Tag: Garden Grove

California Auto Shops Offer Free Etchings to Fight Catalytic Converter Theft

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—To help mitigate the risk of catalytic converter thefts, State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) joined representatives from the Automobile Club of Southern California and the Garden Grove Police Department at Buddy’s Auto Tires And More to etch vehicles’ license numbers on converters for free. The etchings are part of a community effort, occurring at 16 other…


Garden Grove Welcomes Back Strawberry Festival

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—Hundreds of thousands of people had a packed Memorial Day weekend of carnival activities with the return of Garden Grove’s 62-year-old annual tradition, the Strawberry Festival—after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19. “I have watched the parade as a child and throughout my career, which makes it so special,” the city’s Police Chief…


62nd Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Coming This Weekend

The 62nd annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is returning this Memorial Day weekend for the first time following a two-year pandemic break. The event will feature all kinds of attractions, parades, entertainment, food, and more, and will commence May 27 and end on May 30, with years past having up to 300,000 people visit the…


Thousands Participate in Garden Grove’s 51st ‘Special Games’

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—Nearly 2,000 people came out to watch and participate in Garden Grove Unified School District’s 51st “Special Games” Olympic-style competitions May 20 for over 700 special needs students from 18 local schools, in a highly-anticipated day of laughter, fun, and a special appearance from three-time volleyball Olympic gold-medalist, Misty May-Treanor. The day began…


Transient Charged with Hurling Concrete at Passing Motorist

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 30-year-old transient was charged Monday with heaving a chunk of concrete at a passing driver in Garden Grove. Lonnie Duante Johnson was charged with single felony counts each of assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, and throwing a missile with the intent to do…


2 Tourists Robbed at Gunpoint in Beverly Grove

LOS ANGELES—Authorities were seeking two suspects in an armed robbery on Jan. 14 that targeted a pair of British tourists in the Beverly Grove area. The crime occurred about 2:40 a.m. Friday at La Cienega Boulevard and Romaine Street, and was being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Robbery-Homicide Division, according to the…


Short Term Rental Laws in Major Orange County Cities

Short-term rentals, available through online platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo, are becoming increasingly popular among travelers as an alternative to hotel stays and for homeowners looking for new income streams. Since the advent of these platforms, places like Los Angeles and San Francisco started regulating the short-term rental market, which has now expanded into…


Man Charged With Bank Robbery in Garden Grove

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 38-year-old Fullerton man was charged Dec. 27 with robbing a bank in Garden Grove. Justin Kearney Troy was charged with two felonies—attempted robbery and robbery—as well as misdemeanor counts of attempted petty theft, petty theft, and resisting arrest. Troy pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana and was ordered…


Garden Grove Man Arrested for Allegedly Beating Girlfriend to Death

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A 55-year-old Garden Grove man was arrested Dec. 18 for allegedly beating his girlfriend to death. Garden Grove police were dispatched at 2:47 p.m. to a home off the 13600 block of Glenhaven Drive due to a female in distress, and while en route, they were updated that someone inside the home may…


Suspected Carjacker Arrested by Garden Grove Police

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A carjacking suspect was arrested after stealing a pickup in Garden Grove, authorities said Dec. 13. The crime occurred about 1 a.m. Sunday in the area of Flower Street and Central Avenue, according to Garden Grove police Sgt. Evan Beresford. “The victim was asleep in his vehicle when the suspect opened the unlocked…