July 2009 Archives

The Orange County Register on July 28th, 2009 reported on an Orange County DUI that resulted in a bank with a car.  A car remains stuck inside a bank building, several days after a driver crashed through a corner wall in a suspected Orange County DUI, police said.

A 17-year-old male, suspected of an Orange County DUI, was hospitalized shortly after 5 a.m. Friday following the crash.

The driver reportedly crashed into the Banco Popular at 13001 Brookhurst St. - at the corner of Garden Grove Boulevard. The teenager was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police and fire officials said. Police did not release the name of the driver because he is a minor.

Following the crash, signs on the door and surrounding windows indicated the building was unsafe and illegal to enter.

The car appeared to have crashed through the corner of the building, coming to a rest parallel to an outside wall.

Dave Marcum, a Garden Grove supervising building inspector, said the car must remain in the building until a structural engineer deems it safe to be removed.

The car struck two columns on an unoccupied section of the building. One of the columns supports a structural beam, Marcum said.

"To me, it looks like it was kind of hanging from a thread," Marcum said of the structural integrity. "Until they get it boarded up and shored up, to temporarily hold up the column, the bank should not be occupied."  This Orange County DUI resulted in no injuries b/c the bank was closed, thank goodness.

The Orange County Register reports. A Superior Court judge today tentatively scheduled a Nov. 9 DUI trial for a San Gabriel man indicted on three murder charges stemming from the alcohol-related crash in April that killed an Angels pitcher and two others.

Judge Richard Toohey also set Sept. 11 for a pre-trial hearing for Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, who could receive a 54-year, eight-month to life prison sentence if convicted on all charges.

The Orange County Grand Jury indictment accuses Gallo of driving his minivan while intoxicated through a red light in Fullerton on April 9 and broadsiding a Mitsubishi Eclipse that was passing through the intersection on a green light.

The crash killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, Courtney Stewart, 20, a student and former cheerleader at Cal State Fullerton -- who was driving the Mitsubishi -- and Henry Pearson, 25, a law student working toward a career as a sports agent.

Jonathon Wilhite, 24, of Manhattan Beach, a fourth passenger in the Mitsubishi, and a former standout player on the Cal State Fullerton Titan baseball team, was seriously injured. Wilhite is recovering.

The indictment accuses Gallo of three counts of second-degree murder under the legal theory that he knew that driving while drunk was dangerous to human life - because of a prior driving-under-the-influence conviction - but chose to do so anyway.

He is also charged with Orange County drunk-driving causing great bodily injury, driving with a .08 blood-alcohol level or higher and causing great bodily injury, hit-and-run, and driving on a suspended license. In addition, Gallo also faces sentencing enhancements for causing serious injures to Wilhite and to Raymond Rivera, who was a passenger in the minivan.

Fullerton Police reported that Gallo's blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.

Here are a few websites to visit:

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer

Orange County Drunk Driving Attorney

The Orange County Register reported. Twenty-nine children were detained Thursday night as part of a curfew sweep conducted by the Orange County Criminal Attorney's office and the Orange Police Department.

District Attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami said kids picked up ranged from 12 to 17, with some children out as late as 2 a.m.

Orange County attorney David DeBerry said the city municipal code prohibits minors from being out in public places, including playing in the street, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following day, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

DeBerry said minors are exempt in certain circumstances, such as going to and from work.

The sweep focused on the area surrounding The Block at Orange and two gang-injunction safety zones. The first safety zone includes a 1.4-square-mile area located west of the 55, Eisenhower Park and Highland Street between Lincoln Avenue and Palmyra Avenue. The second zone covers 3.78-square-miles and is primarily located in downtown Orange west of the 55, as well of parts of Parker Street, La Veta Avenue, Hoover Avenue and Wilson Avenue.

Orange County Attorney Emami said the violators were taken to the police headquarters and held until their parents came to pick them up.

Both parents and children had to meet with a deputy district attorney and member of the Department of Probation to discuss possible legal consequences, which could include misdemeanor charges with penalties of up to six months in jail for the parent or juvenile detention for the child.

"None of the children or the families who were involved last night were charged," she said. "This was kind of educational for them. It was a warning so they know it was a violation."

A sweep in Anaheim in May nabbed nine children. Emami said one minor caught in that sweep had just been released from juvenile detention the previous day.

"It's become more frequent," Emami said. "Recently, the District Attorney's office in the past couple of years added a Deputy District Attorney whose sole job is to work on gang prevention. She initially was doing a lot of work in Anaheim and it spread out."

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

The Orange County Register on June 29th, 2009 reported on an Orange County DUI. The California Highway Patrol is investigating a collision involving a box truck and another vehicle in which one of the drivers is suspected of Orange County DUI (driving under the influence.)

The CHP responded to a crash at 10:24 a.m. on southbound I-405 just north Fairview Road, where a large truck and white Kia Rio collided. Police initially responded to an injury crash but no one was hurt at the scene. The box truck was gone when the CHP arrived.

Jesse Meza, 26, of Mission Viejo, was arrested on suspicion of Orange County DUI and was taken to the CHP's Santa Ana office to be tested for alcohol.  If you have been charged with an Orange County DUI, you should call a lawyer who specializes in Orange County Criminal Defense.

Orange Couty Register reports. NEWPORT BEACH - A female high school athletic trainer was placed on three years' probation and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service today for having an unlawful sexual relationship with a male high school student.

Hope Ashley Jacoby, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, pleaded guilty earlier this month to six counts involving sexual contact with a minor.

She admitted she engaged in a consensual affair - including sex acts in her San Juan Capistrano home and in her car - with a male student she met while working as an athletic trainer at Tustin High School in 2008.

Jacoby worked at the school for about a year and worked with several athletes in different sports until she resigned in November 2008 while she was under investigation.

Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Jones accepted Jacoby's guilty pleas and reduced all felony counts to misdemeanors over the objections of Deputy District Attorney Nikki Buracchio.

Buracchio contended that Jacoby should sustain felony convictions, arguing that Jacoby took advantage of her position of trust and engaged in a continuous course of unlawful conduct over a lengthy period of time.

