Irvine News Blog

Irvine package thief arrested with help from a witness

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Editor Posted in Crime, News Leave a comment

On Thursday, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a witness observed a suspicious male in the act of stealing a delivered package in the area of Bosque and Magnet.

The witness called the Irvine Police Department and provided a description of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving.

IPD police officers located the vehicle and detained the suspect. Multiple stolen packages were recovered and the suspect was arrested for theft.

Thank you to the witness in this case for calling IPD when he observed criminal activity.

As a reminder, please call the Irvine Police Department anytime you witness suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood. You can reach the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7000, or call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.

Also, please remember to track your packages and bring them inside as soon as possible after they are delivered. Unattended packages are an easy target for opportunistic thieves.

Man charged with kidnapping an Irvine woman may get released from the OC Jail

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man charged with aggravated kidnapping for ransom and extortion in connection with kidnapping an Irvine woman and holding her for ransom is the first Orange County inmate to petition to be released on his own recognizance following a judge’s order Friday that ordered the Orange County Jail’s population be reduced by half.

The inmate faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Ezra Schley, 72, of Huntington Beach, is charged with one felony count of aggravated kidnapping for ransom and extortion, one felony count of residential burglary, one felony count of attempted extortion, and one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Schley is one of four defendants charged in connection with kidnapping Jane Doe from her Irvine apartment and holding her for two days in an attempt to extort a large sum of money from Jane Doe’s husband and mother-in-law. The four defendants are also accused of sending pictures of Jane Doe being held captive to Jane Doe’s husband through a phone web chatting app.

Schley is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail. His petition to be released on his own recognizance is scheduled to be in Department H1 at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach at 9 a.m. on December 23, 2020.

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

On Friday, an Orange County Superior Court judge issued a ruling in Campbell et. all v. Barnes which ordered Sheriff Don Barnes to reduce the population of the Orange County Jail by 50% due to inmate safety concerns over an increase in the number of inmates contracting COVID-19.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Department, the Public Defender, the Criminal Defense Bar, the County’s Health Care Agency, and the Orange County Superior Court, has worked collaboratively throughout the pandemic to conduct risk assessments in order to release medically vulnerable inmates prior to completing their entire sentence.

The District Attorney’s Office has been keeping statistics in order to understand the impact of these court orders. Orange County inmates released early before serving their full sentence or on $0 bail went out and committed new crimes at rates at nearly triple normal recidivism rates: 44% for early release inmates and 38% for $0 bail defendants.

A sample of their crimes: auto theft, burglary, robbery, assault, weapons, theft and narcotics.

As well as a 23-year-old man who stabbed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend four times, killing her. He had been released on $0 bail 3 ½ weeks earlier.

“The jail population has been reduced by more than 33 percent since the beginning of the pandemic in March,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “There are more than 400 people in custody who have already been convicted or who are awaiting trial for murder or attempted murder. Now the ACLU is fighting to release people who have been convicted or are awaiting trial on felony charges that could send them to prison for the rest of their lives. These are hardcore criminals who are going to try everything they can to game the system so they can get out and commit more crimes. The judge’s order is outrageous and I’m not going to allow Orange County and Southern California residents to be put at risk by the release of dangerous and violent criminals back into our communities.”

The Regional Stay-at-Home Order is in effect in Irvine

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Editor Posted in Disease, News Leave a comment

The State Regional Stay-At-Home Order issued for Southern California went into effect Sunday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m. The order prohibits gatherings of any size with those outside of your own household members, ceases or modified operations for many industry sectors except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing whenever individuals are outside their home.

As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 6 the following sectors must close (or continue to stay closed):

Indoor and Outdoor Playgrounds
Indoor Recreational Facilities
Hair Salons and Barbershops
Personal Care Services
Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums
Movie Theaters
Wineries
Bars, Breweries, and Distilleries
Family Entertainment Centers
Cardrooms and Satellite Wagering
Limited Services
Live Audience Sports
Amusement Parks

The following sectors in the Southern California Region will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:

Outdoor Recreational Facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20percentcapacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Shopping Centers: Allow indoor operation at 20percentcapacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Hotels and Lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up or delivery.
Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
Places of Worship: Allow outdoor services only.
Entertainment Production including Professional Sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100% masking and physical distancing:

Critical infrastructure
Schools
Non-urgent medical and dental care
Child care and pre-K

For all City of Irvine facility and amenity updates, visit our dedicated facility web page.

For more information on how sectors are impacted and the Regional State-At-Home Order, visit covid19.ca.gov.

City of Irvine and Irvine Police lift voluntary evacuation warning for the Orchard Hills area

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Editor Posted in Fires Leave a comment

IRVINE, Calif. (December 3, 2020): The voluntary evacuation warning issued for the area of Orchard Hills in response to the Bond Fire has been lifted. Residents who voluntarily evacuated may return to their homes. There is currently no threat to the City of Irvine.

On Wednesday, December 2, at approximately 10:14 p.m., a residential structure fire was reported in the area of Silverado Canyon. The Bond Fire has spread to nearby vegetation and has burned approximately 7,200 acres with 0% containment. More than 500 firefighters continue to aggressively fight the fire from both the air and the ground.

