Buena Park

Noel Carrasco Guilty of Murdering and Robbing Man Promised Sex by His Butt Fugly Mother

The son of one of the Weekly's all-time ugliest police mugshot winners (Ladies Division) has, just like dear ol' mom, been convicted of murder and robbery.A jury today found Noel Carrasco, 26, of Buena Park, guilty of killing a man his mother somehow, miraculously lured from a nightclub to a motel r ... More >>

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Derailed for Nine Months

Yesterday we told you about Knott's Berry Farm's Timber Mountain Log Ride, which opened in July 1969, undergoing a multimillion-dollar makeover starting this month.Now comes word Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which opened in September 1979, is getting a $4 million rehab itself beginnin ... More >>

Knott's Berry Farm Stagecoach Flips, Injuring 3 Riders

Three people were hospitalized after a stagecoach ride at Knott's Berry Farm lost a wheel and flipped Sunday afternoon.But the injuries were minor, according to officials at the Buena Park theme park, whose ride was carrying 14 passengers at the time.

4 Get Prison Time (with More Likely to Come) in Massive Unity Medical Billing Fraud Scheme

An attorney, an accountant, and two medical center administrators walk into a bar . . . oops, that should be behind bars--for their roles in the nation's largest medical fraud prosecution. Four people who should have known better Thursday became the latest Unity Surgical Outpatient Center muckity-mu ... More >>

Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon of "Showtime" Lakers Brighten Christmas for Homeless Kids

Showtime-era Lakers starts Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon are scheduled to come to Buena Park tonight to help give Christmas gifts to homeless children. But, given the state of the Los Angeles Lakers these days, perhaps convincing "Silk" and "Stormin' Norman" to suit up and rejoin their old team would ... More >>

Esteban Campos Accused of Practicing Dentistry and Dispensing Meds Without a License

A Buena Park man is scheduled to be arraigned this morning on charges he stashed a large inventory of dental narcotics and other drugs and falsely represented himself as a dentist despite having no valid license to practice.Esteban Campos faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of two felony ... More >>

Top Five Hits: Bionic Records in Fountain Valley

Hardcore, Canadians and Europeans, oh my! This week we've got a host of international bands from the top five selling records of Bionic Records, 6012 Ball Road in Buena Park, (714) 828-4225. Most of them are pretty hardcore, but nothing's sold more than American hardcore band Nile's latest record, A ... More >>

OC Pioneers Who Were Klan Members: Dr. Walter W. Davis, Health Officer for Brea

First off, this column has finally been acknowledged for its nerdy brilliance with an award! The Orange County Press Club awarded me the "Real OC" award--essentially, the story that best tells the essence of Orange County. The panel of judges weren't OC reporters but rather outsiders, so they were r ... More >>

Ten Great Indian and South Asian Restaurants in Orange County

What a shame the county line lies where it does; the best Indian restaurants in SoCal lie just five minutes from Buena Park, La Palma and Cypress, yet they're in Artesia, squarely in Squid Ink territory. Damn. Still, we have some good contenders, from Afghan to Southern Indian; it's just a tragedy t ... More >>

[UPDATED with POLICE REMARK:] Was a Teenage Girl Raped in Fullerton Last Night?

​UPDATE, Feb. 21, 2012, 12:30P.M.: According to Fullerton Police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich, police have no reports of a rape occurring in the Hillcrest Park area on Friday night. The spokesman said the department took a report of a possible sexual assault, which occurred Friday afternoon near Buena Par ... More >>

10 Great Burritos in Orange County

O, cylindrical god!​You can hate tacos, not favor hamburgers, even look down on pho, but I dare say anyone who doesn't eat burritos on at least a weekly basis might as well pack up and move to Los Angeles...where you'll find even more burritos. Orange County was burrito country long before those t ... More >>

What We Learned, Jan. 28-Feb. 3

​It's the week that wuz and what we learned from it all . . .JAN. 28: Under a bright blue sky and appreciating warm temperatures despite occasional gusty winds, more than 1,000 line Bolsa Avenue in Little Saigon for the Tet Parade celebrating the Lunar New Year. Based on the number of South Vietna ... More >>

Irvine Has Sobriety Checkpoint Tonight While Other Agencies Conduct Saturation Patrols

​The Irvine Police Department conducts a sobriety checkpoint from 8 tonight to 1 a.m. Saturday at Culver Drive and Farwell.That's not the only cop show going extra hard at impaired drivers, as the "Avoid the 38" campaign previously announced saturation patrols tonight in Tustin, Anaheim, Laguna Be ... More >>

