Crime – Page 3

Riverside Co. Deputy Fatally Shot in Jurupa Valley, Suspect Killed Following Pursuit on 15 Freeway

December 31, 2022 By Staff Report 2 Comments

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. – A deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department died after being shot by a suspect during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley.

The suspect was later shot and killed by deputies following a pursuit that ended on the 15 Freeway.

The deputy was identified as 32-year-old Isaiah Cordero. Cordero was a motor enforcement deputy assigned to the city of Jurupa Valley.

According to Sheriff Chad Bianco, Deputy Cordero was shot during a traffic stop around 2 p.m. Thursday in the 3900 block of Golden West Avenue. He attempted to pull over a driver and as he approached the vehicle the suspect pointed a gun and shot Cordero.

Witnesses called 911 and stayed with the deputy till paramedics arrived. The suspect, later identified as William Shae McKay, fled the area setting off a massive manhunt.

McKay was later located in San Bernardino County and when deputies attempted to approach him, he fled, triggering a pursuit.

The pursuit, which spanned from San Bernardino to Riverside counties, came to a violent end after the suspect vehicle crashed and became disabled along the 15 Freeway in Norco.

According to Sheriff Bianco, McKay fired multiple rounds at deputies at the end of the pursuit. Deputies returned fire, striking McKay.

The suspect did not die at the scene, but was treated and transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Both deadly shootings remain under investigation. It is unknown what the suspect was initially wanted for when authorities initiated the traffic stop.

Mckay,44, has an extensive criminal history which includes kidnapping, robbery, multiple assaults with a deadly weapon, and the stabbing of a CHP K9.

“This terrible tragedy should have been prevented by the legal system. McKay has an extensive and violent past and was convicted of a third strike in November of 2021. Instead of sentencing him to 25 years to life, which should have happened, the judge lowered his bail, allowing him to be released,” Bianco said during a press conference.

“We would not be here today if that judge had done her job,” he added.

Hundreds of law enforcement personnel gathered outside Riverside Community Hospital Thursday evening to hold a procession for the fallen deputy. Draped with the American flag, the deputy’s casket was taken from the hospital and put in a Hearse where dozens of patrol cars followed it from behind.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Association released the following statement, “We are devastated by the grief of losing Deputy Isaiah Cordero, a deputy who was a ray of sunshine in the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, a person who was dedicated to protecting others. Once again, we face a tragic reminder of the selflessness and unwavering courage required of peace officers and their families. Deputy Cordero put on his uniform daily to make a difference in his community and keep families safe. Deputy Cordero’s death leaves a tremendous hole in the hearts of so many people who had the chance to know him personally.”

Cordero started working for the sheriff’s department in May of 2014 as a correctional officer for the Robert Presley Detention Center as well as worked at the Larry Smith Correctional Center and the Indio Jail. In February of 2018 h began the 204 Basic Academy and was promoted to a sworn deputy sheriff. In September of 2022 he completed motor school.

“From the day he was hired, his goal was to become a motor deputy. Deputy Cordero learned from his mother the value of serving and helping others,” Bianco said.

Click here to read the full article at FoxNews LA

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Cop killed, Crime, Riverside County Sheriff

1 Arrested in Killing Near USC

December 30, 2022 By Summer Lin and Christian Martinez 1 Comment

A 31-year-old man was arrested in the shooting death of a security guard early Wednesday outside a student apartment building about half a mile from USC, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The shooting was reported around 12:30 a.m. outside the Lorenzo complex in the 300 block of West Adams Boulevard, just south of 23rd Street and east of Flower Street. The victim, a guard at the complex, was shot while trying to escort a trespasser off the property, the LAPD said in a news release.

He died at the scene, officials said. His identity has not been released.

During the investigation, police found a possible suspect sleeping in a parking area near the lobby of the apartment complex, according to the LAPD. The man, later identified as Alexander Crawford, 31, was detained without incident and found to have a handgun in his possession, police said.

Video reviewed by investigators connected the man to the shooting, according to the LAPD, and the gun found in his possession matched the caliber used in the guard’s killing.

