This blog site periodically contains posts attempting to portray Santa Ana as a misunderstood place to live and work that is unfairly characterized as a haven for undocumented immigrants, gangs, drug dealing and other criminal activities. In spite of such image polishing attempts, daily reports in the Orange County Register paint a different picture. Take the January 20 edition for example.
Page 4 of the Register’s Local News section reports that two brothers with the last name of Duran received prison sentences for stabbing a man who tried to stop them from painting gang graffiti on a wall in Santa Ana. The incident reportedly happened around 2 AM when the Duran brothers, both in their 30’s and accompanied by a 17 year old identified as Manola Mauricio, were installing graffiti when the victim yelled at them to stop. The Duran trio, joined by two others who rode up on bikes, attacked the victim. It seems that one of the Duran brothers had previous convictions for felonies. He received a sentence of 13 years in prison for assault and street terrorism, leaving one to wonder why it was not a third strike life sentence. His brother received a 7 year sentence. The 17 year old was credited with 200 days already served and given 3 years of probation and ordered to stay away from gangs.
Then there is the story reporting that two “people of interest” in the killing of a man in Orange were found hiding out in Oregon and have been arrested. Robert Reil and Amour Villamar, both from Santa Ana are the “people of interest” in the shooting death of another Santa Ana resident identified as Felix Bernal. Both Reil and Villamar, according to the Register story, have prior convictions including assault with a deadly weapon, drug offenses and vehicle theft. The crime occurred in Orange, but the “people of interest” and the victim were from Santa Ana.
Next is a brief story that a sheriff’s special officer driving to work on Tuesday got into a confrontation with a group of possible gang members, one of who reportedly pointed a hand gun at the officer. The officer fired several shots at the vehicle, that then sped off. Whether the officer‘s shots hit anyone is unknown. This happened in broad daylight around 10 AM.
So, here we have a day in the life of Santa Ana. It is not a unique day, as a reading of the Register on most any day will demonstrate. If anyone wonders why Santa Ana and its culture are viewed by many as treacherous, one needs only to re-read this post.
Ya don’t have to read a word, just drive through the place. Its like a third world dump.. The problem is that the violence is beinging to creep across into other neighboring cities.
The City is Mexico inside the US.
It sounds like some people love to complain and moan. I’ve worked here at the high school for 23 years and have never felt uncomfortable jogging around the neighborhoods. This is a nice city. Of course with 350,000 or so people there’s going to be some crime, but the crime rate of Santa Ana rates 137th out of 460 cities in California. Our crime rate is 4 x lower than Oakland, about twice lower than Sacramento and San Francisco, and way lower than LA and Long Beach. Of cities over 300,000 only San Jose, Anaheim, and San Diego beats us and only by 30 – 40%. [http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/CrimeCity.asp?State=CA06California&CrimeYear=2008&submit1=Submit] Crime predominates where there are broken families, kids with single parents. Our families are poor, but generaly solid compared to other places. Students in Santa Ana schools, although academically behind their peers in surrounding districts, are most commonly polite and well mannered.
I know, people say this city is like horrible. I’ve lived here all my life and yes it does have its bad parts, but what city doesn’t? Like any city, don’t walk around dark places late at night or else you’re looking for trouble. I’ve run into more scary incidents in Irvine than I ever had in Santa Ana.
I have never felt afraid in Santa Ana. Statistics show the crime rates are dropping here which is a testament to the terrific job done by our Chief Paul Walters and the men and women of the SAPD.
This kind of scare tactic boogey man approach is the type of stuff put forth by folks like “Tommy Boy” Gordon who forever cry wolf and complain that the system is broken. They want us to believe that because we are a Latino majority city that it is somehow unsafe and crime infested.
Don’t believe the hype put forth by these folks. They run down our city every chance they can in an effort to portray themselves as knight’s in shining armor and that they and they alone can save us all.
The Thursday AM Register reports another shooting in Santa Ana with the arrest of a 19 year old who was apparently driving the shooter’s car – “SUV driver arrested after shots fired”. I wonder if he was one of those well-mannered kids. Perhaps the problem is SUV drivers – why else would the headline writer name the kind of vehicle involved?
I have never felt afraid in Santa Ana. Statistics show the crime rates are dropping here which is a testament to the terrific job done by our Chief Paul Walters and the men and women of the SAPD.
Wrong: satistic say violent crime in Santa Ana has increase and is higher than the national adverage! Petty crimes are down!
I’ve worked here at the high school for 23 years and have never felt uncomfortable jogging around the neighborhoods.
23yrs of failing your kids!
YOUR SCHOOLS ARE A DISGRACE, and it all comes down to the lousy teaching and academic standards and yes bad parenting!
They want us to believe that because we are a Latino majority city that it is somehow unsafe and crime infested
It is unsafe and crime ridden. The fact that its a latino city has nothing do with it. There are alot of latino cities that are very safe. Its the culture of your city that is the problem!
Do believe all you hear about this crime hole called Santa Ana, and don’t go to there only park, its full of scum bags having sex with each other like animals!
“its full of scum bags having sex with each other like animals!”
A great majority of the “animals” are Anglo. What say you now Ms. Quinn?
Reality …there is more crime in santa ana than any other city in OC. Come on, quite trying to put lipstick on a pig. It’s about greed, complacency, and allowing standards of living to deteriorate.
I know this is a little late to wright but im 21 and i been living here in SANTA ANA all my life and there is some stuff older people dont get to see lime the street fights, shootings, stabbings, and ect. Just because you dont see it dont mean its not going on lime my friends little brother was stabed infront of Century High School and I was shoot at right after school im not gang related but i have family and friends and if you took the time to talk to them youll see why they do what they do and besides its not our perents fault its our own choice because our perents want the best for us but we choose not to listen lime my perents wanted me to graduate from school and i didnt i decided to drop out of school when i was in the 9th or 10th grade and another thing and just those people that dont even know what there talking about its not what race you are or where you grow up its all in the damn movies and video games because there little boys that they admire the old gangsters and try to be one and join the gangs for the wrong reasons and they also join because they have too much attetion or not enough attetion you have no idea what young kids go thru when they gotta join a gang just to survive out here and plus no matter how much we would like for the gangs to die they just get bigger and more dangerous evrey year…… ooooh yeah DONT JUDGE WHAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND!!!!
I love Santa Ana. I feel very safe living here and can walk around anywhere I go day or night with no worries.