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Daniel Blas Flores was arrested last week for the alleged rape of a 7-year-old autistic girl. She was playing in the backyard of her apartment complex when, allegedly, Flores abducted the girl and took her to a neighboring apartment where she was assaulted, sodomized and raped. After she was assaulted, she was released and her parents called 911 immediately. Police found Flores, 27, hiding in his apartment and arrested him immediately.

Flores will likely be charged with assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping and rape. Since he raped a child with disabilities, this will likely be a factor that may affect and enhance sentencing. Flores will likely be facing serious jail time. He will need an experienced defense attorney to assist him with his case. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Buena Park or San Clemente, rape is a serious accusation and you will need an experienced attorney to be on your side.

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Manuel Gonzalez Melgoza was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the execution-style murder of Israel Quiros. Melgoza worked at a landscaping company in 2006. He then got demoted and ultimately fired. Quiros was hired to replace Melgoza and he was so upset that he shot Quiros in the shoulder twice and then put the gun to the back of Quiros’ head and fired.

The defense argued that Quiros was actually following and harassing Melgoza so Melgoza shot Quiros in self defense. The jury found Melgoza guilty though, for first degree murder with a sentencing enhancement for using a gun.

This is a horrific crime and is not a way to solve jealousy issues, however, these days, jobs are very hard to come by and it is likely that Melgoza was upset with the loss of his job and unpaid bills and felt that this was a way to get back at the company.

If you are charged with a murder in Orange County, Los Angeles County or Riverside County, call an experienced California defense attorney to assist you with your case.

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On Wednesday at a T.J. Maxx store in Brea, Steven Eugene Roman was arrested for taking pictures up the skirt of a 51-year-old woman. The store security guard recognized Roman as someone who had come into the store a few days back and thought he looked suspicious. He then realized he recognized Roman from the security video from a few days prior when another up-skirt photo was taken. The guard saw Roman put a camera under a woman’s skirt and quickly called police. When police came and looked through Roman’s pictures, they realized that he had several pictures of a similar nature. He was arrested and then released.

If Roman is charged, he will likely be charged for some sort of sex crime and disorderly conduct. Taking a picture of a person in public is allowed. Taking a picture up someone’s skirt is clearly NOT allowed. Whether you live in Lake Forest, Fountain Valley or Anaheim Hills, sex crimes are illegal and will stay on your record forever. If you get charged with a sex crime, call an experienced defense attorney to assist you.

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Last week in Buena Park, the body of a missing woman was found stuffed in a suitcase in a trash bin. The body was later identified as that of a swimsuit model named Jasmine Fiore. The woman’s neck was strangled and she was missing teeth and fingers. A suspect from the beginning of the investigation was her husband, Ryan Alexander Jenkins. Jenkins, a former reality TV star, went missing soon after the body was found. Police think he is hiding in his hometown in Canada.

Jenkins and Fiore met in Vegas earlier this year and only knew each other for a few days before deciding to get married. Their relationship was rocky however. Jenkins was arrested in April for allegedly hitting Fiore. He was charged with domestic violence.

Even though it seems that Jenkins would be the most likely suspect, a good defense attorney would properly investigate the crime scene and all possible suspects. Jenkins could have an alibi that would prove that he could not have committed the crime. There could be DNA evidence of someone else on the victim’s body. An experienced attorney would investigate these things to ensure the defendant is not wrongfully accused.

Whether you live in Mission Viejo, Garden Grove or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with murder, you need an experienced Orange County Criminal Defense attorney on your side.

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Alfredo Granados Canchola of Artesia was arrested on Monday for the alleged kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl in Anaheim. Last weekend, Canchola drove by the 10-year-old girl, who was taking out the trash, and asked if she knew where some woman lived. When she said no, the man offered her money to get into his car. She said no and drove off on her scooter. As soon as she got home, she told her dad who got the partial license plate of Canchola’s Lexus. After a few days of investigation, officers found the suspect and think he may be linked to other attempted kidnappings.

Luckily, the girl was smart enough to run away and tell her parents what happened before Canchola could actually kidnap her. Canchola will need an experienced defense attorney to help him fight these kidnapping charges. A defense attorney may be able to lessen the charges or the sentence that Canchola will face.

