VIRTUAL MEDAL OF VALOR: Every year the Sheriff’s Advisory Council recognizes a member of the Sheriff’s Department for their distinguished service. This year’s honoree, Sgt. Randy Sterett, was recognized for his exemplary service leading the Hazardous Devices Section, also known as the Bomb Squad, for 25 years.

Sergeant Randy Sterett has demonstrated unparalleled commitment and dedication to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD).  He is nationally and internationally recognized as a premier bomb technician in the bomb disposal community.

During Randy’s 33 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and his 25 years with the Hazardous Devices Section (HDS) a.k.a. the “Bomb Squad,” he has displayed an unrelenting passion for educating public safety professionals.  He is not only a POST instructor, but also an adjunct faculty for local colleges.  His interest in course design and presentation led to the development and certification of several different bomb/explosive incident response courses over a decade ago, some of which are still delivered to this day.  Randy was instrumental in developing a three-day POST-Certified Active Bomber Course (ABC), numerous introduction to homemade explosives manufacturing courses, and the nationally recognized Tactical Bomb Technician certification course, which is currently delivered by the FBI.

Randy served as the HDS sergeant from 2000 to 2019.  As a nationally recognized Bomb Commander, he was elected by his peers in 2013 to sit on the prestigious National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB).  His responsibilities included representing the regional Bomb Squad community at the national level.  In 2015, he was elected as the NBSCAB Chairman.  As the Chairman, he maintained close working relationships with the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI), the United States Bomb Technicians Association (USBTA), FBI, Homeland Security and ATF.  These connections, in turn, resulted in the OCSD’s Bomb Squad being exposed to national level equipment, testing, training and research initiatives, which kept them on the cutting edge of emerging threats, techniques and technology.

Randy has not only served OCSD in his official capacity, he also acted as a principal partner with almost every Orange County law enforcement, fire and public health agency over his tenure on the Bomb Squad.  He is one of the founding members of the Orange County Joint Hazardous Assessment Team (JHAT).  JHAT was one of the first collaborative multi-disciplinary response teams in the nation, blending bomb squad, fire, SWAT and hazardous materials teams together to provide the multidisciplinary approach to the region with “all hazards” response capability.  Prior to the team’s inception, the capability was simply non-existent.  Randy has served the JHAT program for over a decade and it has proven to pay dividends in areas that extend well beyond the team’s original response model.

As a related project, Randy spearheaded the formation of the Orange County Clandestine Laboratory Emergency Action Network (OCCLEAN).  This combined investigative task force consists of resources from the Orange County Crime Lab, the Orange County Regional Narcotics Suppression Program, Orange County Environmental Health, and the Bomb Squad.  In addition, he was instrumental in advancing the Department’s acceptance and utilization of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) platforms as a Bomb Squad piloted reconnaissance tool.  His vision has evolved into a department wide SUAS program being managed by the OCSD Air Support Bureau.

During his tenure with HDS, Randy actively sought out ways to promote OCSD’s HDS on the national stage, as he helped develop it into the most advanced, best-equipped and trained bomb squad in the country.  He never lost sight of his public safety mission and the importance of collaboration, representation and education. In addition, his hard work and dedication not only benefited OCSD, but more than 450 accredited public bomb squads in the United States. 

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad serves as a model for others around the world and simply would not exist without Randy’s leadership and vision.  Sergeant Randy Sterett is a fine representative of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and excellent caretaker of the title, “Distinguished Deputy."

Protests today in Yorba Linda resulted in two arrests and injuries to multiple people, with a vehicle driving into a crowd, striking and causing major injury to two people. The driver was arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

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A group of suspects who stole a car and crashed it into a residence in the city of Lake Forest were taken into custody thanks to quick law enforcement response and assistance from engaged residents.

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11, responded to reports of a hit and run traffic collision near Bake Parkway and Dimension Drive.

A short time later, residents reported seeing a vehicle crash into a residence and multiple suspects run from the scene. Deputies responded, along with Duke 1 and two K-9 teams, to set up a perimeter and search for the suspects.  Deputies determined the vehicle was stolen from the city of Anaheim the day prior.

