Irvine News Blog

Four people charged with kidnapping an Irvine woman for ransom

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine Police Department, News, OCDA Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Four people were charged today with multiple felonies in connection with kidnapping an Irvine woman and holding her for ransom.

Ezra Schley, 71, and Yang “Rose” Wang, 37, both of Huntington Beach, Reha Soylular, 54, of Newport Beach, and George Armando Medrano, 34, of Norco, were each charged with one felony count of aggravated kidnapping for ransom and extortion, one felony count of residential burglary, and one felony count of attempted extortion.

Medrano was also charged with one felony count of a felon in possession of ammunition and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana for sale. Schley was charged with one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

All four defendants face a minimum of seven years and a maximum sentence of life if convicted on all charges. They are currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail.

The four defendants are accused of kidnaping Jane Doe from her Irvine apartment on August 28, 2019 in an attempt to extort a large sum of money from Jane Doe’s husband and mother-in-law. They are also accused of sending pictures of Jane Doe being held captive to Jane Doe’s husband through a phone web chatting app.

Jane Doe was previously acquainted with at least one of the defendants. Authorities believe this is an isolated incident.

Jane Doe was rescued by the Irvine Police Department after her mother-in-law called police and requested a welfare check.

“Diligent police work by the Irvine Police Department helped locate this victim before further trauma could be inflicted on her and her loved ones,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

“I want to express my support for the victim and family as they recover from this traumatic event,” said Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel. “I also want to thank the men and women of the Irvine Police Department who worked tirelessly to protect the victim and arrest those responsible for committing a heinous crime in our community.”

This case is being prosecuted by Laila Nikaien of the Special Prosecutions Unit.

Irvine man shot dead during an illegal marijuana deal in Garden Grove

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Drugs, Garden Grove, Irvine, Irvine Police Department, Marijuana, News Leave a comment

Garden Grove Homicide Detectives worked through the night and followed up on several leads. At approximately 1:30 a.m., detectives conducted a high risk car stop on a suspect vehicle leaving a hotel in Venice Beach, California. Three male suspects were taken into custody without incident and were transported to Garden Grove Police Department.

After further investigation, detectives learned this homicide was drug related and involved a marijuana sales transaction between the victim, Thien Hoang Phan, a 32-year-old resident of Irvine, and the suspects. All of the individuals were at the Garden Grove residence on Westminster Ave. to conduct the drug sales transaction when the shooting occurred. The three male suspects were booked at Orange County Jail for murder and other related charges.

This is the third homicide in Garden Grove this year where the sale of marijuana and other illegal narcotics was directly involved. These incidents were outside the operation of legal marijuana businesses. None of the homicides are linked to each other but the motive for each homicide was robbery for cash or illegal narcotics.

The first homicide occurred on 4-29-19 at a home in the 12000 block of Corvette Street. A suspect who came from another state, attempted to rob a courier for cash at a stash house for marijuana sales. The courier shot and killed the suspect claiming self-defense. The second homicide happened on 7-8-2019 in the 9100 block of La Grand Avenue where several suspects did an early-morning home invasion robbery. The suspects shot the victim while demanding cash and narcotics. No arrests have been made for the second homicide and it is currently still being investigated. This most recent homicide was committed by suspects who traveled to Garden Grove from Arizona to purchase marijuana. Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Arizona and detectives believe this may be a reason why suspects are traveling from neighboring states to commit crimes.

Anyone with information about this most recent crime is encouraged to contact detectives at the Garden Grove Police Department.

ORIGINAL NARRATIVE:

Garden Grove Police Officers responded to a call of possible gunshots and a subject bleeding in the 9600 Blk. of Westminster Ave. in Garden Grove. Officers arrived on scene and located a male Asian adult in the rear yard of a residence with gunshot wounds who was deceased.

Garden Grove Police Detectives responded and are handling the investigation as a homicide. Details are unknown at this time as to the identity of the victim, his relation to the residence, as well as any suspect information. Further information will be forth coming as the investigation is on-going.

