In June of 2004, Deputies were involved in a Deputy Involved Shooting in the unincorporated Black Star Canyon area. The case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's Office and no criminal charges were filed. The Deputy Involved Shooting was determined to be within policy.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 9, 2022): On Wednesday, March 2, members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail arrested Terry Lyn Myers, 65, of Garden Grove, for felony aggravated sexual assault. He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail.
Myers is booked on charges related to a suspected sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1990s. Myers has been a volunteer at multiple churches in Orange County. He was a volunteer at Grace Community Church, formerly known as Nutwood Church, in Garden Grove from 1995-2013. Since 2013, Myers has been volunteering at MidCities Baptist Church in Westminster.
Due to the suspect’s role at these churches and his access to children, investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information regarding possible additional victims or with information they believe may assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7419, or submit an anonymous tip to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or at occrimestoppers.org.
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Ca. (March 9, 2022): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, March 11, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita.
DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Deputies will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with deputies checking drivers for proper licensing.
The Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
In 2019, 1,066 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads.
The Sheriff’s Department offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:
Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.
Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses, not to mention possible jail time.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Sheriff’s Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 8, 2022) – On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, an inmate housed at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana died at the hospital.
The inmate, a 65-year-old man, was booked into jail on May 15, 2020, by the Santa Ana Police Department for lewd acts with a child.
On February 3, 2022, the inmate was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. He was positive for COVID-19. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology testing and an independent autopsy. His identification is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
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.
ORANGE, Ca. (March 8, 2022) – On Monday, March 7, 2022, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died of unknown causes.
The decedent is Joshua James Campos, 28. He was booked into jail on March 4, 2022 by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on a solicitation charge.
In the evening of March 7, 2022, Campos was found unresponsive in his cell. Deputies and correctional medical staff attempted life-saving measures. He was pronounced deceased at the Theo Lacy Facility at approximately 11:45 p.m. Preliminarily, there are no suspicious circumstances. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology testing 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.
LAKE FOREST, Ca. (March 1, 2022): Today, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department released a Critical Incident Video depicting the deputy-involved shooting that occurred in Foothill Ranch, a community located in the city of Lake Forest, Calif., on January 19, 2022.
Critical Incident Videos offer a clear and concise overview of the incident with relevant video, audio, photographs and information to give context to what occurred preceding, during and immediately after a critical incident. The videos will contain the factual circumstances as they are known at the time. No conclusions will be drawn about whether or not deputies acted in a manner consistent with our policies, and in accordance with the law, until all facts are known and the investigations are complete.
Per protocol, the investigation of the deputy-involved shooting will be handled by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Peace Officer video and audio recordings related to this incident will be released in accordance with Government Code 6254 by the Department's Public Records Act detail.
ALISO VIEJO, Ca. (February 28, 2022): The city of Aliso Viejo has selected Captain Scott Merrill to serve as the new Chief of Police Services.
“I have had the opportunity to serve the City of Aliso Viejo in a variety of assignments in my time with the Sheriff’s Department, and I look forward to bringing that experience to my new role as Chief of Police Services,” Captain Merrill said. “I am honored to have been selected and look forward to serving the city alongside an exceptional team.”
Captain Merrill joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 1997 after serving as a combat infantryman in the United States Marine Corps. In his time with the Sheriff’s Department, he has served in Custody Operations, Motorcycle Enforcement and as an investigator with the Economic Crimes Detail and the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center.
As a supervisor, Captain Merrill has been assigned to Custody Operations, Patrol Operations, Investigations and the Motorcycle Enforcement Detail. He also worked multiple ancillary assignments, including coordinating training for Drug Recognition Experts and supervising the department’s response on the Major Accident Reconstruction Team. Most recently, he served as a Lieutenant at the Theo Lacy Facility, overseeing day-to-day operations.
Captain Merrill has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College of Missouri. He is married to his wife of 27 years and has two grown children. Captain Merrill will begin serving the City of Aliso Viejo March 11 following the retirement of current Chief of Police Services, Captain Chad Kajfasz.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Ca. (February 28, 2022): The City of San Juan Capistrano has selected Captain Justin Montano as its Chief of Police Services.
“I am honored to serve as the next Chief of Police Services and am grateful for the opportunity,” Captain Montano said. “I look forward to working with an outstanding team dedicated to keeping San Juan Capistrano a safe community.”
Captain Montano joined the Sheriff’s Department in 1998 and has worked in Custody Operations, Patrol, Criminal Investigations and Professional Services. He also served as an investigator with the Family Protection Detail and the Homicide Detail.
As a supervisor, Captain Montano worked in Custody Operations, as a member of Internal Affairs, and as an administrative sergeant for the City of Yorba Linda. Most recently, he was assigned as a Department Commander, managing day-to-day patrol operations for the Sheriff’s Department’s 13 contract cities and unincorporated areas.
Captain Montano has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in Emergency Management Administration from California State University, Long Beach.
Captain Montano will begin serving the City of San Juan Capistrano March 11 following the retirement of current Chief of Police Services, Captain Carl Bulanek.
Yorba Linda, Ca. (February 8, 2022): Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Thursday, February 10, 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.
Yorba Linda, Ca. (February 2, 2022): Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Friday, February 4, 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.
