In-custody death of inmate from Intake Release Center
SANTA ANA, Ca. (January 21, 2021) –A 37-year-old male inmate housed at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana died this morning of medical complications after testing positive for COVID-19.
The inmate was booked into jail in August 2017 by the Fullerton Police Department on suspicion of homicide and attempted murder. The inmate tested positive for COVID-19 in December 2020, and was transferred to a local hospital on January 6, 2021. He is the second Orange County Jail inmate to die from medical complications of COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 2,270 Orange County Jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Currently, there are 61 COVID-19 positive inmates. 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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Director Carrie Braun
CBraun@ocsd.org | C: 714-904-7042
Inmate released by judge in ACLU lawsuit escapes electronic monitoring, re-arrested less than 24 hours later
SANTA ANA, Ca. (Jan. 19, 2021): An inmate ordered released by Orange County Judge Peter Wilson escaped at-home confinement by removing her electronic monitoring device and was re-arrested less than 24 hours later.
The inmate, Sandy Gonzalez, 28 years old, was booked into custody in March 2020 by the Fullerton Police Department for felony armed robbery, shoplifting, possession of a controlled substance, child endangerment and resisting arrest.
Gonzalez was released following a December 11, 2020 court order from Judge Wilson in a lawsuit against the Department from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Judge Wilson’s order required Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes to provide a plan to release half of the inmates in the Orange County Jail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ordered the immediate release of Gonzalez and one other individual “to provide the necessary physical distancing and other measures to protect against COVID-19.” Absent the order issued by the judge, Gonzalez would not have otherwise qualified for electronic monitoring based on screening criteria and her extensive criminal history.
Gonzalez was released to the Sheriff’s Department’s Electronic Monitoring Program on December 13, 2020, and was ordered to remain at a specified residence with a GPS-enabled electronic monitoring device. Gonzalez was told that removal of the GPS-device would constitute a jail escape. On January 15, 2021, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Community Work Program and Custody Intelligence Unit overseeing the Electronic Monitoring Program received notification that Gonzalez had removed the electronic monitoring device and fled. The Custody Intelligence Unit launched an immediate investigation to locate Gonzalez and return her to custody.
Less than 24 hours later, the morning of January 16, 2021, investigators located Gonzalez in Long Beach, California. She was apprehended without incident and was returned to the Orange County Jail and booked on a new felony charge of escaping from jail.
“This inmate was in custody for a violent felony of robbery with a firearm, and despite numerous objections was ordered by a judge to be released,” said Sheriff Barnes. “The inmate’s subsequent escape from custody then required a manhunt by numerous personnel to locate her, bring her back into custody and return her to jail, where she should have remained in the first place. The known risks to the community associated with the court ordered release demonstrates a blatant disregard for the public’s safety.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sheriff has utilized the discretion available to him during a declared emergency to release more than 1,500 inmates with less than 180 days left on their sentence who pose the lowest risk to the community. In addition, the Department has gone over and above CDC guidelines to mitigate COVID-19 in the Orange County Jail. The Department has mitigated a recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the Orange County Jail from a height of more than 1,200 COVID-19 positive inmates in December 2020 to 139 current cases today.
Statement from Sheriff Barnes on the passing of former Sheriff Sandra Hutchens
SANTA ANA, Ca. (January 4, 2021): Please see the statement below from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of former Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. In November 2012, Sheriff Hutchens was diagnosed with breast cancer. She courageously fought this disease while still leading this department. Her fight was successful for eight years. Unfortunately, the cancer recently returned and Sheriff Hutchens passed this morning with her loved ones by her side."
Two off-duty Sheriff’s Deputies’ quick actions helped save the life of a truck driver trapped in the cab of his vehicle after a roll-over crash.
Sgt. Phil Cruz and K-9 Handler Deputy Adam Nauta were driving on the freeway in Artesia at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, December 14, when they saw traffic abruptly stop and a plume of smoke rising from a nearby embankment on the 91 East and North 605 freeway interchange.
As the deputies got closer, they saw a blue semi-truck had rolled into the embankment, coming to rest on the driver’s side. Sgt. Cruz and Deputy Nauta jumped from their vehicle and ran down to the truck where they found the driver trapped and unresponsive.
With the distinct smell of diesel fuel getting stronger and smoke filling the interior, the deputies had to move quickly.
Sgt. Cruz borrowed a golf club from another motorist who had stopped and smashed the passenger side window. The driver gained consciousness, but he was wedged in tight and couldn’t climb out.
The deputies cut the driver’s seatbelt and pulled him from the vehicle. They carried the 59-year-old driver to safety and waited for medical crews to arrive. The driver was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
We are grateful for the deputies’ actions that day and wish the driver a full and speedy recovery!
ORANGE, Ca. (December 18, 2020) –A 68-year-old male inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died this morning at 5 a.m. of medical complications after testing positive for COVID-19.
The inmate, Eddie Lee Anderson of River Ridge, LA, was booked into jail by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on July 1, 2019 on suspicion of homicide. Anderson is suspected of the 1976 murder of Leslie Penrod Harris, and was identified in 2019 by the Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task Force.
Anderson tested positive for COVID-19 within the last week, and was transferred to a local hospital on December 13. He is the first Orange County Jail inmate to die from medical complications of COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,260 Orange County Jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.
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.
###
The windows were too dark to see in, but K-9 Remi knew what she was looking for was inside.
The floppy-eared bloodhound sniffed the silver car then stopped, her nose pressed against the door. Her handler, Deputy Assayag, knew this meant good news.
A patrol deputy used his flashlight to cut through the deep tint of the windows to find who they were looking for – a 70-year-old woman who had wandered from her home hours earlier.
A Mission Viejo man called the Sheriff’s Department at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16, asking for help to find his wife. He had checked the house and the neighborhood and was unable to find her.
Patrol deputies began their search on the ground while Duke, the Sheriff’s Department patrol helicopter, circled above the homes near Jeronimo Road and Alicia Parkway. Deputy Assayag and Remi also were called in to help.
Shortly after beginning her search, Remi alerted to the parked car in the neighborhood to find the woman safe inside and sitting in the passenger seat. Deputies learned the vehicle, which was not related to the family, had been left unlocked.
Good girl, Remi!
We are grateful this team was able to safely reunite this woman with her family.
On July 15, 2019 deputies were involved in a use of force in the unincorporated are of La Mirada. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene. The use of force was determined to be within policy. Link to responsive records - https://cpraazlrshotprod1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/cpraprod1/Mediazip/UOF/UOF.19-027020.zip Please note that due to the size of the files, and depending on download speeds, it could take several minutes for the files to open.
On April 3, 2019 deputies were involved in a use of force in the unincorporated area of Fullerton. The use of force was determined to be within policy. Link to responsive records - https://cpraazlrshotprod1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/cpraprod1/Mediazip/UOF/UOF.19-012737.zip Please note that due to the size of the files, and depending on download speeds, it could take several minutes for the files to open.
