Two men who apparently became friends as they were being released from Orange County Jail found themselves back behind bars in Santa Ana hours later, according to authorities.
Jose Manuel Ortiz, 35, of Winnetka, and Ryan Irwin Tischer, 37, of Anaheim, are suspected of stealing a van, breaking into a Santa Ana city worker's car and trying to rob a Santa Ana cop.
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These real men of genius met while being released from jail Wednesday evening before deciding to go out and slam some drinks. Next they stole a 1994 Ford Econoline van parked in the 1000 block of West 2nd Street, according to Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, the department spokesman.
For reasons that might be clearer to someone who has slammed drinks and taken a van, Ortiz and Tischer returned to the area near the jail, which is also close to the Santa Ana Police Department. There they are accused of breaking into a city employee's car and taking miscellaneous items such as a flashlight and key chain, Bertagna told City News Service.
Just after midnight Thursday, Ortiz allegedly went solo, attempting to steal the cell phone of a Santa Ana police officer who was talking to other cops in the parking garage. When the lawman refused to hand over his phone, Ortiz is claimed to have charged him, Bertagna said.
The officer eventually subdued Ortiz and during booking another cop realized the attacker had some of the items previously stolen from the city worker's car, according to Bertagna. That led officers to the stolen van.
Guess who was standing next to it? Tischer!
Ortiz was held in lieu of $50,000 bail on grand theft auto, taking a vehicle without the owner's permission, vehicle theft with a prior conviction, possession of stolen property and attempted robbery charges.
Tischer is accused of grand theft auto, taking a vehicle without the owner's permission and possession of stolen property. He was held without bail on a parole hold.
At least they can now bunk together.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.