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OCDA Spitzer confirms there was sexual harassment in his office

Posted on by Posted in Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer issued the following statement today:

An independent outside law firm hired by the County’s CEO conducted an investigation and concluded what the Orange County District Attorney’s Office had previously uncovered and disclosed to the County: a former OCDA manager sexually harassed several female prosecutors in the office.

The independent investigation concluded that in response to learning of these allegations, the OCDA responded promptly, appropriately, and no employee was subjected to retaliation.

As soon as allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior came to our attention, we initiated an immediate investigation with OCDA HR. This fact is indisputable and is confirmed by the report.

The employee accused of harassment was immediately put on leave after an initial investigation by OCDA and consultation and direction by County HR and EEO. The employee chose to submit his resignation the same day after being placed on Administrative Leave.

I have been unequivocally clear that I never personally witnessed the alleged behavior or anything similar during my interactions with this former employee or was I ever told of any such behavior. Had I been aware of these allegations at any time, I would have taken swift and decisive action.

We can now once and for all put to rest the false perception that I or my Senior Executives had any knowledge of these disgusting acts prior to any witnesses coming forward.

I am sickened by this manager’s offensive and base behavior. No one should have to suffer in silence and these prosecutors will be protected by me and my office. I am further incensed and enraged that the manager engaged in discrimination and harassment against others.

Office-wide anti-harassment trainings of all staff and additional training for managers has been an on-going state law requirement. We have ensured that all attorneys and employees have been trained and are encouraged to report misconduct at multiple levels: to their managers, their unions, the EEO and County and OCDA HR depending on the comfort level of the employee.

I subscribe to these core beliefs and have upheld them every day of my professional career for more than three decades:

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office does not tolerate harassment of any kind in the workplace. We have and will continue to support anyone who believes he or she has been harassed. 

I have an established track record of holding employees accountable regardless of any pre-existing relationship they may have with me. 

Any allegation of harassment in the workplace – irrespective of the timing, potential motive, or interpersonal relationships – has and will continue to be fully and thoroughly investigated by my office.

For the last 30 years as a public servant, I have refused to tolerate harassment and racism in the workplace – and I refuse to tolerate it now. That is not rhetoric; it is a fact.

A fight broke out at a Free Tatiana protest against the OCDA in Costa Mesa

Posted on by Posted in African Americans, Civil Rights, Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

Yesterday, April 29, at around 7:30 p.m., about 10 demonstrators were present at a reception for a Orange County official, in Costa Mesa. That official has been identified as Todd Spitzer, the Orange County District Attorney.

Costa Mesa police officers responded to fighting at a nearby parking lot at the 400 block of E. 17th St. The police officers made contact and took a report of assault and battery involving demonstrators and two other individuals.

A man involved in the incident was transported by Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue to a nearby hospital for treatment of what is believed to be minor injuries.

All of the parties were interviewed. No arrests were made and this is now an open investigation. No further details were released by the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The Costa Mesa Police Department Dispatch did not receive any calls from the public about this incident. Officers in the area monitoring the event observed the fight and responded immediately.

Tatiana Turner

The demonstrators were apparently upset about the incarceration of Tatiana Turner and were heard to be chanting “Free Tatiana.” You can see a video of the fight here. In the video you can see a man spit on a woman at the protest.

Turner, a 40-year-old resident of Long Beach, allegedly used a four-foot rod to repeatedly beat two men who were lying on the ground after they had been attacked by protesters at a Seal Beach demonstration against police brutality in August. The attack in Seal Beach left one of the victims with injuries to his head so severe they required staples, according to the OCDA.

Prosecutors also allege Turner zapped someone with a stun gun at the same September rally in Yorba Linda where she is accused of running over two supporters of then-President Trump, who were staging a counter-protest to her “March 4 Equality” event, according to the L.A. Times.

Turner is being held on one million dollars bail.

Turner’s Long Beach-based “Caravan 4 Justice” had been organizing Black Lives Matter rallies (as well as feeding homeless and registering voters) for a year or so, when they became aware that things were getting a little rough for black folks right across the San Gabriel River in neighboring Seal Beach, that hot summer of George Floyd, according to the Orange Juice Blog. That blog reported that the two men Turner is alleged to have attacked were themselves being a nuisance and attacking demonstrators at a rally Turner was hosting in Seal Beach.

