Newport Beach Police Department

Michael Delgadillo, Off-Duty Cop Who Died in Crash, Had Been Drinking and Texting: Police

They say drinking and driving don't mix, but for the late Michael Delgadillo drinking, driving and texting didn't mix either. The Newport Beach Police Department, which is investigating the Costa Mesa Police detective's fatal, single-car crash on March 5, has disclosed that besides driving with a bl ... More >>

Newport Beach Police Chief Accused of Slimy, Retaliatory Conduct in New Lawsuit

In February 2008, Newport Beach Police Department Sgt. John Hougan acted honorably by testifying truthfully in a civil lawsuit about how his bosses had discriminated against a fellow officer they erroneously assumed was gay and the abused officer, whose promotions had been sabotaged, won the $1.7 m ... More >>

[UPDATED with Costa Mesa Arrests:] Can You Say Carmasobrietycheckpointfilmfestmarchfor-
babiesgeddon? Get Ready to Friday Night

See the update on page 2 with stats from Costa Mesa's DUI checkpoint.ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 26, 2:29 P.M.: While they may not pack as extreme a nightmare as, say, playing an Angel game at the Big A at the same time Rihanna is singing in the Honda Center and the last remnants of the evening rush hour a ... More >>

Yet Another Ex-Newport Beach Police Officer Slams Department For Excessive Corruption

More accusations of a dismally corrupt Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) were made today by a retired high ranking officer who has filed a lawsuit seeking damages for blocking his advancement through a rigged promotion process.In the 27-page lawsuit filed today at Orange County Superior Court, ... More >>

Sobriety Checkpoints are Set Tonight in the Beaches Newport and Long

The Newport Beach Police Department is holding a sobriety checkpoint tonight and--praise be--the cops are disclosing the location.It's at Newport Boulevard and Finley Avenue from 8:30 p.m. through 3 a.m. Saturday.That would put it near City Hall, councilman!

[UPDATED with Fund for Family:] Costa Mesa Detective Mike Delgadillo Dies in Car Crash

See Update No. 2 on page 2 about donations being sought for the family of the detective, who leaves behind four children. See Update No. 1 on the next page identifying the deceased officer and more career details.ORIGINAL POST, MARCH 6, 9:37 A.M.: Flags are flying at half-staff in front of the Costa ... More >>

[UPDATED with Victim Reported a New Mom:] Newport Beach Police Seek Answers in "Suspicious Death" of Prostitute Tina Hoang

See the Update No. 3 at the end of page 2 with a friend and lawyer of the victim reportedly saying she had a baby in January and was trying to leave prostitution behind. See Update No. 2 on page 2 with the victim's multiple prostitution arrests and Update No. 1 on the next page with the victim's I.D ... More >>

Newport Beach Hosts Sobriety Stop Tonight

Tourists take over beach towns on weekends, so locals know the best time to go out is Thursday night.Guess the cops have figured that out, too.The Newport Beach Police Department is conducting a sobriety checkpoint starting at 8 tonight at . . .

Robert Pimentel, Retired Teacher Accused of Having Sexually Abused a Dozen Girls in LA, Allegedly Victimized One of Them in OC, Too

Newport Beach retiree Robert Pimentel, who is fighting charges he touched at least 12 little girls sexually during his Los Angeles Unified School District teaching career, committed lewd acts on one of the victims in Orange County, according to authorities. Already facing criminal counts tied to tha ... More >>

[UPDATED with Elkus Asks for Lawyer:] Dr. Ronald Franklin Gilbert Shot Dead; 75 y.o. Urology Patient Stanwood Fred Elkus Held

See Update Nos. 2-3 on page 2 with the DA's murder charges, more on the suspect's health, the doctor's treatment of him and the defendant's postponed arraignment this afternoon.See Update No. 1 after the jump with the suspect's mugshot, health woes and more on the physician. ORIGINAL POST, JAN. 29, ... More >>

[UPDATED W/AYSO Response, Weekly Retraction] Robert Pimental, Accused Pervert LA Teacher, Heavily Involved in Newport Beach Youth Soccer