Multiple residents had come outside after hearing the crash and snapped photos of the scene, which included pictures of the suspects fleeing. Residents shared the photos with the deputies on scene and they were then distributed to Lake Forest deputies.

“While we don’t encourage anyone to actively engage with suspects, we do promote being a good witness,” said Lt. Brad Valentine, Chief of Police Services for Lake Forest. “In this case, multiple people were able to stay a safe distance away and take photos that assisted us with our search.” 

After residents called to report two people jumping fences in the neighborhood, deputies were able to home in on two suspects hiding in the backyard of a home on Castellana. After multiple announcements imploring the suspects to surrender were met with silence, K-9 Chavo was released to apprehend the individuals.  

K-9 Chavo assisted in the apprehension of one suspect and the other surrendered without further incident.  

A short time later, residents called dispatch to report a suspicious juvenile in a Starbucks near Alton and Rancho parkways. When deputies arrived, they determined the juvenile was one of the suspects who fled the hit and run and apprehended him. As they escorted the suspect out, customers cheered.

With two suspects outstanding, deputies actively pursued their search. Not long after the Starbucks apprehension, deputies were able to positively identify the two remaining suspects walking along Alton Parkway thanks to the resident-provided photos.

Cynthia Sanchez, 18,  of Santa Ana; Rodolfo Miranda, 18, of Santa Ana; Tatiana Leon, 19, of Anaheim; and Erica Padillamontes, 18, of Lake Forest were arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property and resisting arrest. A 14-year-old juvenile suspect was released to family pending further investigation.

 “This incident is a great example of how an engaged community can assist law enforcement in a safe and effective way,” said Lt. Brad Valentine. “Multiple residents called and shared information with deputies as witnesses, which led to us finding and arresting these individuals. We truly felt the support of the community and are grateful for their help.”

Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods by calling dispatch at 714-647-7000 (press 1, then press 9). 

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National Blood Donor Month

January is National Blood Donor Month and we encourage you to help out those in need by donating blood. Did you know that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood? According to Red Cross, around 36,000 units of blood are needed each day. To do our part, we are hosting the Red Cross Bloodmobile at two locations this month:

January 23 from 8am - 3pm

Red Cross Bloodmobile

20202 Windrow

Lake Forest, CA 92630

January 29 from 7am – 5pm

Red Cross Bloodmobile

Theo Lacy Facility

501 The City Dr S

Orange, CA 92868

Donors can walk-in, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for availability, or visit redcrossblood.org/give to register.

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In 2017, Orange County public safety officers made a total of 5,403 DUI arrests. Since the passing of Prop 64, which decriminalized marijuana, DUI drug arrests have increased 40 percent in California. DUI drug arrests now exceed those for DUI alcohol in the United States.

Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Johnson is taking these stats seriously. Last year he won the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) award for his 57 DUI arrests and those were all made in just one city, San Clemente!

Of Deputy Johnson’s 57 arrests, approximately 70 percent were DUI alcohol and 30 percent were a combination of drugs and alcohol.

In order to catch these drugged drivers you have to have the skills. And Deputy Johnson definitely does, he is a Drug Recognition Expert. DREs complete hours of training and have an advanced certification in how to recognize symptoms of seven categories of drugs. DRE’s use 12 tests from checking the subject’s pulse rate, blood pressure, eyes, and muscle tone, to having the subject perform divided attention tests including walking a straight line, estimating 30 seconds while maintaining their balance and keeping their eyes closed, and balancing on one leg to determine what, if anything, is affecting the driver.

“It’s a challenge figuring out the whole story” said Deputy Johnson. “Sometimes the distraction is their phone, sometimes they are tired, and other times there is a mixture of drugs and alcohol in their system.”
The biggest reason that drove Deputy Johnson to be a traffic car in a busy city like San Clemente, “my mom was hit by a drunk driver,” he said. “I‘ll never forget receiving that call. Luckily, she was not seriously injured and I got to speak to her again. That could have not been the case. I’m out here making sure that someone else’s family member makes it home safe, too.”

