California Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Joshua David Threlkeld has been charged with around 127 counts of sex crimes against minors. Threlkeld would pose as a 14 year-old-girl, "Sara Miller", on Myspace and ask other minors for nude pictures. "Sara Miller" would claim that he wanted the pictures to recruit models for her friend Josh who was a photographer in Orange County. Over 80 victims from ages 11-17 sent in their nude pictures and some actually came to Orange County to be photographed. One of the girls who came to Orange County said she was paid to have sex with Threlkeld.

Threlkeld was arrested in May after a parent complained to police about the Myspace incident. After obtaining Threlkeld's computer, police founds files of photographs and discovered other victims. Some of the victims contacted were from as far away as the U.K. Police also obtained the Myspace records and plan to prosecute Threlkeld for every attempt at getting nude photographs.

With over 127 charges, Threlkeld faces multiple life sentences for his actions. Even though most of these girls were not physically assaulted, creating or owning child pornography is against the law. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Fullerton or Villa Park, if you have been charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " Orange County Man Charged with 127 Sex Crimes " »

Around 6 people have been arrested for a string of burglaries that they allegedly committed in ritzy Hollywood neighborhoods over the past year. The masterminds behind the operation were apparently four girls who wanted the clothing and jewelry that celebrities had. Apparently, Rachel Lee, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames and Alexis Neiers, all friends from Indian Hills High School, studied celebrities and their belongings that appeared on award shows, magazines and TV shows and then would case the celebrities home to learn who lived there and when the celebrity would be gone. They then broke into the home of Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge, Lindsay Lohan and many other celebrities to steal their name brand clothing and high-priced jewelry. These girls were caught because surveillance videos caught a glimpse Nick Purgo, a friend of theirs, robbing a home. He was immediately caught and his computer turned up pictures of stolen merchandise and the girls who assisted in these burglaries.

These days, the media has been focusing heavily on the lavish life of celebrities and all of their amazing clothing, shoes, jewelry etc. Young impressionable teenagers see all of these items and know they cannot afford them. Most teenagers would get over the fact that they could not afford these luxury items, but these teenagers thought it would be better to break into celebrity homes, steal valuables and then wear them and show them off to their classmates. All of these suspects will likely be charged with many counts of felony burglary and are looking at serious prison time. Whether you live in Ladera Ranch, Tustin or Anaheim Hills, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

Continue reading " Teenagers Arrested on Suspicion of Breaking Into Celebrity Homes " »

In Murrieta on Sunday, Ezekiah James allegedly went onto his neighbor's patio, removed his neighbor's pet parakeet from its cage, ripped off its head, threw the dead bird at the neighbor's window and then smashed the window with his fist. Police were called and they arrested James for animal cruelty, vandalism and public intoxication. Apparently, James and his neighbor had been involved in some dispute which may have triggered James to react this way.

Animal cruelty is a serious crime because it involves hurting a defenseless animal. What James allegedly did was considered active animal cruelty since it was an intentional and deliberate harm to an animal, while having malicious intent. The sentence for animal cruelty can be anywhere from a citation or fines to prison time. Whether you live in Huntington Beach, Fullerton or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

Continue reading " California Man Accused of Animal Cruelty " »

Naomi Perez was a teacher at Saddleback High School in Santa Ana while allegedly having an intimate relationship with one of her students over the summer. At the end of August, Perez and the student broke it off and allegedly Perez vandalized the student's car. The student reported the vandalism which triggered an investigation that led to the accusations against Perez. She was charged with three felony counts of sex related crimes and a misdemeanor vandalism count. Since the accusations, Saddleback High School terminated her from her position. If she is convicted of these crimes, she faces around 4 years in prison.

Sex with a minor is always illegal, regardless if it is consensual or non-consensual. Lately, we have been hearing more stories about teachers sleeping with their children and most of us do not understand how this happens. The teacher may feel that since the student is initiating the relationship, it is legal, but it's not, and it is their responsibility to make sure no relationship ever starts. A possible defense to a claim of child molestation/sexual assault is if the adult does not know the child's real age and thinks they are over 18. In this case, since this student was still in high school, that defense will likely fail. Whether you live in Tustin, Villa Park or San Clemente, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Santa Ana Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student " »

This week, Army Spc. Jason Scofield, 37, was charged with eight felony counts of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old. Before joining the army, Scofield was a gymnastics instructor in Tustin. Allegedly, earlier this year, Scofield had a three-month-long intimate relationship with a 16-year-old girl he met while working as an instructor. After the relationship ended, the girl told a friend, who told her parents and the relationship was eventually reported to police. At the time police had enough evidence to arrest him, he had joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Arizona, so they arrested him there and extradited him to California. He is currently out on bail and his arraignment hearing is scheduled for December. If Scofield is convicted of all eight charges, he is facing up to seven years and eight months in prison.

