Laguna Hills
CRIME & SAFETY
Teen girl found strangled and set on fire in Irvine 15 years ago identified
A teenage girl who was strangled then dumped in Irvine and set on fire nearly 15 years ago has been identified, police announced.The victim was identified as 14-year-old Marcia Shirree Thomas, who was reported missing out of Reno, Nevada, police said."The Irvine Police Department has been committed to this case since 2009,'' Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent said in a statement. "Marcia's family remains in our thoughts during this difficult time. We appreciate the agencies that have assisted in providing crucial information to support the case and the family.''The video featured in the media player above is the ABC7 Los...
Irvine police seek help identifying porch pirate caught on video stealing package
Police are searching for a porch pirate who was captured on video stealing a package from a home in Orange County.The Irvine Police Department is asking for the public's help to identify a woman who was seen riding a scooter in front of a Woodbridge area home on July 10.After leaving her scooter in front of the home, the woman is seen on video snatching the package from the doorstep with a big smile on her face.Police believe she may be responsible for other thefts.Anybody who recognizes her is urged to contact Irvine police at rnigg@cityofirvine.org.
Defendant Arrested in Fentanyl OD Death in Lake Forest
A man indicted in a fentanyl overdose death two years ago pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court. Tyler David Wilkinson was named in a four-count federal grand jury indictment in April 2022 that alleges he sold counterfeit oxycodone pills to a 17-year-old victim who died in Lake Forest of a fentanyl overdose.
Nearly 15 years later, police identify victim in brutal O.C. killing as 14-year-old girl
Nearly 15 years later, police in Orange County have identified the victim of a brutal murder and kidnapping as a 14-year-old girl.She was found dead in an Irvine parking lot on the morning of Sept. 5, 2009, and for more than a decade, her name remained unknown even as a pair of brothers faced murder charges in her killing. One of them is serving time behind bars after being convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 while the other will be retried in the future. Both men were charged in 2010 with her murder, with a special sentencing enhancement for murder...
Suspect attacks security guard with skateboard at Santa Ana Target
SANTA ANA, Calif. - Police in Santa Ana are looking for the person who was seen on security footage attacking a Target security guard with a skateboard. It happened on June 10, at the Target store on W. 17th Street. The Santa Ana Police Department shared video of the incident and pictures of the suspect on social media earlier this week.
The SAPD has identified the motorcyclist who died in a collision on Thursday morning
SANTA ANA, CA (July 26, 2024) – A 23-year-old man died in a fatal traffic collision involving a vehicle and a motorcycle. On Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 6:01 a.m., the Santa Ana Police Department received multiple calls regarding a traffic collision at the intersection of Bristol Street and Hemlock Way. SAPD Officers and Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) responded to the scene where they discovered the collision involved a motorcycle and a vehicle. Despite lifesaving measures by a civilian who administered CPR and OCFA, the motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. The lone male driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Drug Smuggling in Orange County
A former Arizona correctional officer pleaded guilty Thursday and was immediately sentenced to eight years behind bars for smuggling 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin across the border with Mexico with his wife and three children in their vehicle. Fernando Urrutiaguillen, 35, of Chandler, Arizona, pleaded guilty...
29-Year-Old Arrested on Suspicion of Setting San Juan Vegetation Fires
A 29-year-old man suspected of having started several brush fires around San Juan Capistrano last month was arrested on Wednesday, July 17, in a collaborative effort. Sergio Parracastellon, or Sergio Parra, of San Juan Capistrano, was taken into custody on July 17 in a partnership between the Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Man who stole $16.7M from Southern California school district gets 6 years
The former senior director of fiscal services at a school district in Orange County who pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $17 million over several years from the schools he was hired to serve was sentenced Thursday to five years and eight months in federal prison, officials announced. Jorge Armando Contreras, a 53-year-old resident of […]
Victim of 2009 killing in Irvine identified as missing Nevada teen
A teenage girl who was strangled then dumped in Irvine and set on fire nearly 15 years ago has been identified, police said on Thursday. The victim was identified as 14-year-old Marcia Shirree Thomas.
The Orange Police arrested an armed wanted probationer on gun and drug charges
A patrol officer stopped a car in the area of Garden Grove Blvd and Lewis St. Prior to yielding, the suspect tossed a 9mm handgun from the passenger side window, according to the Orange Police Department. The driver, who was already on probation, had felony warrants and was in possession...
Phoenix man sentenced in cartel-related murders of 4 men in California
A Phoenix man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2015 cartel-related murders of four men in California, according to The Office of The District Attorney in Orange County. Raul Gastellum Flores, 33, of Phoenix, was convicted in April for "murdering four men in a...
Orange County felon faces up to life in prison for stabbing man to death
An Orange County felon who prosecutors called a risk to public safety faces up to life in prison for stabbing a man to death. Effrum Maland Burnett, 53, of Yorba Linda was sentenced to 46 years to life in prison for murdering Toye Mim Jones, 50, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. On […]
A Cybertruck is added to the Irvine Police Department fleet. Don't expect to see it on patrol
Irvine police announced the purchase of a Cybetruck for their fleet, the first known Cybertruck owned by a police department. But don't expect the fully electric truck to be out on patrol.
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