A woman who lost her baby while at the OC Jail will get a $1.5 M settlement

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The O.C. Supervisors agreed to pay a $1.5M settlement with Ciera Stoetling, a woman who lost a baby when it was born while she was in custody at the Orange County Jail. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office in June concluded there was no wrongdoing involved in the death of Stoelting’s baby.

Stoetling was jailed on May 12, 2018, when she lost her baby. She alleged in a Federal lawsuit that she told the jail officials that she was pregnant and was having contractions on May 11, 2018. She pressed an emergency button for help and no one responded to her plea.

A jail nurse then allegedly refused to have Stoetling to a hospital because of a “lack of staff.” Instead Stoetling was taken to a jail infirmary and, amazingly, was told to drink eight cups of water a day on a Saturday and that she could finally see a doctor by Monday. That Sunday was Mother’s Day.

That advice proved deadly as Stoetling ended up giving birth to the baby as she was sitting on the toilet in her cell. The baby died at childbirth.

Stoetling’s lawsuit will be dismissed after she approves the settlement.

The OCDA is providing ongoing victim support to families impacted by the mass shooting in Orange

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement to correct factual misstatements made over the weekend regarding a mass shooting that left four people dead in the city of Orange, including a 9-year-old boy, on March 31, 2021:

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office continues to provide victim advocacy to support the families whose lives were tragically impacted by the events of March 31, 2021. From the very beginning, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has offered to meet with the families when they are ready to do so.

Two victim advocates were immediately assigned by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office following the shooting to help the victims and their loved ones, providing comfort and answers about the court process, including daily updates if requested by family members, as well as assistance with applying for victim services, including burial expenses.

“Every case – and every victim – is different. They are human beings who are suffering immense grief and loss – and no one is going to tell them how to feel,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Mena Guirguis of the Homicide Unit who is prosecuting this case. “The Orange County District Attorney’s Office treats every victim like they deserve to be treated – as individuals. We make sure they know that we are here to support them every step of the way – and it is up to them – and them alone – how and when they utilize those services.”

Victim support services continue to be available to the families who lost loved ones in the shooting as well as the lone survivor of the March 31 shooting.

“These families have suffered in the most unimaginable way and they should be afforded the common decency to grieve in the way they need to grieve. It is sickening that a politician who is ignorant on the facts and clearly has no regard for the victims – or their feelings – would want to force the complexities of a special circumstances murder cases on families who just laid their loved ones to rest,” said Guirguis. “This case is not about headlines or political soundbites. It is about four people who will never be able to go home again and a mother who faces a long road to recovery while grieving the loss of her 9-year-old son.”

The Orange County District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program provides crime victims and witnesses comprehensive services to help navigate the court process while empowering victims of violence.

28-year-old O.C. cold case finally solved as the OCDA clears their sex assault kit backlog

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office continuing efforts to clear a 30-year countywide backlog of untested sexual assault kits has resulted in another cold case conviction, providing justice for a man and woman who were kidnapped at gunpoint 28 years ago by a man claiming to be a police officer.

In recent years, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has been working to address the issues of unsubmitted sexual assault kits from various law enforcement agencies throughout Orange County. Using a $1.86 million grant from the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (“SAKI”), the District Attorney’s Office created Orange County Sexual Assault Forensic Endeavor “OC SAFE” to inventory thousands of sexual assault kits to identify which kits have yet to be tested.

Out of the 6,350 Orange County sexual assault kits inventoried through the OC SAFE program, 3,704 sexual assault kits were identified as being previously untested.  Each of those cases were subsequently reviewed and a total of 1,692 were determined to be eligible to be tested by the Orange County Crime Lab. 

One of the previously untested sexual assault kits that was identified as a result of the SAKI Grant was sent to the Orange County Crime Lab, resulting in the identification of a man suspected in a 1993 kidnapping, rape and robbery.

On the evening of April 4, 1993, Jane Doe and John Doe went on a date.  Following their date, they parked on the street in front of Jane Doe’s home in Stanton and sat in the car talking. In the early morning hours, a man walked up to the vehicle where they were sitting and falsely identified himself as a police officer.  He told them he was investigating prostitution in the area. While holding a gun, the man got into John Doe’s vehicle and he told John Doe to drive to a different location of Stanton where he proceeded to order John Doe out of the vehicle and then sexually assaulted Jane Doe.

