In case you ever wondered if it is illegal to smear shit on the outside wall of the Santa Ana Public Library and drop into the book-drop box a letter addressed to the person in charge of the letter and the Santa Ana Police Department that threatened 50 times worse vandalism if the officer in charge of library security was not fired, and then send a letter to Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters threatening to kill the two officers stationed at the library (and leaving detailed information about the cops' schedules and noting you'd purchased guns and bullets), and then sending Walters another letter threatening to kill any police officer you see in Civic Center Plaza between designated hours–well, it is.
Just ask Tony Diep.
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June 9, 2010
TRANSIENT ARRAIGNED FOR MAILING DEATH THREATS TO SANTA ANA POLICE
OFFICERS
SANTA ANA – A transient was arraigned today on charges of mailing death
threats to Santa Ana police officers. Tony Diep, 47, Santa Ana, is
charged with one felony count of sending a threatening extortion letter,
two felony counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer, and
two felony counts of criminal threats. If convicted, Diep faces a
maximum sentence of five years and four months in state prison. He is
being held on $50,000 bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing June
15, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center,
Santa Ana.
On July 30, 2008, feces were spread on the outside wall of the Santa Ana
Public Library. That morning, Diep is accused of leaving a threatening
letter addressed to the persons in charge of the library and the Santa
Ana Police Department (SAPD) in the book-drop box complaining about the
Santa Ana police officer who provided security for the library and
stating that the library would be vandalized 50 times worse if the Santa
Ana officer was not removed.
On April 15, 2009, Diep is accused of sending a letter to the Santa Ana
Police Chief Paul Walters, threatening to kill the police officer
stationed at the Santa Ana Public Library. He is accused of having
detailed knowledge of the officer's work hours and stating that he had
purchased guns and bullets.
On Feb. 17, 2010, Diep is accused of sending a letter to SAPD Chief
Walters threatening to kill any police officer he sees between 4:00 a.m.
and 8:00 a.m. in the Santa Ana Civic Center Plaza. He is accused of
stating that it would be easy to kill any officer and specifically
mentions two SAPD officers. The defendant is accused of signing all
three letters with a Hispanic sounding name.
The defendant was linked to the letters by the Orange County Crime Lab
who analyzed the defendant's DNA sample.
Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon of the Special Prosecutions Unit
is prosecuting this case.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.
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