Department of Motor Vehicles

Abdulrahman Alyahyan, Driver in Crash That Killed 5 Teens, Had Provisional License, But ...

The Department of Motor Vehicles, which originally said the driver in the crash that killed him and four other teens in Newport Beach had no license and his application was pending, now corrects that Abdulrahman Alyahyan did have a 90-day provisional license.The thing is, adds the DMV, it expired tw ... More >>

Abdulrahman Alyahyan, Driver in Crash That Killed 5 Teens, Shows Off Doomed Car: Video

Abdulrahman Alyahyan, the 17-year-old driver of an Infiniti sedan that split in two in a violent Memorial Day crash in Newport Beach that killed the Irvine teen and four others, apparently posted video on YouTube of his tricked-out ride revving up.The two videos are posted by "Khasona6," while the p ... More >>

Richard Gustav Forsberg Gets 15 to Life for Killing, Decapitating, Dismembering, Burning His Wife Then Lying About Where She Was

Richard Gustav Forsberg got into an argument with his wife of nearly 40 years, beat her head with a small statue until she was dead, decapitated and dismembered her, stowed her remains in two freezers, trucked the freezers to a Ventura County campsite, burned the body parts and all the while lied to ... More >>

Richard Gustav Forsberg Guilty of Wife's Decapitation and Dismemberment Murder

Richard Gustavo Forsberg, the Rancho Santa Margarita man whose ever-changing stories about the whereabouts of his wife of nearly 40 years led to a homicide investigation, was convicted this morning in Orange County Superior Court. The jury found the 63-year-old guilty of second-degree murder in the ... More >>

Carmella Bing, Porn Star, Cited for Drug Paraphernalia Possession in Irvine After Being in Car with Auto and I.D. Theft Suspect

Porn star Carmella Bing, who was born Sarah Marie Fass, was apprehended in an Irvine backyard early Wednesday and cited for drug paraphernalia possession by police following a stolen car she was riding in as part of an identity theft ring investigation.The 31-year-old Los Angeles resident was cited, ... More >>

Why Do Mexicans Love Ska?

[¡Ask a Mexican!] And why are Mexican Indians so poor?

[UPDATED with I.D.:] Santa Ana Police Officer Shoots Parolee Toting Large Handgun

See the update at the end of this post identifying the alleged gunman.ORIGINAL POST, SEPT. 10, 10:09 A.M.: It's not often that a parolee carrying a large gun can confront a police officer, get shot multiple times and live to talk about it. But that's what Santa Ana Police are saying about the man in ... More >>

Soccer Camp For Refugee Youth Arrives in Anaheim

Anaheim is not only the scene of protests surrounding officer-involved shootings, but in recent years, it has become the site of a mass influx of refugees, mostly from Iraq. California receives the largest number of refugees after Texas, and while it's not clear how many settle in Orange County, a ... More >>

Patricia Rosario Casas Drives Away With Jail, Probation, Restitution for $106 DMV Thefts

All things considered, Patricia Rosario Casas made a good call pleading guilty to stealing money from DMV customers at her counter in Westminster. Looking at 11 years in state prison with a conviction without a guilty plea, the Anaheim 44-year-old copped to four felony counts of computer access and ... More >>

Miller Oh, Buena Park Councilman, Denies With Not Guilty Plea He's a Liar and Deadbeat Dad

Sangjin Miller Oh--the "Sangjin" is silent when referring to him as Buena Park City Councilman Miller Oh--pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of perjury aimed at maintaining his deadbeat-dad status.Oh, who is not in custody as he previously posted $25,000 bail, entered the pleas to six felony coun ... More >>

Michelle Carbajal, Dirty DMV Worker, Gets 4 Years Split Between Jail and Supervision

A Fullerton DMV employee was formally sentenced today to four years behind bars for taking cash to alter driver's license records and issue commercial licenses to individuals who had not passed the required written and driving tests. But Michelle Carbajal cut a different deal to ease her pain, ge ... More >>

Better Call Glew: Two Question Special Edition!