10 Great Korean Restaurants in Orange County

Edwin Goei​This list was a difficult one. How to just pick 10 restaurant out of the rich bevy of delights found at our Korean District? Or the burgeoning centers of Korean cultures in Buena Park and Irvine? No list could ever be definitive enough to be absolutely conclusive or comprehensive enough ... More >>

Two BBQ Contests at Knott's Soak City Dec. 31 and Jan. 1

ProfessorSalt.comCompetition-grade spare ribs from Tropical Heat BBQ Team​Would you guess that Orange County hosts more sanctioned barbecue contests than L.A. County? It's true. We're not talking about unsanctioned "rib burns," either, but legitimate contests with certified judges like you'd find ... More >>

Governor Signs Bill Requiring Parents of Young Thugs to Attend Anti-Gang Classes

​Legislation that clarifies the intent of the Parental Accountability Act of 2007 to punish parents for certain crimes committed by their children was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown today.Assembly Bill 177 expands the violations committed by minors that require their parents to attend anti-gang par ... More >>

[UPDATED with Judge's Affirmation:] Armando Macias: DEATH!

Courtesy of OCDAArmando Macias​UPDATE, SEPT. 1, 1:26 P.M.: Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno today affirmed the death sentence for gang member Armando Macias, the triggerman in a bizarre family murder plot in 2002.A jury that convicted Macias in April for his role in the slaying followed up ... More >>

Man in Early 50s Goes From Being Barricaded Subject to Suicide Victim in Buena Park Apartment

​Buena Park police officers were sent to an apartment at 6941 Faculty Circle just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to check on a man a family member from out of state had not heard from in weeks.But cops found no sign that anyone was there or that anything suspicious had happened that would justify maki ... More >>

[UPDATED with Murder in OC Confirmed:] Douglas Brian Galvin, OC Homicide No. 36: Nephew Held for Killing and Burning Uncle

​UPDATE, AUG. 8, 12:10 P.M.: The Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) just confirmed that Kirk Michael Galvin has been charged with murdering his 58-year-old uncle, Douglas Brian Galvin of Buena Park, in the La Palma apartment of the 23-year-old's father (and the victim's brother). Kirk ... More >>

What Makes a Farmers Market a Farmers Market?

Dave LiebermanThe Ponderosa Park farmers market in Anaheim, a certified farmers market​The number of farmers markets in the United States has gone up almost sixfold in the last fifteen years. Whether they started out as a consolidation of honor-system fruit stands or as a place for farmers to sell ... More >>

Restaurant Roll Call for June 2011

tk_burger_anaheim.JPG Photo Courtesy of TK Burger's Facebook Page​It's the end of the month, so it's that time again: time to take stock of the restaurant openings and closing we observed here on the blog in June. There were quite a few debuts this month, and fewer shutters than usual.The list aft ... More >>

[UPDATED with Suspect Speaking, Service Parking:] Austin Jeffrey Farley Charged with Murder in DUI Death of Ashton Sweet

​UPDATE, JUNE 6, 12:33 P.M.: The Irvine Police Department has released parking details for the throng of media and mourners expected at this evening's memorial service for Ashton Sweet, who was killed in a Memorial Day weekend DUI crash.Meanwhile, the accused murderer of the 14-year-old Irvine fre ... More >>

Ripley's Believe Or Not Building to Become Indian Restaurant

View Larger MapBelieve it or not, the Ripley's Believe It Or Not building is finally getting a tenant after it closed two years ago. The 8,460-square-foot space will become an Indian-and-Asian fusion restaurant and bar called Torch that's expected to open soon. When I drove by, I saw they had at lea ... More >>

Mandoorang Dumpling House Is the In-N-Out of Korean OC

[Hole In the Wall] This Buena Park diner offers great dumplings and other late-night Korean munchies

[UPDATED with Conviction:] Armando Macias Faces Death Penalty for Bizarre Family Murder Plot

Courtesy of OCDAArmando Macias​UPDATE, APRIL 21, 5:56 P.M.: A jury in Santa Ana today found Armando Macias guilty of murder--a conviction that could bring the 35-year-old Lancaster gang banger the death penalty.Macias was part of the family murder plot of businessman David Montemayor, 44, of Buena ... More >>

