• O.C. freelance photographer arrested on suspicion of abusing a minor female

    Stanton, Calif. (Dec. 11, 2025) On Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail (SVD) investigators arrested Steven Jourdan Castro, 29, of Chino Hills, following allegations he engaged in inappropriate communication with a minor female between September and November 2025. In November 2025, SVD investigators were contacted by the victim’s parents after they…
    Source
  • O.C. bible study leader arrested for allegedly abusing a young male victim

    (Dec. 11, 2025) On Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail (SVD) investigators arrested Cameron Taylor Heath, 39, following an investigation into allegations of child s*xual abuse involving a male victim who was 12 to 13 years old at the time of the reported incidents. In early October 2025, deputies responded to a call for service.
    Source
  • The SAPD is trying to identify a man who stole $700 worth of merch from a Target store

    While shoppers were out taking advantage of Black Friday sales, a male suspect was looking for a free-for-all, according to the SAPD. Detectives are attempting to identify this suspect, who stole approximately $700 worth of merchandise from the Target on S. Bristol Street. When security attempted to stop him, he fled in an older model white, Toyota Tundra.
    Source
  • A probationer was arrested on narcotics charges after an O.C. traffic stop

    The Orange County Sheriff’s Stanton Specialized Enforcement Team (SET) deputies rolled upon an occupied vehicle. After learning the subject was on Federal Probation, the deputies conducted a search and discovered approximately six pounds of illegal narcotics and $4,000 in cash hidden on the subject and inside the vehicle. Here are the criminal penalties the suspect may face under…
    Source
  • Advertisement

  • Man arrested for fatal stabbing of a man at a Santa Ana Pollo Campero drive-thru

    UPDATE: (December 11, 2025) — Santa Ana Police Detectives have arrested Diego Sartori, a 35-year-old Anaheim man, for a fatal stabbing of a man in the drive-through of a Pollo Campero restaurant. On Saturday, December 6, 2025, at approximately 4:36 p.m., Santa Ana Police officers responded to the drive-thru of Pollo Campero, located at 2320 S. Bristol Street, after receiving a report of a man…
    Source
  • Anaheim man arrested on DUI charges after driving into 8 high school athletes

    Anthony Alva-Palafox, a 27-year-old Anaheim man, has been identified as the suspect who crashed into several members of Anaheim High School’s track team as they were standing on the sidewalk of an intersection, on Wednesday, just before 3 p.m. Alva-Palafox was allegedly drunk when the incident happened. The athletes injured by the collision were on a training run.
    Source
  • An auto theft suspect was arrested in a drainage tunnel in Orange

    Last week, a male suspect tried to steal a car at a business near Hewes and N. Rancho Santiago and then fled, according to the Orange Police Department. He didn’t account for two huge obstacles: an alert employee and his own terrible escape plan. Realizing he was outmatched, the suspect ditched his bicycle in the creek-bed and he was then taken into custody by officers who followed…
    Source
  • The Costa Mesa Police will conduct a DUI and CDL Checkpoint on Dec. 12

    COSTA MESA, Calif. (Dec. 10, 2025) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) will be conducting a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. within the city limits. Checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is not to…
    Source
  • Advertisement

  • Final reminder to pay Secured O.C. Property Taxes by December 10

    SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich is issuing a final reminder to property owners to act now and avoid late penalties. The last day to pay the first installment of FY 2025-26 secured property taxes without incurring a 10% late penalty is December 10, 2025. Taxpayers are encouraged to pay securely online by eCheck (no service fee)at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov.
    Source
  • City of Santa Ana celebrates new Santiago Park improvements

    ANTA ANA, Calif. – The City of Santa Ana celebrated the completion of the latest improvements at Santiago Park on Tuesday, Dec. 9, as part of its ongoing investment in this important community and ecological space along Santiago Creek. Santa Ana City Councilmembers and State representatives joined community members for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the park where they learned about the new…
    Source
  • Santa Ana Olympian Ed Caruthers inducted into the O.C. Hall of Fame

    Santa Ana, CA (December 9, 2025) – Today, ten prominent individuals who have significantly contributed to the fabric of Orange County’s rich cultural, societal and professional landscape were inducted into the 2025 Class of the Orange County Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony, conducted by Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee and the entire Board of Supervisors…
    Source
  • The Huntington Beach Police Department will conduct a DUI and CDL Checkpoint on Dec. 18