Hey Mr. Glew: I was parked in front of a fire hydrant for a second while my buddy was using an ATM and a cop gave me a ticket. Can an officer give me a ticket while my car is running and I am in the drivers seat? Technically, the officer can cite you for what you did.  However, you have a great ... More >>

[UPDATED with Parental Details:] Miller Oh, Buena Park Councilman, Allegedly Lied and Lied (and Lied) to Avoid Child Support Bills

UPDATE, MAY 31, 1:52 P.M.: According to MillerOh.com, Buena Park City Councilman Sangjin Miller Oh has two daughters.One stood next to the 48-year-old at his swearing in at City Hall.In light of the deadbeat dad charges against him, Oh gave an interesting answer when asked what he'd like to see ha ... More >>

Our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2012: No. 100, Chilaquiles Verdes Con Huevos Estrellados at La Tablita California

Hey, kids: guess what time is it? It's time to restart that Long March known as 100 Favorite Dishes (INSERT YEAR). YEAH!!!Hey, don't ding us for listicles: Weekly DataLab studies show ustedes love this gimmick, launched in honor of our coming Best Of issue. Besides, it is rather fun to do this for u ... More >>

Patricia Rosario Casas Faces 11 Years in Prison for $106 in DMV Thefts

Another day, another DMV worker in hot wa-wa.Wednesday, it was Michelle Carbajal pleading guilty to having taken cash bribes in exchange for issuing commercial driver licenses at the Fullerton DMV office to applicants who never took tests. Today, Patricia Rosario Casas was arrested for allege ... More >>

Michelle Carbajal Cops to Cooking DMV Tests for Cash

A Fullerton DMV employee who accepted cash bribes to alter driving records and issue commercial driver licenses to applicants who did not take written or behind-the-wheel tests pleaded guilty today to charges that could send the 38-year-old to prison for four years.Which begs the question: Woul ... More >>

[UPDATED with Killer Revealed:] Christine Lauren Bennett, 2011 OC Homicide No. 71: Found in Condo

DMVBennett​UPDATE, JAN. 6, 8:47 A.M.: According to Christine Lauren Bennett's family, Alexei Ocana fatally shot his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend in an Anaheim Hills condo Dec. 30 before turning the gun on himself.The 31-year-old's motive? He was upset that Bennett was seeing someone else, according t ... More >>

[UPDATED with Sex Clash Motive:] Ricardo Rios, OC Homicide No. 61: Lost Fight at Home

DMVRicardo Rios​UPDATE, DEC. 21, 11:30 A.M.: 22-year-old Edgar Salvador Luciozamudio and Ricardo Rios fought over a sexual act the 47-year-old initiated before the older man was murdered, prosecutors say.The disclosure is contained in an Orange County District Attorney's office statement on Lucioz ... More >>

[UPDATED with I.D.'s, More Details:] John Kristopher Altamirano, OC Homicide No. 60: Found Dead in Truck

DMVJohn Kristopher Altamirano​UPDATE, DEC. 7, 5:10 P.M.: When sheriff's deputies found a dead John Kristopher Altamirano in his white pickup parked in front of his Laguna Niguel residence Monday afternoon, the 34-year-old had cuts and bruises on his face as if he'd been in a fight.However, the inj ... More >>

Harriett "Hattie" Stretz, Sole Gunshot Survivor From Salon Meritage Rampage, Thanks Community

DMVHattie Stretz​Harriett "Hattie" Stretz was a familiar face in the Los Alamitos-Seal Beach area before Oct. 12 thanks to her volunteerism and community involvement. Tragically, the 73-year-old became known nationally after that date as the sole survivor among people who were shot inside Salon Me ... More >>

Tennesee DMV: F-U to ILVTOFU Vanity Plate

​A PETA employee called Whitney Calk moved from Virginia to Tennessee and tried registering her car in the new state with a custom tag that expressed her love of tofu, not her love to F-U. Either way, that state's DMV refused the application for a vanity plate that read ILVTOFU under the grounds o ... More >>