For real-time updates on the Bond Fire, follow OCFA at twitter.com/ocfa_pio.

Please visit cityofirvine.org and follow us on social media for updates as it pertains to the City of Irvine.

Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has become a nationally recognized city, with a population of 281,707 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.

Voluntary fire evacuation warning for the Orchard Hills area

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Editor Posted in Emergencies, Fires, News Leave a comment

A VOLUNTARY evacuation warning has been issued for the Orchard Hills area of the City of Irvine as the Bond Fire has shifted direction slightly. In an evacuation warning, IPD urges persons and their animals in the evacuation area(s) to relocate to safer locations:

Those with access and functional needs and those with large animals should leave now.
Loss of life and property is a risk but is not imminent.
Personal discretion whether to evacuate is allowed but not advised.
If at any time a person feels threatened, evacuate immediately; do not wait for an official notification.

A care and reception center has been set up at Cypress Community Center, located at 255 Visions, for Irvine residents who choose to evacuate from their homes.

VIEW CITY OF IRVINE VOLUNTARY EVACUATION MAP

UPDATED: DECEMBER 3 AT 9 A.M.
All City of Irvine indoor and outdoor programming have been canceled due to poor air quality. Additionally, Quail Hill and Bommer Canyon are closed. Finally, all building inspections have been canceled for today due to poor air quality.

UPDATED: DECEMBER 3 AT 8:37 A.M.
The City of Irvine continues to monitor the Bond Fire and there is currently no threat to the City of Irvine and no Irvine evacuation orders. The Silverado Fire burn area is expected to provide a buffer for the City. Windy conditions are expected throughout the day and the City will be affected by smoke. Portions of the City of Lake Forest are affected by the fire and under evacuation warnings. Click here(link is external) for the current evacuation map as provided by Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

All City of Irvine outdoor programming has been canceled today due to poor air quality. Additionally, IUSD has transitioned into distance learning today.

The fire has grown to 3,600 acres. We will continue to work closely with OCFA throughout the duration of the fire.

UPDATED: DECEMBER 3 AT 2:05 A.M.
On Wednesday, December 2, at approximately 10:14 p.m., a residential structure fire was reported in the area of Silverado Canyon. The Bond Fire has spread to nearby vegetation and has burned approximately 1,500 acres so far. According to our partners at Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), there is no current threat to the City of Irvine, but the fire is visible from the City. Evacuations have been ordered for the Silverado, Williams and Modjeska Canyon areas.

The City of Irvine will continue to work in collaboration with the OCFA and will provide any updates pertaining to the City and our residents.

OCFA continues to regularly update their Twitter account at twitter.com/ocfa_pio(link is external). The City of Irvine and Irvine PD will continue to update our social media platforms.

Click here(link is external) for the current evacuation map as provided by Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

O.C. insurance agents arrested in $4 million securities fraud scheme

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Editor Posted in California, Crime Leave a comment

ORANGE, Calif. — Robert Andrew Lotter, 63, of Newport Beach, and Charles Albert Major, 72, of Irvine, were arrested today on multiple felony counts of securities violations and burglary after allegedly defrauding more than 20 victims of over $4 million.

An investigation by the California Department of Insurance alleges that between 2003 and 2018, Lotter and Major fraudulently solicited and sold victims more than $4 million in stock certificates in Lotter’s companies, eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc.

Lotter owns an insurance agency, R.A. Lotter Insurance Marketing, Inc., and Major is a licensed insurance agent. Lotter and Major contacted clients of R.A. Lotter Insurance Marketing and used various schemes to fraudulently obtain victims’ private financial information in order to identify potential investors for Lotter’s high-risk investments.

Lotter’s insurance agency led several victims to believe the agency was authorized or affiliated with the California State Teacher’s Retirement System (CalSTRS) that provides retirement pension advice to California public school educators. Some victims did not discover it was not authorized or affiliated with CalSTRS until after they had invested substantial funds in eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc.

“Even though these insurance agents had a fiduciary responsibility to represent their clients’ best interest, they allegedly put greed above their clients’ needs,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Their arrest shows the Department of Insurance will persist in investigating and stopping insurance professionals who put their clients at financial risk.”

Between 2003 and 2018, Lotter and Major continued to lure victims with assurances that profits from eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc. were “just around the corner.” They claimed to have partnerships with large internet companies and prominent mobile carriers. They showed clients newspaper articles and televised interviews featuring Lotter to cement victims’ confidence in their investments and mitigate concerns victims had about their investments and the continued delays of their investment returns.

Lotter’s companies, eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc., had poor financial statuses including unpaid financial obligations to prior investors. Lotter and Major did not make their clients aware of the poor financial statuses of the companies and they did not notify victims when the alleged lucrative partnerships fell through. Victims were led to believe their investments in eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc. were still viable.

Lotter and Major were booked into Orange County Jail. Bail was set at $4 million for Lotter and $2 million for Major. This case is being prosecuted by the Major Fraud Unit of the Orange County District Attorney’s office. The Department is also taking the appropriate administrative action against the licensees and the various insurance agencies they managed.