Jones, however, said misdemeanor convictions were appropriate because the sexual contact was consensual, the male student was 16 and 17 during the course of conduct and was a willing participant who had engaged in some deception to maintain the relationship.

The judge noted that Jacoby is a college graduate on her way to a productive life and is not likely to re-offend.

Jones also said that the age of consent in most states for sexual activity is 16.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

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The San Diego Union reported. Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson probably will avoid an NFL suspension this season after recently appealing a judge's ruling in his DUI case.

The appeal is likely to delay his legal case until after the 2009 season, which also would delay any suspension resulting from it.

"This thing could be in the appellate courts for quite some time," said  Jackson's DUI Attorney.

Jackson was arrested Jan. 6 on suspicion of DUI. His blood-alcohol content measured at 0.17 percent, more than double the state limit of 0.08. At the time of his arrest, Jackson was on five years' probation for a 2006 drunken driving conviction in San Diego.

The NFL's substance abuse policy states a second alcohol-related offense likely would result in a suspension. The NFL commissioner may impose discipline if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law for alcohol-related offenses. Jackson pleaded not guilty in February. In June, Jackson asked a San Diego Superior Court judge to throw out his blood-test results on the grounds that the test violated his Fourth Amendment rights, which guard against unreasonable search and seizures.

Jacksons DUI Attorney argued that Jackson was forced to have his blood drawn against his will after repeatedly requesting a breath test instead, as was his right. But the breath machine didn't immediately accept his sample, and Jackson moved slowly while removing personal items to be inventoried, according to the testimony of a California Highway Patrol officer.

Because of this, the officer considered Jackson to be refusing the breath test. Jackson's blood then was drawn from his arm while his arms were handcuffed behind a chair.

Judge Cynthia Bashant rejected Jackson's request, leading to his appeal.

The Criminal Attorney said afterward he hoped the case would end up in federal court.

The Daily Pilot on July 23, 2009 reported on the victim of an Orange County DUI.  About 18 years ago Matt Thomas was seriously injured in an Orange County DUI crash. His friend was behind the wheel and after they hurtled over a 30-foot bridge, the next thing Thomas knew was he was paralyzed on his left side, and it was three months later.

The brain damage was apparent, Thomas' friends said. Thomas had to learn to walk, talk and read all over again. But through therapy and his own will power, he's recovered significantly.

A friend of his, Jim Ruch, gave him two hydro-bikes a couple of years after the crash to help him with his therapy. Now, more than 15 years later, Thomas is walking, driving and back in school.Saturday morning others will ride with Thomas using their own man-power -- no motors please -- from the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort to the Newport Pier and back, all in the name of local charities. An Orange County DUI coudl ruin another person's life.

The selfless theme behind the event is nothing new for Thomas, who, for years has been going around Southern California speaking in alcohol-awareness classes for parents and in classrooms talking to kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. An Orange County DUI will cost you money and possibly a life.

The Orange County Register reported. MISSION VIEJO - Authorities released images caught from surveillance cameras at a Wells Fargo, where a bank robber walked away with an unknown amount of cash Monday.

Investigators are hoping the images may lead to the arrest of the robber, who held up the Wells Fargo branch near Alicia Parkway and Charlinda Drive.

The robbery took place at 12:45 p.m., said Lt. Kurt Vasentine of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Images show a man with short hair, wearing a dark button-up shirt, walking up to a teller with a bag in hand.

The man walked up to the teller and demanded cash, then walked out of the bank. No one was injured in the robbery.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian male in his mid 20s, 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 130 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's department at 866-TIP-OCSD or 866-847-6273.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

The Orange County Register reported. A Santa Ana Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that there is legal justification to keep the Central Men's Jail under medical quarantine - at least for a couple of days - to control a swine flu outbreak.

Judge Thomas Goethals said the "significant medical public health event" in the men's jail is good cause to temporarily suspend constitutional guarantees to speedy trials, preliminary hearings and arraignments for some Orange County criminal case defendants.

He made his ruling over the objections of the county public defender's office and the alternate defender's office after a special 90-minute hearing on the status of the health scare in the main men's jail, which usually houses 800 to 900 inmates.

But Goethals said the exception to speedy court appearances will only be in effect through Thursday, by which time the quarantine of the jail may be lifted. He said he will preside over another hearing Thursday if medical authorities continue the quarantine.

The judge issued his decision after Dr. Jack Palmer, assistant medical director of the Orange County Health Agency, testified that the swine flu outbreak in the jail began three to four weeks ago with a handful of cases, and that there are 25 inmates isolated because of the virus.

But Palmer also testified that the number of new cases appears to be tapering off and that he is hopeful that the lockdown can be lifted in time to renew transporting inmates to courthouse in Santa Ana, Fullerton, Westminster and Newport Beach by Thursday morning.

The disease is generally spread through nasal drippings, sneezes or coughs, Palmer said. The incubation period is 48 to 72 hours, the doctor added, making it difficult to determine precisely who and how many inmates are infected.

Palmer said he authorized the quarantine of the men's jail Friday because of the increasing number of sick inmates and the desire to attempt to limit the spread of the disease to other jail facilities through inmate contact on transportation buses, holding cells or courtrooms.

Orange County sheriff's officials confirmed there is already one case of swine flu in the Theo Lacy branch jail, but that inmate was already isolated in a single-man cell and therefore the quarantine has not been extended to that facility.

But county health officials also confirmed that one minor in the county's juvenile hall in Orange was infected with the swine-flu virus, said Tricia Landkuist, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The minor has been placed in an isolated unit, along with two other minors who were displaying flu-like symptoms, she said. Those two minors have also been tested for the virus and their results are expected within the week, she said.

As a precautionary measure, two other minors who were being housed with the minor who has been infected have also been placed in a unit with limited contact, she said. The two minors have not displayed any flu symptoms but have also been tested as a precaution.

It costs thousands of dollars a day to run a courtroom, but on Tuesday several normally busy judges and staffs were waiting for cases to be assigned that did not involve inmates from the central men's jail.

Superior Court Judge John Conley was in the midst of selecting a jury in a child-molestion case when the quarantine went into effect on Monday. His potential jurors were sent home Monday, and were told Tuesday told to call the courtroom Wednesday to find out when their services will be needed.

