he is a resident of Los Angeles County.

Hardin’s comments and residency shine a spotlight on his brazen attempt to parachute into Orange County, a community he looks down on with disdain, to install the same woke version of criminal justice reform that has failed so miserably in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“These chilling tapes make clear that Pete Hardin wants to destroy public safety in Orange County by buying this election and implementing the same radical, pro-criminal agenda that has been an unmitigated disaster in places like Los Angeles,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

“The woke criminal justice movement represents an existential threat to our community, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep Hardin and his billionaire buddies the hell out of Orange County,” Spitzer continued.

The audio, along with the below quotes, can be heard in the latest ad from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s reelect campaign: https://vimeo.com/604283647

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin on Orange County:

“A lot of our brothers and sisters, uh, Angelenos, uh, sort of think of us as the ugly stepchild perhaps.”

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin on buying the election:

“There are all these groups across the country that are interested in criminal justice reform, Real Justice PAC, Smart Justice California, Courage California, I’ve met with all of them, developed relationships with all of them, they’re extremely interested in this campaign…But some of them are big PACs that can put a lot of money into a race. You know if we can raise a million dollars, great, we’ll do everything we can. But that might be chump change compared to what some of these outside groups can bring in.”

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin’s official campaign filings:

About Todd

Todd Spitzer has dedicated his life to keeping families safe and was inspired to dedicate his career to public service as an Orange County Supervisor, former California State Assembly Member, and now as the Orange County District Attorney. A champion for public safety, District Attorney Spitzer is recognized as an expert on security issues, whose reputation as an advocate for victims’ rights is respected nationally. Spitzer chaired the ground-breaking campaign for Proposition 9, Marsy’s Law, the nation’s most comprehensive Victim’s Bill of Rights, and served as State Co-Chair for Proposition 83, the nation’s toughest sex offender punishment and control law as well as Proposition 69, which requires the collection of DNA samples from all felons.

Fighting to protect our community, he joint-authored Megan’s Law on the Internet, the landmark legislation requiring the release of public information related to sex offenders and as a former deputy and assistant district attorney he handled complex criminal matters while managing line prosecutors. As Third District Supervisor, he secured Orange County’s first year-round, supportive housing shelter for the homeless, established an Ethics Commission, gained passage of pension reform measures, and strengthened public safety oversight by expanding the Office of Independent Review.

Spitzer earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA (1982), a master’s degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley (1989), and a Law Degree from UC Hastings School of Law (1989). While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, for the law student dedicating his career to public service. Spitzer is a former high school teacher and reserve police officer assigned to DUI enforcement and patrol duties. He is a doting father of a son and daughter and a dedicated husband to Judge Jamie Spitzer, Associate Chief Judge for the South, Division of Workers’ Compensation.

Army veteran arrested in connection with the kidnapping and attempted sexual assault of three O.C. women

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Editor Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OC Sheriff, Orange County Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Army veteran has been charged with kidnapping three Orange County women off running trails in an Aliso Viejo park and choking them unconscious, raping one of the women and attempting to sexually assault the other two. The man is also a suspect in additional crimes in Riverside and San Diego counties.

The series of sexual assaults on women along walking and running trails in Aliso Viejo began in January 2020 and continued through at least August 2021. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department released two composite drawings of the suspect in the attacks in the hopes of identifying the sexual predator terrorizing women along the trails.

On September 4, 2021, Robert Daniel Yucas, 51, of Cathedral City in Riverside County was identified as a suspect in a crime committed in San Diego. DNA collected as a result of this incident matched DNA from two of the Aliso Viejo attacks.

Yucas, who is a pilot for cargo airliner Kalitta Air, was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska on Thursday, after a return flight from China. He is awaiting extradition back to California.

Yucas has been charged with three felony counts of kidnapping to commit a sex offense, one felony count of forcible rape, one felony counts of attempted forcible rape, and three felony counts of assault with intent to commit a sexual offense.

He faces a maximum sentence of 39 years to life plus 6 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.

On January 20, 2020, a 24-year-old woman was at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo to skateboard when a man later identified as Yucas asked her for directions. While the woman pulled out her phone, Yucas is accused of grabbing the woman in a chokehold and dragging her into the bushes next to the walking path. The woman lost consciousness and woke to find she had been raped.

On April 2, 2020, a 32-year-old woman was running in Woodfield Park when a man later identified as Yucas grabbed her from behind and put her in a chokehold. Yucas is accused of dragging the woman into the bushes in an attempt to rape her, but the woman managed to fight him off.

On August 28, 2021, a 41-year-old woman was in Woodfield Park when a man grabbed her and put her in a chokehold. The woman lost consciousness and woke up in the bushes next to a walking path with her pants pulled down.