John Arthur Walthall, Accused of Defrauding Elderly Couple Out of Nearly $5 Million, is a Wanted Man

​The search is on for John Arthur Walthall, who failed to appear at a June 27 court hearing concerning the 55-year-old La Habra resident allegedly exaggerating a medical condition to avoid trial on charges of defrauding an elderly Laguna Niguel couple out of nearly $5 million.The FBI released ... More >>

[UPDATED with Unusual Defense:] Emily and Father Russell Ford, OC Homicides Nos. 12 and 13: Her Ex-Husband Held

​UPDATED, JULY 15, 12:30 P.M.: 36-year-old Robert Allan Lehmann is due at Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach today for a preliminary hearing tied to the murder counts he faces for allegedly executing his former wife and father-in-law in May.It will be lonely at the defense table as a judge las ... More >>

[UPDATED with New Charges:] Antonio Potenciano Gana, OC Homicide No. 15: Wife Accused of Shooting Him and Son on Mother's Day

DMVAnnamaria Mango Gana​UPDATE, JULY 5, 10:01 A.M.: Prosecutors filed additional charges today against Annamaria Magno Gana, the 41-year-old accused of killing her husband and trying to kill her sons on Mother's Day at their Tustin Ranch home.Besides a murder count and sentencing enhancements, Gan ... More >>

[UPDATED with Plea, Weapon, Purported Suspect Photo:] Elvis Kechechian, OC Homicide No. 24: Stabbed in Restaurant Melee

Tombleson?​UPDATE, JUNE 29, 2:42 P.M.: 28-yearold Justin Alvin Masao Tombleson pleaded not guilty this week to the murders-by-stabbing of Santa Margarita Catholic High School ice hockey conditioning coach Elvis Kechechian and his friend Hossein Saidoian.Tombleson is due back in court July 15, but ... More >>

[UPDATED with ID's:] Vanessa Munoz, OC Homicide No. 21: 2nd Murder-Suicide Victim in 2 Days

DMVVanessa Munoz​UPDATE, MAY 31, 12:58 P.M.: The woman who was killed in Thursday night's presumed murder-suicide in the 6100 block of Navajo Road in Westminster has been identified as Vanessa Munoz, 23.The doctor's office employ and her unemployed 34-year-old brother, Frank Munoz, had been arguin ... More >>

[UPDATED with Charges, Possible Motive:] Frederick Dwayne Martin, OC Homicide No. 18: Son Held in Killing

DMVThe deceased​UPDATE, MAY 23, 4:49 P.M.: Prosecutors today filled in the blank as to why 35-year-old Jeremy Dwayne Martin allegedly shot and killed his father, Frederick Dwayne Martin, 62, at the Huntington Beach home they shared.The younger Martin was supposedly upset that his father did not w ... More >>

[UPDATED with Bigamy Charge:] Antonio Potenciano Gana, OC Homicide No. 15: Allegedly Shot By Wife Accused of Also Shooting Son on Mother's Day

​UPDATE, MAY 12, 1:20 P.M.: A Filipino newspaper reports Antonio Potenciano Gana, the 72-year-old Mother's Day murder victim, is the former general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, which oversees the airport in the country's capital. The Philippine Star also claims the slai ... More >>

[UPDATED with Arraignment Details:] Emily and Father Russell Ford, OC Homicides Nos. 12 and 13: Her Ex-Husband Held

DMVEmily Ford​UPDATE, MAY 5, 11:28 A.M.: The Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) just announced that Robert Allan Lehmann will be arraigned today for the murders of his ex-wife Emily Ford and her father Russell Ford. The 36-year-old Costa Mesa resident has been charged with two felony ... More >>