See the end of this post for an update...ORIGINAL POST, JAN 25, 8 A.M.: Coker brought you the story of Robert Pimental, a former Los Angeles elementary school teacher and current Newport Beach resident accused of molesting multiple students and one that district officials canned after the heat becam ... More >>

A Killer of Newport Beach Couple Tied To Yacht Anchor & Thrown Overboard Wins Legal Point

The Ninth Circuit federal appellate court today handed a legal victory of sorts to the lone woman involved in the gruesome 2004 murder at sea of Thomas and Jackie Hawks in hopes of stealing the couple's 55-foot, Newport Beach-based yacht.The panel ruled that U.S. District Court Judge Phili ... More >>

Marcos Sarinana Gurrola, Alleged Fashion Island Shooter, Faces Up to 115 Years in Prison

The Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) just announced that 42-year-old Marcos Sarinana Gurrola of Garden Grove faces 66 felony counts and, if convicted, up to 115 years in state prison for allegedly firing multiple rounds from a semi-automatic handgun in the busy Fashion Island parking ... More >>

[VIDEOS:] Fashion Island Shooting Horror Captured; More on Suspect Marcus Gurrola

Marcus Sarinana Gurrola, the Garden Grove 42-year-old accused of firing more than 50 semiautomatic gun rounds into the sky and ground at busy Fashion Island Saturday, was "destitute" and venting his life problems," according to the Newport Beach Police Department.Videos from horrified shoppers with ... More >>

[UPDATED with Suspect I.D., More Details:] Authorities: Shooting Today at Fashion Island; No Injuries (Thank God), Person in Custody

See the update on the next page identifying the suspect and providing more incident details.ORIGINAL POST, DEC. 15, 5:28 P.M.: Authorities have announced that there was a shooting late this afternoon at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, in the parking structure near Macy's. Macy's is currently was on ... More >>

GHB Party Drug Sales Earns CA Chiropractor Tepid Federal Punishment

A California chiropractor caught in a Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) sting operation involving illegal sales of the popular party drug GHB must be relieved today that a federal judge in Orange County gave him a huge break.Dr. Ronald French of Ventura County could have been sent to priso ... More >>

[UPDATED with Husband Blaming Painter:] Quee Chadwick, OC Homicide No. 39: Millionaire Peter Gregory Chadwick Held

See Update No. 5 at the end of this post about the husband blaming a house painter for his wife's death and why police aren't buying that story.See Update Nos. 1-4 with the charge against and possible motive of the suspect, the kind of car he was driving, what authorities are calling his false murde ... More >>

Jason Ara Erpinar, MySpace Rapist Who Previously Pleaded Guilty, is Convicted Again

When we Gazed our Navel on MySpace rapist Jason Ara Erpinar and his unicorn-follicle horn being tried the first time in August 2011, we received comments from his pals claiming there is no way the Yorba Linda 23-year-old sexually assaulted three woman, that we were out to get him and that his victim ... More >>

Newport Beach Police Department Management Is a Cesspool of Adultery, Lies & Retaliation Against Honest Officers, Lawsuit States

You can't find a more ideal example of a great police officer in California than John Hougan was at the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD).It is not just that Hougan was excellent at crime solving.Unlike some other Orange County cops--including several warped officers inside the NBPD, the 22-yea ... More >>

[VIDEO:] Newport Beach Police Recruitment Video Goes Viral ... in Mocking Fashion

A human resources department would normally rejoice if one of its recruitment videos went viral.But in the case of the latest online tool from the Newport Beach Police Department, "rejoice" isn't quite the right word.Recruitment videos for Navy SEALs are less, as one horrified clip viewer put it, "f ... More >>

Mitt Romney Cruising into Newport Beach For Friday Fundraiser!

Watch out 99%, a notorious 1 percenter is coming into town...again.  Mitt Romney is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach on Friday night, less than three months since his last Orange County fundraiser. According to the Daily Pilot, the Republic ... More >>

[UPDATED with District Reaction:] Alex Bassinne, Ex-Santa Ana Teacher, Accused of Molesting Teen Girls, Possessing Child Porn

UPDATE, MAY 4, 12:39 P.M.: The Santa Ana Unified School District has released a statement regarding the charges pending against former district math teacher Alex Bassinne for alleged child pornography possession and, while working at Santa Ana High School and Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediat ... More >>

Newport Beach Holds Sobriety Stop Tonight

​The Newport Beach Police Department conducts a sobriety checkpoint tonight at North Newport Boulevard near Finley Avenue.The operation runs from 8 tonight through 3 a.m. Saturday.Police say the enforcement area was chosen because it is near bars and previous DUI-related incidents.