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner Deputy Johnson is urging everyone in Orange County to think ahead. “There are too many options now, to not drive drunk,” he said.
This traditionally boozy holiday is a very dangerous one. Between 2013 and 2017, there were 234 people killed due to drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s holiday period. Three-quarters of fatal drunk driving crashes involve a driver who is two times the legal drinking limit. Don’t drink and drive this holiday weekend! Drive sober or get pulled over.

MEDAL OF COURAGE & LIFESAVING: Deputies rescue woman from man wielding knife

On March 16, 2019 at 11:46 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a residence in Laguna Niguel for a domestic violence call in which it was reported that a man struck a female but then the call abruptly ended.

Upon arrival, Deputies MacDonald and Skutvik were approached by a neighbor who said the couple’s children had run to his home, and their father was now holding a knife to the throat of their mother.  At the same time, Deputies Prado and Rombough arrived on scene.  As the four deputies approached the residence, they could hear crying coming from inside the house.   

The deputies entered the house through the open front door and made their way to second floor master bedroom.  From the doorway, they could see the suspect seated on the bed pinning the female victim to the wall.  The suspect had a six-inch knife in his hand and the deputies could see blood on both the suspect and victim.  Deputies entered the room with their guns drawn and ordered the suspect to drop the knife.  He refused to drop the knife and told the deputies, “Shoot me.”

The victim’s face was the only part of her body they could see.  The suspect reached over his shoulder with the knife, positioning it even closer to the neck and upper torso of the victim. Deputies tased the suspect, causing him to drop the knife, and took the man into custody.

The victim was rescued, and both were evaluated by paramedics and received treatment for their wounds. 

The deputies were honored at this year’s ceremony with the Medal of Courage and the Medal for Lifesaving.

MEDAL OF COURAGE & LIFESAVING: Saved juvenile from jumping off a bridge

On June 15, 2019 at approximately 1 a.m., Aliso Viejo deputies were dispatched to Alicia Parkway and California State Route 73 reference a juvenile who was threatening to jump from an overpass into oncoming traffic. 

Deputy Yannizzi was the first deputy to arrive on scene.  Recognizing the juvenile’s perilous position, he immediately engaged the young lady in conversation.  Within minutes, Deputies Perkins, Munguia, Byrne and Sergeant Steinle arrived. 

As Deputy Yannizzi continued to talk to the distraught juvenile, Deputies Perkins, Munguia and Byrne all reached through the chain link fencing and grabbed a piece of her clothing.  Together they pulled the young lady taut against the fence.  The juvenile struggled to get away saying, “Let me go.”

Sergeant Steinle retrieved bolt cutters from his patrol vehicle and began cutting a hole in the fence around the victim while the deputies temporarily restrained her.  As soon as the hole was big enough, Deputy Byrne reached through the fence and grabbed firmly onto the young lady’s arm, trapping it against the inside of the fencing. 

Sergeant Steinle continued cutting the fence until there was a hole large enough for him to attempt the rescue.  Working as a team, the deputies held onto the young lady’s clothing and simultaneously held onto Sergeant Steinle’s legs so that he could lean outside the safety of the fence and grab the young lady.  With one swift motion, Sergeant Steinle wrapped his arms around the juvenile and the team helped pull them both off the ledge and through the opening in the fence.  The juvenile was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. 

The deputies were honored at this year’s Medal of Valor ceremony.

SAN CLEMENTE, Ca. (September 23, 2020): A deputy-involved shooting occurred today in the city of San Clemente at approximately 1:15 p.m. 

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On January 20, 2018 deputies were involved in a use of force in the city of Mission Viejo. The use of force was determined to be within policy. Training issues were identified and corrective action was addressed. Click here for responsive records Please note that due to the size of the files, and depending on download speeds, it could take several minutes for the files to open.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Ca. (Sept. 22, 2020) – Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing. On Thursday, Sept. 24, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.

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