Santa Ana, Ca. (July 30, 2019) – An in-custody death of an unborn child occurred at the University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA. On July 27, 2019, a 30-year-old inmate housed at the Orange County Jail’s Intake and Release Center was transferred to OC Global Medical Center related to her pregnancy. Later that day, she was transferred to UCI Medical Center, where it was determined her unborn child, estimated to be approximately 27 weeks, was deceased.

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SANTA ANA, Ca- (July 25, 2019) – On Thursday, July 25 at approximately 9:45 a.m., members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail arrested Daniel Methe, 44, at his home in Yorba Linda for child molestation. Methe is suspected of committing multiple lewd acts on a teenage girl when she was between the ages of 13-15 beginning in 2011. He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail with bail set at $100,000.

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The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has deployed new proactive efforts to reverse the increase in drug trafficking that has been experienced within the four county-run jail facilities in Orange County over the last eight years.

SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 17, 2019) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims detail on Wednesday, July 17, arrested a 43-year-old man on suspicion of rape, elder sexual abuse, oral copulation and sexual battery. Russell Bernardino, of Mission Viejo, was arrested at approximately 8 a.m. at his residence in Mission Viejo. He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail, with bail set at $100,000.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 15, 2019) – A 44-year-old inmate was pronounced dead this morning after being transported to the hospital. Deputies were called to assist the inmate in his cell at the Theo Lacy Facility at approximately 8:20 a.m. Deputies responded and located the inmate unresponsive with no obvious signs of trauma on his body. Deputies rendered medical aid and called for additional medical assistance. The inmate was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased approximately an hour later.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. (July 11, 2019) – In March 2019, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes announced changes to Orange County Jail operations, including the temporary closure of the James A. Musick Facility in Irvine and ending the agreement with the Federal Government to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees. On July 10, 2019, the last detainees were transferred from Orange County Sheriff’s custody, and the temporary closure of Musick will begin on July 18, 2019.

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Independence Day and its festivities are right around the corner! While fireworks are a customary part of the celebration, a lack of safety when using them could lead to serious injury. In 2018 between June 22 and July 22, there were 5,600 fireworks-related injuries that resulted in emergency room visits:
• 500 were due to sparklers
• 200 were due to bottle rockets
• 1,000 were due to firecrackers (at least 13 percent of the firecrackers used were illegal)
• Hands and fingers were the most common injuries
Because 36 percent of these injuries were suffered by children under the age of 15, it is vital to use extreme caution when fireworks are in use. Many times these packages look like toys so it is important to keep these out of children’s reach.

To reduce the possibility of injury make sure:
• The fireworks purchased follow your city’s regulations
• There is a water bucket or garden hose nearby while using fireworks
• Water is poured over the fireworks after they go out
• Keep fireworks away from children

Several Orange County cities will be offering on July 4th as well as firework displays at night. Be sure to check your city’s schedule for more information about these parades and for information about what types of fireworks are legal in your city.

SANTA ANA, Ca. (June 28, 2019) – Beginning July 1, 2019, Southern California Edison (SCE) will begin deactivating and removing a siren system from communities surrounding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) nuclear power plant.

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DANA POINT, Calif. (June 28, 2019)- The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation Sunday, June 30, in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

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Two people were arrested in the early morning hours of Monday, June 24, after an attempted burglary at a jewelry store in Yorba Linda. The attempted burglary procedures were very similar to recent jewelry store burglaries in other South County cities.

On Sunday, June 23, a jewelry store owner in Yorba Linda responded to his store to find the power to the business had been disabled. Recognizing that similar tactics were used in previous jewelry store burglaries in South County, the store owner contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.  Yorba Linda Police Services investigators set up surveillance of the business that evening. At approximately 2 a.m., multiple subjects gained entry to the business through the front door. Deputies detained two subjects at the store, and two fled in a vehicle.  Deputies followed the vehicle to the point where the suspects abandoned it and the two were not located during a perimeter search.

The two suspects detained at the scene, Andres Ismitt Hidalgo Duarte, 29, and Almendra Yeliann Marchant Torres, 22, who had Chilean ID, were arrested and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary and criminal conspiracy. They are ineligible for bail and are expected to be arraigned on June 25.

Yorba Linda investigators will be working to confirm if these are connected to the two previous jewelry store burglaries.