A deputy-involved shooting occurred today in the city of Lake Forest at approximately 5 p.m.
At approximately 4:15 p.m. deputies responded to reports of a man with a weapon and wearing a costume mask running outside the Wal-Mart in the 26000 block of Town Centre Dr. in the city of Foothill Ranch. When deputies arrived, the suspect had fled the area. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 18HF0073
Date: January 17, 2018
REMARKS BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TONY RACKAUCKAS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Good morning and thank you for joining us today. We have been working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department around the clock since Blaze Bernstein was reported missing on January 3.
As the search continued, Blaze’s family, friends, fellow Orange County residents, and tens of thousands of people around the world were all hoping there was an innocent explanation as to why Blaze had not returned home. We were all hopeful he would show up and reunite with his friends and family and life for all involved would resume. As we all became sadly aware last week, that is not the case. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 18HF0073
Date: January 17, 2018
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former classmate of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was charged today with murdering the victim and burying his body in a shallow grave in Borrego Park in Lake Forest.
Defendant: Samuel Lincoln Woodward, 20, Newport Beach
Charged today with: Continue reading
Body found in Borrego Park ID’d as missing 19-year-old
LAKE FOREST, Ca. (Jan. 10, 2018) – The body of a 19-year-old man found in Borrego Park by Orange County Sheriff’s investigators has been identified as missing person Blaze Bernstein.
Bernstein was last seen at about 11 p.m. on Jan. 2, and was reported missing by his family to Sheriff’s Department investigators on Jan. 3. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 17HF0707
Date: May 30, 2017
YOUTH MINISTRY MENTOR CHARGED WITH COMMITTING LEWD ACTS ON TWO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A youth ministry mentor was charged today with committing lewd acts on two junior high school boys.
Defendant: Ruven Meulenberg, 32, Lake Forest
Charges:
LAKE FOREST, Ca. (May 26, 2017) – Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail investigators on Thursday, May 25, arrested Ruben Meulenberg, a 32-year-old youth mentor at Saddleback Church on suspicion of inappropriate relations with at least two juveniles.
SVD investigators on Wednesday, May 24, were contacted after patrol deputies took a report alleging a man working as a junior high youth mentor with Saddleback Church in Lake Forest had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old boy. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 15HF1452
Date: December 9, 2016
FORMER PASTOR SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEXUAL BATTERY OF FOUR FEMALE CHURCH MEMBERS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former pastor was sentenced today to two years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration for sexual battery of four female church members. Sean Patrick Aday, 39, Lake Forest, pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2016, to two felony counts of sexual battery by restraint and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
At the time of the crime, Aday was working as a youth pastor at Grace Community Church in Lake Forest. The defendant sexually assaulted four adult female church members on church property or during church trips overseas. Continue reading
Contacts: Lt. Mark Stichter, 714.904.7042, MKStichter@ocsd.org; Carrie Braun, 714.552.5795, CBraun@ocsd.org
DUI Enforcement Operations Planned this Weekend
SANTA ANA, CA (April 8, 2016) – Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s DUI Task Force will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers in the department’s ongoing traffic safety campaign. DUI Saturation Patrols will deploy on Friday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m. and continue until Saturday, April 9th at 3:00 a.m. in the cities of Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Rancho Santa Margarita.
“This is a ‘Zero Tolerance’ crackdown so Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!” said Deputy Manuel Cruz from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Bureau. Continue reading
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
SPECIAL BULLETIN: MISSING HANDGUN AND BACKPACK
DESCRIPTION: 45 caliber handgun, possibly in a black backpack
LOCATION: Near the vicinity of the Aliso Creek Bike Trail, possibly in the creekbed or surrounding area between Trabuco Road and Jeronimo Road
On Monday February 15, 2016 an incident occurred along the Aliso Creek Bike Trail near Trabuco Road. Suspect Edgar Valdivia requested the use of a cell phone from another person along the trail, and while on the phone, Valdivia fired a round from a .45 caliber handgun into the creek bed. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case #12HF2093
Date: February 8, 2016
WESTMINSTER, Calif. – A former church assistant was convicted today of molesting two girls under the age of 14 after befriending their families through the church. Branden Edward Shumate, 37, Koloa, Hawaii, was found guilty by a jury today, Feb. 8, 2016, of three felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims. Shumate faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration at his sentencing on March 25, 2016, at 1:30 p.m., in Department W-9, West Justice Center, Westminster.
Between Sept. 13, 1997, and Sept. 12, 1998, the defendant, then 18 years old, worked as an assistant in a church where his father was a pastor and leader of the church in Lake Forest. During that time the defendant organized a trip to an Irvine water park for members of the church. Continue reading