Following the sexual assault, the Defendant ordered John Doe back into the vehicle and the man proceeded to drive John Doe’s vehicle with Jane and John Doe still in the vehicle for several hours. During this time, the man demanded the wallets of Jane and John Doe, taking their credit cards, cash, and their driver’s licenses.  He told the couple knew their addresses from the licenses, and he would kill them if they reported him. Eventually, he dropped John and Jane Doe off in Cypress on the side of the road and took John Doe’s car.  Jane and John Doe flagged down a Cypress patrol officer and reported what had happened. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case and Jane Doe was taken for a sexual assault examination.

As part of the Orange County District Attorney’s project “OC SAFE,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case of Jane and John Doe in 2019. Following that review, OCDA submitted Jane Doe’s sexual assault kit for testing by the Orange County Crime Laboratory. Following that testing, the foreign DNA from Jane Doe’s sexual assault kit was uploaded into a national DNA database.  In November of 2019, the OCDA was notified that a DNA comparison had identified a known suspect, Michael Ray Armijo, as the contributor of the foreign DNA from Jane Doe’s sexual assault kit.

Based upon the DNA identification, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against Michael Ray Armijo. On February 18. 2021, a jury convicted Armijo of two felony counts of kidnap to commit robbery and enhancements for personal use of a firearm. The rape could not be charged because the statute of limitations had expired, but prosecutors fought for the maximum sentence, arguing the rape was an aggravating factor because it added violence and threat of additional violence prior to the robbery. Armijo was sentenced last month to the maximum sentence of 24 years to life in state prison.

“Clearing the backlog of sexual assault kits has long been a priority of mine since I was a County supervisor,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Every one of these untested sexual assault kits represents a victim who deserves justice and we are doing everything in our power to test every last kit that is capable of being tested. We will never stop fighting for justice for these victims.”

For detailed information on sexual assault kit testing eligibility and current OC SAFE data, please visit: http://www.occl.ocgov.com/OCSAFE/

This project was supported by Grant No. 2016-AK-BX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Man with prior DUI convictions charged again after a fatal DUI crash in Newport Beach

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime, Newport Beach, OCDA, Public Safety 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 28-year-old Costa Mesa man charged with murder for killing Richard Frost, 74, of Newport Beacha while driving under the influence had three prior driving under the influence convictions and was wanted on warrants on two other driving under the influence cases. He has also been charged in a hit-and-run that occurred shortly before the fatal collision.

Stewart Waithanji was arrested by Costa Mesa police at a nearby bar parking lot shortly after the hit-and-run collision that left the 74-year-old man dead.

Waithanji has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of driving under the influence, one felony count of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, and two misdemeanor counts of hit and run.

Prosecutors have asked for an increased bail of $2 million. He faces a maximum sentence of life if convicted on all charges.

Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021, Costa Mesa police were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident on Newport Boulevard south of 17th Street with witnesses attempting stop the driver from leaving the scene. Officers found an injured 74-year-old man in the street. The man was treated by paramedics and taken to a local hospital where he died.

Witnesses reported the victim was attempting to stop the driver of a silver Chevy Malibu from leaving the scene when he was struck. The driver, later identified as Waithanji, continued driving. He was arrested a short time later in the parking lot of a Los Alamitos bar.

Waithanji was wanted on a warrant on a September 2019 driving under the influence case and also on second warrant for an October 2019 driving under the influence case. He has three prior driving under the influence convictions in Iowa.

“The life of a human being is not something to be discarded and thrown away; a life is something to be celebrated, treasured, and lived to the very fullest,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Yet, a 74-year-old man was left for dead in the middle of the street, tossed aside as if he never mattered, because of the selfish decision of a stranger to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. His life may not have mattered to the driver who left him for dead, but it matters to me and it matters to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. And we will fight for justice for him and everyone who loved him.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

Anaheim man convicted of murdering his wife on Christmas day, in 2011

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Anaheim man was convicted today of second degree murder for killing his wife on Christmas in 2011 and then propping her body on the couch while the woman’s children opened Christmas presents. He had previously spent time in jail for beating his wife.

William Wallace, 39, of Anaheim, was indicted on one felony count of murder by a grand jury in 2012.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2021. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life.

Between Dec. 24, 2011, and Dec. 25, 2011, Wallace used blunt force trauma to the head of his wife, Zazell Preston, 26, rendering her unconscious. The victim’s 3-year-old and 8-year-old daughters from a previous relationship and the couple’s 7-week-old son were in the apartment at the time.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2011, Wallace is accused of calling 911 to report that Preston was in need of medical attention. Responding Anaheim Police Department officers discovered the victim unresponsive. She was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. 

