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Category Archives: Crime

The Irvine Police arrested a bank robber at a B of A

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The Irvine Police Department arrested Ryan Ray Staples, 21, on Tuesday for a bank robbery at the Bank of America at 4500 Barranca Parkway.

The police responded on June 9 to that location at about 3:40 p.m. after a silent alarm was triggered inside the bank. A bank employee confirmed by phone that a robbery had just occurred and advised that the suspect passed a note to the teller demanding money. The teller stated no weapon was seen. The suspect left the bank with the money in a clear plastic bag.

Bank employees followed the suspect at a distance as he exited and were able to provide the police with a detailed description.

Officers responded to the area and located a male matching the suspect’s description walking in a business complex across the street from the bank. The male was detained and the stolen U.S. currency in the plastic bag was recovered.

The suspect was arrested without incident and was booked at the Orange County Jail. The case was referred to the OCDA for prosecution.

The FBI believes that the suspect may be responsible for other bank robberies, both inside and outside California. The FBI will work with the Irvine Police Department on a joint investigation.

If you have information related to this case please contact Irvine Police Detective John Sanders at 949-724-7233.

Burglary suspects who targeted Irvine homes arrested in multi-county sweep

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Five men accused of running a multi-county burglary ring responsible for stealing $1.9 million in designer watches and purses, jewelry, guns, purses, and cash in 44 residential burglaries in Orange and San Bernardino counties were arrested by SWAT teams on Friday.

The District Attorney’s AB109 Task Force, along with the Fullerton, Anaheim, and Buena Park Police Departments, the Orange Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, executed simultaneous search warrants on Friday, May 15, 2020 in Los Angeles County.

Jurandir Endnilson Penate, 24, Erick Daniel Soria, 27, Alvaro Ramos, 37, Eugene Yi, 35, and Sergio Soto, 33, all of Los Angeles, were arrested in the multi-agency operation.

Felony criminal charges were filed against the five defendants Monday, May 18, 2020 in connection with the rash of burglaries that began in Chino Hills in August 2019 and continued in Fullerton, Anaheim Hills, Villa Park, Lake Forest, Yorba Linda, Buena Park, and Irvine through February. Four of the burglaries occurred when residents were home.

“This case underscores law enforcement’s resolve to effectively collaborate, across jurisdictions, to bring criminals to justice,” said Fullerton Police Chief Bob Dunn, who spoke at a Monday morning press conference at the District Attorney’s Office to announce the arrests.

Orange County Assistant Sheriff Jeff Hallock, Buena Park Police Chief Corey Sianez, Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros, Orange County District Attorney Bureau of Investigation Chief Paul Walters, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Galloway of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were also in attendance at Monday’s announcement.

Soria, who is currently on parole for residential burglary, is facing 83 years and 8 months in state prison if convicted on all charges. Soto, is a third striker with prior convictions for residential burglaries and assault with a deadly weapon, is facing 35 years to life in state prison if convicted on all charges. Ramos, who is currently on parole for residential burglary and evading police, is facing 125 years in state prison if convicted on all charges.

Yi, who has one prior strike for a 2005 great bodily injury conviction, is facing 19 years and 8 months in state prison if convicted on all charges. Penate is facing 55 years and 4 months in state prison if convicted on all charges.

“Ongoing efforts to decriminalize felonies and release state prisoners and jail inmates back into our communities has resulted in an increase in property crime. These are the people who are sneaking into our backyards to steal designer purses, shoes, cash, and guns,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “This case exemplifies why I started the AB109 Crime Impact Task Force last year to identify parolees who commit new crimes and assist police agencies in their investigations to get these criminals off the streets and back in prison where they belong.”

In order to support the efforts of probation which is now responsible for supervising AB109ers and to further protect the residents of Orange County, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office created a dedicated task force to identify and arrest AB 109ers who commit new crimes.

The AB 109 Crime Impact Task Force, which is housed at the Santa Ana Police Department, is made up of five District Attorney Investigators, one Santa Ana Police Officer, one Orange County Probation Officer, and an Investigative Assistant and a Research Analyst from the District Attorney’s Office.

Since July 2019, the AB 109 Task Force has arrested 128 AB109ers on new crimes, including five attempted murder suspects, four stolen car suspects, and 73 suspects arrested on felonies.

The task force has done 5,840 compliance and reporting checks on AB 109ers and revoked Post Release Community Supervision on 71 convicted felons since July 2019.

The AB 109 Task Force has located wanted subjects in other states, and coordinated their arrests and extradition back to Orange County to face charges.