Scofield is facing serious charges and needs an experienced defense attorney right away. One possible defense to the charge of sexual assault with a minor is if the suspect did not know the girl was under 18. Often times, the charge of sexual assault with a minor is brought even though there was a consensual intimate relationship between the suspect and the victim. If both of these people were over 18, Scofield would not be guilty of any crime. Unfortunately for him, she was under 16 and if he is convicted of this crime, he will no longer be able to be in the Army or be a gymnastics instructor.

Whether you live in Lake Forest, Irvine or Villa Park, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " Fullerton Soldier Charged with Sexual Assault " »

This week, Santa Ana resident Inocente Secundino Jr. was convicted of special circumstances gang murder of Steven Christopher Arreguin, that may result in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Secundino and Arreguin were rival Santa Ana gang members and their gangs had gotten into a fight on that day in July of 2006. As Arreguin was turning to run away, Secundino shot him in the back of the head, killing him. Secundino then left the state and was placed on the Santa Ana's most wanted list. In 2008, officers found Secundino living in Oregon with family members, using a new identity. He was arrested on suspicion of murder, charged and convicted. His sentencing hearing will likely take place next month.

Since Secundino killed a rival gang member, he received a special circumstance enhancement which could qualify him for life in prison without the possibility of parole. Any crime done in furtherance of a gang automatically adds time to your sentence. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Westminster or Fullerton, if you are charged with murder or gang crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. Possible defenses to a gang crime include not being a member of a gang or not doing the crime for the benefit of the gang. A possible defense to murder includes the lack of intent to kill or self defense. In this case, since Secundino shot Arreguin in the back of the head, the defense attorney cannot use the defense of self defense.

Continue reading " Santa Ana Gang Member Convicted of Murder " »

Christopher John Ontiveros was arrested this week for allegedly assaulting a female student from the Oxford Academy in Cypress, a school that has been voted best high school in Orange County for two years in a row. Ontiveros is an AP European and U.S. history teacher and his wife is a physical education teacher at the school. Investigators claim that they believe Ontiveros had been having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor for a few months. After they gathered enough evidence, officers arrested Ontiveros on suspicion of felony sexual assault, felony battery, sexual communication with a minor, grooming a minor and child annoyance. He has not yet been charged.

With such serious charges against Ontiveros, he is looking at serious prison time if he is convicted of all of these crimes. Even though the relationship with the minor may have been consensual, having an intimate relationship with anyone under 18 is considered statutory rape/sexual assault. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Laguna Woods or La Palma, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Teacher at California High School Arrested for Sexual Assault " »

On Tuesday night, detectives were conducting surveillance of the Orange County Church of Christ in Irvine in the 100 block of Goodyear. Detectives noticed Izad Chavoshan putting a trash can near the front door of the church and lighting the contents on fire. They then noticed him lighting scraps of paper on fire and then trying to put the burning paper through the church door. Detectives stopped him, searched him and arrested him for suspicion of arson. They found matches on him and lighter fluid in his car. Detectives are looking into four separate similar arson attempts and think that Chavoshan was a member of the church at one time but became disenchanted due to philosophical differences.

Arson is the act of intentionally and maliciously setting fire to property, land, business or a residential building. Penalties can range anywhere from no jail time to almost 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of the damage. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Mission Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with arson, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. Your attorney may be able to help lower your charges or sentence.

Continue reading " Huntington Beach Man Caught Trying to Set Church on Fire " »

After receiving several complaints regarding a house in Placentia that was allegedly tied to illegal drug activity, police arranged a stakeout on Finnell Way and Alta Vista Street this week. Officers observed a Lexus with two men inside of it, pull up to the house and a man come out of the house. Police observed Kyle Robert Snowden emerging from his house with something in his hand. He then handed something to the passengers of the Lexus, Ricardo Francisco Ramos and Donald Joseph Smith. Police stopped the passengers of the car and searched them. Police found heroin on Smith so they arrested him. They cited Ramos with loitering with the intent to engage in drug-related activities, but did not arrest him.