Preston had been taking college classes in hopes of becoming a domestic violence counselor.

“A young mother finally losing her life after years of violence at the hands of her husband is a heart wrenching tragedy,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “That heartbreak is only exacerbated by the fact that her children witnessed much of the violence and were forced to celebrate Christmas in the presence of their dead mother. That is not a Christmas memory any child should be forced to have. Thankfully, Senior District Attorney Heather Brown fought for – and achieved – justice for Zazell Preston. We all have an obligation to speak up against violence of any kind, especially domestic violence where the victims are so fiercely controlled by their abusers. The cycle of domestic violence is a vicious one and I want every victim of domestic violence to know that they are not alone. No one should have to live in fear of violence in their own home.”

Victims of domestic violence can find help through the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and our community partners by visiting the Orange County District Attorney website at http://orangecountyda.org/howdoi/services/resources.asp

Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case. 

Twin YouTube stars plead guilty to charges involving fake Irvine bank robberies

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Twin brothers who star in YouTube videos featuring pranks on unsuspecting people pleaded guilty to misdemeanor false imprisonment and reporting false emergencies in connection with a pair of fake bank robberies in Irvine that resulted in their Uber driver being held at gunpoint by police. The Uber driver was not involved in the prank.

Alan and Alex Stokes, 23 of Irvine, had been each charged with one felony count of false imprisonment effected by violence, menace, fraud, or deceit and two misdemeanor counts of falsely reporting an emergency in connection with the October 15, 2019 pranks.

They each faced a maximum sentence of five years in jail if convicted on all counts.

The guilty pleas were in exchange for a judge reducing the felony false imprisonment charge to a misdemeanor. Prosecutors objected on the record and in a trial brief to the court’s offer to reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor.

The Stokes brothers were each sentenced to 160 hours of community service, one year formal probation, and ordered to pay restitution. The judge also ordered the brothers to stay away from the University of Irvine – the location of one of the crimes – and to stop making videos that mimic criminal behavior.

On October 15, 2019, at about 2:30 p.m., the Stokes brothers are accused of being dressed all in black, wearing ski masks, and carrying duffle bags full of cash as they pretended they had just robbed a bank while their videographer filmed it.

They ordered an Uber and when they got in the vehicle the Uber driver, who was unaware of the prank, refused to drive them. A bystander witnessed this, believing the two men had just robbed a bank and were attempting to carjack the Uber driver.

Irvine police arrived and ordered the Uber driver out at gunpoint. He was released after police determined he was not involved.

Police issued a warning to the Stokes brothers about the dangerousness of their conduct and let them go.

Four hours later the Stokes brothers performed the same kind of prank on the campus of the University of California, Irvine. Police again received emergency calls regarding a potential bank robbery.

“These crimes could have easily resulted in someone being seriously hurt or killed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “An active bank robbery is not a casual police response and these police officers were literally risking their lives to help people they believed were in danger. It is irresponsible and reckless that these two individuals cared more about increasing their number of followers on the internet than the safety of those police officers or the safety of the innocent Uber driver who was ordered out of his car at gunpoint.”

Deputy District Attorney Laila Nikaien of Special Prosecutions prosecuted this case.

Suspect in the mass shooting in Orange charged with 4 counts of murder and 3 counts of attempted murder

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man accused of shooting and killing four people, including a 9-year-old boy, and attempting to kill three more people Wednesday evening after chaining the gates of an Orange business complex closed has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. The suspect suffered gunshot wounds after opening fire on two Orange police officers.

Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44, of Fullerton has been charged with four felony counts of murder, one felony count of attempted murder, and two felony counts of attempted murder of a police officer.

Gaxiola has also been charged with four felony enhancements of the personal discharge of a firearm causing death, one felony enhancement of the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, one felony enhancement of premeditation, one felony enhancement of the personal use of a firearm, one felony enhancement of the personal discharge of a firearm.

Prosecutors are also alleging the special circumstance of multiple murders. Gaxiola is eligible for the death penalty.

On Wednesday, March 31, around 5:34 p.m. a 911 caller reported a man shooting into a business at 202 W. Lincoln Avenue in the City of Orange.

