Tag: Southern California OC News

Andrew Do Resigns From CalOptima Board Following State Probe

Orange County Board of Supervisor Andrew Do announced his resignation last week from the board of CalOptima, a public health insurance company for low-income residents in Orange County. He had been its chair since 2020. His resignation, Feb. 2, comes as the organization is being investigated by the state at the request, last May, of…


Orange County Supervisor Wagner is Running for Re-Election

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Orange County Board Chairman Don Wagner announced Feb. 10 he would seek another term as supervisor in 2024. Wagner won a special election to join the board in 2019 and then won a full term in 2020. The former Irvine mayor and Assemblyman made his announcement at the Old Orange County courthouse in…


Feces or Sewage Smeared on Laguna Beach City Manager’s Home

The home of Laguna Beach City Manager Shohreh Dupuis was smeared with feces or sewage in the front yard, on the mailbox, on planters, stairs, and a walkway Feb. 9, authorities say. Officers responded to the vandalism around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday at Dupuis’s home on 3rd Avenue, according to city officials. (Courtesy of the…


Eight Arrested in $1 Million Retail Theft Scheme Targeting Apple Stores in California

Eight suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing about $1 million worth of merchandise primarily from Apple stores, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Feb. 9. The alleged retail theft operation occurred between August 2022 and January 2023—in several counties across the state, including Yolo, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Orange,…


8 Arrested in $1 Million Retail Theft Scheme Targeting Apple Stores in California

Eight suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing about $1 million worth of merchandise primarily from Apple stores, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Feb. 9. The alleged retail theft operation occurred between August 2022 and January 2023—in several counties across the state, including Yolo, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Orange,…


Autopsy Indicates OC Lawyer Was Victim of Violent Crime in Mexico

SANTA ANA, Calif.—An autopsy of an Orange County deputy public defender performed in Mexico, where he died while celebrating his first wedding anniversary, characterized his death as an aggravated homicide, an attorney for his family said Feb. 9. The autopsy done on 33-year-old Elliot Blair, who died last month, showed he sustained 40 fractures to…


Off-Duty Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Killed in Lake Elsinore Crash

An off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputy was killed in a single-vehicle crash Feb. 9 in Lake Elsinore, leaving behind a wife and 1-month-old child, according to officials. Deputy Brian Haney, who worked patrol in San Juan Capistrano, was on his way home from a shift when the fatal crash occurred, according to officials. “We are…


Huntington Beach Police Department Unveils Newest Patrol Helicopter

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—Inside the hangar of the Huntington Beach Police Department Air Support Bureau, city officials gathered Feb. 8 for the inaugural flight of its first of three new helicopters. “Our police department currently has the best equipment so they can protect our residents,’’ Mayor Tony Strickland said. With airspeeds of up to 150 mph,…


Irvine to Consider Including Citizens in Discussion on Districting

A subcommittee formed to discuss switching the City of Irvine to district representation at the city council elected its chair Feb. 7 and will consider at its next meeting the possibility of creating an advisory board, with some members drawn from the public, to advise them on the issues. The city council started the discussion on increasing…


Woman Hurt After SUV Plunges From Hospital Parking Structure in Orange

ORANGE, Calif.—A woman was injured Feb. 8 when her Toyota SUV crashed at a hospital parking structure in Orange. The crash was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday in the parking garage for Children’s Health of Orange County at 1201 W. La Veta Avenue, according to Sgt. Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department. The…