Belinda Exon, Surf City Escrow Chief, Gets 3 Years for Stealing $4 Mil in Poor-Housing Funds

​Why is your kid still huffing lead and other nasty toxins in your low-income housing unit despite the federal government having already sent your Orange County city funds to remedy the hazard?Blame Belinda Exon. The president of Rehab Financial Services, Inc., a now-defunct Huntington Beach comp ... More >>

Morangak Has the Seoul of OC's Little Korean

[Hole In the Wall] This Garden Grove restaurant is famous for its Korean barbecue—but there's more

Mark Your Calendar for the Cloud 9 and Studio K Reunion Party on April 1

Courtesy of the Official Knott's Berry Farm "Studio K/ Cloud 9" Facebook Page​ Back in the day in Buena Park, it was all about Cloud 9 and Studio K. The clubs inside the Knott's Berry Farm amusement theme park were the place to be for many young people out dancing and hooking up--or whatever they ... More >>

Birthers Cling to Case With an OC Connection Claiming Obama is Ineligible to be President

​Political Vel Craft ("Veil of Politics") is an amazing site with ads against the climate change "con," a link to the U.S. Debt Clock and blanket coverage of the WikiLeaks-exposed marriage between the United Kingdom and The Illuminati. There's also a call for U.S. Supreme Court C ... More >>

Mission Viejo is Safest Place to Live, Shops at Mission Viejo is Safest Place to Leave Your Car

​If you reside in Mission Viejo, congratulations, you sleep at night in the safest city in Orange County, according to rankings based on FBI crime data.Meanwhile, if you are a purse, stereo or other valuable item inside a car parked at the Shops at Mission Viejo--or a vehicle itself parked there-- ... More >>

A Summary of Restaurant Closings For The Last Couple of Months

Edwin Goei​Summarizing what's happened in a few months of restaurant closures in a list is a morbid, depressing task; but it is a duty we must do once in a while. With so many restaurants coming and going, I am not going to cover them all, and most times, there's already a new place ready to jump ... More >>

Avoid HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher?

(photo by Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly)New Issa rule: Don't watch HBO comedian​"Don't watch Bill Maher!"--Wealthy GOP Southern California Congressman Darrell Issa at this month's California Republican Assembly state convention held at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. Issa also declared himsel ... More >>

The Sky IS Falling: Videos Capture Tornadoes, Floods, Whirlpools and . . . Surfing in Long Beach?

The winter storms pounding the region have produced more than floods, tornadoes and heavy surf. They have also spawned YouTube videos capturing the deluge.The first video should boost the Sink the Breakwater campaign . . .

[Hole in the Wall] Korean-Chinese Fusion Fun Time at Young Pung

[Hole in the Wall] Translating Meals at Mami King in Buena Park

It's a Quick Read 30

Orange County Register: Fans gathered around a makeshift memorial outside Angel Stadium to honor pitcher Nick Adenhart, who died in a car accident. . . . A woman driving a car with a baby aboard was shot and killed in Santa Ana after leading police on a high-speed chase that began in Buena Park ... More >>

Thai Nakorn's Garden Grove Store Reopening

O.C.'s Thai food-enthusiasts know the story already: Thai Nakorn was originally in Buena Park, blocks away from Knott's when it got kicked out by its landlords to make way for condos. But they moved to Garden Grove soon after, and all was well.  That's when the fire happened.When things looked bl ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

Korean Restaurant Harubang Spices up Buena Park

Trendzilla

"I also never did understand why so many women idolized Carrie Bradshaw as some kind of fashion tastemaker."

From Burned Boy to Burned Investor (Allegedly)

KNBC/Channel 4 reports that 28-year-old Dave Dave--who when he was age 6 and known as David Rothenberg had 90 percent of his body burned after his father Charles Rothenberg doused him with kerosene in a Buena Park motel--is suing for fraud a man he met at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. In his la ... More >>

The Case of the Dog That Couldn't Sniff Straight

Sloppy police work, callous prosecutors, indifferent judges doom dirt-poor Latino man

The Big Nowhere

Why does so much good music come from this place?

Bicep Concept

The Great American Arm Wrestling Musical is heremaybe

Best Entertainment, Nightlife and Music

Groovy, Baby!

Buena Korea

Soups, stomachs and side dishes

Live Noir

Henry Ford McCrackens 1952 Santa Ana murder trial launched the age of broadcast voyeurism

Waterworld

BAM: RIP