SANTA ANA, Ca. (September 6, 2023): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is joining law enforcement agencies, public health departments and other community organizations to raise awareness about the importance of keeping children in the correct car seat for their age and size.

During Child Passenger Safety Week, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind parents and caregivers to keep kids safe by securing children in the correct child safety seat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of car seats (46%) are misused.

“Children are vulnerable to injury in a crash when they are in the wrong type of car seat for their age and size or if the car seat is installed improperly,” Sergeant Kyle Ishii. “Even if you think you have the right car seat and installed it correctly, it doesn’t hurt to get it checked.”

California law requires all children under 2 years old to ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless the child is 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Parents are encouraged to keep your child in rear- and forward-facing seats as long as possible. Children 8 and older or who are at least 4 feet, 9 inches in height, may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be wearing a properly fitted safety belt.

To search for car seat programs in your county, visit the Office of Traffic Safety website. You may also contact your local CHP Area Office to schedule a free child safety seat inspection.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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In June of 2020, deputies were involved in a use of force at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.  The use of force was determined to be within policy. 

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In November of 2019, deputies were involved in a use of force in the City of Lake Forest. The Use of Force was determined to be within policy.  

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• Read more about 20-020164 OIS

Mission Viejo, Ca. (Sep. 6, 2023): Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.

On Friday, September 8, 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.

Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.

In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.

If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.

Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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TRABUCO CANYON Ca, (August 24, 2023): OC Sheriff investigators today released additional details about the suspect involved in the shooting that occurred in Trabuco Canyon. 

On Wednesday, August 23, deputies responded to reports of a shooting at 7:04 p.m. at Cook’s Corner. Deputies arrived at the scene within two minutes, and dispatchers could hear gunfire in the background as deputies tried to locate the shooter.

Deputies contacted John Snowling, 59, of Ohio, who was armed with multiple firearms. The suspect fired multiple rounds at the deputies with at least one round going through the windshield of a patrol unit. 

A deputy-involved shooting involving multiple deputies occurred, and the suspect was later pronounced deceased at the scene.

Deputies began providing lifesaving measures to multiple victims at the scene. Three victims were pronounced deceased, including John Leehey, 67, of Irvine. The identification of the other two deceased, an adult male and adult female, is pending notification of next of kin by the Coroner. 

The Orange County Fire Authority responded to provide additional advanced medical aid and transported six additional adult victims with gunshot wounds to local hospitals.

Based on preliminary findings of the investigation, evidence collected and statements from witnesses, investigators believe the suspect drove from Ohio to California to target his wife over a domestic dispute.  Three handguns and one shotgun belonging to the suspect were recovered at the scene.

The suspect was confirmed to be a retired Sergeant with the Ventura Police Department, who served from July 1986 through February 2014.

OC Sheriff investigators served a search warrant at a residence associated with the suspect in Camarillo. Investigators currently are processing multiple items of evidence from the search warrant and at the scene.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and additional information will be provided, when available.

More than 200 personnel responded to the scene including 71 patrol vehicles, 100 deputies and 40 investigators. 

Patrons who were at Cook’s Corner during the incident will be contacted directly by an investigator to retrieve their personal property.

Per protocol, the investigation of the deputy-involved shooting will be handled by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Deputies are equipped with body-worn cameras. Footage from the incident will be released in accordance with the law and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

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TRABUCO CANYON, Ca. (August 24, 2023): Four are deceased, including the suspect, in a shooting that occurred Wednesday, Aug. 23, in Trabuco Canyon.

Deputies responded to reports of a shooting at 7:04 p.m. at Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Deputies arrived to the scene, and dispatchers could hear gunfire in the background as deputies tried to locate the shooter.

Deputies contacted a man armed with a gun. A deputy-involved shooting involving multiple deputies occurred. The suspect was later pronounced deceased at the scene. At this time, the motive for the shooting is unknown. At least one weapon was recovered at the scene.

Deputies began providing lifesaving measures to multiple victims found at the scene. Three victims were pronounced deceased. The Orange County Fire Authority responded to provide additional medical aid and transported six additional victims to local hospitals.