Police arrived minutes later to find the gates to the business’ courtyard had been locked with a bicycle cable-type lock, preventing officers from accessing the property. A man, later identified as Gaxiola, is accused of shooting at the two officers, who returned fire. Gaxiola was wounded.

Officers used bolt cutters to cut the locks and found four people who had been shot to death within the business complex, including a 9-year-old boy. A man and two women were also found dead. A third woman was wounded and taken to a hospital where she remains in critical but stable condition.

The identities of the victims have not been released pending notification of next of kin. Gaxiola and all the adult victims had both personal and business connections to each other.

Gaxiola remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. He is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon from his hospital bed with the hearing livestreamed from Department C5.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred during this incident as is standard with officer-involved shootings and custodial deaths involving the Orange Police Department. The legal conclusions and any relevant body-worn camera footage will be published on the District Attorney’s website at www.orangecountyda.org once the investigation is completed.

“Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces as the community mourns the loss of four innocent lives, including a young boy, as a result of the horrific events that unfolded Wednesday evening and we pray for the recovery of the sole survivor,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The taking of the life of another human being is the most serious of crimes and the slaughter of multiple people while they were essentially locked in a shooting gallery is nothing short of terrifying. We ask our sworn police officers to answer calls for help and race into dangerous situations. Thankfully the police officers who answered the call that day escaped injury. The residents of Orange County can rest assured that the District Attorney’s Office is taking every possible step to ensure that every aspect of this case and the subsequent officer-involved shooting is thoroughly reviewed and that justice will be served for each and every victim.”

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

Convicted sex offender charged with molesting three more girls he met at a literacy program at Washington Elementary

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A registered sex offender convicted of molesting an elementary school student he met through a literacy program has been charged with molesting three more children in the program. Authorities are asking for anyone who information about additional potential victims to contact the Santa Ana Police Department.

Miguel Angel Pineda, 25, of Huntington Beach, has been charged with nine felony counts of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under the age of 14. The nine felonies involve three girls between the ages of 7 and 8 years old who he met while working for the Boys and Girls Club.

Pineda is accused of meeting the three new accusers at Washington Elementary School in Santa Ana when he read to them through the Boys and Girls Club Literacy Program in 2017 and 2018.

Pineda was required to register as a sex offender after he pleaded guilty in 2019 to molesting another student he met through a literacy program run by the Boys and Girls Club, which has since been renamed the Boys and Girls Club of Central Orange Coast.

On March 23, 2021, Santa Ana Police arrested Pineda after three additional girls came forward to report they had been molested by Pineda after meeting him through the literacy program.

Pineda is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail.

“Children are the most vulnerable of victims,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “They trust without question because they have no reason not to trust. But that trust can be manipulated by predators who use it to select and prey on the most innocent of victims. And now these children must live the rest of their lives with the fear that someone who should have been there to help them instead robbed them of their innocence.”

Pineda had access to children through this employment with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Orange Coast and authorities believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Detective Nick Vega at 714-245-8368 or nvega@santa-ana.org or to call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kristin Bracic of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

The ex-husband of a Santa Ana woman beat her to death and now could get the death penalty

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Lake Forest man has been charged with murder for beating his ex-wife to death with a tire iron after she arrived at her job as a nanny in Irvine. The woman died three weeks after the attack.

Omar Velazquezhuar, 45, of Lake Forest, has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of lying in wait to commit murder. The charges make Velazquezhuar eligible for the death penalty.

On February 26, 2021, Velazquezhuar is accused of attacking Dora Maria Rosas Moreno, 48, of Santa Ana, repeatedly in the head with a tire iron after she parked her car to go to her job as a nanny. Velazquezhuar fled the scene, leaving Moreno in critical condition.

Irvine police captured and arrested Velazquezhuar in the attack. On March 1, 2021, prosecutors charged Velazquezhuar with attempted murder.

Moreno died from her injuries on March 17, 2021 and charges were upgraded to murder. Velazquezhuar and Moreno have two adult children together.

Velazquezhuar is scheduled to be arraigned on April 16, 2021 in CJ1. He is currently being held without bail. 

“Our hearts go out to the loved ones of Ms. Moreno as they grapple with the loss of a mother, friend, and caregiver,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “This is an unspeakable act of violence that cost an innocent woman her life. While the heartbreak and pain caused by this depraved act will never go away, we will ensure justice is carried out.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mark Geller of the Family Protection Unit is prosecuting this case.