The Irvine Police arrested two suspects after they stole a bait bike

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine, News, Police Leave a comment

Due to an increase in bicycle thefts, Irvine PD officers have been placing “bait” bikes, equipped with a GPS locator, in different locations throughout the City of Irvine.

At 8:49 a.m. on Saturday morning, the GPS tracker on one of the bait bikes was activated in the area of Barranca Parkway and Paseo Westpark. IPD Dispatch coordinated with officers to provide the updated location of the stolen bicycle.

An adult male and female were contacted in the area driving a Ford Fusion and the stolen bicycle was recovered from the back of the vehicle.

The suspects were arrested and booked at Orange County Jail for grand theft.

As a reminder, please help the Irvine Police Department to combat bicycle theft by registering your bicycle here.

The State of CA issues an evening COVID-19 curfew to begin Saturday at 10 p.m.

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Editor Posted in California, Disease Leave a comment

In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. in counties in the purple tier, including Orange County. The order will take effect at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, and remain in effect until 5:00 a.m. Dec. 21, 2020.

This is the same as the state’s March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

Here is the official press release from Governor Gavin Newsom:

SACRAMENTO – In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier. The order will take effect at 10 PM Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 AM December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”

This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.

“We know from our stay at home order this spring, which flattened the curve in California, that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We may need to take more stringent actions if we are unable to flatten the curve quickly. Taking these hard, temporary actions now could help prevent future shutdowns.”

“We are asking Californians to change their personal behaviors to stop the surge. We must be strong together and make tough decisions to stay socially connected but physically distanced during this critical time. Letting our guard down could put thousands of lives in danger and cripple our health care system,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s acting Public Health Officer. “It is especially important that we band together to protect those most vulnerable around us as well as essential workers who are continuing their critical work amidst this next wave of widespread community transmission across the state. Together we prevented a public health crisis in the spring and together we can do it again.”

COVID-19 case rates increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November. As a result, Governor Newsom and California’s public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect Californians and the state’s health care system, which could experience an unprecedented surge if cases continue their steep climb.

On Monday, the state pulled an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy putting more than 94 percent of California’s population in the most restrictive tier. The state will reassess data continuously and move more counties back into a more restrictive tier, if necessary. California is also strengthening its face covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions.

Late last week, the state issued a travel advisory, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local.

Moorlach concedes the 37th Senate District Race

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Editor Posted in 2020 Elections, David Min Leave a comment

COSTA MESA, CA — Senator John M. W. Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, issued the following concession statement regarding his re-election bid to the 37th Senate District:

Congratulations to David Min for his election to the California Senate. It has been a deep honor and privilege to serve the people of the 37th Senate District. I hope Min makes it his priority, as I did, to take the greatest care of those he will now serve.

With that, I will assist in the transition and make staff available in transferring constituent cases that are still in progress, in particular those who are trying to negotiate with the Employment Development Department for their entitled benefits.

I will continue to be involved in my Senate committee responsibilities until my term officially concludes and hope to say my final farewells to those colleagues who are present in the Capitol when I am present for the remaining committee hearings of the Session.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all who supported my re-election efforts and voted for me. I especially want to thank my staff for a job well done.

The notes and calls I have received from many constituents since Election Day have been so special and I deeply appreciate the wonderful friends I have made during my career in public life.

In closing, I am honored to have served Orange County these past 26 years in various capacities and I look forward to being of further service in the months and years ahead.

Former financial advisor from Irvine heading to prison after scamming pro athletes

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Editor Posted in Crime, Irvine Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, California – A former Orange County financial advisor and lawyer was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars of his pro athlete clients’ money and investing it in a cash-losing ticket company on which he was a board member.

Ash Narayan, 55, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay $18,811,231 in restitution. Narayan pleaded guilty in June 2019 to a two-count information charging him with wire fraud and subscribing to a false tax return.

Narayan worked as an investment advisor at RGT Capital Management Ltd.’s Irvine office and also was a licensed California lawyer until his disbarment earlier this year. At RGT, Narayan’s clients were high-net-worth individuals who were current and former professional athletes.

In addition to his job at RGT, Narayan served on the board of directors for The Ticket Reserve Inc. (TTR), an Illinois-based technology company that allowed customers to buy an option on a ticket to future sporting events, such as playoff games, which they could cash in if their team made the postseason. TTR never was profitable and carried millions of dollars in debt.

From December 2009 to early 2016, Narayan advised his clients to invest in TTR, but failed to disclose to them his role in the company as well as the fact that it was a high-risk investment and an unprofitable business. At times, Narayan directed RGT employees to forge his clients’ signatures on wire authorizations to direct significant amounts of his clients’ money into TTR without their knowledge or consent.

Narayan left RGT in 2016 and The Ticket Reserve was put into receivership later that year.

Narayan also knowingly subscribed to a materially false federal income tax return when he reported that his total income for 2012 was $543,072, when in truth it was $1,138,072.

In a related case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission in federal court in Dallas, Narayan was ordered to repay $1,498,000 in ill-gotten gains as well as a $350,000 civil penalty.

This matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

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