[UPDATED] Cheryl Rose Wynn, 2010 OC Homicide No. 4: Stabbed at Home

DMV​UPDATE, FEB. 1, 4:04 P.M.: The family of Cheryl Rose Wynn, the 48-year-old mother found in a pool of blood in a bedroom of her Orange home last year, is offering $50,000 for information leading to her killer.Orange detectives report they have no leads, suspects or evidence in the  murder ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Paul Lawrence Wadley, Retired Police Chief, Left Nude Photos and Exposed His Junk on Park Trails: Police

DMV​Update, December 20, 5:40 p.m.: Retired Huntington Park Police Chief  Paul Lawrence Wadley pleaded not guilty today to misdemeanor indecent exposure charges.The 56-year-old Anaheim resident had previously turned himself in to authorities after returning from an overseas trip. While Wadley ... More >>

Funniest Housewives of Orange County

Irvine Improv

Marcia Ann Forsberg, OC Homicide No. 39: Authorities Say Hubby Did It

​UPDATES THROUGHOUT . . . Richard and Marcia Forsberg were said by friends to be the perfect couple. They met in a Ventura College journalism class and were looking forward to their 40th wedding anniversary at the end of this month.The pair of 61-year-olds, who had no children, were often seen ho ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Stacey Tomekia Bryant, O.C. Homicide No. 35: Murder-Suicide Victim

​UPDATE: Murder-suicide couple identified (updates throughout) . . . A neighbor in the quiet Robinson Ranch community in Rancho Santa Margarita called 9-1-1 after hearing gunshots Wednesday afternoon.

Car "Restorer" Gets Jail, Probation, Restitution Order for Ripping Off Charity

​A 60-year-old Costa Mesa man pleaded guilty today to two felony counts of grand theft and was sentenced to 270 days in jail and three years probation in a bizarre cases involving a Ford Mustang collector's car he promised to restore for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation nonprofit for women, inclu ... More >>

[UPDATED] Just Another Orange County Murder(s): Bonnie Hoult and Elizabeth, Catherine and Julia Fontaine

UPDATED WITH SHOOTER ID . . .DMVTriggerwoman grandma: Bonnie Hoult​Orange County sheriff's investigators now have a working theory in the ghastly murder-suicides that took the lives of a 67-year-old woman, her 38-year-old daughter and her granddaughters, 4 and 2, inside a five-bedroom, $1.7 millio ... More >>

Easy Writer Part 4: A Necessary Evil

​As previously blogged, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course counts as the riding portion of the tests required to attain a Class-M California driver's license. A trip to the DMV is still required for the written portion, however. For me, this translated into three soul-sucking hours at the Lag ... More >>

Easy Writer Part 3: Learning to Crawl

​For anyone who is a newbie to motorcycle riding, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse. It's immeasurable, how beneficial the course is to new riders. The one I took at Saddleback College is an 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. Saturday-and-Sunday class that teaches the fundament ... More >>

It's a Quick Read 7

Orange County Register: Danger on Mexican streets will force captains and crews in the annual Newport Beach to Ensenada yacht race to remain on their ships. But who'll get ripped off by the Hussong's mariachis? . . . I went to a Laguna Woods Village board meeting and a UFC Smackdown broke ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

No More Tickling

When Elmo Grows Up

Hey, You!

Cold Comfort

Has the DMV sent you a letter saying your registration has been suspended?

If so, contact the Tyra show, er, Oprah, um, I mean, Weekly intern Nardine Saad, who is pulling together a story on erroneous messages DMV drones mailed out to thousands of Californians. Here's where you can vent, early and often: nsaad@uci.edu

Toll Road Opposition for the Lazy

Just when you think the government's a complete and total failure, something happens to restore your faith. Why, just this afternoon I was perusing the Governor's website, filling out a webmail information request on Chuck DeVore's industrial hemp bill and bemoaning my lack of decent contacts up in ... More >>

The Ticket Wizard

Parking tickets are now handled by a mysterious OC company that makes justice and the law go . . . poof

Springtime Is the Right Time . . .

For getting a DUI

Santa Ana

On the Outside Looking In

Braking Away

Mugged

Need to find a good photo of yourself? Ask the Secret Service