    The Huntington Beach Police Department will hold a CDL/DUI Checkpoint on Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city limits. Checkpoint locations are chosen based on DUI crash and arrest history. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired.
    Source
  • Man accused of stealing purses during moves in Orange County arrested

    A resident recently had her purse stolen by an individual she hired to help with her move to Rancho Santa Margarita, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s RSM Police Services. Thanks to the victim’s neighbor’s surveillance video, the suspect vehicle was identified and later located in Long Beach. Further investigation revealed this subject was associated to similar cases out of Coto…
    Source
  • Man fatally stabbed at a Santa Ana Pollo Campero drive-thru identified

    Police Detectives are conducting a homicide investigation regarding a 43-year-old man who was stabbed and killed in the drive-through of a Pollo Campero restaurant, according to the SAPD. On Saturday, December 6, 2025, at approximately 4:36 p.m., Santa Ana Police officers responded to the drive-through of Pollo Campero, located at 2320 S. Bristol Street, after receiving a report of a man down…
    Source
  • O.C. home invasion suspect arrested in Las Vegas

    SANTA ANA, Calif. – A manhunt for the last of seven defendants who carried out a brazen early morning home invasion robbery and kidnapping in Irvine that left residents duct taped and held at gunpoint in an attempt to steal millions of dollars in cryptocurrency has come to an end with the fugitive’s arrest in Las Vegas as part of a multi-agency, multi-month effort by the Irvine Police Department…
    Source
  • An auto theft suspect was arrested in coastal Orange County

    Shortly after midnight, poice officers spotted a vehicle reported stolen out of a nearby city while patrolling PCH near Warner, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department. The police officers initiated a high-risk traffic stop, and the driver quickly pulled over without incident. The driver was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. The suspect was male.
    Source
  • Santa Ana man arrested for stealing Apple products from a vehicle in Irvine

    Yesterday, police officers investigated a theft on Watermarke Place, where an Apple MacBook and AirPods were stolen from a vehicle, according to the Irvine Police Department. Luckily, Apple’s “Find My” feature was working “mac-nificently.” The officers were able to track the items to Santa Ana and spoke to a man in the ping’s location. After hitting the “Play Sound” button…
    Source
  • The Fountain Valley Police will conduct a CDL and DUI Checkpoint on Dec. 19

    On December 19, 2025, the Fountain Valley Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver license checkpoint on Warner Ave. near Brookhurst St. DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the…
    Source
  • Driver high on laughing gas gets arrested in north Orange County

    A resident called the poilce about a suspicious occupied vehicle in their neighborhood, according to the Fullerton Police Department. When the police officers arrived, they contacted a 50-year-old male who wasn’t exactly in the mood to follow directions. Instead of listening, he ignored every command…mostly because he was too busy taking repeated hits from a NOS tank while officers…
    Source
  • The Buena Park Police are increasing DUI enforcement from Dec. 12 until New Year’s Day 

    The holiday season is here, and with it comes a reminder from the Buena Park Police Department: celebrate responsibly and never drive impaired. Starting December 12 through New Year’s Day, Buena Park officers will increase patrols and conduct additional enforcement as part of the National “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety…
    Source
  • The Tustin Police will conduct a DUI Checkpoint on Dec. 12

    On December 12, 2025, the Tustin Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) Checkpoint from 6 p.m. to Enter 12 a.m. at an undisclosed location. DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.
    Source
  • Anaheim officers fatally shot a male suspect and arrested 12 others on Saturday night

    Two police officers were patrolling the 800 block of South Philadelphia Street in Anaheim on Saturday night when they came across several subjects in front of a residence. This led to a confrontation. Both of the officers suffered minor injuries during this incident, according to the Anaheim Police Department. The APD did not divulge what exactly led to the confrontation.
    Source
  • A man was fatally stabbed in the drive-thru at a Pollo Campero restaurant in Santa Ana

