Shootings

The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in the Safest City in America

Johnnie Cochran is Back to Right Another Alleged Injustice...Check That, It's His Law Firm

Years after the glove didn't fit and we had to acquit, countless Larry King Live appearances and actor Phil Morris' career zenith with the Seinfeld Jackie Chiles parody, Johnnie Cochran Jr. is coming back to Orange County to right an alleged racial injustice. OK, so Mr. Cochran departed for tha ... 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 >>

Grave Error

Tim Garcia is no anti-immigration martyr

A Tale of Two Shootings

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

Fire at Will

Yet another open letter to Huntington Beach Police Chief Kenneth Small

A Day in the Park With Hitler

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

Shot in the Back

Jury verdict contradicts official version of Surf City cop shooting

Barrels of Fun!

Register engages in reckless gunplay

I Know Where You Lived Last Summer

Woodbridge is still a scary place

Taco Bell Crime of the Week!

911 dispatchers are supposed to take phone calls reporting crimes, not become a victim themselves. From Albany:A 911 dispatcher checking her gun's safety switch accidentally shot herself in the leg while at a Taco Bell drive-through at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, police reports stated. Although injured, J ... 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 >>

[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 >>

Caesar Cruz's Family Mourns--and Seeks Answers From Cops Who Killed Him

The deceased​How did you spend last Thursday? The Cruz family of Fullerton and their friends spent it in front of Anaheim police headquarters on South Harbor Boulevard, protesting the death of Caesar Cruz, who was shot by cops three months earlier in a Wal-mart parking lot.Anaheim police were tigh ... 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 >>

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

From Dean Maldonado's MySpace Profile​A fatal shooting Saturday night jolted the sleepy neighborhood of Robinson Ranch in Rancho Santa Margarita.Dean Patrick Maldonado, the 49-year-old owner of the Dean Maldonado Bail Bonds in Newport Beach, was shot and killed inside a home in the 21300 block of ... More >>

Frankie Sandoval, OC Homicide No. 33: Shot in Head by Gang Bangers

​The first of two shootings six hours apart on the same Santa Ana street Thursday night resulted in the death of Frankie Sandoval.Police say the 18-year-old Santa Ana man was shot in the head, most likely by a gang member.

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 >>

Julian "Jules" Stanley Collender, Killed by a Cop, Remembered at Tribute Show Tonight

​A tribute show will be held in Fullerton tonight for Julian "Jules" Stanley Collender, the skater and former record label owner who was gunned down by Brea Police in front of his parents' Yorba Linda home in June.The Big's Grill show begins at 9 p.m.After the jump, see the flier and find out why ... More >>

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 >>

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

[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 >>

Adrian Arroyo Gets 34 Years to Life for Shooting War Vet Caught in Gang Crossfire

​When a 25-year-old man identified only as Armando E. by prosecutors was serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, he was used to the sound of bullets whizzing by his ears and the feeling of being shot. At home in Garden Grove, not so much. But while he was playing in the front yard with his 10-y ... More >>

[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:] 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:] 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:] 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:] Family Questions Santa Ana Police Killing of TOY Gunman

​Update, December 17, 3:12 p.m.: The case of a man killed in his apartment early Thursday is getting curiouser and curiouser. Santa Ana Police now say the dead man, identified as Elmer Alexander Perez, 27, was not carrying a real gun but a toy one. In fact, that was communicated in the 9- ... 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] 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 >>

Long Beach Man Fatally Shot for Holding a Water Nozzle Had His Arms Outstretched As Though Pointing a Gun, Police Chief Says

Long Beach Police DepartmentThe garden hose nozzle that police thought was a gun. ​Last December, 35-year-old LBC resident Douglas Zerby was shot and killed by police while holding a "weapon" that turned out to be a garden-hose nozzle.Because there's been so much interest in the case, with rall ... More >>

[UPDATED] Edgar Calvillo Loses Appeal in Murder After Spat Over Girl and Vandalized Car

​UPDATE, MARCH 28, 1:39 P.M.: The same day the third and final defendant was sentenced in the 2008 shooting death of a 22-year-old Lake Forest father, the shooter in that case lost an appeal over his confession.The California Court of Appeals, Fourth District, disagreed with the contentions of Edg ... 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 with New Victim:] Sergio Maldonado and Arnie Zavala, OC Homicides Nos. 16 and 17: Shot Outside Taqueria

​UPDATE, MAY 18, 9:45 A.M.: Santa Ana police have identified the man who was fatally shot in the parking lot of Taqueria Zamora Sunday night as Sergio Maldonado, 32, of Santa Ana.And cops believe Arnie Zavala, a 20-year-old Santa Ana man who died in a San Diego hospital Monday night, was also shot ... 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 >>

Reginald Watson Sajonas of Anaheim Found Shot-to-Death on Freeway

Reginald Sajonas​An Anaheim man was one of two victims found shot to death in an SUV on the 405 freeway in Long Beach Saturday night.Reginald Watson Sajonas, 37, of Anaheim, and Derek Alexander Pouono, 36, of Long Beach, were the lone occupants of the Honda Pilot discovered around 9:30 p.m. on the ... More >>

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 >>

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.

Friday Follies: It's A Police Brutality Trifecta!

​It isn't every day that three stories cross your desk within hours or even minutes of each other, all of them involving Orange County cops beating the hell out of people, or as the case may be, killing them. And oh yeah: getting sued for their troubles, too. Where to begin? With the the moth ... 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 >>

[UPDATED: Zerby's Supporters Outraged, Demand Federal Investigation] Cops Cleared in The Fatal Shooting of Douglas Zerby

Zerby​UPDATE, NOV. 4, 1:11 P.M.: Family members, attorneys and community organizations are speaking out against the Long Beach Police Department and Los Angeles District Attorney, calling the DA's findings "a complete outrage." They're holding rally today at 3:30 p.m. at the LBPD headquarters ... 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 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 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 >>

Prospero Guadarrama, Baby-Faced Gang Banger, Gets Life for Executing Rivals

​Baby-faced gang banger Prospero Guadarrama was sentenced today to life in state prison without the possibility of parole for murdering two rivals and leaving a third in a coma after an execution-style gang shooting eight days before Christmas 2006. Sixteen at the time of the shootings, Guadarr ... More >>