Superior Court Judge Daniel Barrett McNerney was about to instruct a jury on the law after evidence was presented in a rape case when the trial was shut down Monday by the lockdown.

The defendant in that case reportedly has agreed to waive his personal presence for the instructions - if necessary - on Wednesday, creating the unusual specter of the defendant being linked to the courtroom from the jail by phone while the judge reads instructions to his jury.

According to the state's Department of Public Health, 12 people have died in Orange County because of swine flu - the most of any county in California.

 

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

The Orange County Register on July 22nd, 2009 reported on Orange County DUI and associated costs. Drunk drivers who cause an accident might have to pay the city for police and fire response costs, which could add up to more than $1,000.

City Council members tonight will consider a proposal that would allow the Police Department to collect costs to cover emergency services as well the salaries of emergency personnel from intoxicated drivers involved in a collision. An Orange County DUI can cost about $10,000, according to the Mother's Against Drunk Driving Web site.

Representatives from MADD said they declined to comment on the article.

Los Alamitos would join about 13 other Orange County police departments that already have the program including Anaheim, Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa.

An Orange County Sheriff's Department official said they do not yet have an Orange County DUI cost recovery program in place, citing budget cuts. Implementing the program would take a lot of time and resources to ensure its success, deputies said.

"Although it does take time... the flip side is if you can recoup some of those costs so it might be beneficial," Deputy Wayne Howard said.

Los Alamitos police said the new criteria would force intoxicated drivers to be held accountable both criminally and financially, but Howard said further monetary punishment for intoxicated drivers may not be necessary.

"It's kind of like squeezing blood from a turnip," he said. "These guys already are getting hit pretty hard at about $10,000 to $13,000 for an Orange County DUI."

The Westminster Police Department has had their program in place for 10 years, but it doesn't fully support the cost and time that goes in to responding and investigating a DUI crash, police said.

 

The Orange County Register reports. Convicted former sheriff Mike Carona, who was initially supposed to start serving a 66-month prison sentence Friday, will be allowed to remain free on bond pending his appeal of a witness-tampering conviction.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled Monday that Carona's defense team has raised a substantial question of law or fact "that is likely to result in reversal, an order for a new trial, or a sentence that does not include a term of imprisonment."

The panel - Circuit judges William C. Canby, Sidney R. Thomas and Sandra S. Ikuta - also noted that Carona, 54, is not likely to flee the jurisdiction and does not pose a danger to any person or the community if allowed to remain free on bail.

Brian Sun, one of Carona's lawyers, said: "We are pleased by the decision and look forward to pursuing the appeal on Mr. Carona's behalf." He declined to comment further.

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said prosecutors will not comment on the ruling.

Carona was sentenced in April to five and a half years in federal prison for urging former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl to lie during a grand jury investigation into the Sheriff's Department.

Carona has been free on a $20,000 appearance bond, where he promised to make all court appearances, since he was indicted on public corruption charges in October 2007.

But U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford, who sentenced the former sheriff, ordered Carona to turn himself by Friday to being serving his term.

The judge's order, though, was stayed when Carona's lawyers filed an appeal to the 9th Circuit in June, asking that the ex-sheriff be allowed to remain free on bail while the actual appeal is pending. That appeal will not be filed until this fall.

Carona's defense team will likely contend in the appeal that a tape recording of Carona and Haidl talking should not have been admitted during Carona's trial, and that prosecutors committed misconduct when they arranged for Haidl to secretly record the August 2007 conversation.

Guilford denied defense lawyers' request to exclude the tape as evidence from the jury trial. That conversation, played repeatedly during the trial, was the basis for Carona's witness-tampering conviction.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

Orange County Register reported. GARDEN GROVE - Two women were injured Monday night after being struck by a suspected drunken driver in Orange County, police reported.

The male driver was traveling west on Westminster Avenue when he struck the two victims crossing Harbor Boulevard just after 10 p.m. Monday, Garden Grove Police Officer Jay Mooney said.

The two women were crossing the street to a McDonald's parking lot, where someone was waiting to pick them up.

One of the victims left her injured companion at the scene of the accident in the vehicle waiting in the parking lot, Mooney said.

The victim left at the scene was taken to the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where she is being treated for multiple broken bones from the DUI accident, Mooney said.

The driver, who remained at the scene, was taken into custody for an Orange County DUI.

These  Drunk Drivers in Orange County will need an experienced Orange County DUI Lawyer.

Here are a few websites to visit:

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer

The Orange County Register on July 22nd, 2008 reported on an Orange County DUI and hunger for a burger. A man was arrested on suspicion of Orange County DUI (driving under the influence) after running into another car in the food line of a Jack In The Box Sunday, according to Placentia Police.  Maybe this was not an Orange County DUI, but a case of severe hunger and impatience.

The crash, which occurred at 7:46 p.m. in the 2000 block of East Orangethorpe Avenue, resulted in no injuries. The owner of the black Chevy Tahoe that was struck had OnStar, and he notified police that way.

The 52-year-old man, who was driving a gray Ford Expedition, was arrested after police arrived on scene at 7:54 p.m., said Lt. Eric Pointe. Don't ram the car in front of you at jack in the box, or you could be charged with an Orange County DUI.

The Orange County Register on July 24th, 2009 reported on an Orange County DUI and the case of a missing wallet. A man arrested under suspicion of Orange County DUI  has filed a claim against the city saying the arresting officer left his personal items on the car bumper and forgot they were there.

Michael Lewis, 25, of Huntington Beach was pulled over about 3:30 a.m. on July 11 at the intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brookhurst Street, the claim says.

Lewis reported the arresting officer took his wallet, phone and knife and placed it on his car bumper.

"They put it on the bumper instead of on the hood," Lewis said.

City officials said no formal action has been taken on the claim.

Lewis' mother, Janet Lewis, said today that police allowed her husband to pick up their son's car that was parked block away. Michael Lewis had thousands of dollars worth of tools in his car and they didn't want to leave it sitting on the street, she said.

Michael Lewis said when he woke up the next morning his personal items were missing.

"When I got released from detox they said they didn't have anything and they didn't know what happened," Lewis said. "They said if they didn't have it then it had to be in my car."