    A man was stabbed in the drive-thru lane of the Pollo Campero restaurant, located at 2320 S. Bristol St., in Santa Ana on Saturday, Dec. 6. He later died at a hospital, according to the SAPD. Police officers responded to the Pollo Campero restaurant at about 4:30 p.m. after a man called 911 after he he saw a man who was lying down in the drive-thru. The SAPD police investigators…
    Source
  • An O.C. third striker got 25 years to life in prison for brutally attacking his wife

    SANTA ANA – A convicted child m*lester third-striker who has spent nearly 40 years in prison for committing heinous acts of violence, including slitting his girlfriend’s throat and stabbing her five-year-old daughter’s eye out, has been sentenced to 25 years to life for brutally attacking his wife. The woman only managed to escape by banging on her neighbors’ doors while bloody and nearly n*de, begging for help.Gary Blane Bentley, 65, of La Palma, was convicted on Septemb
  • A domestic violence suspect was arrested at an O.C. hotel

    Police officers recently responded to a disturbance at a local hotel after an employee overheard two guests arguing, according to the Fountain Valley Police Department.The investigation revealed the couple’s verbal argument had escalated into a physical assault, and the suspect attempted to prevent the victim from leaving or calling for help.The suspect was arrested for felony domestic violence and false imprisonment, with additional charges requested.
    An Emergency Protective Order was gra
  • Two repeat retail theft suspects were arrested in coastal O.C.

    On Saturday evening, two individuals walked into two different stores, grabbed several hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise, made zero attempt to pay, and walked right out the door, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.Fortunately, the NBPD has a strong partnership with local businesses, and they called them immediately. The responding police officers quickly located the suspects and took them into custody.
    As it turns out… both suspects already had prior theft convi
  • A coastal O.C. traffic stop led to an arrest and the seizure of several illegal guns and ammo

    Just after 1:59 a.m. on August 20, 2025, an officer on patrol in the area of San Joaquin Hills Road and Jamboree Road noticed something unusual, a red Ford pickup driving with registration that had been expired for 12 years, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.The officer initiated a traffic stop and contacted a single male driver in the vehicle.During the investigation, the officer found a set of brass knuckles inside the driver’s door, and that was only the beginning.With as
  • The SAPD arrested seven while targeting three smoke shops

    The Santa Ana Police Department’s Directed Enforcement Unit carried out a triple operation yesterday, targeting three smoke shops in the City.
    The results:
    7 arrests for outstanding warrants, illegal nitrous oxide sales, and gambling-related offenses$4,500 in seized cash621 NOS canisters2,000 flavored vapes3,500 assorted flavored tobacco productsHere are the likely penalties under California law for the offenses mentioned:
    Outstanding WarrantsArrest warrants do not expire and require a cou
  • A car in north O.C. rolled over with eight teenagers in it

    Saturday night, police officers responded to a rollover collision involving eight teenagers packed into one vehicle.
    The incident has understandably drawn media attention, and while it had the potential to be devastating, the FPD is thankful to report that all eight walked away with only complaints of pain, bumps, bruises, and minor abrasions.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fullerton Police Department (@fullerton_pd)
    Crashes like this highlight an important truth: teen drivers face s
  • Suspects on the run after running over a boy on an e-bike in Anaheim

    The Anaheim Police are searching for several suspects who ran out of a car after they struck an e-bike that was being ridden by a 12-year-old boy, on Sunday night.Police officers responded to East North Street and North Topeka Street about 8:45 p.m., according to the Anaheim Police.The boy was hospitalized and treated for a broken leg and bruises.Police investigators believe the driver ran a stop sign and then continued driving for about a block after the crash, when the suspects ditched the car
  • O.C. Sheriff deputies arrested three suspects and recovered $750K worth of stolen jewelry

    Earlier this month, both O.C. Sheriff Lake Forest Specialized Enforcement Teams (SET) wrapped up a VERY shiny shift- arresting three suspects and recovering $750,000 of stolen jewelry. That’s right… three quarters of a million dollars!After a police radio broadcast, notifying the robbery suspects from a nearby city may be in the area, the Lake Forest deputies snapped into action, spotting the suspect vehicle on the south bound 5 freeway.As deputies initiated a high risk traffic stop
  • Three California pest control companies will pay $3.15M for hazardous waste violations

    SANTA ANA – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, along with 11 other District Attorneys across California, announced the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has reached a $3.15 million settlement with Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Orkin Services of California, and Crane Pest Control.  This settlement resolves allegations the companies violated state laws involving the unlawful disposal of pesticides, hazardous waste, and the allegations these companies failed to
  • A pedestrian pushing a wheelchair was fatally struck by a vehicle in north O.C.