An anonymous tip to OC Crime Stoppers led investigators to the September 4, 2021 incident in San Diego that ultimately led to the DNA hit that matched the suspect in that attack to the suspect in the Orange County attacks. The collaboration between law enforcement, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the San Diego, Anchorage, and Cathedral City Police Departments, made this arrest possible.

Authorities are asking for anyone with additional information related to Yucas or any additional victims to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sexual Assault Unit at 714-647-7419. Yucas lived in Aliso Viejo prior to moving to Cathedral City in Riverside County and he is known to spend time in San Diego County.

“The three victims in this case were doing things many of us do every day. But the suspect kidnapped these victims, placed them in chokeholds, sexually assaulted them, and changed their lives forever,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “Thank you to the Orange County Crime Lab, Orange County Crime Stoppers, the San Diego Police Department and the Anchorage International Airport Police and Fire Department for their assistance in identifying and making this arrest. We all want to live in a neighborhood where we feel safe to do something as simple to take a walk. With this arrest, we have regained a small piece of that sense of safety.”

“Sexual predators do not stop until we stop them,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “An entire community lived in fear that they would be the next victims to be grabbed off a trail, choked unconscious, and raped. The bravery of an anonymous tipster to come forward with information about this predator led to his capture and likely prevented additional women from being sexually assaulted. These women endured unimaginable horror at the hands of a stranger who hunted them like prey. Now that this sexual predator is behind bars, my job is to make sure he is held accountable for these heinous crimes to the fullest extent of the law. The way we prevent him from harming any more women is to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.”

Deputy District Attorney Raquel Cooper of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

Hate crimes have increased under OCDA Spitzer

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Hate, OCDA, Pete Hardin, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer 9 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY – Today, the Orange County Human Relations Commission released their 2020 hate crime report, which reveals a lethal rise in hate crimes across the county. Former Marine Corps officer, Deputy District Attorney, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Hardin, who is a candidate for Orange County District Attorney, released the following statement:

“Today’s shocking hate crime report is a painful reminder that far right extremism has been emboldened by the Trump Presidency and District Attorney Todd Spitzer, an unapologetic Trump Republican. Spitzer has failed to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe, as is evidenced by the 1800% rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, 114% rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes, and 23% rise in anti-Black hate crimes.

“I stand in solidarity with the AAPI community, Black community, Jewish community, Latino community, LGBTQ community, Muslim community, and Arab community, which have experienced a dramatic rise in hate driven incidents. This is unconscionable and must be stopped.

“Over the course of his 25-year career as a right-wing politician, District Attorney Todd Spitzer has regularly promoted policies that harm our most vulnerable communities. Spitzer has neither the skill nor the conviction to adequately address the extreme rise in hate we are witnessing.

“Orange County deserves a top prosecutor who will work in partnership with vulnerable communities to stamp out hate in our communities, prevent hate crimes from happening, and ensure hate crime investigations and prosecutions are pursued vigorously. It’s time for a district attorney who will stand up for all victims and take a firm stand against hate in our community.”

Current Orange County District Attorney Republican Todd Spitzer’s tenure has been defined by scandal. Four women in Spitzer’s office have filed claims asserting Spitzer promoted an employee and close friend despite having been made aware of the sexual harassment complaints against him. Spitzer later allowed the employee, who was the best man at his wedding, to retire with top flight benefits. Spitzer also attempted to drop sexual assault charges against high-profile defendants, leading a judge to remove him from the case. Survivors of the sexual assault survivors were “dragged through the mud” and “grossly mistreated” by Spitzer for two and a half years, leading two of them to abandon their case.

Spitzer has been involved in an evidence booking scandal, a jailhouse informant scandal, and has defamed a victim of OC’s deadliest mass shooting as retaliation for peaceful protest. Spitzer has also defended a DNA collection program known informally as “Spit and Acquit” that coerces defendants to give up their DNA to law enforcement, a practice the ACLU has called “unconstitutional.”

Pete Hardin is a former Judge Advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, Deputy District Attorney, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and one of Southern California’s leading litigators running for Orange County District Attorney. Pete entered public service when, in 2005, he earned his commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. A combat veteran, Pete served in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 as a member of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Pete is a member of the Democratic Party.

Orange County’s rapidly changing electorate has led Democrats to now outnumber Republicans in Orange County holding a 4.1% voter registration advantage.

Pair convicted for kidnapping and prostituting two women in Anaheim

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Editor Posted in Anaheim, Cochino Alert, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman and a man have been convicted of human trafficking two women, including one victim who was kidnapped from a bus stop and held against her will.