But when Lewis went to his car, his phone and wallet were nowhere to be found.

Lewis is asking for $555 to replace $140 in cash, $135 in gift cards, a $15 knife and a $269 cell phone, according to the claim.

The Lewises went back to where the car was parked but there was no evidence of the items, Janet Lewis said.

Michael Lewis said when he called the police to ask if they could replace the items they told him his only option was to file a claim with the city.

Janet Lewis said while she doesn't excuse her son's Orange County DUI, she thinks the police should replace her son's things.

"What (my son) did was wrong and he knows that and he'll learn from it," she said. "But when police take your personal objects they need to take care of them. It is supposed to booked." If you have been charged with an Orange County DUI, plese call an Orange County lawyer.

Orange County Register reported. SANTA ANA - A 23-year-old man was stabbed Sunday when three men approached him and asked him for money, police said.

The incident occurred at 2 a.m. in the 1100 block of South Grand Avenue when he and a woman were confronted by three adult males, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Stephen Colon.

The victim did not immediately call police. Instead, police were called at 5:40 p.m. to a local hospital where the victim was being treated for a stab wound to the upper body, Colon said.

The victim told police that as he walked by a dark colored four-door sedan, the occupants got out and confronted him. He said one of them was armed with a knife and demanded money from him, Colon said. Then two of the men started to punch him and he was stabbed on the upper body.

The robbers got away with his wallet, Colon said.

The victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries. His female companion was unharmed.

A description of the robbers was not immediately available.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

Orange County Register reported. IRVINE - A simmering contract dispute between city leaders and the Irvine Police Department's rank and file is about to go public, with union leaders accusing city officials of threatening layoffs unless employees agree to forego raises.

Negotiations have broken down between the Irvine Police Association - who argue the city has plenty of money in reserves to cover salary increases - and city officials - who have convinced the city's other employee groups to accept pay freezes that they claim will save nearly $2 million.

Mayor Sukhee Kang and city staff declined to comment on the police contract discussions.

The Irvine Police Association is hoping to extend their latest contract, which expired on June 30. Irvine Police Association President Shane Barrows estimated that the contract extension would cost the city $720,000, with yearly increases of between 5 percent and 8 percent for some employees, while others would remain at their current salary, depending on performance reviews and seniority.

Negotiations on the police contract began in mid-February, Barrows said. The two sides have met at least six times, and last week brought in a mediator.

"We're done negotiating," Irvine Police Association President Shane Barrows said. "The city has drawn a line in the sand with us."

The police association negotiations could directly impact the other city unions, Barrows said, which have a "me too" clause allowing them to re-visit their tentative agreements if another city union gets an increase.

Police association members plan to challenge city leaders during next week's council meeting, Barrows said, and are considering whether to picket City Hall.

The Irvine Police Association represents 190 of the departments 203 employees. The department's command staff is represented by the Irvine Police Management Association, which has already come to a tentative agreement with the city over the pay freezes.

The Irvine Police Department is the fifth highest paid in the county, Barrows said, behind Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Anaheim and Costa Mesa. Irvine police employees received 2 percent base salary increases in 2003 and 2004, a 4.5 percent increase in 2005, a 4 percent increase in 2006, and a flat $4,700 increase in 2007 and 2008.

Police are particularly frustrated that the same city leaders who have spent the last five years touting Irvine's position as the safest large city in America are taking what they feel is a hard-line stance during the contract talks, Barrows said.

"They are demoralized, they feel betrayed," Barrows said. "To have a city council that brags about you so much take things away from you when it is unnecessary has made a lot of officers upset. They want to know why it is happening, and I can't give them an answer."

The City Council last month approved a $145 million budget that promised no significant cuts or layoffs, but relied heavily on reserve funds to make up for an expected $11 million loss in revenue.

Despite the economic downturn, the city has about $30 million in reserve funds forged during flusher economic times, as well as $65 million in an "asset management plan" for city rehabilitation projects.

However, a three-year "bridge plan" city officials have created to ride out the recession would largely draw down the $30 million, and some city leaders are reticent to tap into the asset management fund.

The city last year spent a little more than $48 million on police salaries and benefits.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

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Orange County Register reports. SANTA ANA The Men's Central Jail is on lockdown after five inmates were diagnosed with swine flu.

Visitors are not being allowed to see any of the jail's inmates over the weekend, authorities said, to cut down on the possibility of spreading of the potentially deadly virus.

The Inmate Reception Center, where suspects are held while they are booked and processed, is operating normally and is accepting visitors.

The first of the inmates were diagnosed by the Orange County Criminal Health Care Agency around 6 a.m. Thursday, said Sheriff's Department spokesman John McDonald. Two more were diagnosed later that day.

Two more were diagnosed Friday, and the decision to lock down the jail was made late Friday, McDonald said.

While under lock down, the jail's 1,242 inmates are not allowed to leave their cells, McDonald said. Inmates will also be closely looked at for symptoms of the potentially deadly virus.

Eleven Orange County residents have died of swine flu, the most of any county in California, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The county's Health Care Agency on June 8 reported the first H1N1 influenza death of a middle-age man with pre-existing health conditions.

The earliest the lockdown could be lifted is p.m. Monday, McDonald said.

Staff writer Courtney Perkes contributed to this report.

For more information please visit the following websites.

Orange County Criminal Lawyer

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Orange County Criminal Attorney

The Orange County Register reports. Today was supposed to be the day that former lawman Mike Carona - once called "America's Sheriff" by CNN's Larry King- was going to become a federal prison inmate.

But Carona, who was sentenced in April to serve 66 months in prison on a witness-tampering conviction, will instead remain free until an appeals court acts.

He filed an appeal in June to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the court to overturn U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford's mandate that he start his prison sentence at the end of July.

Carona's Orange County Criminal Attorney asked to remain free on bond until the same court weighs the appeal of his case and conviction.

The filing of the latest appeal immediately stayed Guilford's order that Carona turn himself in by Friday, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

The appeals court has yet to issue its ruling. That means he remains free, for now.

Here are the two possible scenarios:

•If the court grants his motion to remain free, Carona will be out on bond until that same court weighs the appeal of his conviction.

