In June of 2012, a deputy was involved in an Officer Involved Shooting in the City of San Juan Capistrano. No injuries resulted from the OIS. The case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's office and no criminal charges were filed.
In December of 2011, a deputy was involved in an officer involved shooting in the City of Lake Forest. The case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's Office and no criminal charges were filed. The Officer Involved Shooting was determined to be within policy.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (October 21, 2021): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will roll out a traffic services program to deter dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in the community.
“Impairment, speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors jeopardize the safety of other people on the road,” Sergeant Brent Jasper said. “This funding allows us to provide necessary traffic enforcement measures with the goal of reducing serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads."
The grant will pay for additional enforcement measures, including:
DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on suspected impaired drivers.
Enforcement operations focused on suspected distracted drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations focused on driver behaviors that put vulnerable road users at risk.
Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
The grant program will run through September 2022.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (October 20, 2021) – On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, aninmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died of a suspected overdose.
The inmate was booked into jail on October 18, 2021, on a parole violation. In the early morning, he was found unresponsive in his cell. Medical attention was provided by deputies and corrections medical staff. The inmate was pronounced deceased by paramedics at the Theo Lacy Facility. Preliminarily, there are no suspicious circumstances.
The decedent was identified as Ryan Forney, 32, of Anaheim.
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.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (October 15, 2021) – Orange County Sheriff’s Homicide investigators made two arrests yesterday related to a 2019 homicide in the city of Stanton. On March 8, 2019, deputies responded to the 12000 block of Leafwood Street regarding a suspicious vehicle. After further investigation, deputies discovered a deceased male adult in the trunk of the vehicle. The victim was later identified as Jeffrey Cheng, 31, a resident from the city of Irvine.
On Thursday, October 14, 2021, OC Sheriff’s Homicide investigators executed warrants in Marina del Rey and Oklahoma City related to the March 2019 homicide. Two suspects were arrested without incident. Three firearms, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills and 5,000 methamphetamine pills were also seized as a result of the warrants. The estimated street value of the fentanyl pills is approximately $30,000.
Jonathan Ho, 32, of Marina del Rey, was booked into OC jail for possession of metal knuckles and drug related charges. Nicholas Nguyen, 27, of Oklahoma City, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and is awaiting extradition. The motive for the crime and the relationship between the victim and suspects remain part of the ongoing investigation.
The Oklahoma City Police Department and the United States Marshals Office assisted investigators.
###
MISSION VIEJO, Ca (November 2, 2021) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, November 5, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city of Mission Viejo.
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 2018, 1,235 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. (October 17, 2021): As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 17-23, The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reminds parents and guardians the importance of talking to their teen(s) about driving responsibly and safely.
Driving remains the most dangerous activity for teens. Per mile driven, teen drivers are nearly four times as likely to be involved in a crash as drivers in all other age groups. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), speeding was a factor in 43% of all teen driver and passenger fatalities from 2015 to 2019, compared to approximately 30% of all traffic deaths among adults 20 and older.
“Like most skills, experience and training make you better and more prepared as a driver,” Sergeant Brent Jasper said. “Teen drivers are naturally inexperienced and more likely to take risks and pick up bad habits, which is why it is important for parents and caregivers to play an active role in instilling safe driving habits in their teen.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department offers the following tips to parents and guardians for starting conversations about safe driving with teens:
Provisional Driver’s License: Learn about California’s provisional licensing law, which places restrictions on passengers and driving at night during the first year they have a license.
Lead by example: Have driving sessions with your teen. Tell, but also show your teen how to drive safely.
Set ground rules: Be firm on rules such as no phone use, being distracted by friends, always following the speed limit, and always buckling up.
Sober driving: Emphasize the importance of never driving under the influence or riding with someone who has been drinking.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.