Suspects arrested:

Larios, Victor Rene – 29 years old, resident of Arizona
Ruiz, Jacob Alexander– 24 years old, resident of Arizona
Ruiz, Joseph Anthony– 27 years old, resident of Arizona

Power outage impacting 28,000 in Irvine; Care and Reception Center set up at Northwood High

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Editor Posted in News Leave a comment

An electrical fire at a substation at Jamboree and Michelson in Irvine has caused a power outage impacting 28,000 customers, Southern California Edison reports. Power is expected to be out at least through the night.

A Care and Reception Center for those affected by the power outage has been set up at Northwood High School, 4515 Portola Parkway. The facility will be open as a cooling center or for those who need shelter. Accommodations will be made for those with pets. Pet owners should bring food, water and other supplies for their animals. Dogs should be on a leash, and other animals should be in appropriate carriers.

Up to 50 intersections in Irvine were on “red flash” or blacked out as a result of the power outage. Additionally, 100 residents at Villa Siena Apartments on Palatine were briefly evacuated and have since been allowed to return to their homes.

The Irvine Police Department has increased patrols in areas impacted by the outage, which primarily consists of the Irvine Business Complex (IBC). The impact on traffic is also being monitored.

For more information or if you need assistance due to this incident, call the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7000. Visit cityofirvine.org and follow the Irvine Police Department and City of Irvine on social media for updates

Church camp counselor arrested by the Irvine police after allegedly molesting a child

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Editor Posted in Churches, Crime, Mission Viejo, News Leave a comment

The Irvine Police Department on Wednesday arrested a Mission Viejo man who committed lewd acts on a child he supervised while working as a part-time camp counselor at Mission Viejo Christian Church. Nicolas David Cruz, 19, was arrested at the church and taken to Orange County Jail, where he remains.

On the evening of Tuesday, July 23, the mother of an 8-year-old from Mission Viejo reported to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that the suspect sexually assaulted her child during the bus ride home from a summer camp outing in Irvine. The case was turned over to the Irvine Police Department because the crime occurred in Irvine.

Cruz’s employment with the church was immediately terminated.

Detectives believe there may be additional victims in this case. Cruz began working at the church in December 2018. During summer, he worked part time with children who are between 8 and 9 years old. During the previous school year, he worked with children ages 5 to 11 years old.

Police urge parents who believe their children may have been a victim to contact Detective Mudassar Mahmood at 949-724-7130 or mmahmood@cityofirvine.org.

Man who took inappropriate pictures of a woman at an Irvine car wash arrested

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine, Irvine Police Department, News Leave a comment

A man who was caught taking pictures underneath a woman’s skirt has been arrested following an investigation by Irvine Police Department Detectives. Nathan Martin Haley, 45, of Portola Hills turned himself in to police last month.

On July 31, 2018, Irvine Police received a report from a victim who stated that while at a car wash on the 3000 block of Main Street, a man approached her from behind. The victim turned to look at the man, who pretended to have dropped his phone on the ground directly beneath her dress. A moment later, the victim saw the same man attempt to place his phone on the ground near her while she vacuumed her car.

The victim quickly finished vacuuming and got into her vehicle. Before leaving the car wash, she took a picture of the license plate on the man’s blue Mini Cooper. She described the man as white with a thin build, strawberry blonde hair, approximately 35 to 40 years old.

Detectives identified Haley and obtained a search warrant for his phone, which provided evidence of this type of activity. The victim confirmed that Haley was the man she saw at the car wash.

Detectives believe there may be more victims in this case in Irvine and other cities. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact Irvine Police Department Detective Leticia Hernandez at 949-724-7245 or lhernandez@cityofirvine.org.

The Irvine police will be conducting a DUI checkpoint on Saturday night

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Editor Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Irvine, Irvine Police Department, News Leave a comment

The Irvine Police Department (IPD) will conduct a sobriety checkpoint as part of the Department’s continued commitment to reducing injuries and deaths caused by impaired drivers. The checkpoint will be conducted Saturday, April 27, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The checkpoint will be clearly marked and vehicles will be selected for further screening on a pre-set basis to ensure objectivity. Motorists will be greeted and given information about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Trained officers will direct suspected impaired drivers to a secondary area for further evaluation. Most motorists will experience little or no delay.

