Investigations

Kevin Michael Sianez, Cop-Turned-Illegal P.I., Cops to Defrauding and Intimidating But What About Getting Women to Screw His Dog?

Former police officer Kevin Michael Sianez pleaded guilty Thursday to 17 felony counts of grand theft by false pretense, 11 felony counts of fraudulently using an access card, two felony counts of identity theft, four felony counts of possession of a firearm by a felon stemming from a 1998 convictio ... More >>

Lawrence Witsoe, Tustin Attorney, in Federal Court for Trying Fix Client's Misdemeanor Case

Trial is scheduled to begin right now in federal court in Santa Ana for a Tustin criminal defense attorney accused of conspiring with a Rialto police officer to fix a misdemeanor assault and battery case at John Wayne Airport. Lawrence Witsoe is charged with conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe ... More >>

Man Shot After Allegedly Driving at Uncover Cops and Then Uniformed Officers: Police

The driver of a minivan drew the attention of undercover cops in another vehicle in Garden Grove Thursday night, leading to uniformed officers being called in to question the man, the minivan charging at the approaching police and a lawman firing at and wounding the driver, authorities say. By the t ... More >>

Burning Man Festival Comes to Anaheim

Anaheim Police are investigating the case of a man's body found inside a burning car early this morning as a homicide.But residents of the 100 block of South Westchester Drive suspect the tragedy was an accident.Or was it a suicide?

FBI Agents Don't Fall For Fake Compartment Trick In Narcotics Loaded BMW

Late one December night in 2009, three individuals riding in a black 1997 BMW 528i on I-15 in San Bernardino County believed a CHP officer stopped them merely for weaving out of a lane, but in truth they'd been under surveillance for hours by a team of undercover FBI agents.Driver Lindberg Villalobo ... More >>

Daniel Edward McDermott, Albuquerque Man, Arraigned for 24-Year-Old Cold Case Rape and Murder

A 44-year-old man charged with the 1988 rape and murder of Buena Park resident Gehimne Chandler is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow at the Central Jail in Santa Ana. Daniel Edward McDermott, faces one felony count of murder with special circumstances. The 44-year-old McDermott, was ... More >>

Meet the Man Whom Anaheim Council Candidate Steve Lodge Had Wrongfully Imprisoned for Murder

In 2003, then-Santa Ana police officer and current Anaheim city council candidate Steve Lodge--he of the multiple police-brutality lawsuits filed against him--received a glowing profile in the Los Angeles Times by then-Orange County bureau reporter and current Pulitzer Prize winner Jeff Gottlieb. It ... More >>

SportPharm, Prescription Drug Tracker for NFL, Claims to be Cleared in DEA Probe of Chargers

A Huntington Beach company that tracks medications used by NFL players reportedly claims its been cleared in a federal investigation that followed the May 2010 arrest of former San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison, who had 100 painkillers illegally in his possession when his car was stopped in R ... More >>

FBI Searching For Yvonne Baldelli, Laguna Niguel Woman Missing in Panama

The FBI is searching for a Laguna Niguel woman who moved to Panama last year and has been missing for five months. Yvonne Baldelli, 42, was last seen Nov. 26 on Carenero Island in Panama's Bocas del Toro province, according to family members who set up a Facebook page to help find her. "Our family ... More >>

[UPDATED with Memorial Today:] Manuel Levi Loggins Jr., Marine Sergeant Killed by Sheriff's Deputy Darren Sandberg

​UPDATE, FEB. 24, 9:21 A.M.: A memorial for Sgt. Manuel "Manny" Levi Loggins Jr., the Marine shot to death by a sheriff's deputy, is scheduled this afternoon at Camp Pendleton.However, the public and media are not invited to the service in the camp's chapel, at the request of the Loggins family, t ... More >>

[UPDATED with Victims Speak:] Luis Mijangos, Sextortion Hacker, Gets 6 Years

​UPDATE, SEPT. 2, 11:04 A.M.: Two victims of Luis Mijangos hacking into dozens of computers to obtain personal data--and in some cases demanding sexually explicit videos from female victims in exchange for not distributing other images--spoke at the undocumented immigrant's sentencing."During to ... More >>

[UPDATED with First-Hand Insight From Villagara:] OC District Attorney "Incapable" of Impartial Probe into Kelly Thomas's Police-Beating Death: ACLU

Villagara​UPDATE, AUG. 5, 4:26 P.M.: Update written by Marisa Gerber.Hector Villagara is no stranger to Orange County. Before he took on his current role as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California, he worked in the ACLU's Orange County office.It was h ... More >>

[UPDATED with New Trial:] Vitaliy Krasnoperov Accused of Murder in Plot with 2 Burned Bodies

Vitaliy Krasnoperov​UPDATE, JUNE 7, 11:52 A.M.: 25-year-old Hollywood resident Vitaliy Krasnoperov is accused of conspiring with childhood friend Iftekhar Murtaza via online instant messages to plan and carry out the kidnapping, murder and setting ablaze of the sister and father of Murtaza's ex-gi ... More >>

Taco Bell Crime of the Week: Illegal Towing that Leads to Reform!