Briefs on that appeal will be filed by his criminal lawyer this fall. The appeals process could take up to two years. One possibility is that appeals court could overturn Carona's conviction - meaning that Carona may never serve a day behind bars.

•If the court denies his motion to remain free, Carona will have to turn himself in to federal custody at a date to be determined by the court.  Carona's lawyers have not said which prison has been designated for Carona to serve his sentence.

How will the appeals court decide on whether Carona should remain free?

The appeals court's decision will be based on whether the judges think there is something of substance to consider in Carona's appeal of his conviction.

Carona was sentenced to 66 months in prison in April, after being found guilty in January of trying to persuade former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl to lie during a grand jury investigation of Carona's administration.

Haidl, who was working undercover for the government, was secretly recording the Aug. 13, 2007, talk.

Orange County defense attorneys wanted the tape tossed from the trial, and argued that prosecutors erred by not informing Carona's then-attorney of the recording. Guilford agreed prosecutors violated California State Bar evidence rules, but decided to allow the tape to be used as evidence.

The defendant in this case will need to hire an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney or an Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer.

Newport Beach Daily Pilot reported. Fearing that some of its many massage parlors are fronts for prostitution, Costa Mesa is considering an urgent 45-day moratorium on issuing permits for new massage parlors and existing parlors that want to expand.

The city has 54 massage parlors by its count, which officials say makes for a much higher concentration than surrounding cities, and the volume of parlors is making regulation of the businesses a nearly impossible task for police.

The city will look at updating its municipal code to close "loopholes" in the certification and licensing process for massage services.

"Some businesses hint or imply [prostitution.] Others clearly suggest that sexual services are available. Many prostitutes working in the region openly advertise in the adult services section along with some of the massage providers. A review of these advertisements demonstrates that Costa Mesa appears over-represented in the offering of legitimate and illegitimate massage services," according to a city report released Thursday.

A search of Internet marketplace Craigslist yields several massage parlors in Costa Mesa with provocative ads.

One posting for Mind over Muscles in the Circle K parking lot on Newport Boulevard, for instance, has a picture of a bikini-clad blond staring at the camera and advertises "SMOKING HOTT BLONDE LYNN IS IN TILL 10PM----U WONT BE DISSAPPOINTED... SWEET AND UNRUSHED...PUT A HAPPY END TO UR EXHAUSTING STRESSFULL DAY AND RELAX HERE!"

An Eastside parlor on Orange Avenue advertises: "Young sexy Asian girls," and offers a "free table shower." It's accompanied by pictures of women in short skirts.

The moratorium would start at 45 days, but Lt. Clay Epperson said that the city is looking to extend it for as long as two years and in the meantime implement policies that give officers more discretion to deny suspicious permit requests.

"The overarching goal would be to eliminate the illegitimate massage practices here and get the number of businesses down to a level that we can manage," Epperson said.

Other cities make it more difficult for massage parlors to establish themselves. Huntington Beach has limited the number of massage parlors to 10; Santa Ana has had a year-and-a-half-long moratorium on new parlors; Newport Beach's laws allow for more discretion in denying permits.

In Costa Mesa, barring prior criminal convictions, it's difficult for staff to deny permits even when significant subjective evidence suggests that an operation would not be legitimate, Epperson said.

The defendant in this case will need to hire an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney or an Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer.

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The moratorium will go before the City Council for a vote Tuesday night.

Orange County Register reported. SANTA ANA - Police are searching for two men, who they suspect are gang members, who shot a man to death while they tried to rob him Thursday night.

The victim, who does not appear to be a gang member, has not been identified, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Tammy Franks.

The victim, who is about 30, was standing on a sidewalk when he was confronted by a man who tried to rob him, according to police. The victim fought with the man and was shot in the upper body by a second man.

"During the struggle, the second (man) approached the victim and shot him," Franks said.

Police were called at 7:15 p.m. to the 4200 block of Fifth Avenue regarding reports of "a shooting with a man down," Franks said.

Officers found the wounded man. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Franks said.
His attackers fled on foot, police said. They are described as being in their late teens.
The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Department's police detectives at 714-245-8390. Those who provide information can be eligible for a reward up to $50,000 through the gang homicide reward program, Franks said.

The defendant in this case will need to hire an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney or an Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer.

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Orange County Register reported. SANTA ANA - A gang member was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today for shooting a rival to death, then ordering his peers to set his body on fire.

Jorge Andrade, 29, of Orange, was chastised by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary S. Paer during the sentencing hearing.

The judge, who said he was a former prosecutor, said the crime was one of the worst cases he has ever seen in his 25 years in the justice system.

"I'm not going to lose one wink of sleep giving you life in prison without the possibility of parole because you deserve it,'' Paer said.

A jury convicted Andrade of first-degree murder in May while committing the felony for the benefit of a gang.

The killing was discovered on Aug. 4, 2004. Authorities responded to a call of a car fire in the area of Newhope and First streets in Santa Ana.

After putting out the flames, firefighters found the charred remains of the victim, 16-year-old Innocente Barrera. A coroner's examination discovered that Barrera had been shot twice in the chest, according to a probation report made public today.

Authorities ran a check on the car - and found out that two days before, it had been carjacked and the owner had been stabbed during the crime, according to the report.

Andrade was connected to that carjacking, and then arrested in August 2005 for Barrera's killing, according to the report.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jerry Schaffer said Andrade and his gang had kidnapped Barrera, who was later shot dead in the gang's car. Andrade ordered two of his fellow gang members to get gasoline and set the car, along with Barrera's body in it, on fire, he added.

In a June interview with a probation officer, Andrade denied committing the offense. He did not speak at his sentencing.

Barrera's mother wasn't present at the sentencing today. Schaffer told the judge she was too upset about her son's death to come.

"The judge hit the nail on the head when he said the punishment fit the crime,'' he said.

Two other people, who prosecutors say are gang members, await trial for Barrera's death.

The defendant in this case will need to hire an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney or an Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer.

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The Orange County Register on January 28th, 2009 reported on yet another Orange County DUI. A 23-year-old driver who crashed into a light pole Monday night, leaving almost 400 people without electricity for most of the following morning, has been taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.