Police then searched Kyle Robert Snowden and found heroin, prescription pills and cocaine on his person. They arrested him and took him to jail. After searching the residence of Snowden, they found psilocybin (the active ingredient in illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms), marijuana, heroin and ecstasy on Snowden's roommate, Gregory Bryce Slatic and he was also arrested.

All three men were charged with possession of a controlled substance and all three pled not guilty. Whether you live in Tustin, Santa Ana or Fullerton, if you are charged with drug crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in fighting your charges or lowering your sentence.

Continue reading " Three California Men Arrested In Connection With 6 Illegal Drugs " »

Dan Berrey Harkey was arrested this week for breaking into two lockers at a 24-Hour Fitness gym in Irvine. He attempted to rummage through a third locker, but a witness confronted Harkey, so he took off with the cash that he had found in the other two lockers, about $180. He got away before police arrived, but witnesses had seen his license plate. After investigators found out where Harkey lived, they arrested him on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools. He was using bolt cutters and a pry bar to break into the lockers.

Burglary is the entering of a structure with the intent to commit a felony. Here, since Harkey brought burglary tools into the gym, it is clear that he had the intent to commit a burglary. If Harkey is convicted of this burglary charge, it can count as a strike on his criminal record. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Mission Viejo or Anaheim, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Irvine Gym Lockers Burglarized by California Man " »

Carlos Rosario Gonzales was convicted this week of murdering a bouncer at a topless nightclub in Santa Ana in 2006. Gonzales, a construction worker at the time of the incident, got off of work and went to the nightclub with some of his co-workers. While there, he allegedly touched an employee inappropriately and was then escorted out by bouncer Michael Blackenhorn. A fight erupted and Gonzales got a gun from his toolbox and shot Blackenhorn, who died two days later in the hospital. Since he was convicted of first-degree murder with enhancements for using a gun, Gonzales faces from 50 years to life in prison.

Gonzales clearly had anger issues that erupted on the night of the incident. If you know you have anger problems, it is best not to own a gun. It is unlikely that Gonzales would have been able to murder Blackenhorn if it were not for the gun he had. If you are charged with murder, you will immediately be arrested and subject to questioning. Do not speak with officers until an attorney is present. If you can afford an attorney, hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in investigating the charges and preparing a defense.

Whether you live in Orange, Brea or La Palma, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

Continue reading " California Man Convicted Of Murder Of Bouncer At Topless Club " »

Oscar David Duenas has been arrested on suspicion of raping 3 prostitutes in the Garden Grove area in the last month. Allegedly, Duenas would pick up prostitutes along Harbor Boulevard in Westminster and then take them to a secluded area and rape them. These prostitutes reported the sexual assaults and an investigator noticed that the description of the crime and the suspect matched other rape complaints. Police arrested Duenas last week on rape charges and he is expected to be arraigned next week on charges of rape, false imprisonment and robbery.

Often, prostitutes are afraid to report physical or sexual abuse because of their illegal occupation. Here, it is not clear if the prostitutes will be charged or if there is a credibility issue due to their profession. If you are charged with rape, an experienced attorney will investigate the claims and the evidence against you. If there is a credibility issue with the witnesses, the defense attorney will use that to your advantage in hopefully lowering or dropping the charges against you. Whether you live in Irvine, Aliso Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in your legal matters.

Continue reading " Garden Grove Man Arrested For Raping 3 Prostitutes " »

Miguel Angel Magallon was convicted of murder and sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of a Los Angeles Police officer. On August 10, 2004, Magallon and an accomplice were driving when they saw Officer Sparks on a bike ride. They got out of the car and tried to rob him. Magallon then shot Sparkes before driving off. The officer quickly called 911 and said "Officer Down." Before help could arrive, Magallon drove back around to Sparkes and shot him again. Magallon drove off and officers arrived and took Sparkes to the hospital, where he died.

Eventually, Magallon was found and was charged with first degree murder and second degree robbery. The jury convicted Magallon of these charges as well as the sentencing enhancements of committing a crime for the benefit of a street gang and possession of a firearm.