Penate, Soto, Soria, Yi and Ramos are all being held on no bail at the Orange County Jail. This is an ongoing investigation.

Third striker charged with attacking an Irvine police officer after he was released from jail

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ANTA ANA, Calif. – A third strike convicted felon has been charged with multiple felonies for attacking an Irvine police officer while burglarizing a business just days after he was released from the Orange County jail on his own recognizance by an appointed court commissioner. 

Russell Paul Parsons, 39, of Los Angeles, was released from jail on April 14, 2020 after Orange County Court Commissioner Joseph Dane ordered him released on his own recognizance after Parsons pleaded not guilty to one felony count of 2nd degree burglary and one felony count of felony theft with prior theft of a vehicle.

At that time, Parsons had appeared before Commissioner Dane three times since April 8, 2020 to plead not guilty to a total of seven felonies in connection with three separate burglary and theft cases. 

Five days later, on April 19, 2020, Parsons attacked an Irvine Police Officer who was attempting to arrest Parsons for another 2nd degree burglary at a commercial business. The officer was responding to a silent alarm where he encountered a man later identified as Parsons coming out of the business with property. The officer was forced to use a taser to subdue the 6’ 2” 250 lb Parsons in order to arrest him. A sharpened axe head and a combat style knife were recovered.

“We cannot let a global pandemic defy common sense,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “It is not the court’s responsibility to manage the jail population by letting these career criminals out the front door of our jails and back into our neighborhoods. This officer had to fight for his life against a dangerous criminal who should have been behind bars and not free to commit more crimes. Thank goodness this officer wasn’t seriously hurt or killed by a criminal who shouldn’t have even been let out.”

In connection with the April 19 attack, Parsons has been charged with one felony count of 2nd degree burglary, one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of resisting an executive officer, one felony count of felony vandalism, and one misdemeanor count of being in a place where there are controlled substances.

Parsons is now facing a total of 13 felonies and two misdemeanors in connection with burglaries that occurred on March 29, March 31, April 2, and April 19, 2020 as well as an April 4, 2020 theft case.

Parsons is currently being held on $250,000 bail at the Orange County Jail.

Former Jamaican police officer, two others charged with murder of Irvine man

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former Jamaican police officer and two other men have been charged with murdering an Irvine man and seriously injuring another during a home invasion robbery in October.

Devon Quinland, 33, of Westminster, Andre Andrews, 34, of Miramar, Fla., and Omar Miller, 41, of Lauderdale, Fla., have each been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime, and one felony count of assault with a firearm.

The three men are also charged with the special circumstances of murder committed during the commission of a robbery and murder committed during the commission of a burglary. Additionally, Andrew and Miller are charged with three felony enhancements for personal use of a firearm and inflicting great bodily injury.

Miller is a former Jamaican police officer.

All three men could be eligible for the death penalty if convicted on all charges.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, at approximately 5:45 a.m., the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority were dispatched to a call of an injured man in a residential neighborhood in Irvine.

A man told officers that he and his roommate had been assaulted inside a home onBayleaf Lane. Officers entered the residence on Bayleaf Lane and found a second man who was suffering several gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to a local hospital and the gunshot victim, later identified as Raymond Alcala, 20, of Irvine, was pronounced dead. The second victim survived.

Quinland was arrested by Irvine police in the City of Westminster on December 17, 2019. Irvine police, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, arrested Andrews and Miller in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the same day. Andrews and Miller were extradited back to California on January 22, 2020.

All three defendants are being held without bail in the Orange County Jail. Quinland is scheduled to be arraigned on February 28, 2020 at the Central Justice in Department C55.

“The men and women of the Irvine Police Department worked diligently to identify the individuals responsible for committing this horrible crime and we thank our law enforcement partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), including the FBI Orange County Violent Crime Task Force and the FBI South Florida Violent Crime and Fugitive Task Force, for their assistance in this case,” said Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel.

“The arrest and prosecution of these three individuals is a testament to the close working relationship the Irvine Police Department has across multiple jurisdictions and across state lines,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “It is this commitment to justice that is allowing the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute these murderers to the fullest extent of the law.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Janine Madera of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

Former UCI Board of Directors member sentenced to 170 years to life for molesting three girls

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Laguna Niguel girls softball parent volunteer and former member of the University of California, Irvine Board of Directors was sentenced to 170 years to life today for molesting three young girls at his home.

On October 15, 2019, a jury convicted Glen Thomas Kauffman, 55, of Laguna Niguel of six felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 and three felony counts of sexual penetration of a minor 10 years old or younger.

The molestation occurred between August 2014 and August 2017 at Kauffman’s home.