Officers with the California Highway Patrol said the Mission Viejo woman was also booked on suspicion of  felony hit-and-run after they say she walked away from the scene of the crash, leaving behind a 17-year-old passenger who had suffered minor injuries.

A CHP officer found Kristen Wilcox at her Mission Viejo home about two hours after the crash occurred on Live Oak Canyon Road, about one-fourth mile east of Hunky Dory Road.

The crash occurred at about 9:20 p.m. Monday, when Wilcox lost control of the 1991 Ford as the road curved to the left, according to a CHP collision report. The car skidded down the road and crashed into a power pole, taking out electricity for about 384 Southern California Edison customers in the canyon.

Wilcox left the crash site on foot, police said. When an officer found her at her home, he determined that Wilcox had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, according to the report. In other words, an Orange County DUI.

Wilcox was taken to Orange County Jail and was then transported to Western Medical Center- Santa Ana. She was released in the care of the hospital because of her injuries.

The minor who was in the car suffered minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital.

If you have been arreted for an Orange County DUI, please call an attorney. A Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney can help.

The Daily Pilot on March 31st, 2009, reported on drunk driving in Orange County. A DUI checkpoint last week in Newport Beach did not go on as scheduled, so police instead conducted a saturation patrol with officers specifically seeking out impaired drivers, authorities said Tuesday. A Newport Beach DUI is not something you want to mess with.

Police assigned four DUI patrol units and three motorcycle officers to find drivers who appeared to be intoxicated, officials said. Friday night police pulled over 38 cars and conducted 17 field sobriety exams, arresting four for Orange County DUI. Seven tickets were issued and three vehicles were impounded, police said. The patrol was funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The Daily Pilot on May 27, 2009, reported on an Orange County Drug Arrest. Costa Mesa High School teacher who was on administrative leave after an arrest in April was arrested inside a Newport Beach hotel Tuesday on suspicion of Orange County drug possession, police said Wednesday.

Lisa Carlson Fertig, 39, a 10th- through 12th-grade special education teacher and literature and English teacher at Costa Mesa High School, was arrested outside of the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach early Tuesday. Newport Beach police arrested her on suspicion of possessing cocaine. She was also arrested by Irvine police April 4 in an Irvine elementary school parking lot, less than half a mile away from her home. Irvine police said that when they arrested her she appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant and said they found a white powdery substance on her. With this type of charge, she will need an expereinced Orange County Criminal attorney.

Newport-Mesa School District officials put her on administrative leave later that month.

About 1:50 a.m. Tuesday, Newport Beach police approached a man "twitching uncontrollably" in the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach parking lot, 1107 Jamboree Road, said Sgt. Evan Sailor. The man, who is Lisa Fertig's husband, Marc, 40, admitted to possessing cocaine and showed them a black straw with cocaine in it and gave officers permission to search his hotel room, Sailor said. Marc Fertig declined to comment.

Police found Lisa in the room, and she later admitted to having a prescription bottle in her purse that possibly had cocaine residue in it, police said. If you have been charged with a crime, you will need an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney.

Authorities said they found a black straw inside the bottle with a white powdery substance inside, which they said later tested positive as cocaine.

Both posted $20,000 bail and were released Tuesday night.

Lisa Fertig is on unpaid administrative leave, Newport-Mesa Unified School District spokeswoman Laura Boss said.

The Daily Pilot  on May 18, 2009 reported on drunk driving in Orange County. Three people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Friday night during Costa Mesa's latest DUI checkpoint.

More than 300 drivers were screened at the checkpoint at Newport Boulevard and 22nd Street. Of those, police interviewed 31 drivers for possibly being under the influence and ultimately arrested three. Eight drivers were ticketed for either not having a license or for driving with a suspended one. Sixteen tickets were handed out for various vehicle code violations and nine vehicles were impounded. An Orange County DUI attorney is here to help.

The California Office of Traffic Safety funds the city's checkpoints. Costa Mesa police are scheduled to conduct another one Friday.  Likely will result in more Orange County DUI arrests.

The Daily Pilot on July 1st, 2009, reported on a way to hopefully reduce those arrested with an Orange County DUI. A Costa Mesa City councilman's Irish pub will play host to anyone looking to responsibly celebrate the holiday weekend through Friday night and into the Fourth of July. This shoudl help to avoid Costa Mesa DUI and Newport Beach DUI.

Skosh Monahan's Steakhouse and Irish Pub, 2000 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, will sponsor an Orange County DUI awareness night at the restaurant Friday when 8% or .08 (a play on the blood-alcohol percentage to be legally intoxicated), of the restaurant's sales will go to a local charity.

Employees at Skosh's will wear mock badges to serve as a reminder to bar patrons not to overindulge for Independence Day. This could resulot in an Orange County DUI.The restaurant will also chip in $5 to anyone needing a taxi starting at 9 p.m. Friday. The restaurant opens at 4 p.m. A taxi is a good alternative to an Orange County DUI.

On the Fourth of July the restaurant will be open for holiday revelers at 11 a.m.

 The Daily Pilot on July 15th, 2009 reported on a Newport Beach DUI.  A Costa Mesa man is due back in court July 20 for a pre-trial hearing on charges he drunkenly hit a pedestrian with his car then tried to escape the scene by ditching his car and swimming into the ocean fully clothed.

James Arlen Peterson, 32, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony driving under the influence and causing an injury with a prior Orange County DUI conviction and felony hit and run with injury.

Prosecutors said Peterson was driving his Chevy Monte Carlo about 5 p.m. Friday when he sped southbound onto 30th street and hit a 48-year-old woman as she stood by her open car door. Authorities said the woman tried to dodge Peterson's car but got hit, slamming her into her vehicle. Police said she suffered moderate injuries. An Orange County DUI is serious trouble.

Witnesses tried to flag down Peterson and get him to stop, prosecutors said, but he continued on and tried to turn around to get away. Blocked, Peterson backed his car up to the beach and ditched it, prosecutors said. He liekly knew he woudl be charged with an Orange County DUI.

Police said he still had his wallet, keys, clothes and shoes on when he dove into the ocean and swam out to escape. Orange County Drunk Driving and Swimming don't mix.