A prosecutor will always try to claim that any gang member who commits a crime, commits it for the benefit of a gang. A good defense attorney will argue that that is not always the case. With gang enhancements dropped, a defendant will get a lower sentence. If you are charged with gang charges, robbery or murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Los Angeles Gang Member Sentenced to Death for Police Murder " »

Ronaldo Celedon Vicente was convicted this week of first degree residential burglary, attempted rape and assault with intent to commit rape. In 2008, Vicente, an unemployed laborer, saw a path of empty beer cans and Cheetos in the front yard of an Anaheim home. He followed the trail and it led him to an open window on the side of the house. Inside, he saw a half naked woman and thought she wanted to have sex with him. He crawled through the window and was about to have sex with the woman, when her husband woke up and yelled. The husband and wife then beat up the intruder and held him until police came and arrested him.

Vicente's defense was that he was so severely intoxicated that he did not know what he was doing and therefore did not have the intent to rape her. Hours after he was arrested, police checked Vicente's blood alcohol level and it was at a .22%. The jury ruled against the defendant and convicted him of all the above charges. He may be sentenced to life in prison since this was a felony burglary and rape.

Burglary is the act of entering someone's home with the intent to commit a crime while inside. Possible defenses include the lack of intent, a mistake of fact and consent. Whether you live in Orange, Brea or Santa Ana, if you are charged with burglary or rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " California Man Convicted of Attempted Rape of Woman Sleeping by Husband " »

This week, agents noticed an SUV driving on the I-5 Freeway that was not handling well, so they followed the car for about 20 minutes. They developed reasonable suspicion that something was wrong, and stopped the car. After speaking with the driver, they saw several bundles of marijuana inside the vehicle. The driver, an illegal immigrant, was arrested immediately. Drug Enforcement Agents searched the car and found about 30 bundles of marijuana weighing about 839 pounds, inside the vehicle. The estimated street value if those drugs had been sold would have been about $500,000.

Possession of marijuana with the intent to sell is a serious crime. Often, the drivers have no plan to sell the drugs and are often just making a delivery for someone else. Unfortunately for this driver, if he is convicted of this crime, he is likely facing a long time in prison. A good defense attorney may be able to argue that the search was illegal by questioning officers about the purpose of the traffic stop. If the search was unlawful, the fruits of the search (the drugs) would not be admissible in trial as evidence and charges would likely be dropped.

Whether you live in Orange, Garden Grove or San Clemente, if you are charged with drug possession, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " More than 800 Pounds of Marijuana Found in SUV in Mission Viejo " »

Jason Le Tran was arrested this week on suspicion of using stolen credit cards to buy over $11,000 worth of makeup. Tran was using stolen credit car information from around the U.S. and then ordering makeup online through Sephora's website. The stolen goods were shipped to three apartments in Costa Mesa and to his partner in Vietnam. The products were then sold on eBay. Tran was caught after a detective posed as a delivery man and observed Tran picking up the stolen goods. After searching his house, detectives found about $4,000 worth of unopened makeup, so they quickly arrested him. He will be charged with identity theft and grand theft.

Identity theft is the taking of someone's name or personal information to use it for an unlawful purpose. If you are a victim of identity theft, this site contains useful tips on how to handle the matter. If you are a suspect of identity theft, you will likely be charged with a felony and are looking at serious prison time. Whether you live in Anaheim, Laguna Wood, and Irvine, if you are charged with identity theft or any other type of fraud, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " Fountain Valley Man Arrested For Identity Theft " »

Kelly Christine Alaniz, a bus driver for Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, has been arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary. Allegedly, Alaniz was in the girl's locker room when an employee saw her looking through someone's purse. The students who play sports often leave their purses and personal belongings in the locker room during practice or games. The employee reported what they witnessed Alaniz doing and an investigation started. Police found out that earlier in that week, another student had reported that $150 had gone missing from her purse that she left in the locker room. The crime is still being investigated and she has not yet been charged.

