MIDWAY CITY, Ca. (April 26, 2023) – At 12:05 a.m. on April 26, 2023, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 15000 block of Van Buren Street in the city of Midway City reference a shooting.
When deputies arrived, they located an injured 18-year-old man. Deputies provided lifesaving measures until the Orange County Fire Authority arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital. A second 18-year-old man, believed to be involved in the same incident, was located at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Both victims were listed in stable condition.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s investigators responded, and the investigation is ongoing.
If anyone has additional details that may assist investigators, they are asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7000. Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
DANA POINT, CA. (May 11, 2023): On Saturday, May 13, 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will have deputies at the Palm Tree Musical Festival educating the public on how to monitor their alcohol intake and “Know Your Limit.”
The “Know Your Limit” program is intended to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, and how little it takes to reach the legal limit to drive a vehicle. It is illegal for anyone 21 or older to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or higher.
The “Know Your Limit” campaign will be from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Palm Tree Musical Festival located in the city of Dana Point.
During this time, deputies will ask patrons how many drinks they have consumed and whether they believe it is safe to drive. Deputies will then invite volunteers to take a breathalyzer test to see if they are able to guess their blood alcohol content (BAC). Deputies will provide information on the impacts of alcohol on one’s ability to drive, and the consequences of a DUI.
“The goal is to help people understand the effects of alcohol so they can make smart decisions about how they get home,” Sergeant Kyle Ishi said. “It only takes a single drink to impair, and that’s why it is important people know their limit.”
A person’s height, weight, food intake, drug and/or medication use and how much they drink over a time period are all factors that affect their BAC. According to the California Driver Handbook, it takes two drinks consumed within one hour by a woman between 120-160 pounds and three drinks by a man between 180-220 pounds to be over the legal limit. One drink is based on 1.5 oz. of liquor (40% alcohol), 12 oz. of beer (4.5% alcohol) or a 5 oz. glass of wine (12% alcohol). The BAC lowers at a rate of .01% for every 40 minutes between drinks.
The average cost of a first-time DUI offense is approximately $13,500, accounting for vehicle impound fees, fines, attorney fees, auto insurance hikes and other penalties. Plan ahead and avoid the risk of a DUI by designating a sober driver.
Funding for the “Know Your Limit” program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
LAGUNA HILLS, Ca. (April 24, 2023) – On Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 10:07 p.m. Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 25000 block of Alicia Parkway in the city of Laguna Hills reference a shooting.
When deputies arrived, they located two injured males, both seventeen-years-old. Deputies provided lifesaving measures until the Orange County Fire Authority arrived and transported the victims to a local hospital. One victim was listed in stable condition while the other was listed in critical condition.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Investigators responded, and their thorough investigation led to the identity of a suspect and his location. The suspect, Luis Angel Martinezmondragon, 21, of Aliso Viejo, was arrested on Sunday, April 23, at 9:30 a.m. in the city of Aliso Viejo and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder. The weapon was not recovered.
If anyone has additional details that may assist investigators, they are asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7000. Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (April 24, 2023) – Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes today released the following Op Ed:
In 2018, I testified in support of legislation we sponsored to increase penalties for those trafficking pure fentanyl into our communities. Ironically, I was told by senators on the Public Safety Committee this legislation was unnecessary for two reasons: No one was dying from fentanyl and it is always trafficked mixed with other narcotics, such as heroin and cocaine. Those outlandish statements were not true then and they certainly are not true now. These beliefs have painted a distorted reality of California’s fentanyl crisis.
The reality is we have a demonstrated history of legislators ignoring this epidemic in our community that continues to take lives and devastate families. Despite bipartisan support, the legislator sits still, and despite outcry from families and proposals from law enforcement, lawmakers stay quiet.