A Costa Mesa police helicopter commander who spotted the vehicle also spotted a man - who turned out to be Peterson - dipping below the water line about 400 yards off shore.

A lifeguard boat with police officers on board rescued Peterson, who was exhausted and making suicidal statements, police said. He was treated at Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital and arrested.

Peterson is being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He faces up to three years and eight months in prison if convicted on all charges

On July 13, 2009, the Orange County Register reported on a possible Orange County DUI. A SigAlert has been lifted after traffic resumed in southbound lanes on Pacific Coast Highway, after an apparent hit-and-run accident damaged three parked cars and injured a suspect near West Street, police said.

"The male white driver got out of the car and was last seen running away from the scene," Sgt. Jason Kravetz said. "He was described as shirtless and possibly bleeding from the shoulder."

Responding officers had yet to draft a detailed report, though Kravetz said he believed the suspect had been apprehended near West Street.

"The charges aren't finalized, but it looks as if he will be charged with an Orange County DUI and hit-and-run," he said.

The suspect was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for treatment of his injuries. No others were injured in the collision, reported at 3:01 p.m.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Orange County,  here are a few websties to visit: 

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer

On June 4, 2008, the OCregister reported on an Orange County DUI involving a school principal. Elementary school principal Nancy Jean Bower, 41, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a car accident Saturday, police confirmed Wednesday.

The principal of Westwood Basics Plus School in Irvine's Northwood village was put on administrative leave Monday, according to district spokesman Ian Hanigan.

"It is our standard procedure until the matter is resolved to place the employee on a leave of absence," he said.

The acting principal in the meantime is Rena Thompson, who was succeeded by Bower last year. Bower could not be reached for comment.

Newport Beach police spokesman Evan Sailor said Bower was driving a Lexus IS200 northbound on Jamboree Road when she rear-ended a Hyundai Tiburon between San Joaquin Hills Road and Eastbluff Drive on Saturday night.

Sailor said Bower was arrested for a DUI after interviews and a coordination test to determine if she was likely intoxicated, and was booked at the Orange County Jail. Bower's blood sample was taken Saturday, and Sailor said the measure of her blood alcohol concentration will likely not be known for a couple of weeks.

Bower has been part of the Irvine school district since 1997, starting as a fifth-grade teacher at Los Naranjos Elementary. She has also been a fourth-grade teacher at Canyon View Elementary and was principal at Meadowpark Elementary from 2003 to 2007 before becoming principal at Westwood Basics Plus.  She will need an experienced Orange County DUI attorney.

On July 13, 2009, the OCregister reported on an Orange County DUI. A sheriff's lieutenant, and former harbor master, has pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Lt. Erin Lorraine Giudice of the Orange County Sheriff's Department was also ordered to pay fines Friday and to enroll in a first-offender alcohol program. The 48-year-old lieutenant had been recently assigned to head the department's harbor patrol but was reassigned to jail operations two days after she was arrested on suspicion of DUI in April.

Giudice was arrested the night of April 15 after crashing into the back of another vehicle stopped at a red light at a freeway off-ramp, according to arrest records. She was driving an unmarked vehicle from the Sheriff's Department.

When Irvine police officers responded to the crash, Giudice was found to have slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and poor balance, according to authorities. Two hours after the arrest, she was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.14, authorities said. Enough to be chared with a DUI.

Giudice and the driver of the other vehicle were not injured in the crash.

Days after the crash, sheriff's officials said the department did not have specific policies to address the consequences of a DUI conviction, although there are policies that require personnel to obey the law.

The department's previous policy concerning the use of department vehicles did not specifically address driving under the influence of alcohol, but stated that vehicles should be operated, "in a safe manner and in compliance of the law," said Damon Micalizzi, department spokesman.

"The new policy spells it out," Micalizzi said.

Adopted after Giudice was arrested, the new policy prohibits employees from consuming alcohol and operating a department vehicle, he said.

Under a new division created in the department, Standing for Strategy, Accountability, Focus and Evaluation, or SAFE, the department is drafting new policies regarding employees convicted of misdemeanors and more serious crimes, he said. However, each case must be reviewed on its own merits, he said.

The involvement of department equipment would definitely "up the ante" in such instances, he said.

The sheriff's SAFE division has also addressed polices such as the department use of force policy and electronic control devices, such as Tasers.

Although the Peace Officer Bill of Rights prevented him from discussing specifics around Giudice's case, Micalizzi said the department was conducting an internal investigation of the incident.

Employees can be, and have been, fired for committing egregious or violent crimes, but a conviction of a misdemeanor, such as a DUI in this case, does not necessarily mean an employee would be dismissed, Micalizzi said

The OCregister dated July 9th, 2009 reported on an orange county DUI checkpoint result. A DUI checkpoint held by the Orange County Sheriff's Department on July 3 resulted in one arrest for drunken driving.

 

Approximately 1,750 vehicles passed through an Orange County DUI checkpoint at Alicia Parkway and Trabuco Road between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.   Sgt. Jerry Brittain said before the checkpoint that July 3 was chosen to remind people not to drink and drive on the Fourth of July holiday.

From the total number of cars, about 450 drivers were screened. One driver was arrested for driving without a license and another cited for possession of alcohol. If you are faced with an Orange County DUI, find a lawyer who can make a difference.

The OC Register on July 11, 2009 reported on yet another Orange County DUI. A man was arrested on suspicion of being intoxicated Friday afternoon after leading police on a five-minute pursuit to Long Beach and back, eventually becoming ensnared in traffic, authorities said.

Seal Beach police apprehended the suspect, whose identity was not released, about 4:45 p.m. at Westminster and Seal Beach boulevards, said Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles.

"He got stuck in traffic and gave up," Bowles said. "We took him out of the car without any incident." He was arressted for suspected Orange County DUI.

The incident began on Pacific Coast Highway at 12th Street in Seal Beach. The suspect, traveling northbound on PCH, was "driving erratically," prompting two officers on bicycles to attempt to pull him over, Bowles said.

After the suspect fled the scene in his vehicle, a nearby patrol car was dispatched to pursue him, Bowles said.