“This predator used his position of trust to prey on these very young and vulnerable children,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Thankfully, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars instead of victimizing innocent children.

Deputy District Attorney Courtney Thom prosecuted this case.

The Irvine Police will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Friday night

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Irvine, Calif. (November 21, 2019) – 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 Friday, Nov. 22, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the area of Culver Drive and Alton Parkway.

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.

OCFA heavy fire equipment operator charged with felony animal cruelty

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – 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 17, 2019 in the City of Irvine. Monteleone is a sworn member of the Orange County Fire Authority which provides fire service to the City of Irvine.

On August 9, 2019 a Waste Management trash truck driver discovered the body of the dead dog inside a dumpster at an OCFA fire station on Fossil Road in Irvine. A subsequent investigation revealed the dog had been shot in the head.

Monteleone has been charged with one felony count of cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of putting a carcass of a dead animal on the road. He faces a maximum of three years and six months if convicted of all charges.

Monteleone is scheduled to be arraigned on December 2, 2019 at the Harbor Justice Center in Department H1 at 8:30 a.m.

“Animals do not have the ability to call for help when they are being abused, making them especially vulnerable to violence,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The abuse of animals will never be acceptable; this kind of conduct is even more egregious when the abuse is carried out by a public servant whose entire career is devoted to helping others.”

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Malone is prosecuting this case.

The Irvine police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Bayleaf Lane

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Irvine, Calif. (October 26, 2019) – The Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority responded to a shooting at a residence on Bayleaf Lane in Irvine.

Today at approximately 5:45 a.m., Irvine Police responded to a report of an injured adult male in a residential neighborhood. Officers made contact with the male who reported being the victim of an assault at a residence on Bayleaf Lane. The victim advised there was another injured male adult inside the same residence. Officers entered the residence on Bayleaf Lane and located a second adult male who sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital and the gunshot victim was pronounced deceased. The other victim’s injuries are not life-threatening. The gunshot victim is not being named at this time, pending identification by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division.

Investigators believe two male suspects met the victims at the Bayleaf Lane residence and fled in a vehicle after the shooting. The reason for the meeting and the motive for the shooting are still under investigation.

We believe this to be an isolated incident and there is no known danger to the community.

The investigation into this case is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Irvine Police Detective Jameson Roberts at 949-724-7170 or jroberts@cityofirvine.org.

Irvine Police seek to identify a suspect in a home invasion robbery

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The Irvine Police Department is seeking information from the public regarding an armed home invasion robbery.

On the evening of Monday, October 14, the Irvine Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery at a residence in the area of Bosque and Irvine Blvd. The victim reported that at approximately 8:45 p.m., he was inside his residence when an unknown male suspect appeared and brandished a handgun. Another resident returned home during the robbery and the suspect fled in an unknown direction taking cash and credit cards.

The suspect is described as an African American male, approximately 25 years old, wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Irvine Police Department Detective Gavin Hudson at 949-724-7168 or ghudson@cityofirvine.org(link sends e-mail)

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Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has become a nationally recognized city, with a population of 276,176 that spans 66 square miles and is recognized as one of America’s safest and most successful master-planned urban communities. Top-rated educational institutions, an enterprising business atmosphere, sound environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity all contribute to Irvine’s enviable quality of life. This family-friendly city features more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space and is the home of the Orange County Great Park. For more information, please visit cityofirvine.org.

Former Irvine motorcycle cop charged with stealing more than $68K in State grant funds

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Santa Ana, Calif. – A veteran Irvine Police Officer has been charged with 36 felonies for stealing more than $68,000 in state grant funds by submitting time cards falsely claiming he worked overtime that he never worked.

Matthew Christian August, 47, of Aliso Viejo, has been charged with 34 felony counts of presenting a false claim and two felony counts of grand theft by an employee.

He is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

August joined the Irvine Police Department in November 2005. As a traffic sergeant, August authored the Irvine Police Department’s annual grant application from California’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which funds law enforcement operations directed at improving traffic safety. August also coordinated filling OTS grant shifts.

Between February 25, 2017 and October 19, 2018, August filed 34 timecards requesting pay for overtime shifts that he never worked.

The Irvine Police Department initiated an internal investigation in 2018 after inconsistencies in August’s work activity failed to match the overtime hours he reported on his time card. Police referred the case to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation and prosecution.

“Stealing precious taxpayer dollars while wearing the badge only tarnishes that badge, and casts an unwanted shadow over the hundreds of thousands of hard-working law enforcement men and women across the United States who want nothing more than to serve their communities ethically and justly,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Schriver is prosecuting this case.