Shootings

Justin Soto Identified by Readers as 25-Year-Old Shot to Death in Brea

A 25-year-old man who was shot in the stomach collapsed on a Brea street Saturday night and later died at UCI Medical Center in Orange.Three people were questioned by police about the shooting, which happened after 9 p.m. in the 300 block of South Cedar Avenue.

[UPDATED with I.D.:] Luis Santiago Gois Dies in Reverse of an Anacrime Drive-by

See the update at the end of this post with the identification of the dead man.ORIGINAL POST, MARCH 4, 8:21 A.M.: What's the opposite of a drive-by shooting?The shooting of someone driving by, which is what witnesses say happened to a man found lying in the street in the 3400 block of West Olinda La ... More >>

Daniel Nestor, Luis Ramon Llanes and Ignacio David Morales Held in Fatal Shooting of Jorge Gonzales Valdez in Placentia Alley

Three men have been arrested for the gang-related murder of Jorge Gonzales Valdez, who was gunned down in a Placentia alley Dec. 23. Daniel Nestor, 19, 25-year-old laborer Luis Ramon Llanes and Ignacio David Morales, 21, were arrested on murder, conspiracy and gang charges after a multi-agency swee ... More >>

[UPDATED with Randal Quan Speaks:] Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence Memorialized

See the update at the end of this post on the service that featured Randal Quan speaking.ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 22, 4:38 P.M.: There will be a memorial service Sunday for Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence at the place where the engaged couple met, Concordia University in Irvine.But unlike the live coverag ... More >>

[UPDATED with Student-Receptionist-Stripper?] 4 Dead in A.M. Shooting Spree

Updates throughout. The latest is Update No. 8 at the bottom of page 4 with conflicting reports about the female victim's employment.ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 19, 8:22 A.M.: Three people were killed and two others were wounded in a 25-minute spree of shootings that began in an upscale Ladera Ranch neighbo ... More >>

[UPDATED with Hot Gassing Defended:] Christopher Jordan Dorner War Is Over!

See the update at the end of page 5 on the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department defending the use of "hot gas," which could have sparked the cabin fire, on the suspect.ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 7, 9:48 A.M.: The word coming out of the Los Angeles Police Department this morning is meant to apply to t ... More >>

Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence Autopsies Show Engaged Couple Shot Multiple Times

Perhaps lost in the manhunt for Christopher Jordan Dorner, who is accused of this week's cold-blooded shooting deaths of a Riverside police officer, Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence, are the results of the slain engaged Irvine couple's autopsies.

Tribute Bands Unite For Sandy Hook Benefit Concert in OC

While it's true that even the best tribute bands will never grace the same stages as the icons they emulate, a hoard of talented pretenders are about to tune up for a very important gig next week. On January 20, eight bands will strap on their wigs, glittery axes and unitards for a concert benefitin ... More >>

Jorge Gonzales Valdez, OC Homicide No. 48: Gang Shooter(s) Suspected

Several people heard gunshots near the 600 block of Placentia's Center Street Sunday morning and called 9-1-1. Officers arrived to a nearby alley around 5:20 a.m. to find Jorge Gonzales Valdez suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, and the Placentia 24-year-old later died despite the life-saving ef ... More >>

Bernie Cervantes Villegas' Family Files $20 mil Wrongful Death Claim Against Anaheim Cops

The family of a BB gun-toting man shot to death by Anaheim police in January has filed a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit, according to court documents.Five Anaheim SWAT officers took

[UPDATED with Reda Safieddine Charged:] Valle Valeriano, OC Homicide No. 29: 187 of 17 y.o. Outside 7-Eleven

See Update No. 4 at the end of this post disclosing Reda Safieddine has been charged with murder and what was used to kill Valle Valeriano.See Update Nos. 1-3 identifying Safieddine and Valeriano and providing social-network details on the suspected killer.ORIGINAL POST, AUG. 13, 3:45 P.M.: A 1 ... More >>

Theresa Smith, Mother of Caesar Cruz Shot by Anaheim Police in 2009, Speaks Out About Riots

Theresa Smith has been peacefully demonstrating outside of the Anaheim Police Department ever since her son, 35-year-old father of five Caesar Cruz, was shot by Anaheim Police on Dec. 11, 2009. Since the weekend, the city has seen protests and civil unrest as residents have taken to the streets ... More >>

[UPDATE: PHOTO OF BODY WITH GUN] Anaheim Police Department Kill Another Man After Day of Protests

Updated, with info at the end of this post.WATCH VIDEO OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ANAHEIM POLICE SHOOTING MANUEL DIAZ TO DEATH HERE.ORIGINAL POST, JULY 23, 12:32 A.M.: A source is telling OC Weekly five shots were heard as another man was shot by police and believed to be dead. A resident of the neig ... More >>

Anaheim's Cruzaders

Families of police-shooting victims protest their plight

[UPDATED with City Manager's Comments:] Is the Anaheim City Council the Next Target for Recall Over Police Abuse?