Newport Coast Squatters Featured in Weekly Hugged by OC Judge

​The jobless couple who brazenly took over an empty multimillion-dollar, oceanview Newport Coast home, pretended it was theirs and mocked the Newport Beach Police Department have acknowledged criminal conduct in exchange for a sweetheart deal from Orange County's most notorious judge: Robert R. Fi ... More >>

Nanette Packard Guilty of 1994 Newport Beach Murder of Wealthy Businessman

​Accused murderer Nanette Ann Packard entered a hushed Santa Ana courtroom this afternoon from her holding cell and, if her frown and slouching shoulders were any indication, didn't believe she'd be receiving happy news.Packard's instincts were right. During a hearing that lasted nine minutes, an ... More >>

Newport Beach Holds Checkpoint Today

​The Newport Beach Police Department conducts a sobriety checkpoint from 4 to 11 p.m. today at Dover Drive and 18th Street.Cops will be hunting for motorists who have no drivers license or have had too much to drink or drug.

[UPDATED with Reward Proposed:] Ronald Reagan Statue Vandalized in Newport Beach Park

​UPDATE, NOV. 9, 11:17 A.M.: Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry, who first proposed the Ronald Reagan statue that was unveiled at Bonita Canyon Sports Park last month, threw out to his council colleagues Tuesday night the idea of offering a $5,000 reward for whoever tried to take the life-s ... More >>

[UPDATED with Conviction:] Michael Theodore Pines, Attorney Who Advised Rene Hector Zepeda to Break Into Foreclosured Newport Coast Home, Guilty

​UPDATE, SEPT. 1, 6:03 P.M.: San Diego attorney Michael Theodore Pines was found guilty by a jury in Newport Beach today of attempting to illegally break into a foreclosed Newport Coast home. Convicted of one misdemeanor count each of vandalism, attempted second degree burglary, the attempted una ... More >>

[GUILTY!] Eric Naposki's Verdict Shines Spotlight on Newport Beach Police Department Heroics

OC Register media pool photoProsecutor Matt Murphy nabs another murderer​In most respects, today was a typical day in Orange County: Surfers hit Pacific Ocean waves under a cloudless sky. Shoppers crammed into South Coast Plaza. The notorious 55 freeway wrecked people's schedules. Excited tourists ... More >>

[UPDATED with Criminal Charges:] Michael T. Pines, Attorney Who Advised Client to Break Into Foreclosured Newport Coast Home, Has Law License Suspended

​UPDATE, MAY 31, 2:40 P.M.: San Diego attorney Michael T. Pines, who advised a 72-year-old client to break into a Newport Coast home he had been foreclosed out of--and invited the media and the bank trustee to watch the spectacle-- faces charges that could have him spending a year behind bars.The ... More >>

John Thomas Windsor Allegedly Stole Blind Widow's $280k for Cars, Ring and Sex Swing

​A Vermont parolee faces arraignment in Santa Ana Thursday morning for allegedly stealing more than $280,000 from a deaf, blind and demented 98-year-old widow and using the money to buy such expensive items as two pre-owned cars, a Tiffany & Co. engagement ring for his girlfriend, a classic r ... More >>

[UPDATED with Mesa Results:] Newport Beach and Costa Mesa Target Drunk Drivers

​UPDATE, APRIL 11, 8:39 A.M.: The Costa Mesa Police Department has released the results of its DUI checkpoint at Newport Boulevard and 17th Street Saturday night:2,127 vehicles through the checkpoint; 611 vehicles screened; 9 drivers given field sobriety tests; 6 DUI suspects arrested; 12 driv ... More >>

