A Lake Forest man has been charged with murder for beating his ex-wife to death with a tire iron after she arrived at her job as a nanny in Irvine. The woman died three weeks after the attack. Omar Velazquezhuar, 45, of Lake Forest, has been charged with one felony …continue reading
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer was joined by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris at a press conference this morning to announce the prosecution of two business owners who opened up a Garden Grove storefront with the sole purpose of filing false unemployment claims with the state of California for people who …continue reading
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer released the following statement criticizing a court ruling in Campbell et. al v. Barnes that requires Sheriff Don Barnes to reduce the inmate population in the Orange County jail system by 50%: A judge’s ruling to reduce the inmate population in the Orange County …continue reading
Yesterday the Orange County District Attorney’s Office received a report that several unauthorized ballot boxes had been placed in Orange County cities. District Attorney investigators assigned to the Office’s Election Team immediately launched an investigation and that investigation is currently underway. Once that investigation is complete, a comprehensive legal review …continue reading
The 59-year-old CEO of Haliburton International Foods has been charged with engaging in prostitution with a 15-year old and 16-year-old. A 22-year-old woman has been charged with pimping and pandering for arranging to bring the underage girls to him for sex. Ian Charles Schenkel, of Newport Beach, has been charged …continue reading
A 39-year old Santa Ana police officer has been charged with committing workers’ compensation insurance fraud for continuing to accept his full pay without working even though he was physically capable of returning to work. On October 5, 2017, Santa Ana Police Officer Jonathon Ridge was injured on duty while …continue reading
A former Santa Ana College welding instructor has been charged with four felonies for molesting a 15-year-old high school student enrolled in his class. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying other possible victims of the instructor who taught at several high schools and community colleges across Southern …continue reading
A previously convicted white supremacist gang member was convicted of second-degree murder for stabbing a 22-year-old man to death in a Laguna Niguel bar in 2015. A jury found Craig Matthew Tanber, 40, of Los Alamitos, guilty of one felony count of second-degree murder for stabbing Shayan Mazroei several times …continue reading
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is proud to announce that it has been chosen by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to continue serving as the statewide traffic safety training agency in an ongoing effort to combat drugged and drunk driving across California. OTS has awarded the …continue reading
Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Todd Spitzer released the investigation findings and legal conclusions of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department custodial death of Ngoc Dang Nguyen. The full letter, “OCDA Report Custodial Death – Ngoc Dang Nguyen” is available at www.orangecountyda.org by selecting Officer-Involved Shootings and Custodial Death Letters under …continue reading
An Orange County Fire Authority heavy fire equipment operator has been charged with felony animal cruelty for shooting his dog to death and disposing of the animal’s body in a dumpster in his fire station in Irvine. Ryan John Monteleone, 44, of Menifee, was arrested by Irvine police on October …continue reading
A jury convicted a gang member of first-degree murder today in the 2017 shooting death of a man with ties to a rival gang in Anaheim. Osiris Lenin Garfias Pedraza, 23, of Fullerton, was found guilty of one felony count of first-degree murder, one felony count of the personal discharge …continue reading
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer released the following statement regarding People v. Robicheaux and Riley: Given the controversial procedural nature of People v. Robicheaux and Riley, upon my assuming the office of the District Attorney of Orange County, I directed my prosecutors to re-evaluate the facts with a com …continue reading