See update at the end of post where newly appointed Anaheim City Manager Bob Wigenroth makes a recommendation for the City Council.ORIGINAL POST, JUNE 5, 8:00 A.M. As Fullerton residents anxiously awaited their City Council recall results on Tuesday night, a group of about a dozen pro ... More >>

Manuel Levi "Manny" Loggins Jr.'s Family Sues County and Sheriff Over Marine's Slaying

With the County of Orange having rejected the claim filed by the family of the late Manuel Levi "Manny" Loggins Jr., the Camp Pendleton Marine sergeant gunned down by Deputy Darren Sandberg on Feb. 7, the family has now filed a federal lawsuit against the county, the sheriff's department and Sandber ... More >>

Mother's Day Vigil Planned in Anaheim for People Killed in Officer-Involved Shootings

When Theresa Smith lost her son, Caesar Cruz to a fatal December 11, 2009 officer-involved shooting in Anaheim, she hoped her family would be the last to have to endure the pain of such a devastating loss. "As soon as he was killed," Smith, a resident of Fullerton, says, "I wanted awareness." Her 3 ... More >>

[UPDATED with Victim I.D.:] Daniel Gonzalez Jr., OC Homicide No. 11: Shot Sitting in Car

UPDATE, MAY 2, 9:42 A.M.: The 21-year-old man shot to death Friday afternoon in what Santa Ana Police believe was a gang shooting has been identified as Daniel Gonzalez Jr. of Santa Ana.A description of his suspected killer has not been released, but police are investigating the murder of the Santa ... 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 Victim's Silver Lexus Sought:] David Zickman, OC Homicide No. 59: Found Shot Dead on Dogwood

​UPDATE, DEC. 15, 3:37 P.M.: Homicide investigators have determined that not only is the killer of David Zickman no where to be found, neither is the 2008 Silver Lexus that belonged to the 28-year-old Anaheim resident. The public's help is being sought in finding the four-dour Lexus IS250 with Cal ... More >>

[UPDATED with Scott Evans Dekraai Insanity Plea Predicted:] 6 Women and 2 Men, OC Homicides Nos. 45-52: Massacred at Beauty Salon

​UPDATE, NOV. 29, 12:30 P.M.: During today's arraignment hearing, where Scott Evans Dekraai pleaded not guilty to murdering eight people and critically injuring a ninth, Deputy Public Defender Scott Sanders objected to press photographers being in the courtroom, saying this kind of media coverage ... More >>

[UPDATED with I.D.:] Jason Nunez Shot and Killed by Garden Grove Police

​UPDATE, NOV. 21, 2:42 P.M.: A man who was reportedly chasing people down a street with knives before being shot and killed by at least one Garden Grove police officer has been identified as 31-year-old Jason Nuñez.Police say an argument escalated into Nuñez giving chase to people who were not i ... More >>

[UPDATED with Jason Bitz was Unarmed, May Have Not Been Stealing Car:] Santa Ana Off-Duty Cop Shoots and Kills a Guy

​UPDATE, NOV. 3, 3:09 A.M.: Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators say Jason Richard Bitz was not armed when a Santa Ana police officer fired four times and killed the Long Beach 23-year-old in Lakewood Monday morning. The unidentified officer, who has been placed on administrative leave, had ... More >>

Man in his 40s, OC Homicide No. 33: Shot in Anaheim Alley

​Anaheim Police believe a man in his 40s was sitting in a vehicle in the east alley of the 1300 block of North Lawrence Avenue around 6 p.m. Saturday when he was shot to death.He has not been identified pending notification on next of kin.

BREAKING: Woman Shot and Killed in Irvine's Turtle Rock Community

The shooting occurred in Irvine's Turtle Rock community. ​A woman was shot and killed this afternoon in front of a home in Irvine. The suspect is in custody, according to news reports.   Just after 2 p.m. today, officers responded to reports of gunfire around Turtle Rock and Almalf ... More >>

Martin Blanco Trujillo's Family Joins Sheriff's Department in Stepped-up Search for His Killer

​Eight months after Martin Blanco Trujillo was shot to death outside a home in Stanton, his family is joining the Orange County Sheriff's Department in stepping up the search for the 30-year-old's killer.A new $5,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer or murderers ... More >>

[UPDATED] Orange County Cops' Sunday Afternoon? Killed a Couple of Dudes

​Update, Jan. 18, 12:31 p.m.: Garden Grove Police announced the identity of the armed-robbery suspect shot to death after a brief chase Sunday.He was Wilfredo Ayala, 19, of Santa Ana. According to police reports, "Ayala had previous arrests for possession of H&S 11359 possession of marijuana f ... More >>

Newport Beach-Based Shopping-Center Owner Pulled Into the Tucson Mass-Shooting Aftermath

​Jack Jakosky, who owns a Newport Beach-based property-management company, was called away to Tucson last week to see if he could help reopen his shopping center's parking lot, which has been closed for several days, preventing easy customer access to stores. The city name probably tipped you off ... More >>

Fung Yoon, OC Homicide No. 62: Killed by Girlfriend's Ex-Husband, Who Later Killed Himself

​A wild, cross-county shooting rampage Sunday morning ended in Los Angeles' Koreatown, where gunman Young Choi shot and killed himself.Shortly before that, the 54-year-old LA resident shot and wounded another man in Koreatown. And, around 4:15 a.m.--90 minutes before Choi took his own life--he sho ... More >>