​It's rare that a crime leads to positive reform without the victim suffering too bad, but that's what happened last week in Indianapolis, when WTHR-TV Channel 13 conducted an investigation of a tow truck company that involved them duping the bastards by leaving a news truck at Taco Bell.

[UPDATED] Jose Guadalupe Jimenez, Known as 'El Tin Larin' the Clown, Held in Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl While in Get-Up

Jimenez as "El Tin Larin"​UPDATE, MARCH 28, 10:19 A.M.: Ten minutes before the 10 a.m. scheduled arraignment of Jose Guadalupe Jimenez, the Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA) announced the filing of additional charges against the professional clown who performs as "El Tin Larin." In a ... More >>

[UPDATED] Luis Mijangos Guilty of Being Sextortion Hacker

​UPDATE, MARCH 22, 4:46 P.M.: Santa Ana's Luis Mijangos, who had previously pleaded not guilty to 16 federal charges, pleaded guilty Monday to two federal counts related to his tricking about 230 people into downloading a virus that allowed him to hack into their computers, and then extort from th ... More >>

[UPDATED] Santos Basilio O'Dell Surrendered DNA After Hitting Wife, Now He's Wanted in Rape, Kidnap Cold Case

​UPDATE, FEB. 15, 2:03 P.M.: 32-year-old Santos Basilio O'Dell waived extradition in Santa Ana and is expected to be transported to Arizona to face charges of raping a teenage girl there in 2004.Authorities in Chandler, Arizona, say a DNA sample taken from O'Dell in Orange County links him to the ... More >>

[UPDATED] Stephen Moore's Mother-in-Law Tied to Murder Plot of Family Member of Slain Surf City Native Who Was Locked in Trunk of Burning Car

Stephen Moore​Update, Jan. 13, 3:09 p.m.: Another in-law of Stephen Moore, a popular speed skater originally from Huntington Beach, has been arrested and charged with conspiring to murder, but authorities say the target was not the slain Moore, but rather an unidentified member of his family.Le ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Paul Marshal Curry, Accused of Killing Wife by Poisoning in '94, Gets Arraignment Delayed

​Update, December 7, 1:41 p.m.: The arraignment of Paul Marshal Curry, a 54-year-old Kansas building inspector accused of poisoning his wife of two years in San Clemente in 1994 to collect a $400,000 insurance claim, has been delayed until Jan. 14.Meanwhile, officials in Salina, Kansas, say Curry ... More >>

Juan Humberto Avila, Linked to Cold-Case Rape of Teen, Faces 355 Years if Convicted on All Counts

​Juan Humberto Avila may have thought he got away with it--if he is indeed guilty of the "it": raping a 16-year-old girl who was walking home from In-and-Out Burger in Santa Ana the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2008. A DNA match was made between evidence collected from the girl who was raped and Avila ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Paul Gentile Smith Gets Life for 1988 Near-Decapitation Murder of Friend

​Update, Nov. 29, 1:04 p.m.:  Long Beach 50-year-old Paul Gentile Smith, who was found guilty earlier this month of stabbing, torturing and murdering his long-time high school friend in 1988, was sentenced today to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.At his sentencing hea ... More >>

Paul Marshal Curry Faces Extradition Hearing in Kansas for Wife's 1994 Murder in OC

​A Salina, Kansas, man faces an extradition hearing today as he has been arrested and charged in the cold case murder of his wife in San Clemente 16 years ago.Paul Marshal Curry, 54, is accused of poisoning his wife of two years, Linda Curry, for a $400,000 life insurance payoff. He faces life in ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Noose Hung at Gay Rights Group's Office; Demand Made for Police Probe

​UPDATE: Equality California's executive director released a statement tonight in response to Santa Ana Police "mishandling" a potential hate crime (see end of post) . . . A volunteer for a nonprofit that works for legal protections for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered returned to h ... More >>

BREAKING: Arrest Made in Case of Missing Placentia Woman

Lynsie Ekelund​UPDATE, 8:45 P.M.: OCDA ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE ON THE CASE TODAY. SEE BOTTOM OF POST FOR DETAILS.After nine years of investigation and fears the case had been forgotten, an arrest has been made in the disappearance of Placentia resident and Fullerton College student Lynsie Ekelund. ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Stephen Moore's Ex- Faces Murder Count; Surf City Native Was Locked in Trunk of Burning Car

​UPDATE: There have been two more arrests in this case (see end of post) . . . Stephen Moore dropped his daughter off at the Ocean Township, New Jersey, home of his ex-wife on Aug. 16. That was the last time anyone saw the 42-year-old Huntington Beach native alive. Moore's body was found Aug. 18 ... More >>

