by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →

by

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 →