[UPDATED:] In-Custody Death and Police Killing of Andres Ramirez Put DA's New Disclosure Policy to the Test

T-Rack​Update, December 14, 11:48 a.m.: The disclosure policy has changed, but the results have not. As with just about every (if not every) police shooting case brought before it, the Orange County District Attorney's Office has officially cleared Laguna Beach cops of criminal wrongdoing in the d ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Dean Patrick Maldonado, OC Homicide No. 32: Bail Bondsman Shot in Quiet Neighborhood

From Dean Patrick Maldonado's MySpace pageThe deceased, Dean Patrick Maldonado​Update, December 8, 3:15 p.m.: After a five-month investigation into the midnight hour shooting July 17 that claimed the life of 49-year-old Dean Patrick Maldonado, the Orange County District Attorney's Office has concl ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Eddie Jurado Duran, OC Homicide No. 41: 14-Year-Old Found Shot to Death in Stolen Car

​More than two months after 14-year-old Eddie Jurado Duran was found dead in the driver's seat of a stolen car parked in a Santa Ana alley, two teens believed to have been occupants in the vehicle have been arrested for his murder.Because of boys' ages--15 and 16--they have not been identified.

[UPDATED:] Theresa and Madison Yancey, OC Homicides Nos. 55, 56: Murder-Suicide Victims

​UPDATE: Victims and killer identified (updated throughout) . . . Reports of a family fight and gunshots in the 9900 block of Dandelion Circle in Fountain Valley around 6 p.m. Friday led police to a home on a cul de sac where they found a woman dead in the driveway.BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!Three more gun ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Herman Ochoa, OC Homicide No. 43: Another Teen Found Shot Dead in Car

​UPDATED: The murder victim is identified. So is the murder suspect (updates throughout) . . . Santa Ana Police received reports of shots fired in the 500 block of West St. Andrew Place just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Officers arrived to find a white SUV with the target of that gunfire inside: 19-yea ... More >>

Pinalcchio

Renowned forensics experts say a Pinal County, Arizona, deputy's high-profile tale about getting shot after encountering drug smugglers doesn't add up

Eddie Jurado Duran, OC Homicide No. 41: 14-year-old Found Shot to Death in Stolen Car

​Santa Ana Police have little to go on but this: 14-year-old Eddie Jurado Duran was found shot to death Wednesday night in the driver's seat of a stolen red 1990 Toyota Camry.His grandfather had called the cops just after 10 p.m. to report the young gang member had been killed, which led offices t ... More >>

Slayings Awake Sleepy Rancho Santa Margarita

​What in the devil is going on in Rancho Santa Margarita?Essentially a giant master planned community, the 10-year-old city boasts neighborhoods with rows of million-dollar homes, locations where most of The Real Housewives of Orange County are filmed and, until the past 13 days, no reported homic ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Harvey Romero Jr., OC Homicide No. 24: Shot in the Face

​Harvey Romero Jr., a 20-year-old from Garden Grove, left a graduation and birthday party in a car with four other people inside Friday night. At about 10 p.m., the car stopped on Santa Catalina Avenue in Stanton and the people inside started looking for a friend in the area. They talked to a gro ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Juan Carlos Rodriguez, O.C. Homicide No. 2: 16-Year-Old Gang-Shooting Victim

UPDATED WITH STILL ANOTHER ARREST . . . Suspect photos courtesy of Tustin Police Department​Arrested in the murder of 16-year-old Juan Carlos Rodriguez, who was gunned down around 2 a.m. Jan. 10 in Tustin and is shown at bottom right, are (clockwise from top left): John Saway; David Escobar; Pablo ... More >>

UPDATED WITH SUSPECT SHOT DEAD: Just Another Orange County (Double) Murder: Heather Courtney Sorensen and Stephen Rene Serna

UPDATED WITH POLICE KILLING OF MURDER SUSPECT, ID's OF HIS ALLEGED VICTIMS, CORRECTION . . . View Larger MapCourtesy of Anaheim Police DepartmentDouble murder suspect Anthony Castillo was shot by police Wednesday evening and declared dead later that night.​Anthony Castillo, the 31-year-old man wan ... More >>

In Anaheim, Sticks And Stones Can Kill You

Auto Theft Advisory CommitteeFlanagan received an award last year for recovering the most stolen cars in the county. **Update: Julian Alexander's family has released a statement expressing their disappointment over the DA's decision not press charges against Kevin Fagan. "The shooting represents an ... More >>

Shoot First, Ask No Questions Later

Sheriff will investigate cops in HB shooting, but OC has already declared them tragic heroes

Neighbor-Involved Shooting

The DA files charges against a customs officer who killed a Mission Viejo college student. The defense says its all politics

The Year of the Gun

OC cops end 2003 with perfect record

Elmer Bustos R.I.P.

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

The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in the Safest City in America

Grave Error

Tim Garcia is no anti-immigration martyr

Barrels of Fun!

Register engages in reckless gunplay

I Know Where You Lived Last Summer

Woodbridge is still a scary place