Commercial burglary usually involves the theft of items inside of a non-residential building. The prosecution must prove that the person came into the building with the intent to commit the crime. If the value of the item stolen is less than $400, it is normally treated as a misdemeanor charge. Whether you live in Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch or Yorba Linda, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Newport Beach Bus Driver Accused of Commercial Burglary " »

Last week, the La Habra Police Department was looking into a possible case of animal cruelty. Allegedly, an off-duty firefighter was at home with his girlfriend, when his girlfriend's dog came up to him and bit him. He got so angry that he punched the dog. The dog was severely injured so the veterinarian decided to euthanize the dog. Once the investigation is complete, if there is enough evidence to prove the firefighter did this, he will be charged with animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty can be an infraction, a misdemeanor or a felony. Most of the time, this charge is accompanied by a fine. In extreme cases, there will be prison time for the offense. Here, it seemed like an accident that occurred out of anger and will likely just be a misdemeanor violation. Whether you live in Irvine, Laguna Niguel or Villa Park, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Newport Beach Firefighter Punches Dog " »

Rigoberto Contreras, of Santa Ana, was in the Piccolo Bar on Sunday night. Allegedly, Contreras was harassing female employees at the bar so the security guard told him to leave. While Contreras was being escorted out, he started becoming violent with the security guard and called out to his friends at the bar to help him. About six men got into the fight and started assaulting the guard. At one point, Contreras grabbed the security officer's baton and started hurting him with it. Police arrived and the security guard and Contreras were taken to the hospital. Contreras was then arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and is now in jail on $25,000 bail.

Assault with a deadly weapon is defined as an assault done with a deadly weapon or with an amount of force that is likely to cause great bodily injury. Assault with a deadly weapon can be a misdemeanor or felony and penalties depend on the type of weapon used and the amount of harm to the victim. Additionally, a conviction could lead to a strike under the California Three Strike's law. Whether you live in Tustin, Newport Beach or Fullerton, if you are charged with assault, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Assault With a Deadly Weapon at Santa Ana Bar " »

Tooraj Aghminyoni Nakhei, of Oregon, met a woman in 2003 that he started to date online. In 2007, Nakhei flew from Oregon to Orange County to meet this woman. She agreed to meet him in a Costa Mesa hotel restaurant for dinner. He then told her he had flowers for her in his room, so she followed him up and he then raped her. She said she felt so embarrassed that she did not report the rape right away.

Over the next year and a half, the victim claims that Nakhei kept calling her and emailing her and her family. In December of 2007, the victim noticed Nakhei stalking her so she got a restraining order against him. He kept telling her not to tell police what happened and would sometimes be apologetic, while other times being aggressive and rude. In March of this year, he tried to get into her car and that is when she called police and reported the incident.

An Orange County jury found Nakhei guilty of felony forcible rape, felony forcible oral copulation, felony stalking, felony dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and a misdemeanor charge of disobeying a court order. This week, he was sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison.

Whether you live in Fullerton, La Palma or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney right away.

Continue reading " Costa Mesa Woman Raped By Stalker " »

On Wednesday, U.S. Border Patrol Agents noticed a suspicious looking car driving through San Clemente. The driver pulled into a rest stop and Agents questioned him. During questioning, they realized that he was an illegal immigrant so they decided to search his car. Agents and a K-9 searched the car and found 13 bundles of cocaine hidden under the door panels of the car. The total weight of the cocaine was about 36 pounds, which, if sold, would have a street value of $360,000. The driver and the cocaine were seized. The Agents will likely charge him with drug possession with intent to sell. After he serves his prison time here, he will likely get deported.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents noticed the recent trend in cocaine seizures this year. They claim that from October of 2008 to October of 2009, seizures have increased 162%. I think that drugs are more prevalent throughout the state because of the tough economy. Many people are getting laid off and resort to drug sales to provide for themselves and their families. Whether you live in Laguna Beach, Fullerton or Santa Ana, if you are charged with drug possession, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Thirty-Six Pounds of Cocaine Found in San Clemente " »

Amonullah Sakhi was taken into custody this week on suspicion of indecent exposure. A woman walking to her child's elementary school in September claimed she saw Sakhi standing in his door way staring at her. When she looked over at him, he exposed himself. When Sakhi was arrested, he admitted he had done this to several women as they walked by. If convicted for these charges, he may have to spend time in jail, pay fines and take workshops and classes.