The suspect drove north on PCH into Long Beach, turned right on Second Street in Long Beach, and then continued on Westminster Boulevard, which returned him to Seal Beach, Bowles said.

He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and for outstanding warrants.

Bowles said he did not know how fast the suspect was driving during the pursuit, but noted he did not pose an "immediate threat" to public safety. This Orange County DUI suspect is lucky he did not hurt anyone in this pedestrian community.

On July 7th, 2009, the OCRegister.com reported on Orange County DUIs and statewide DUIs. More people were arrested for Orange County DUIs on freeways this Fourth of July weekend than last year, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Fifty-seven Orange County DUI suspects were arrested between 6 p.m. Friday and midnight Sunday. No one was killed in an alcohol-related crash this year, the CHP said.

During the same period last year, 52 Orange County DUI suspects were arrested. One person was killed in an alcohol-related collision.

Statewide, 1,033 DUI suspects were arrested over the weekend - up from last year's 971 arrests.

Twelve people were killed over the same period, the same number of DUI-related fatalities as last year.

Only CHP arrests are included in the figures. The fatalities are tabulated by the CHP from reports by law enforcement agencies in the state, although data is preliminary.

 

The OCRegister.com on December 23, 2008 reported on an Orange County DUI. With just two shopping days left before Christmas, last-minute shopping at South Coast Plaza was even more frustrating Tuesday evening after a four-car pileup involving a Orange County drunken driving suspect near the most profitable mall in America.

 

David Meyers, 25, of Ladera Ranch was arrested on suspicion of an Orange County DUI after the crash on Bear Street at the base of the I-405 freeway overpass, said Lt. Paul Dondero of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Several other people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after the rush-hour wreck.

Few details about the accident were immediately available, but authorities Meyers and three other drivers collided near the base of the Bear overpass about 5:25 p.m., said Dondero. The accident clogged traffic for more than two hours around the South Coast Plaza area, slowing cars to a crawl as drivers tried to get home and in and out of the mall parking lot.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. This drunk driver will need an experienced Orange County Criminal Attorney.

Here are a few websites to visit:

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer

Orange County Register reports. MISSION VIEJO - Orange County Sheriff's deputies, with the help of department volunteers, will conduct an Orange County DUI checkpoint in Mission Viejo on Friday.

Authorities would not specify where the checkpoint will be, only that it will be between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. in central Mission Viejo.

Sgt. Jerry Brittain said the checkpoint is being held Friday because Fourth of July partying is expected throughout the weekend.

"It doesn't matter if it's on the actual day," he said. "We know there's celebration on the Fourth of July, but we know some people start on the 3rd, as well as through the weekend."

The Sheriff's Department held its last checkpoint here on May 22, during Memorial Day weekend. At that checkpoint, 1,371 cars came through with 536 drivers screened. Three Orange County DUI arrests were made.

"Yes, we believe (it's worth it). We are out to enforce Orange County DUI laws," Brittain said. "Think about the 1,371 vehicles that came through our event - about the same drove in the opposite direction. The word gets out that the Sheriff's Department is doing enforcement on Orange County DUI."

An OCRegister.com article dated April 8, 2009 reported on an Orange County Drug arrest. The man shot and killed by Santa Ana police officers Friday was unarmed and running away from police who had stopped the car he was riding in, the car's driver said Saturday.

Yajaira Nuñez, the 22-year-old driver, identified the man as Joseph Galarza.

Galarza was a fugitive who had been arrested recently on criminal street gang and firearm possession charges. In court records, Galarza is listed as a fugitive on an April 6 weapons violation charge. He did not show up to an April 8 arraignment in which two co-defendants were charged. Galarza had been sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading guilty to several drug sales and gang charges in 2007.

On Friday, a Santa Ana police gang unit pulled over a Dodge Charger being driven by Nuñez as the car headed east on Columbine Avenue near Main Street, west of the 55 freeway.

Nuñez said she and Galarza were headed to the Irvine Spectrum when police pulled the car over. When she stopped at the side of the road, she said, Galarza got out of the passenger seat and ran away, she said.

As he reached the top of a fence, police shot at the man three times, Nuñez said. It appeared he'd been shot in the head, Nuñez said.

After the shooting, police officers ran over and pulled him off the fence, Nuñez said.Sgt. Brad Hadley said Saturday that he couldn't comment on whether Galarza was armed.It isn't clear what the man did, but police opened fire, Cmdr. Tammy Franks said Friday. He was taken away in an ambulance and died soon after, Franks said.

California Highway Patrol officers, who have been assisting Santa Ana police with gang enforcement, "were in the area, but were not involved in the shooting," Franks said.

Neighbor Pablo De Los Reyes saw the man who was shot.

"The side of his face was bloody, like he had been shot there," he said.

Galarza, then 19, was in the news three years ago, when he was bitten by a police dog and arrested after a seven-hour standoff with police. That incident began when police tried to arrest Galarza on a drug warrant, and he fled and barricaded himself in a stranger's home.

He was ultimately arrested on the drug warrant and suspicion of resisting arrest, unlawfully entering a residence, and assaulting an officer. He will need an experienced orange county criminal attorney.

An OCRegister.com article dated June 2,2009, reported on an orange county drunk driver who was killed.

Authorities have identified a 23-year-old man who was killed when he lost control of his car and collided with an SUV, police said.David Pop, of Orange, is suspected of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Batavia Avenue and Fletcher Street, said Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams.

The initial investigation revealed that Pop was driving a maroon older-model Honda Accord north on Batavia when he lost control and hit a curb. The Accord then careened across the road into oncoming traffic and collided with a GMC Yukon Denali, which was traveling south on Batavia, just north of Fletcher, Adams said.

Pop died at the scene, Adams said, adding that he had no passengers.

The man driving the Denali complained of pain, but was not taken to a hospital. His female passenger complained of pain and was taken to a hospital, Adams said.

"Speed and alcohol appear to be factors in this collision," Adams said  If you have been charged with an Orange County DUI, you will need an experienced DUI attorney.  WIth this DUI resulting in a death, it is not hard to understand why Orange County is so hard on DUIs.

Here are a few websites to visit:

Orange County Dui Attorney

Orange County Drunk Driving Lawyer

Orange County Dui Lawyer