This checkpoint is being carried out with the use of grant funding awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

High-visibility enforcement can reduce drunken driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research has shown. IPD publicizes these highly visible sobriety checkpoints to deter impaired drivers, encourage the use of sober designated drivers and rideshare services, and bring increased awareness to the consequences of impaired driving.

Irvine burglary suspect now arrested for a double slaying in Newport Beach

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, Irvine, Irvine Police Department, Newport Beach, News Leave a comment

Press Release – Double Homicide Suspect Arrested

On April 25, 2019, the Newport Beach Police Department arrested Jamon Rayon Buggs, a 44 year old resident of Huntington Beach, for the murder of Darren Donald Partch, a 38 year old resident of Newport Beach, and Wendi Sue Miller, a 48 year old resident of Costa Mesa.

The victims were found deceased inside a residence in the 2100 Block of East 15th Street in Newport Beach on the evening of April 21, 2019. At the time of his arrest, Jamon Rayon Buggs was in custody at the Orange County Jail in connection with unrelated charges stemming from an arrest by the Irvine Police Department. Jamon Rayon Buggs is currently being held on a $1,000,000 bail pending double murder charges.

This is an open and ongoing investigation and no additional details are available at this time. Please see the attached booking photo of Jamon Rayon Buggs from the Irvine Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this case or with information on the recent activities and whereabouts of Jamon Rayon Buggs prior to his arrest should contact Detective Rick Henry at 949-644-3797.

The Newport Beach Police Department would like to thank our law enforcement partners, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County Crime Lab, Irvine Police Department, Laguna Beach Police Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and Anaheim Police Department for their assistance with this investigation.

Irvine Police arrest felon suspected in attempted residential burglary

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine, Irvine Police Department Leave a comment

The Irvine Police Department has arrested a suspect in a series of attempted residential burglaries that occurred Saturday night and Sunday morning in Irvine. Jamon Rayon Buggs (age 44) of Huntington Beach, is also suspected of firing a handgun at the exterior of the home that he attempted to burglarize.

The first attempted burglary occurred Saturday, April 20 at 11:35 p.m. and was interrupted by the resident who heard a noise on their second story balcony. The suspect was scared off after being seen and while fleeing, fired a single round from a handgun which lodged into the exterior of the residence.

A second attempted burglary occurred Sunday, April 21 at 5:00 a.m. This attempt was reported later in the afternoon when the resident reviewed home surveillance video and saw the suspect had attempted to open the front door. No entry was made and the suspect immediately left the area on foot.

On Monday, April 22 at approximately 12:15 a.m., Irvine Police detectives were conducting surveillance in the neighborhood of the two attempted residential burglaries when they observed a suspicious vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and a short pursuit ensued into an adjacent neighborhood. The suspect abandoned his vehicle after a minor collision with a parked car and ran into a nearby backyard. With the assistance of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Anaheim Police Department helicopters, officers were able to contain the suspect and evacuate the impacted residents. At some point during the event the suspect broke into an unoccupied home. The Irvine Police SWAT team ultimately responded to assist in apprehending the suspect.

At approximately 4:00 a.m., the suspect ran from the home in an attempt to flee and was detained by officers without incident.

Buggs was arrested and booked at Orange County Jail for Evading a Police Officer, Attempted Burglary, Shooting into an Inhabited Dwelling, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and Hit and Run.

The investigation into this case is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Victor Chang at 949-724-7432 or vchang@cityofirvine.org.

Costa Mesa Basketball Coach arrested for unlawful sex with minors in four cases from 2009

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine, Irvine Police Department, News Leave a comment

Irvine, Calif. (April 12, 2019) – A former basketball coach has been arrested after four victims came forward to report sexual incidents that occurred in 2009, when the victims were between 11 and 14 years of age. Carlos Juarez, 44, was arrested Thursday, April 11, outside his home on the 1300 block of Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa.

Juarez met the victims, who do not know each other, when all were in elementary school. Irvine Police Department Detectives believe that Juarez groomed the victims from a young age, with the incidents beginning years after his first contact with them. Juarez met the girls through his work as a basketball coach for a club team. The Irvine Police Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Tustin Police Department and OC Sheriff’s Department are involved in the cases related to the four victims. Costa Mesa police arrested Juarez on a $100,000 warrant obtained by the Irvine Police Department. He was subsequently transferred to Orange County Jail.