Click here to read the full article in the LA Times

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Crime, Los Angeles, murder, USC

Retail Theft a $94.5 Billion Crime Problem at American Stores

December 29, 2022 By Katy Grimes 1 Comment

Retailers said Covid-19 has worsened the risk of crime

A massive rise in retail theft is contributing to “shrinkage” at brick-and-mortar retailers, contributing to the growth of online sales.

“The National Retail Federation estimates that shrink—an industry term for loss in inventory—amounted to roughly 1.4% of retail revenue in 2021, or roughly $94.5 billion. Most of that shrink is caused by theft, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Globe reported on California’s retail theft last May:

The escalation of organized “smash-and-grab” robberies in cities around the country has been costly. CNN reported in January that retailers across America say shoplifting is now 2% to 3% of their total sales, forcing the retailers to install new security systems, video cameras and security staff.

A 2021 survey of retailers found 65% acknowledged an increase in violence, while 37% said Organized Retail Crime gangs were much more aggressive than in the past.

With every legislative solution killed by California’s Democratic supermajority, retailers and Chambers of Commerce formed Californians Against Retail and Residential Theft (CARRT), and launched a campaign to raise lawmakers’ and the public’s knowledge of the growing theft problem in the state. CARRT is a broad-based coalition of business associations, local groups, and victim organizations advocating for California officials to act now to undo the damage done by Proposition 47.

Not the Bee also addresses this shrinkage: the Covid lockdowns.

“Whoever had the bright idea to shut down the entire U.S. economy, confine people to their homes indefinitely, foment open-ended hysteria about a respiratory virus, and drive inflation to sky-high record rates — congratulations, your strategy is bearing fruit,” Not the Bee reported.

“Brick-and-mortar retail’s indisputable edge over e-commerce is that consumers can get what they want immediately, and can touch and feel the product before buying it. Rising theft — and stores’ measures to prevent it — could dull that edge,” WSJ said.

The National Retail Federation report also found that the vast majority (89.7%) of respondents report that their Loss Prevention department is evaluated according to inventory shrink levels – in other words, shrink reduction is part of their goals, objectives or performance measures. Just 10.3% reported that they were not.

“Retailers surveyed by the NRF said Covid-19 has worsened the risk of crime, partly because labor shortages have made it difficult to fully staff stores,” WSJ said. “Moreover, supply-chain shortages made certain products more susceptible to theft because they fetched high value in secondary markets.”

“Can you imagine a more predictable outcome from the pandemic policies we enacted to fight COVID-19?” Not the Bee asks. “We threw our entire way of life — our economy, our organizations, our social structures, our education — into a complete and total tailspin.”

“Shrink can have a substantial impact on already thin retail margins. Target said that the rise in shrink, including theft, reduced its gross profit by more than $400 million in the first three quarters of its fiscal year, compared with a year prior. For the full fiscal year, it estimates that its gross profit will take a $600 million hit.”

“Although shrink is a perennial problem in retail, it really took off when the pandemic hit. In the five years leading up to 2019, retail shrink grew at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 7%, according to data from the NRF,” WSJ said. “In 2020, it jumped 47%, and rose another 4% on top of that huge jump in 2021. Some retailers, including Ulta Beauty and Target, have said that shrink has gotten worse again this year. ‘When times get tough, shrink goes up,’ Ulta Beauty Chief Financial Officer Scott Settersten said on the company’s earnings call on Dec. 1. ‘We’ve seen that in retail over a long period of time.’”

And who will pay for these increasing retail costs? “Retailers will ultimately pay for shrink risk in some form or another—either on the top line if they want to keep stores completely accessible or on the bottom line if they spend heavily on labor and mitigation measures,” WSJ said. “Finding the right balance will be key to preserving brick-and-mortar businesses.”

And if you wonder why toothpaste, shaving cream and laundry detergent is under lock and key at many stores, it is a theft mitigation measure, according to retailers.