    On Sunday, November 23, 2025, at approximately 6:43 PM, Fullerton Police Officers responded to the area of S. Gilbert Street and W. Orangethorpe Avenue regarding a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
    Officers arrived and located an adult male pedestrian in the roadway with injuries.Fullerton Fire Department personnel provided medical aid and transported him to a nearby hospital.
    Sadly, his condition later declined, and he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.
    The driver
  • CHP officers fatally shot an armed suspect after a pursuit that began in Buena Park

    The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Saturday morning following a high-speed pursuit that began in Buena Park and ended in Oceanside, according to the Buena Park Police Department.The incident started at approximately 12:47 a.m., when Buena Park Police attempted to stop a gray 2005 Cadillac CTS for a traffic violation. The driver refused to yield, sparking a chase that continued southbound on Interstate 5, where CHP officers assume
  • The woman killed by a trash truck in Santa Ana this week was a cancer survivor

    Maria Rubalcava de Ruesga, the 69-year-old woman who was killed by a Republic Services trash truck in Santa Ana earlier this week had beaten pancreatic cancer prior to her fatal accident, according to a GoFundMe page launched by her family.Here are the comments posted by her family:
    On Wednesday, November 19th, our family received the heartbreaking news that our mother had been struck by a vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. For those who knew her, you know how loving, caring, and stro
  • Santa Ana DUI driver sentenced for killing a little boy and injuring his father, mother and sisters

    SANTA ANA – A man who was driving with a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit was sentenced today to 16 years and four months in state prison after admitting he hit and killed a 5-year-old boy and seriously injured the boy’s father and six-year-old sister while they were riding bikes with his mother and 7-month-old sister in Garden Grove.A driver who witnessed the crash followed the driver after he drove away until police stopped him.Ceferino Ascencion Ramos, 30,
  • CalOptima Health will host a free Thanksgiving food distribution in Orange on Saturday

    CalOptima Health is making sure members don’t go hungry this Thanksgiving. Registered members will receive their choice of a turkey or ham, along with traditional side dish items, on Saturday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CalOptima Health headquarters in Orange.
    Non-members attending will receive free food boxes provided by a local food pantry, while supplies last.More than 1,000 members are expected to attend.CalOptima Health is proud to partner with community organizations t
  • Convicted felon busted with drugs and a firearm at a Buena Park Motel

    On November 17, the Orange County Sheriff’s Stanton Specialized Enforcement Team (SET) located a stolen vehicle occupied by two individuals and conducted surveillance as it entered the Colony Inn Motel in the City of Buena Park.A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, a firearm, and ammunition.
    The driver was identified as a convicted felon and was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail on multiple charges.Here are the l
  • Two New Yorkers were arrested for stealing from an Apple store in Irvine

    Target’s loss prevention first spotted two suspects as they were trying to break through a security device, according to the Irvine Police Department.When that didn’t work, they wandered over to Apple, where security immediately recognized one of them from a theft in Brea earlier that day: the same outfit, the same shoes, the same criminal energy.Inside the store, one suspect grabbed an iPhone 17 Pro Max and walked out like it was launch day, and he had VIP status.Their car turned ou
  • The Orange Police are conducting a CDL and DUI Checkpoint tonight

    The Orange Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint tonight, at 1800 W. Chapman Avenue, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-relat
  • The SAPD rescued a dog that was abused and cited its owner

    On November 13th, the SAPD received multiple reports about a social media post showing a disturbing animal abuse incident.
    The video shows a man restraining his dog by the snout and collar before punching it with a closed fist in the throat.
    Over the weekend, SAPD officers conducted an investigation into the alleged abuse and determined that the man and the dog lived in Santa Ana.
    Yesterday, SAPD officers, along with our Animal Control Unit, conducted follow-up, and the pit bull/Great Dane mix,
  • Repeat O.C. DUI offender charged with murder in death of teen on way to class