The identity of the victims and suspect are being withheld pending official identification of by the Coroner Division and notification of next of kin.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and additional information will be provided, when available.

Per protocol, the investigation of the deputy-involved shooting will be handled by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Deputies are equipped with body-worn cameras. Footage from the incident will be released in accordance with the law and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

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Lake Forest, Ca. (August 20, 2023): A deputy-involved shooting occurred this afternoon inside an apartment in the 21000 block of Osterman Road in Lake Forest.

At 12:18 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the 21000 block of Osterman Road reference an informant stating a female subject was stabbed and outside of her apartment.  When deputies arrived, they were directed to an apartment where the suspect was believed to be.  The deputies contacted the suspect, a male in his 20s, inside of the apartment.  At approximately 12:32 p.m., the deputy-involved shooting occurred, and the suspect was taken into custody.  Deputies then located an additional female victim inside of the apartment suffering from several stab wounds. She was later pronounced deceased at the scene.

Deputies at the scene provided lifesaving measures to the victim outside of the apartment and the suspect. Orange County Fire Authority provided additional medical aid.  Both individuals were transported to a local hospital for further treatment.  Both of their conditions is unknown at this time. No deputies were injured.

At this time, it is believed all three individuals involved in the incident are related.

The identity of the suspect is being withheld pending his booking into the Orange County Jail.

Per protocol, the investigation of the deputy-involved shooting will be handled by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Deputies in Lake Forest are equipped with body-worn cameras. Footage from the incident will be released in accordance with the law and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

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San Juan Capistrano, Ca. (August 16, 2023): As the summer travel season wraps up, The Orange County Sheriff’s Department  reminds drivers to stay safe and be responsible by never driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“The community’s well-being is our top priority, so we’re asking that if you know you’ll be out drinking to have a game plan for how to get home safely,” Sergeant Kyle Ishii said. “There is never a good excuse for driving after drinking or using drugs that impair.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department asks residents to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family by buckling up, avoiding distractions behind the wheel, following the speed limit, and not driving impaired.

To help keep our community safe, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will have additional officers on patrol Aug. 16 through Labor Day (Sept. 4) looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The additional efforts to prevent impaired driving are part of a national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

In addition to patrols, OCSD will hold a DUI Checkpoint on August 25, 2023 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city of San Juan Capistrano.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,384 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2021 — that’s one person every 39 minutes.

While drunk driving is a significant traffic safety problem, driving while impaired is not just from alcohol. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and cannabis products may also impair. If you plan on drinking or taking medications with a driving warning label, let someone who is sober drive. If you see someone driving impaired, call 9-1-1.

Share your thoughts about impaired driving by participating in the Go Safely Movement, a call-to-action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Take the survey at gosafelyca.org.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Santa Ana, Ca. (Aug 11, 2023): On August 3, Orange County Sheriff’s investigators arrested three men and two women in connection with several commercial burglaries of UPS stores throughout south Orange County.  The commercial burglaries occurred between July 29 and August 3.

Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s investigators discovered investigative leads which connected several individuals with the commercial burglary of a UPS store in their city.  With the assistance of the South Directed Enforcement Team (SDET) and the South Narcotics team, they located additional individuals connected with the commercial burglaries of UPS stores in the cities of Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Woods.

SDET, with the assistance of the North Directed Enforcement Team (NDET), served a search warrant at an apartment in Santa Ana on August 3.  During the search warrant, investigators located thousands of articles of personal identifying information belonging to others, stolen property, two firearms, and over 250 grams of fentanyl.

Mahmoon Ali Aziz, 33, of Irvine, Cody James Boardman, 40, of Whittier, Irineo Rosas Carrillo, 38, of Santa Ana, Paige Virginia Rose Brinton, 22, of Huntington Beach, and Lindsay Nicole Pandorf, 37, of Escondido were subsequently arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail in connection with the commercial burglaries of several UPS stores and other miscellaneous charges related to the items located during the search warrant.

The investigation into this case continues and anyone with information is encouraged to contact OC Sheriff investigators at 714-647-7000 or submit anonymous information through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. 

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