California’s nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California released a report that found a direct correlation between Proposition 47 and a marked increase in larceny thefts across California, despite many media reports attempting to refute the correlation, the Globe reported. As for any legislative support from the California Legislature, don’t hold your breath:

The California Assembly Public Safety Committee heard and killed Assembly Bill 1599 by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Granite Bay) in March, which sought to repeal Proposition 47, and “make crime illegal again.”

Click here to read the full article in the California Globe

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: California Politics, Crime, Legislature

Could DA’s Decision Not to File Charges in SDSU Gang-Rape Case Have a Chilling Effect on Sex Crime Reporting?

December 13, 2022 By Terry Figueroa and Lyndsay Winkley 2 Comments

People who work with sexual assault victims fear they the decision will give pause to sexual assault victims considering coming forward

The decision was months in the making: The District Attorney’s Office would not file criminal charges against three former San Diego State University football players accused of gang raping a 17-year-old high school senior at an off-campus party last year.

The announcement Wednesday closed one chapter in one of the county’s most-watched cases, although a civil case and a university inquiry continue.

And ripples from the case could reach far beyond those probes.

In issuing its statement, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office included this: “The conclusions reached in this review are specific to this incident and should not discourage any victim from coming forward and reporting a crime to law enforcement.”

There is good reason for concern, say activists and advocates, who fear the decision not to prosecute will give pause to victims of sexual assault who are considering coming forward.

Speaker and activist Brenda Tracy — who in 1998 reported gang rape by college football players in Oregon — said Wednesday’s decision “absolutely” has a chilling effect.

“People are looking at this and going, ‘Why, why, why should I put myself through this?’” she said.

“I’ve already seen multiple survivors on social media and people I talked to say, ‘This is why I didn’t report, and I’m so glad that I didn’t (report) because this is what I would have to go through.’”

Even after the #MeToo movement, with the societal attention and advancements it brought, struggles in investigating and prosecuting rape and sexual assault cases endure.

Believing the victim is only part of the equation. Alcohol or drugs may have been involved, potentially affecting the victim’s recall. Many suspects claim sexual encounters are consensual, and proving otherwise can be difficult.

The allegations of rape against San Diego State football players were detailed in a civil lawsuit the now 18-year-old woman filed in August in San Diego Superior Court. In it, she accused three players on last year’s Aztecs football team by name, including Matt Araiza, a stand-out punter newly drafted by the Buffalo Bills.

Within two days of the filing, the NFL team cut Araiza loose. The other two who were accused — then-18-year-old redshirt freshmen Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko — are no longer on the college team.

Attorneys for the three men said the District Attorney’s Office made the right decision to reject filing criminal charges. “I felt confident, based on what I knew, that they would reject the case,” said attorney Kerry Armstrong, who represented Araiza, last week.

Agent Joe Linta tweeted a statement Wednesday from Araiza: “I am grateful that the District Attorney and the San Diego Police Department have discovered all the facts and found no criminal wrongdoing. I am excited to continue my NFL career.”

According to the civil lawsuit, the incident happened at a College Area home not far from the university campus early Oct. 17, the end of a Saturday night party that had stretched into early Sunday morning.

The suit alleges that Araiza, then 21, had sex with the teen in a side yard of the residence before bringing her into a bedroom where a group of men took turns raping her. Leonard and Ewaliko were part of that group, according to the lawsuit.

The woman said she stumbled out of the room bloodied and bruised and immediately told her friends she’d been raped. She reported the encounter to San Diego police a day later.

The investigation lasted months.

In announcing the decision last week, District Attorney Summer Stephan’s office said a team of prosecutors and investigators “meticulously analyzed all the evidence in the case” — including a rape kit, DNA results and at least 35 taped witness interviews.

They said 10 search warrants turned up more evidence, including video of the incident itself.

When prosecutors are evaluating these kinds of cases, they have to believe they have enough evidence to prove to a jury — beyond a reasonable doubt — that a crime was committed and that the accused is guilty.

“Ultimately, prosecutors determined it is clear the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges and there is no path to a potential criminal conviction,” the office said in a statement.