Marquesah Troycine Fox, 35, of San Bernardino, and Anthony Larue Jackson, 44, of Rialto, were arrested by the Orange County Human Trafficking Taskforce in November 2020 after a woman had the motel clerk call police after fleeing from a room at the Travelodge in Anaheim.

The woman told police that on October 30, 2020 she was given a ride by Fox and Jackson in Ontario after a friend left her on the street without shoes or a phone. The pair promised to let the woman stay in their motel room, but instead stole her identification and told her Jackson was going to be her pimp.

Over a six-day period the woman and another female victim were held captive by the pair in two Southern California motels, where they were physically abused by Jackson and Fox who forced to perform sex acts in exchange for money.

The women were forced to give the money they were paid to Jackson. Fox and Jackson held the two victims captive under a motel mattress when they were not performing sex acts. Jackson also raped one of the women and sexually assaulted both of them.

On November 4, 2020, the two women ran from the motel room when Fox and Jackson got into a physical fight and one of the women called police.

Jackson was convicted by a jury Thursday of two felony counts of human trafficking, two felony counts of pimping, two felony counts of pandering, three felony counts of forcible oral copulation, one felony count of assault with a firearm, one felony count of kidnapping, two felony counts of forcible rape, and one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object in concert.

Fox was convicted by a jury Thursday of two felony counts of human trafficking, two felony counts of pimping, two felony counts of pandering, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of forcible oral copulation, and one felony count of sexual penetration with a foreign object in concert.

Jackson faces a maximum sentence of 147 years and 4 months to life in State Prison. Fox faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in State Prison.

They are scheduled to be sentenced on October 1, 2021 at the Central Justice Center in Department C36.

“These women were held against their will and subjected to a living hell while being degraded and sexually and physically abused,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “These are vulnerable victims who when they saw their chance to escape, they ran for safety. Thank you to the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and the Anaheim Police Department for rescuing these women from their abusers and helping to hold these monsters accountable for their actions.”

Deputy District Attorney Kelcie Wiemann of the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit is prosecuting this case.#

La Habra mother found to be sane when she pushed her infant off the CHOC parking structure

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A La Habra mother was found by a jury to be sane when she pushed her 7-month-old son off the fourth story of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County parking structure in Orange, killing the infant.

Sonia Hermosillo, 41, of La Habra, was convicted by a jury last month of one felony count of first-degree murder and one felony count of assault on a child causing death. Hermosillo had entered a plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, triggering a separate trial to determine whether she was legally insane at the time of the crime.

The same jury which convicted Hermosillo of first-degree murder also found her to be sane at the time of the murder.

Hermosillo is currently being held on no bail. She faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2021 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana in Department C30.

On Aug. 22, 2011, Hermosillo drove her 7-month-old son, Baby Noe, to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and parking her car on the fourth floor of a parking structure. The baby suffered medical conditions that required him to receive medical treatment at CHOC regularly, but the infant did not have a scheduled appointment that day. Baby Noe wore a medical helmet for one of his medical conditions.

At approximately 6:20 p.m., Hermosillo removed her baby’s helmet and pushed Baby Noe from the parking structure with the intention of murdering him with the four-story fall. Hermosillo then walked inside the hospital, validated her parking, and drove away.

A witness who saw the baby falling through the air called 911 and the Orange Police Department (OPD) responded to the scene. Baby Noe was taken to the trauma center at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center in critical condition. He died two days later.

Shortly after Baby Noe was pushed off the parking structure, Hermosillo’s husband called law enforcement to report his wife and infant son were missing. That night an Orange police officer saw Hermosillo driving past CHOC on Main Street and arrested her.

Hermosillo has two other children.

“No child should die at the hands of another human being, let alone the very person whose most basic responsibility is to keep that child safe from harm,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Baby Noe should be here today, but he is not because of the methodical and callous decision by his own mother to push him to his death. No words can express the incredible sorrow that his father and siblings have had to suffer by the loss of Baby Noe.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mena Guirguis of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

O.C. plastic surgeon charged with sexually assaulting patients

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Editor Posted in OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 77-year-old plastic surgeon has been charged with sexually assaulting two of his female patients while he was treating the women at his Brea medical office. The doctor also has an office in Beverly Hills.

Frederic Corbin, 77, of Villa Park, has been charged with one felony count of sexual battery by fraud, one felony count of sexual exploitation by a physician, two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery, and two misdemeanor counts of battery. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.

Corbin turned himself into authorities today.

On September 17, 2020, Corbin is accused of sexually assaulting one of his female patients while he prepped her for a surgical procedure. On May 14, 2021, another female patient went to Corbin’s Brea office for post-surgery treatment. Corbin is accused of sexually assaulting the patient during the examination.