Luis Mijangos Accused of Hacking Into Hundreds of Computers and Demanding Sex Videos or He'd Spill Females' Personal Info

​After a six-month FBI investigation into his alleged hacking, a 31-year-old Santa Ana man was arrested today on federal extortion charges that he hacked into dozens of computers, obtained personal data about people using the computers, and then demanded sexually explicit videos from girls and w ... More >>

FBI Raids Irvine-Based Law Firm

Photo by Randall MarquisULG's motto: "Legal services for honest Americans."​Do not give this man your money. Irvine-based loan modification firm, United Law Group, was raided this afternoon by the FBI and Irvine Police.Robert Buscho ​The firm describes itself on its website as one of the largest ... More >>

Who Else Did Ryan Jenkins Need to Kill to Rank Higher on List of TV Bombs and Blunders?

Buena Park Police Dept.The late Ryan Jenkins​At No. 30 on the list of "TV's 50 Biggest Bombs and Blunders" in the Jan. 29 issue of Entertainment Weekly is "Casting Ryan Jenkins on Megan Wants a Millionaire (VH1, 2009)":The hiring of the 32-year-old contestant--who hanged himself soon after police ... More >>

An Investigation Into a SF Cop Killing Leads to a Chicago Professor Who Helped Launch Obama's Career

Will The Feds Come After Tustin Hospitals Next?

All the key swindlers in the homeless patient dumping scheme that sucked hundreds of thousands of dollars from Medicare and Medi-Cal programs in fradulent claims last year have been indicted -- except, that is, for the bad boys in Tustin who were also allegedly involved in the scheme. Last August a ... More >>

Saint Mike Carona?

"He worked hard for you. He was a tireless worker. He worked all the time. He did great things. He helped at-risk kids and he did so much for the vulnerable people in our community." --Exasperated, red-faced lawyer Jeffrey Rawitz (pictured) wrapping up an eight hour closing argument today in h ... More >>

Quote of the Day in the Mike Carona Corruption Trial

"I'm sure it's memorable." --Sassy defense lawyer Jeffrey Rawitz on a Newport Beach cop's recollections today about Orange County Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo wearing a "Hawaiian shirt" over his uniform while trying to block a 2002 police investigation into the videotaped gang rape of an unc ... More >>

Look! Up in the Sky! It's Bad News for Mike Carona?

"He looks up in the sky and says, 'From here on out we've got to be real careful and be concerned about [FBI] surveillance.'" --Ex-Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl testifying today about Mike Carona's 2002 private reaction to speculation in the Orange County Sheriff's Department that federal agents had ... More >>

Taco Bell Crime of the Week, Part IV

From Orlando... Police were investigating a Taco Bell robbery that happened Wednesday night and quickly realized that they were dealing with a crime spree. Investigators said three to four armed men robbed a Taco Bell on Narcoosee Road and then attacked two workers before they ran off. When offic ... More >>

DA's Office Says Alleged Jail Beating of Former Kiss Guitarist Referred to Sheriff's Department

Wednesday's Headlines. No Surprises: California Adventure Sucks

Disney plans Extreme Makeover: California Adventure sucks, so Disney will be pouring $1.1 billion into the park to make it more like Disneyland. That's more than it took to build the park six years ago. The Times couldn't find any of the Mouse's people to go on the record, but notes that Chief Exec ... More >>

Cop Cruiser Filmed Plowing Over Man Below OC Weekly World HQ

Perhaps in an effort to decrease inmate overcrowding, a Santa Ana police cruiser accelerated in a restaurant parking lot and ran over a fleeing suspect across the street from OC Weekly's world headquarters late Tuesday night. Police officials tell reporters that they are conducting an investigation ... More >>

Bumshell!

Congressman Rohrabacher shuts door on Oklahoma City bombingand the mysterious death of a former OC resident

Who You Calling Ho

The Tank Workers

As scandal engulfs the Sheriffs Department, Carona fires his high-profile assistant

Dudes, It Cant Be My Dope!

Gregory Haidl: From alleged gang-rapist to whiny rich kid

A Tale of Two Shootings

When it comes to cops and crew-cut Latinos, justice isn't blind -- it's suspect

Elmer Bustos R.I.P.

No justice likely in cop-shooting death of Santa Ana teenager

Tonys New Suit

Weekly sues DAs office over secret files

Iron Mike

Is Sheriff Carona ready for the White House?

Deep, Deep, Deep Undercover

Santa Ana P.I. is medias favorite terrorist tracker

Anaheim Spooks

Report shows police spied on activists who complained about cops

Send George Packing!

Dailies Praise Argyros as a Civic Leader, Ignore Allegations His Firm Ripped-Off Tenants

Who Killed Col. James Sabow?

Was Marine Corps Col. James Sabow the victim of a military cover-up?

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Encounter with Longtime Foe Leads to Battery Complaint Against Dornan