The District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that it evaluated the case for several criminal charges, including statutory rape, forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and rape by intoxication.

Armstrong, a criminal defense attorney, said he was most concerned about statutory rape charges. He has said repeatedly that Araiza did have sex with the teen, but that it was consensual and he believed she was 18.

In California, if someone has sex with a child younger than 14, there is no legal defense, but if the teen is 14 or older, that person can argue that they had a “reasonable good faith belief” that the person they had sex with was 18, Armstrong said.

In the young woman’s lawsuit, she said she told Araiza that she was a student at Grossmont High School in the El Cajon area.

But Armstrong said he and his investigators spoke with witnesses at the party that night who said they heard the teen tell Araiza and others that she was 18 and a student at Grossmont College, a community college in El Cajon.

“Just because we see it a certain way doesn’t mean the DA will, but we felt really good about that particular charge,” Armstrong said.

Former prosecutor Samuel Dordulian, who spent 13 years as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, said that when prosecutors decide not to file charges — even if that decision is appropriate — what the sexual assault survivor hears is: “They don’t believe me.”

He said survivors may not understand that prosecutors aren’t necessarily making a decision about their credibility.

“It’s a determination of whether they can prove (the case) beyond a reasonable doubt based on the evidence that they have.”

Dordulian, who now represents sexual assault victims in civil cases, agreed that decisions against a criminal case can have an unintended chilling effect on others.

“It keeps future survivors from coming forward,” he said, “because they say, ‘Well, look, this woman has the guts to come forward and look what happened. She got shamed in public, and now, no one believes her. Everyone’s calling her a liar.’

“That’s not what’s happening, but that’s how they’re reading it, that’s how they’re interpreting it,” he said.

The news of no charges frustrated Tracy, an activist and public speaker — a role that unwittingly tied her to the San Diego State case. Weeks after the reported assault, the university asked Tracy to give her presentation to its athletes, starting with the football team. She did so, but was not made aware of the specific allegations against Aztec players.

Tracy said one of the “most infuriating things” about the district attorney’s decision not to file charges “is chatter from people who say, ‘Well, if there was really a case, the DA would take it.’

“That’s just not true,” Tracy said.

It’s unclear how the district attorney’s decision will affect the ongoing civil suit.

Dordulian said judges often do not allow juries in civil cases to be told that prosecutors declined to bring charges in a criminal case. That’s partly because criminal and civil cases have different standards of proof.

In a criminal trial, the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt. In a civil trial, it’s far lower — a preponderance of the evidence, or, more simply stated: the allegations are more likely true than not true.

There is another notable difference between civil and criminal trials. In a criminal trial, the jury must come to a unanimous agreement to reach a verdict. In a civil trial, only nine of the 12 jurors have to agree.

Verna Griffin-Tabor, CEO of the Center for Community Solutions, the only rape crisis center in the county, said moving through the justice system can be traumatic. It can involve lengthy and invasive forensic exams, reliving trauma during interviews with detectives and prosecutors, and facing the accused during a trial.

To go through that, only to learn that a case isn’t moving forward, is devastating for survivors, she said.

Griffin-Tabor said she also worries about others who haven’t decided whether to report their experiences.

“I always am concerned that if there isn’t an outcome that the survivor wants, not only will it impact that person, but also other survivors from coming forward.”

Click here to read the full article in the SD Union Tribune

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: Crime, Rape, San Diego, SDSU

Claremont School Board Member Quits Amid Allegations He Exposed Students to ‘Half-Naked Men,’ Alcohol

December 12, 2022 By Hanna Lykke 2 Comments

Claremont Unified Board of Education president Steven Llanusa resigned Saturday, Dec. 10 amid allegations that he exposed students to inappropriate behavior, including a “dirty Santa” and alcohol at a holiday party in his home earlier this month.

In an email sent to the Claremont Unified School District community around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Superintendent James Elsasser said Llanusa tendered his resignation early Saturday and will step down immediately from his board duties.