Last month the California Senate Public Safety Committee once again rejected legislation to address this crisis by voting down Senate Bill 62, which sought to increase sentences for those trafficking large quantities of fentanyl. They also rejected the bi-partisan Alexandra’s Law that would have required a statewide admonishment be given to those convicted of selling fentanyl. The proposed admonishment would have made clear that if the person convicted continued to sell fentanyl, and someone died as a result, they could be prosecuted for homicide. Three members of that committee, Senators Scott Weiner, Nancy Skinner and Steven Bradford, have now rejected the proposal to hold fentanyl traffickers accountable six times since 2017. Over that same period, deaths from fentanyl have increased exponentially, which they continue to deny. The Assembly Public Safety Committee has taken a similar approach to their Senate colleagues on accountability measures.
According to the California Department of Public Health, in Weiner’s San Francisco County, deaths increased nearly 2,000 percent from 19 in 2017 to 391 in 2021. Skinner’s Alameda County saw a 2,550 percent increase in deaths from six to 159. Bradford’s Los Angeles County saw the largest increase in lives lost, with deaths increasing from 117 to 1,396. Statewide our fentanyl-related deaths went up nearly 1,300 percent from 431 to 5,961. The committee’s strategy of blatant neglect is not working, and their collective efforts make California’s communities less safe.
The Public Safety Committee justifies their opposition by alleging the proposals risk a return to the “mass incarceration” policies of the past. Additionally, they believe current appropriate penalties already exist to hold traffickers accountable. This ideological narrative does not match the reality of the fentanyl crisis. You cannot defend the sheer volume of fentanyl flooding our state from south of the border, often in pure form.
In 2022, we seized 449.9 pounds of fentanyl and 405,283 pills containing fentanyl. While we resolutely work to target the supply, we need legislative support. This means tougher sentences to take traffickers off our streets and increased actions against the drug cartels across the southern border. It has been nearly a decade since the decriminalization of drug crimes. The results have been a snowballing effect of tragedy.
One senator argued the focus should be on “causation, prevention and treatment.” In Orange County, we are doing our part. Beyond enforcement efforts, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department employs a robust drug education and prevention program in more than 40 schools. We also provide a jail-based addiction treatment program that serves more than 900 inmates every day.
I will never ignore the fact that America’s addiction crisis continues to result in a heavy demand for illicit narcotics. Investment in drug treatment and education are imperative long-term solutions, but they do not negate the threat posed to our country by cartels and their traffickers right now.
Increased accountability for fentanyl traffickers is a necessary component to end one of the most significant crises facing the health and safety of California residents. California’s state sheriffs cannot alone address the social issues of addiction, mental health crises, and homelessness that have been placed on our shoulders to bear. We can no longer sit still. We can no longer stay quiet. We need legislators to realize their responsibility in implementing strategies to hold accountable those who contribute to these crises, including themselves.
Thus far the legislature has made this the hill they are willing to die on while their constituents are dying around them. Fortunately, this week there is an opportunity for the Legislature to correct their course. The Senate Public Safety Committee will rehear Alexandra’s Law on Tuesday and the Assembly Public Safety Committee has agreed to hear a series of fentanyl bills on Thursday. Passage of the bills, however, is not guaranteed. The legislators need to hear from you today. Please call the Committee members and urge them to support commonsense measures that will save lives and end the fentanyl epidemic.
Stanton, Ca. (April 16, 2023): On Saturday, 04/15/23, at 3:12 pm deputies were dispatched to the 10000 block of Fern Ave regarding a shooting. Deputies arrived and located two adult males who each suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies performed life saving measures on both subjects.
Both subjects were transported to a local hospital where one of the subjects succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The second subject was admitted into surgery. The immediate area was searched for any potential suspects; however, no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (April 14, 2023) – On Thursday, April 13, 2023, aninmate housed at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana died at the hospital.
The inmate, Brian Schaar, 37, was booked into jail on April 6, 2023, by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for outstanding warrants.
On the evening of April 13, Schaar was found unresponsive inside his single man cell. Medical attention was provided, and he was transferred to a local hospital. Schaar was pronounced deceased after arriving at the hospital at approximately 6:50 p.m. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology and an independent autopsy.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.
On March 20, 2023, 47-year-old Todd Whited from Stoystown, PA who was housed at the Central Men’s Jail, Mod A-Tank 5 died at OC Global Medical Center. At the time, Whited was awaiting arraignment.