In 2004, Sakhi plead guilty to two counts of lewd conduct in public. Sakhi is not on the sex offender list since lewd conduct does not require registration. Indecent exposure is a serious crime because it is often beleived that people who exhibit this type of behavior are also more prone to rape and molest. Whether you live in Brea, Newport Beach or Dana Point, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in fighting these charges or lowering your sentence.

Continue reading " Lake Forest Man Accused of Indecent Exposure by School " »

In February of last year, Paige Looney let her two boys swim in the pool in their backyard in Anaheim while she drank alcohol. Her 13-month-old son Eric and his four-year-old brother were swimming in the pool when suddenly Eric started drowning. Looney did not notice her son drowning though. When Looney's 12-year-old daughter came home from school and saw her brother in the pool, she called 911 immediately. When paramedics arrived, Looney had pulled Eric out of the pool and was attempting to give him CPR but it was too late and Eric had passed away.

Looney was initially charged with murder but plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter instead. She has already spent a year and a half in jail and will not have to spend one more year there, before being released. She was also ordered to complete a two year residential drug treatment program.

It is very important to keep an eye on your children at all times, especially near water. There are thousands of babies that drown in pools and bathtubs yearly, even when a parent turns around for just a second. Since Looney was careless and negligent in watching her child, she has to pay legal consequences for it. Whether you live in Tustin, Orange or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with manslaughter, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Anaheim Woman Too Drunk to Notice Child Drowning " »

Susana Duran had been working for a 92-year-old woman in Laguna Woods since June as a caretaker. Allegedly, while working there, Duran stole at least $35,000 from her client. Duran would take the woman's credit card and pin number from her nightstand and withdraw $1,000 at a time and then put it in her personal bank account. She would then send the money in her account to her family in Mexico. She would also buy things with the credit cards and when the bills came in the mail, Duran would not show the client.

One day, Duran was sick so a substitute caretaker came to the victim's home to take care of her. A credit card bill came and the substitute caretaker showed the client. The client did not recognize many of the charges and so she called the company that had placed Duran in her home. An investigation was launched and police found out that at least $35,000 had already been stolen. Investigators claim that by the time the investigation is over, they expect to find around $100,000 stolen. Duran was arrested and is being held in jail until trial.

If charged and convicted of theft and fraud of an elderly person, Duran will likely have to spend a few years in prison. Whether you live in La Palma, Yorba Linda or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with theft, fraud, or elder abuse, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Laguna Woods Caretaker Arrested for Stealing Client's Money " »

In December of last year, as John Sales was driving with his children in Orange, a car in front of him stopped on the freeway. Sales stepped on his breaks last minute to avoid a collision with the car in front of him. A car behind him, driven by Owen Kitchen, failed to see that Sales had hit his breaks and crashed right into Sales' car. Kitchen's car then caught on fire so Sales and a nearby officer got the kids out of the car as fast as they could. The kids were badly injured from the collision and were taken to the hospital to be checked out. Sophia Sales, Sales' 2-year-old daughter died from her injuries.

This week, Owen Kitchen was charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and possession of marijuana, although he was not under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash. The reason that this charge is just a misdemeanor is because it was done carelessly and negligently. The charge would have been a felony if there was gross negligence in that he knew that acting in this way would cause death. Clearly, this was just an accident and if he is convicted of both charges, he should not face more than 1 year in jail.

Whether you live in Tustin, Aliso Viejo or Anaheim Hills, if you are charged with manslaughter, call an experienced OC criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Riverside Man Charged with Gross Vehicular Manslaughter " »

Paul Gentile Smith was indicted by a grand jury last week on suspicion of nearly decapitating his best friend and then setting his body on fire. Smith and Robert Haugen were best friends, but in October of 1988, Smith stabbed Haugen 18 times, killing him and nearly decapitating him. He then tried to get rid of the body by setting it, and other evidence, on fire. He was not caught after the murder.

In 2007, Smith was arrested for domestic violence and his DNA was linked to some evidence at the murder crime scene 20 years earlier. He was charged with murder, but this week he was charged with the enhancement of torturing the victim. This enhancement could increase the punishment to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Whether you live in Santa Ana, Tustin or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Long Beach Man Indicted For Murder of Best Friend 20 Years Ago " »

Mark Petrash, a music teacher at Serrano Intermediate School in Lake Forest, was arrested last week on suspicion of flashing a woman. In August, Petrash went to the doctor's office with a relative. While there, allegedly he pulled his pants down in front of the medical office receptionist. The claim was investigated and he was arrested after there was enough evidence to suspect him of indecent exposure. Comments from readers on the OC Register news article claim that Petrash was not that kind of man and would not have done something like this.