“In the very near future, we will discuss the next steps for filling this vacant position,” Elsasser wrote. “Thank you for your patience during this very difficult time.”

Elsasser, reached by a reporter, confirmed the resignation.

Rachel Forester, a Claremont Educational Foundation board member, said she was previously aware of Llanusa’s holiday parties but had never heard of inappropriate conduct taking place.

A parent of three children attending CUSD schools, Forester called Llanusa’s resignation “the very best thing to happen” but added she “felt” for Llanusa.

“I think (Llanusa) is a decent person and made a really poor decision that is going to cost him,” Forester said.

At a special board meeting that was live-streamed on Friday, Dec. 9, a half-dozen parents said their children, part of the Claremont High School choir program, performed at Llanusa’s home on Saturday, Dec. 3, to raise money for the program.

At the party, parents said, the students were exposed to scantily-clad male dancers dressed as elves and a “dirty Santa,” while some were offered alcohol.

“They were offered an open bar and to socialize with half-naked men, the dirty Santa who made disgusting comments to our children,” parent Gabriel Lozano told CBS Los Angeles.

Police are investigating the allegations.

Click here to read the full article in the San Bernardino Sun

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Crime, liberals, school board

Elton John Concert Attack: LA Couple Beaten at Dodger Stadium

November 21, 2022 By Koko McAboy Leave a Comment

Police have arrested one person in connection with the brutal beating of a Los Angeles couple in their 60s by a group of people following an Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium.

The Los Angles Police Department did not release any further details about the arrest but continues its investigation after video went viral on social media showing the battery incident that happened in the Dodger Stadium parking lot Thursday.

The couple’s daughter, Nicole, spoke with FOX 11 about the incident.

“They were so excited to go have a random little date night, so they went to the Elton John concert,” Nicole said. “They had a really nice night and they wanted to beat the crowd so they left 10-15 minutes before the concert ended.”

Nicole said her parents were about to leave the stadium when they heard a loud thud.

“They were in their car exiting Dodger Stadium and traffic got crazy out there. People were walking around all the cars, so they were in line to exit. A group of people walked around their car and they both heard this loud bang and someone had hit my dad’s mirror on his Tahoe,” said Nicole.

Nicole said her dad got out of the car to figure out what happened.

“He looked and he was thinking his mirror was hanging off, and he looked at the people and said, ‘Who hit my mirror,’ and this group of about six people turned around,” Nicole said., “A female was like ‘I did,’ and she was intoxicated and witnesses claim that she swung [at] my dad first and he went to block. The last thing he remembers is these three or four guys just started hitting him all at the same time.”

Nicole said her mom was in the car, but got out to help once she realized what was happening.

“Her instinct was to get out and help him, and as my mom’s trying to pull men off of him, she was grabbed by the back of the head by a female in that group. Before she knew it, the gentleman in the black shirt, black backwards hat (as seen in the video), basically football tackles my mom and my mom just remembers flying and that’s it,” Nicole said. “Witnesses said that my mom hit her head so hard on the concrete that they heard her skull hit and everyone was certain she had cracked her head. My mom blacked out and when she came to, she was looking around and no one was helping them and she looked and my dad was lifeless on the floor, blacked out as well.”

Nicole said one man helped her parents and that man also recorded the video, but had a run in with the attackers.

“The attackers witnessed him recording and went after him as well, so they broke his phone, and punched him is what I’m told,” said Nicole.

Nicole said her parents were not receiving help quickly enough, so her mom ended up driving them both to the hospital, and that’s where they made a police report with the LAPD. She said her parents suffered brain injuries and broken bones. Her mother was released from the hospital that night, but her father remained hospitalized until Saturday.

“I didn’t know what to do. I had to really gather my thoughts, and instantly it was anger, just anger. My parents are much older than these people in the video and I can’t comprehend how people could throw away their lives and risk their livelihoods with just a careless act,” she said.

Nicole said the case got more traction after the video went viral on social media.