[UPDATED With CAIR Backing Off Allegations Against Lounge Owner] Muslim Cab Driver's Beating in Newport Beach Spurs Call for Hate-Crime Probe

MySpaceEdgar Uria​UPDATE, MARCH 31, 12:59 P.M.: The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is backing off claims that the owner of a cigar lounge was involved in the beating of a Muslim cab driver in Newport Beach.On CAIR-LA's Facebook page, the Anaheim office of the Muslim American rights o ... More >>

Bloody Streets, Neo-Con Jobs and Smog-Eating Tiles Make the Orange County Interwebs Horror Show

Courtesy of Newport Beach Police DepartmentDanae Marie Miller is accused of killing bicyclist.​It's our weekly look at things said about or from Orange County on the Interwebs:Pedal Power Outage in Newport Beach An urban bicycling enthusiast sees a disconnect between Newport Beach shutting down 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 >>

Newport Coast Squatters Featured in OC Weekly Get Arrested

The Real Squatters of OC: busted​Christopher and Robin Duncan, the subjects of a November OC Weekly cover story, must have had the shock of their lives today.Newport Beach Police Department detectives slapped handcuffs on the couple and hauled them to jail after the Orange County district attorney ... More >>

Police Budget is the Grinch Who Stole Santa's Helicopter Visit to Corona del Mar School

​It has become a holiday tradition: each December a police helicopter circles Harbor View Elementary School in Corona Del Mar, lands on the school grounds and out pops Santa and Mrs. Claus to the hoots, hollers and cheers of excited boys and girls ready to be given candy canes a ... More >>

Phong Huu Nguyen, Navy Petty Officer Behind Anthrax Scare, Has Charges Quietly Dropped

​I'd nearly forgotten having blogged on the July 2009 arrest of Phong Huu Nguyen, who was charged with making criminal threats after a Newport Beach apartment he was evicted from was discovered to have threatening messages painted on the walls and powder-filled jars left behind labeled "anthrax."T ... More >>

Joseph Anthony Veltre Gets 18 Years and Must Pay $2.6 Million for Vast Ponzi Scheme

Not Fonzie, Ponzi!​Just found this in my spam filter folder: A hard money lender got 18 years in state prison this week for stealing $2.6 million from investors in a Ponzi and real estate fraud scheme. Joseph Anthony Veltre, 68, of Orange, also must pay $2.6 million (that he hopefully wasn't pla ... More >>

UPDATED: ACLU Announces Settlement of Suit Tied to Corona del Mar High's Production of "Rent"

Photo by Matt Coker Karyl Ketchum and Mike Wiggins talk about the hell their 17-year-old daughter Hail endured at Corona del Mar High School last school year.​Three varsity football players at Corona del Mar High School posted a video on the school's Facebook page in January in which they describe ... More >>

Crime Time: Small Fries, Bad Tenants and the Church Lady

It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--small fry edition . . . MONDAY, JULY 20Artist's rendering of Bank of America robber. He may belong to that notorious street gang, the Lollipop Kids.​Watch Those Kids at the Playground A 3-year-old boy was at the playground in Ponderosa Park ... More >>

Odd case of the Newport cop's sexuality goes to Jury

During closing arguments today, the lawyer for a Newport Beach Police Department sergeant who claims he was denied a promotion to lieutenant because of rumors that he's a homosexual described the department's managers as "a bunch of gossipy men" willing to lie under oath about their anti-gay sentime ... More >>

Testimony in Newport Cop Sexual Harassment Case Finishes

In the sensational homosexual rumor/promotion discrimination case, lawyers for both the Newport Beach Police Department and Sgt. Neil Harvey told an Orange County Superior Court judge this afternoon that they have no more witnesses.Jurors, who today looked anxious to get the case for deliberations, ... More >>

[Moxley Confidential] Dr. George Kooshian to Plead Guilty to Charging Big Bucks for Bogus Injections

Episode 15

Where Are the Cops?

Despite a judges ruling that he defrauded investors of millions, Eddie Allen still runs free

Letters

Clear-Cutting Sherwood Forest

Angry hippies haunt our past

Dad Must be So Proud

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Encounter with Longtime Foe Leads to Battery Complaint Against Dornan