The women reported the incident to the Brea Police Department.

“Patients entrust their very lives to the doctors who treat them,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “No one seeking medical treatment should have to worry about being sexually assaulted while under a doctor’s care. These women were in very vulnerable situations and their doctor capitalized on those vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Ryan Trent at the Brea Police Department at 714-990-7618.

Deputy District Attorney Tara Meath of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

OCDA Spitzer says the voters don’t want a “woke” DA

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Editor Posted in 2021 Elections, Elections, Politics, Todd Spitzer 1 Comment

(ORANGE COUNTY, CA) – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced his campaign committee has raised $790,000 as of the June 30 reporting deadline.

The total raised included contributions from 667 individual donors and was $416,496.58 greater than Spitzer’s next closest opponent. The campaign reported $547,373.35 cash on hand.

As Orange County residents look across the county line to Los Angeles, and other major cities around the country, they are becoming increasingly alarmed by the rising crime, murders, rapes, robberies, and brazen illegal acts being committed in broad daylight.

One of the common underlying factors in areas experiencing out-of-control crime: radical district attorneys, including George Gascon and Chesa Boudin, who have turned the criminal justice system upside down and refuse to hold criminals accountable.

The same anti-public safety movement that propelled Gascon and Boudin into office in Los Angeles and San Francisco has now set its sights on Orange County, and residents are responding with overwhelming support for District Attorney Spitzer and the job he has done protecting Orange County during his first term in office.

As the District Attorney of Orange County, Spitzer has prioritized public safety, stood up for victims, put violent criminals behind bars, and pursued common sense reforms to make the criminal justice system more transparent and accountable.

“I am extremely grateful for the support, and so proud of my fellow neighbors for standing up and fighting back to keep Orange County safe,” said District Attorney Spitzer. “Only a fool would look at the rising crime, rampant homelessness, and deterioration of quality of life in places like Los Angeles and say, ‘gee, we should make Orange County more like that!’”

“Nearly 70% of my opponent’s donors are from outside of Orange County, and he has made it abundantly clear he thinks he can buy this election with the help of the same woke billionaires who have propped up radical, pro-criminal District Attorneys around the country. My opponent has no business coming within 1000 feet of the DA’s office – he is not the person he portrays himself to be, and he will be exposed,” Spitzer concluded.

About Todd

OCDA Spitzer has been blowing off the meetings of the OC Commission to end Homelessness

Posted on July 31, 2021 by Editor Posted in 2021 Elections, homeless, OCDA, Pete Hardin, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

SANTA ANA – Today, Pete Hardin’s campaign for Orange County District Attorney released the following statement in response to District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s absence from the Commission to End Homelessness’ July meeting, despite his status as a voting member. The commission has cancelled more than half of its scheduled meetings since 2020, with Spitzer having only attended two of the meetings that took place.

“This is an office whose leader continues to employ 40- and 50-year-old techniques to crime that have been shown to exacerbate behavioral health conditions and their nexus to homelessness,” said former Marine Judge Advocate Pete Hardin. “Orange County’s DA can’t be bothered to even show up to work collaboratively to address this issue, so it’s really no surprise that homelessness and crime have continued to climb on his watch.”

“The Commission to End Homelessness should begin inviting the media to its meetings to incentivize TV Todd to show up, as the deteriorating conditions on our streets have proven to be an insufficient motivator. Orange County needs a DA that is willing to put the work in and lead on this issue. We must break the cycle of low-level offending behavior that churns people through our jails and back to our streets. Todd Spitzer’s approach is to ignore it.”

Orange County’s rapidly changing electorate has led Democrats to now outnumber Republicans in Orange County holding a 4.1% voter registration advantage.

Two homeless men convicted of a fatal assault on a man at Santiago Park in Santa Ana

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, homeless, OCDA, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

A homeless man, Daniel Gallegos, 48-years-old, was convicted by an O.C. Superior Court Jury of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in relation to the killing of another homeless man, Cesar Gamaliel Gonzalez, 39-years-old, at Santiago Park, in north Santa Ana.

A third homeless man, Gustavo Nunez, 33-years-old, was also convicted, of an assault with a deadly weapon charge, in relation to the killing of Gonzalez.

The three men lived at Santiago park and were part of a group of about two-dozen homeless people who regularly squatted at the abandoned office building that used to be located next to the park, at 2525 N. Main St. The adjacent neighborhood refused to allow a developer to turn the office building into a luxury apartment building. The developer then left the building vacant but the homeless in the area gravitated to it immediately. The building has since been razed by the developer.