GoFundMe for the family of the victim.

Santa Ana ex-con convicted of stabbing a man to death

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Darrick Patrick Ocegueda, 45, an ex-con, was convicted again on Tuesday, in Santa Ana, on charges of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of a 24-year-old man following a dispute.

Ocegueda stabbed Daniel Bahena to death last June 21. Ocegueda was on parole at the time after being sentenced to two years in prison for an assault in June of 2018 with a deadly weapon.

In the current case Ocegueda had gotten into an argument with Bahena outside a CVS drug store and the dispute led to a fight.

Unfortunately for Bahena he weighed 80 lbs. less than Ocegueda. The prosecutor said that Ocegueda had the upper hand in the fight.

A friend of Ocegueda used a skateboard to try to shield Bahena, who tried to get away along with a friend.

But Ocegueda was not done with the fight. He went to his SUV and returned with two knives. He then chased Bahena for over a quarter of a mile into an apartment building complex and then stabbed Bahena to death.

Ocegueda is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7.

O.C. CHP officer charged with using confidential police records to help a friend

Posted on by Posted in CHP, Crime, Santa Ana, Todd Spitzer, Westminster 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol officer has been charged with using a department computer to illegally access a confidential law enforcement database to provide vehicle information to a friend who owned a car registration service.

Todd Steaffens, 43, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of computer access and fraud and three misdemeanor counts of disclosing Department of Motor Vehicle information without authorization.

He faces a maximum sentence of three years in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Steaffens has worked for the California Highway Patrol since 2007.

Between February 2020 and July 2020, Steaffens is accused of using a CHP computer at the Westminster office to unlawfully access the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), which provides law enforcement access to national databases maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and others. Any information obtained from the system can be used for official use only.

Between February 2020 and July 2020, Steaffens is accused of accessing CLETS after receiving text messages from a friend who owns Pacific Automotive Services in Los Angeles asking the officer to run the vehicle identification numbers of different vehicles he was interested in buying. Steaffens is accused of providing that information to the owner of Pacific Automotive Services.

“This conduct of misuse of an official confidential law enforcement database to run a friend’s prospective car purchase has to be about the dumbest thing an officer can do to jeopardize his career and criminal record ,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Even minor transgressions such as these must be prosecuted because they are unlawful and still rises to the level of abuse of power.”

Steaffens is scheduled to be arraigned on April 21, 2021 at the Central Justice Center in Department C54.

Deputy District Attorney Dustin Chupurdy of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.

The O.C.D.A. is ready to prosecute a violent sexual predator if the L.A.D.A. drops the charges

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Cochino Alert, Crime, Los Angeles County, OCDA, Todd Spitzer Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has filed special circumstance murder charges against a sexually violent predator for kidnapping a 6-year-old boy from his Anaheim Hills neighborhood, sexually assaulting him and then killing him in 1981. The same defendant is facing charges for kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing a second 6-year-old boy five years later.

Kenneth Kasten Rasmuson, 53, of Sandpoint, Idaho, has been charged in the death of the 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, but newly implemented directives by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon have forced Los Angeles prosecutors to move to dismiss the special circumstances and enhancements in the multiple murder prosecution.

Rasmuson has been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of special circumstances of murder during the commission of a kidnapping, and one felony enhancement of the special circumstances of murder during a lewd or lascivious act on a child under the age of 14. These charges make Rasmuson eligible for the death penalty.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also filed an amicus brief in Los Angeles County Superior Court opposing the Los Angeles District Attorney’s motion to dismiss the special circumstances and enhancement in its multiple murder prosecution of Rasmuson.

On July 2, 1981, 6-year-old Jeffrey David Vargo was riding his bike near his Anaheim Hills home when Rasmuson is accused of kidnapping the boy. Jeffrey Doe’s body was found the next day in Pomona, but it would be 34 years before a suspect would be arrested.

“Jeffrey’s family will have justice,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “I refuse to allow the LADA’s ‘one-size fits all approach’ to prevent the family of a 6-year-old murdered child from achieving the justice that they deserve. His crimes are the stuff of parent’s nightmares and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this pedophile is held accountable for his crimes and is off the streets for the rest of his life. We will not take any chance of having this sexually violent predator come in contact with one more child. If George Gascon refuses to follow the law in prosecuting a pedophile murderer, I will.”