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In October of 2008, Orlando Mendez, an off duty Long Beach officer, saw his girlfriend in the passenger side of a car with two friends at 3:30 in the morning in Anaheim. He got extremely upset so he followed them, pointed a gun at the car and ordered them to pull over, all while driving on the wrong side of the road. Once they pulled over, he physically assaulted all three of them and shot his gun into the air. Today, he pleaded guilty to felony assault with a firearm, misdemeanor assault with a firearm, misdemeanor discharging of a firearm with gross negligence, misdemeanor domestic violence battery, plus a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to six months in jail, three years of probation and was ordered to enroll in a 52-week treatment program.

Domestic violence is often thought to be just between a husband and a wife, however, it can also occur between girlfriend and boyfriend or between cohabitants. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual or emotional. Whether you live in Fountain Valley, Orange or Tustin, if you are charged with domestic violence, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Around 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, officers responded to a call about a bank robbery at the Bank of America on Irvine Boulevard and Jamboree Road. Jeffrey Hudson was inside the bank, trying to rob it. Once he exited the bank with his backpack full of money, he realized that officers had surrounded the building. Officers asked Hudson to surrender, but instead, Hudson shot himself in the head one time. He was taken to the hospital and died a few hours later.

Robbery is the taking of property of another with force or intimidation, with the intent to keep the item. With the economy the way it is these days, it is not hard to understand why he would rob a bank, however I do not condone this type of behavior. If he would have survived the shooting, he would have been facing serious prison time for his actions. He would have needed an experienced Orange County defense attorney to assist him in his legal matters.

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After 13-year-old Minh Cong Tran and his family finished eating at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Ana in 2003, they drove away. Jason A. Aguirre, 33, and fellow Dragon Family Junior gang members chased the family into a neighborhood and shot into the car as the family tried to hide. Minh Tran was shot in the heart, liver and shoulder and died soon after the shooting. Other family members in the car were shot, but they all survived. Aguirre fled the scene of the crime and was arrested a few months later. Aguirre was charged with first degree murder with special circumstances of committing the murder for the benefit of the gang. He was sentenced to death last week for his crimes.

This was the fifth death penalty case in Orange County this week. The death penalty can be a punishment only in murder cases that have special circumstances. Murdering for the benefit of a gang is a special circumstance. Other special circumstances include mass murders and felony murders. If you have been charged with murder in Irvine, Santa Ana or Fullerton, you will need an experienced Orange County defense attorney to assist you in the legal process.

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After beating him up and shooting him with a gun and a Taser, the victim was forced into a van, tied up, blindfolded and taken to different hideouts for 5 days. The three suspects, including Costa Mesa man Vagan Adzhemyan, allegedly kidnapped the victim to collect a $1 million ransom. The suspects made the victim call all of his family in the U.S. and Russia and try to collect money. A family member told police about the calls made with a 323 area code and police then narrowed their search to the Los Angeles area. Police followed Adzhemyan’s car to the house where the victim was found. He was in serious medical condition because of the gunshot to his bowels that was left untreated for 5 days. Police then noticed that the victim’s ATM card was being used by the suspects, so they tracked them down and charged them with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

Kidnapping is a serious felony and can come with the sentence of life in prison (if the victim was being held for ransom). Some defenses for kidnapping charges include consent, lack of intent, lack of evidence and mistaken identity. Whether you are in Irvine, Santa Ana or Lake Forest, if you are charged with kidnapping, you need an experienced defense attorney on your side.

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Amber Lynn Phelps and co-defendant Julie Catherine Clifford attacked a woman in an Anaheim parking lot and stole her purse in 2008. They said that they would give it back to her if she gave them money. Phelps was mad at the victim because she thought her boyfriend was dating the victim. When Anaheim police tried to arrest Phelps and Clifford, they sped away in a car. After a few minutes of trying to escape, Phelps crashed into another car, seriously injuring the driver. Phelps and Clifford were both arrested and Phelps was charged with conspiracy, evading police while driving recklessly and causing serious bodily injury and second degree robbery. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Whether you live in San Clemente, Fountain Valley or Fullerton, once the police are after you, the best thing to do is surrender and cooperate with the police. A chase in the middle of busy streets is very dangerous to the officers, the suspects and innocent bystanders in the area. You will be charged with evading arrest if you try to flee the scene. This adds additional time to your sentence and stays on your criminal record. If you are about to be arrested for a crime, cooperate with the police and then call an experienced criminal defense attorney.

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