Indecent exposure is when a person exposes himself to a third party and the third party is offended or when the person is trying to get sexually aroused or annoy another party by exposing themseves. If Petrash is convicted of this crime, he will likely have to register as a sex offender and will be fired from his teaching position. Whether you live in Irvine, Santa Ana or Brea, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Lake Forest Teacher Arrested for Flashing Woman " »

In February of 2008, Steven Walter Robinson went to the AMC theater in Fullerton. He tried to bring alcohol into the theater, but was turned away. He then snuck back into the theater and went to see the horror movie "The Signal." During the movie, two moviegoers came running out of the theater covered in blood. Julio Sanchez said he was watching the movie when Robinson jumped out of his seat and attacked him. He was stabbed three times in the arm, chest, knee and head. Robinson then went after Eloy Uresti by slashing him in the arm and hitting him in the head with a hammer.

Robinson escaped through the side exist of the theater and went to Las Vegas to hide at his brother's house. He was found in March and then was extradited to Orange County. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of mayhem. His defense attorney said that he did the crimes but he was so intoxicated and under the influence of mushrooms that he had no intent to kill. This week, Robinson was found guilty of those charges and will be sentenced in December. He could potentially face a life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Whether you live in Newport Beach, Laguna Woods or Brea, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Anaheim Man Convicted of Slashing Spree During Horror Movie " »

On July 4, 2009, firefighters were called to put out a trash can fire in Fountain Valley. When they arrived, the trash can was against a townhouse belonging to Christopher Ruotolo. Firefighters used heat detectors to see if the fire had spread into the townhouse. They detected heat inside the townhouse, so they went in. Once inside the home, they found three rooms that were equipped with ventilation, irrigation and lighting systems that were being used to cultivate 300-400 marijuana plants.

When firefighters asked Ruotolo about the marijuana plants, Ruotolo claimed he had a prescription for medical marijuana and was growing them to sell to dispensaries. If he had a prescription, he would only be allowed to grow 12 plants. After the incident, he was charged with defrauding the utility company by bypassing the electric meter at his house to avoid a high electricity bill. He was also charged with felony cultivation of marijuana and felony possession for sale.

Whether you live in Irvine, Orange or Fullerton, if you are charged with drug charges, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Heat Detector Leads Firefighters to Marijuana in Fountain Valley Home " »

Jose Campoverde, a pastor from Anaheim, was arrested this week and is being held on $500,000 bail on suspicion of lewd conduct with a minor, sexual battery, child annoyance and false imprisonment. Allegedly, on September 11, 2009 Campoverde drove a young girl home from church and molested her in the car. The victim told police, who then started an investigation into Campoverde. A few other teenage girls then admitted to police that they too had been fondled by Campoverde.

Molesting a minor is a serious offense that is punishable by up to 8 years in prison, per count. If he is convicted of these charges, he will have to spend a long period of time in prison and register as a sex offender. Campoverde will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist him in fighting these charges. Possible defenses include child suggestibility or false accusations.

Whether you live in Lake Forest, Fullerton or Irvine, if you are charged with molestation, call an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Anaheim Pastor Molests Girls From His Congregation " »

Last week, Marlene Ramirez and Frank Garcia were driving home from a baptism with family members. They stopped to drop off a friend before heading home. While dropping off their friend, two men came up to the family and asked where they were from. One family member (who was a gang member) told them they were from "Barrio Van Nuys" and the men shot at them. They struck Ramirez's mother, brother and son. Her son, Andrew, was just four months old and was shot in the head so he was immediately air-lifted to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Although Van Nuys is a rather dangerous area, violent crimes had been decreasing over the last two years. Since this is such a tragic crime, police are offering $50,000 for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of these two gang members who committed this crime. Once found, these suspects will be charged with murder with gang enhancements. Additionally, since a baby was shot and killed, this may qualify for a special circumstances case which could lead to capital punishment. These men will need an experienced defense attorney right away in preparing a defense. Whether you live in Westminster, Brea or San Clemente, if you are charged with murder, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Van Nuys Baby Shot by Gang Members " »