    SANTA ANA, Calif. –  Bradley Gene Funk, a 59-year-old man with two prior driving under the influence convictions, has been charged with murder for hitting and killing a 13-year-old boy in Dana Point on Tuesday morning as the sixth-grader was walking to school with his older brother.Funk, who is currently on probation for a 2021 driving under the influence and hit and run conviction, was arrested after witnesses helped deputies find him several blocks from where he hit the boy in his d
  • An Anaheim man was arrested after brutally carjacking a woman and crashing her car

    Yesterday afternoon, a woman called 911 and reported someone was forcefully taking her car from her in a parking lot near Euclid St and Katella Ave., according to the Anaheim Police Department.
    The suspect ran up to her vehicle, pulled her from the driver’s seat, assaulted her, and drove off in her Toyota 4-Runner. As he fled, he also caused a collision with another vehicle.Within minutes, officers found the 4-Runner unoccupied and the suspect running from the area. The officers gave chase
  • Two North O.C. traffic stops led to arrests and seizure of drugs, drug paraphernalia and cash

    What starts as a simple vehicle stop can lead to major discoveries—as seen in two recent incidents, according to the Orange County Sheriff Department’s North Patrol.On October 24, at around 11 p.m., North SET Deputies conducted a vehicle stop in unincorporated North Orange County, recovering approximately 40 grams of fentanyl, 30 Xanax bars, 10 grams of methamphetamine, and $538 in U.S. currency.The following day, on October 25, deputies conducted a vehicle stop in Midway City, locat
  • The SAPD seeks public’s help to identify suspect in auto shop assault

    Detectives are seeking the community’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a recent assault, according to the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD).On September 22, 2025, at approximately 1:10 p.m., a suspect entered a local auto repair shop, momentarily spoke to the victim, and then suddenlty struck him in the face.
    The suspect then entered the passenger side of a gray, Honda Accord, and due to the tinted windows, the driver was not seen.The victim sustained minor injuries to his eye a
  • Burglary crew that targeted Ulta Beauty stores arrested in Irvine

    Last Friday, two shoplifting suspects stole from an Ulta store in a nearby city, according to the Irvine Police Department.
    A couple of hours later, the IPD’s Real Time Crime Center was alerted that the suspect vehicle was driving near the Irvine Spectrum.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Irvine Police Department (@irvinepolice)
    The IPD Spectrum Officers alerted Sephora Loss Prevention, who spotted the man and woman running from their store. The IPD drone then followed them overh
  • Maserati driving fraudster who targeted college students arrested by the Irvine Police

    Last week, police detectives arrested Mario Simonte, 34, of Montclair, in connection with a series of scams targeting college students across Southern California, according to the Irvine Police Department.Simonte approached students near campuses and claimed he urgently needed to borrow cash to return to Italy.He drove the victims to an ATM to withdraw cash. He handed out illegitimate business cards, counterfeit perfume, and Apple products as a false gesture of good faith, but never reimbursed t
  • Suspect who looks like a Backstreet Boy wanted for package theft in Irvine

    A suspect followed an Amazon driver into a secured apartment mailroom on Spectrum and walked out with packages that weren’t his, according to the Irvine Police Department.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Irvine Police Department (@irvinepolice)
    The Irvine Police thought the suspect looked like AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys.If you recognize him, contact Officer Paulsen at [email protected] are the potential penalties the suspect could face under California law:
  • O.C. man who targeted small children convicted after being lured by a police officer

    SANTA ANA, Calif. –  Jason Valentine Esparza, a 60-year-old man accused of grooming women to babysit children as young as four years old and bring them to hotels so that he could m*lest them, has been convicted of m*lesting two young children and arranging for a four-year-old child to be brought to an Orange County motel for the child to be drugged and s*xually assaulted. 
    The woman he thought he was communicating with turned out to be a Huntington Beach police detective. Th
  • The SAPD is conducting a CDL and DUI Checkpoint on Friday, Nov. 21

    The Santa Ana Police Department has announced a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025, starting at 6:00 p.m. and continuing until 1:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city.Why This MattersThe checkpoint is part of an ongoing effort to reduce impaired driving crashes. Locations are chosen based on data showing where DUI-related incidents are most frequent. The primary goal: keep impaired drivers off the road and protect public safety.Not Just

Follow @SantaAna_News_ on Twitter!