For this reason, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer filed the special circumstances murder charge relating to 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe in Orange County. He stands ready and able to achieve true justice for Jeffrey Doe and his family if Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon refuses to do so.

The fact that Jeffrey Doe was kidnapped from Anaheim Hills provides jurisdiction in Orange County to file charges against Rasmuson in connection with the death of Jeffrey Doe.

Rasmuson has previously served two separate prison terms for molesting an 11-year-old boy he lured into seclusion before sodomizing him and abducting a three-year-old boy from the boy’s front yard in Los Angeles before later sodomizing him and leaving him wandering naked on a street the next day.

Rasmuson kidnapped and sexually assaulted the 11-year-old boy in Santa Barbara County just two months after he is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe who was riding his bike in Anaheim Hills. He had asked the 11-year-old for help finding his handicapped dog.

Rasmuson was convicted of the sexual assault and sentenced to prison. He was designated a mentally disordered offender and was sent to Liberty ConRep in 1985 to receive treatment for his sexual disorder.

While under this supervision, Rasmuson is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and murdering 6-year-old Miguel Doe in Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County in 1985. The Los Angeles County District Attorney has filed murder charges against Rasmuson in connection with 6-year-old Miguel Doe and 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe of Anaheim Hills.

A year after the murder of 6-year-old Miguel Doe, Rasmuson abducted a 3-year-old boy from his front yard. The boy was found the next day, naked and wandering on the street alone. 

Rasmuson was sentenced to 17 years in state prison for kidnapping the 3-year-old boy, but the murders of 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe and 6-year-old Miguel Doe remained unsolved.

After serving his prison sentence, he was designated a sexually violent predator and was committed to Atascadero State Hospital to receive treatment. He was released from Atascadero in 2007.

Rasmuson was arrested on suspicion of murder in Sandpoint, Idaho on March 27, 2015 after DNA collected from 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe’s shirt connected him to the murder. Los Angeles County prosecutors also filed murder charges against Rasmuson in connection with the death of 6-year-old Miguel Doe of Agoura Hills.

Orange County District Attorney Special Prosecutor Pat Dixon is prosecuting this case. District Attorney Spitzer will appear with his team at the Pomona Courthouse on Monday, February 22, 2021 to argue against the dismissal of the special circumstances and enhancements in Los Angeles County’s prosecution of Rasmuson.

The OCDA calls for an end to systemic racism in criminal justice and ending mass incarceration

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer today released a series of guiding principles for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office regarding the role of the prosecutor in our society.

In releasing these policy positions and initiatives, District Attorney Spitzer is calling on all elected California district attorneys to have a conversation about how prosecutors can address systemic racism in the criminal justice system and end mass incarceration.

“We as a society have engaged in systemic mass incarceration. As a prosecutor, I will stop it. We as a society have prosecuted people of color differently. As a prosecutor, I will stop it,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We cannot fix a systematic problem without a systematic approach. That approach must be thoughtful, thorough, and include different perspectives, different experiences, and different ideas. Justice is not evidenced by the longest sentence; justice is what is best for the individual, the victim, and society as a whole.”

District Attorney Spitzer’s policy positions and initiatives include:

  • End mass incarceration
  • Establish a Conviction Integrity Unit
  • Establish Recidivism Reduction Units that address an individual’s chances for success
  • Support mental health diversion when practical to address underlying issues with programming
  • Support dual 911 dispatch with mental health response and training to 911 calls seeking psychiatric assistance
  • Support policies that prevent law enforcement agencies from investigating their own officer-involved shootings
  • Ban the use of carotid holds by law enforcement within the Orange County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and support the ban of carotid holds across all District Attorney Investigation Bureaus
  • Response to “Defund the Police” is to require local jurisdictions to support and advocate for sufficient community resources that support the above principles and initiatives that reduce recidivism and provide equal opportunities for all.

From Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s The Role of a Prosecutor:

“Seeking justice means we must constantly ask ourselves whether the system in which we hold so much power is working in a fair way for all people, from all backgrounds, experiences and beliefs, and who may or may not be citizens of this country. Where the system fails to be fair, we fail to be fair unless we improve the system. And where we have failed, we must acknowledge those failures as important steps in improving our own work, and the system of justice in which we do that work.”

District Attorney Spitzer’s The Role of a Prosecutor and the Role of the Orange County District Attorney in our Society: Policy Positions and Promotion of Initiatives can be found on www.orangecountyda.org.