Category: newport beach

Man Gets 15 Years to Life for Killing Escort in Newport Beach

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 36-year-old Santa Ana man was sentenced Dec. 13 to 15 years to life in prison for killing an escort in a Newport Beach office building at the end of 2015. Nain Isaac Nieto Hernandez, 36, was convicted Aug. 10 of second-degree murder in the Dec. 18, 2015, killing of 23-year-old Sarai Alcaraz…


Local Nonprofit Raises Over $3 Million For Newport Beach Animal Shelter

A new Newport Beach animal shelter will open next spring thanks to the fundraising efforts by the Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter, according to recently-elected Newport Beach City Councilor Robyn Grant. Funding for the new $3 million facility, which will be adjacent to the city’s current animal shelter on Riverside Drive, was exclusively from…


Lighting of the Bay Kicks Off Holiday Season in Newport Beach

As the sun was setting in Newport Beach, the holiday favorite “Jingle Bells” played from a small stage as hundreds of families gathered to celebrate the 32nd Light of the Bay festivities. “We want to wish everyone a happy holiday season here at the Newport Dunes as we await to turn the lights on!” an…


Orange County Iranians Join Forces to Amplify Voices in Iran

As tensions between protesters and the government continue in Iran, Iranian American groups in Orange County, California, have come together to amplify the voice of the people in their motherland through various means—from holding rallies and art exhibits, to pushing city officials to pass resolutions condemning the Iranian regime. The uprising began after the death…


Driver Killed, 2 Passengers Critically Injured In Newport Beach Crash

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—The driver was killed and two passengers were critically injured after a Mercedes-Benz slammed into the rear of a parked box truck. The crash occurred just after 8 p.m. at 3334 westbound Pacific Coast Highway, according to the Newport Beach Fire Department. All westbound lanes of the highway between Hoag and Riverside drives…


Newport Beach OKs $30 Million for Purchasing New Police Headquarters

During a regular city council meeting for Newport Beach on Nov. 15, councilors approved the purchase of a $30.5 million property with plans to turn it into the new police headquarters within a decade. The council voted 4–1—with Mayor Kevin Muldoon dissenting—approving the purchase. The property is in the city’s airport area at 1201 Dove…


Irvine Man Accused of Stealing $2.6 Million from Real Estate Agency

SANTA ANA, Calif.—An Irvine man suspected of embezzling $2.6 million from a Newport Beach-based real estate agency was arrested Monday on mail and wire fraud charges. Varun Aggarwal, a former executive of KBS Realty Advisors, submitted bogus invoices from 2012 through January 2022 for consulting services that were never performed, according to prosecutors. He used…


OC Conservative Candidates Gather With Voters on Mid-Term Election Night

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Within the backdrop of a rainstorm passing over Orange County, conservative candidates gathered the evening of Nov. 8 at the Changes Lounge of Newport Beach, adjacent to the area’s Republican Party headquarters. “Today I want to do the Orange County one-clap because we have a lot of elected officials here tonight,” Orange County…


Sewage Spill Forces Closure of Newport Bay

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—The water in several Newport Beach bay channels was off-limits to swimmers Monday due to a sewage spill, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The nature and origin of the spill, which was reported Saturday, were not immediately disclosed. According to the health care agency, the closure affects the water in…


Coastal Commission Approves Newport Bay Dredging Plan

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—The California Coastal Commission Oct. 14 approved a permit for plans to contain contaminated sediment in Lower Newport Bay. The commission voted 8–1 for a confined aquatic disposal facility, which is akin to digging a hole for the unwanted sediment and capping it off with clean sand. The project includes removing some contaminated…