When the SAPD responded to calls about a homeless man being attacked at the park they found Gonzalez who had suffered six stab wounds and multiple lacerations to his face. He died but before passing he told the responding police officers that he did not “rape anybody.”

Police investigators were able to piece together what happened to Gonzalez.

A friend of Gonzalez told the police officers that Gonzales had falsely been accused of raping a girl at the park. The friend also told the police that he had overheard Gallegos say that Gonzalez deserved to be killed.

A homeless woman who the police later identified as Lisa Marie Herrera had called Gallegos to report seeing Gonzalez outside the abandoned office building, according to Gonzalez’ friend.

The prosecutor told the jury that Gallegos and Nunez armed themselves with metal pipes and chased after Gonzalez. They struck him and then Gallegos used what was referred to as a “Rambo” style knife to stab Gonzalez.

The defense attorneys for Gallegos and Nunez asserted in court that the homeless friend of Gonzalez lacked credibility. They also told the jury that a 911 caller had reported seeing as many as ten people attacking Gonzalez, not just the two suspects. The defense attorneys also wondered if the friend of Gonzalez was in any way minimizing his own potential role in the altercation. The jury was also told that the pipes and knife allegedly used in the beating were never found by the police.

The jury still moved to convict Gallegos and Nunez and they are due to return to court for sentencing on Oct. 1.

Herrera, the homeless woman who was accused of calling Gallegos to tell him where Gonzalez was, prior to the fatal beating, will be tried at a later time in a separate trial, on a deadly weapon charge. Apparently she has health issues that prevented her from being tried with Gallegos and Nunez.

Santa Ana man charged in 4th of July fireworks explosion that burned the corneas of two little boys

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, Fires, Garden Grove, Santa Ana Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Santa Ana man has been charged with lighting illegal fireworks and causing a Fourth of July explosion that left a 4-year-old with a burned cornea and an 8-year-old with second-degree burns and a burned cornea. Several other children and adults suffered burns to their faces and scalps as a result of the explosion.

Frank Lazcano Lopez, 46, of Santa Ana, has been charged with two felony counts of explosion causing mayhem and great bodily injury, one felony count of explosion of a destructive device causing bodily injury, and one felony count of dissuading a witness by force or threat.

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

Lopez is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility on $1 million bail.

Just after 11 p.m. on July 4, 2021, Garden Grove police were called to Rosita Place and San Juan Place in Garden Grove to respond to a large explosion that injured several people, including young children, watching fireworks. Several people, including several children, were rushed to the hospital to be treated for their injuries, including two brothers, 4 –years-old and 8-years-old, who both suffered burns to their corneas. The 8-year-old also suffered second-degree burns around his eye.

The explosion caused significant damage to several nearby cars and shattered windows. A man, later identified as Lopez, is accused of igniting the fireworks and threatening a witness to force him to delete photos of the damages caused by the explosion.

Lopez was arrested by Garden Grove police on Thursday, July 8, 2021.

“The injuries suffered by these innocent children were completely preventable,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “Every year, law enforcement and fire officials warn the public about the dangers of illegal fireworks – and every year people suffer injuries they should never have suffered if they had listened to our warnings. This time it is very young children who were forced to suffer the very real and very painful effects of illegal fireworks. And children should never have to suffer as a result of the irresponsible acts of an adult.”

Deputy District Attorney Deborah Kwon of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

Texas real estate developer charged with raping two teenagers in Orange County

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Editor Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Orange County Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 63-year-old Texas real estate developer has been charged with sexually assaulting two 16-year-old girls vacationing with him in Laguna Beach, including raping one of the teenagers while she was unconscious. The Orange County charges were filed a day after authorities in Texas filed a felony sexual assault charge against him involving a 16-year-old girl in his Dallas-area home.

William Hutchinson, 63, of Highland Park, Texas, has been charged with one felony count of rape of an unconscious person and five misdemeanor counts of sexual battery for incidents involving two 16-year-old girls.

He faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison and 2 1/2 years in the Orange County Jail.

Hutchinson turned himself in to Highland Park, Texas police on Wednesday, July 7 and was later released on a $30,000 bond. An Orange County arrest warrant has been issued for Hutchinson.

Hutchinson is accused of bringing the two 16-year-old girls on vacation to his Laguna Beach home on two different occasions in April. He is accused of raping one of the girls while she was unconscious and committing four acts of sexual battery against the girl. When the victim declined to return to Laguna Beach again, Hutchinson is accused of returning to his vacation home with the other 16-year-old girl at the end of May and committing sexual battery against her during the trip.

Deputy District Attorney Raquel Cooper of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.