Investigators believe there are more victims in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective John Sanders at 949-724-7233 or jsanders@cityofirvine.org.

The OC Sheriff is dumping ICE to focus on increasing mental health services

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Editor Posted in Crime, Immigration, Musick Jail, Orange County Sheriff Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 27, 2019) – Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes announced major changes to Orange County’s jail operations to efficiently use Department resources and address the increasing need for inmates requiring mental health services.

“Since 2015, we have seen a 40% increase in open mental health cases in our jails,” said Sheriff Barnes. “The number of mental health cases now reach almost 1,800 on any given day. Consequently, we must focus on enhancing our mental health services and expanding the number of beds available for individuals with mental health needs.”

As seen in the chart below, the number of inmates requiring mental health treatment in jail settings continues to climb, along with the severity of the mental illnesses. At present, approximately thirty percent of the jail population requires various levels of mental health services and that number has been increasing exponentially over the last five years. Mental health services include: counseling, medication management, intensive outpatient care, discharge planning, acute psychiatric inpatient care (hospitalization), and emergency psychiatric medications. OCSD has seen continuous increases in the number of inmates requiring mental health services from Correctional Health Services (CHS).

To address these increasing needs, OCSD will upgrade three existing housing modules at the Intake Release Center to treat inmates with mental health needs. ADA compliant cells and restrooms will be added. When complete, the upgrades will add approximately 500 behavioral health beds allowing for the security, care and treatment of male and female inmates. In order to accommodate the demand for mental health treatment and programming, increased staff will be added in mental health housing units. These upgrades and staffing will be more conducive to providing programs.

In addition to being a primary provider of mental health care, jails across the nation are also quickly becoming front line providers for substance use disorders, particularly in responding to the opioid epidemic. In 2018, approximately 40% of the jail population reported some type of substance use, and more than 100 inmates required frequent monitoring and assessment for drug and/or alcohol detoxification on a daily basis. With the upgrades, we will have designated areas for both males and females to focus on detoxification and treatment, in addition to added services and programing specific to drug use.

The Intake Release Center booking operations triage area where inmates first come when they are brought to jail will be redesigned and remodeled with privacy partitions to provide greater confidentiality when screening inmates for medical and mental health issues.

In order to fund and increase staffing ratios for inmates with mental health and substance use disorders, Sheriff Barnes has developed a jail operations reorganization plan.

“I have made the decision to make two significant changes to our jail operations,” said Sheriff Barnes. “These decisions are intended to mitigate the risk of litigation from the state while, at the same, minimize costs to Orange County taxpayers.

“Jail operations at the James A. Musick Facility will be temporarily suspended and our agreement with the Federal Government to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees will be ended.”

The Sheriff’s Department has leased bed space to ICE since 2010. The current agreement expires in July 2020 and allows for early termination.

In order to address the mental health crisis within Orange County jails, OCSD has notified ICE of the intent to terminate the agreement. Once formally terminated, ICE has 120 days to transfer the detainees to other facilities. Unfortunately, based on statutory language within SB-54, those individuals housed on behalf of ICE will most likely be transferred outside of California, separating them from family members who reside within this state.

The conclusion of the ICE agreement will allow maximized use of jail bed space and focus on the needs of the mentally ill. The loss of revenue will be offset by the savings through the temporary closure of housing operations at the Musick Facility.

The Musick Facility will be reopened when the construction of two new state-funded housing facilities are completed. The 512-bed and 384-bed facilities are specifically designed to meet the growing needs of today’s inmate population. The estimated completion is fall of 2022.

The decision to end the ICE agreement will not impact public safety. OCSD will continue to work with ICE within the confines of SB-54 to ensure they are alerted to the release of serious and violent offenders within our custody who have ICE detainers.

Treating those with mental illness in our jails is only one portion of the larger challenge policy makers must address with regards to the influx of the mentally ill in our community.

“We are obligated to do everything we can to provide care for the inmates in our custody and connect them to services,” said Sheriff Barnes. “We have a shared interest in rehabilitating inmates with mental health challenges and substance use disorders to be stable and sober, with the ultimate goal of having them not return to jail.”

Irvine News Blog

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