“As social media blew up, we were contacted today [by police] so we did give our part of the story so hopefully justice can be served and the legal system doesn’t fail us but already we’re being told LAPD is saying this started from a fender bender so from the get go, the story’s already wrong,” said Nicole.

Click here to read the full article at FoxNewsLA

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: Crime, elton john, Los Angeles, violence

‘GTA’ Police Chase Suspect Steals Pickup Truck on Live TV in LA County

November 11, 2022 By Ky Hiromoto Leave a Comment

A police chase suspect went on a dangerous 2-county crime spree, including breaking into multiple vehicles, backing into a cop car and breaking into someone’s house – all to avoid getting in handcuffs.

The suspect, 32-year-old Johnny Anchondo, who was initially wanted by police in Fullerton led officers on a chase before being cornered into an apartment complex parking lot in the northern part of Anaheim. Despite being cornered in the parking lot, Anchondo refused to surrender as he backed into one of the cop cars and then drove off in a white van.

The dangerous pursuit later became a 2-county chase as the suspect drove through parts of Fullerton, Anaheim and Santa Ana before ditching the white van in Whittier. Viewers commenting on FOX 11’s live streams as the crime spree unraveled compared the police chase to a popular video game series Grand Theft Auto.

After leading police on a brief foot chase, Anchondo went inside a nearby home, was confronted by the people inside, including two dogs, and got inside a white pickup truck that was parked in the drive to once again drive off in a possibly stolen vehicle. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department went on to take over the later parts of the lengthy chase.

FOX 11’s Gina Silva spoke with the carjacking victim. He said he had purchased the pickup truck three weeks before the incident, saying he got the vehicle to aid his family’s landscaping business.

“It was just hard work,” said Andres Benitez, the man whose truck got stolen. “This was my goal since two years ago.”

According to Benitez, the suspect broke into the house trying to evade police. With his mother home, Benitez brandished a knife to escort the suspect out of the home. As the suspect was led out of the house, the suspect snatched Benitez’s car key and ran off with the key and the vehicle.

The dogs who were involved in the tense struggle are OK, Benitez told FOX 11. While devastated after getting his pickup truck stolen, he playfully told FOX’s Gina Silva he was “disappointed” that the family’s pit bull didn’t try to stop the suspect.

Anchondo was eventually cornered by law enforcement at a gas station in San Gabriel Valley. After a brief and tense standoff, he was eventually placed in custody around 6 p.m. Anchondo was being held on a parole violation.

A GoFundMe page has been launched for Benitez after he got his work truck stolen. Those looking to help can click here for more information.

Click here to read the full story at Fox News

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: carjacking, Crime, Los Angeles, Orange County

California’s Blue City Crime Wave is On the Ballot

November 9, 2022 By Katy Grimes 3 Comments

Sacramento murders, robberies, shootings are spiking

Massive spikes in violent and retail crime is one of the most important issues on the ballot this November, and especially in California. Crime is spiking across the state.

In Sacramento’s Midtown residential neighborhood, a woman was robbed Thursday. She screamed for help. Neighbors stood and watched.

KCRA reported:

Victoria Mapson said the more upsetting part of the incident was how bystanders reacted. She told KCRA 3 that when she was screaming for help and crying, her neighbors did not jump into action. She even described how one man called her crazy and said he couldn’t do anything.

“That was just so deeply upsetting and hurtful, that someone could look me in the eye as a human and say I’m not going to help you,” Victoria said.

“Left-wing politicians and their backers recognize that rising crime rates and the lack of a general sense of safety that follows are a problem for them and their chances for reelection,” the Heritage Foundation reports. “In fact, recent polls show that voters care a lot about rising crime—an issue that is second only to rising, rampant inflation and the lackluster economy. So the Left is engaging in political traditions as old as time: obfuscation, finger pointing, and blame shifting.”

The new study by the Heritage Foundation titled, “The Blue City Murder Problem,” debunked a recent leftist claim that red states have the highest crime, which Gov. Gavin Newsom relished in restating. The Heritage Foundation found that 27 of the 30 cities with the highest murder rates are controlled by Democrats. Three of the 30 Democrat-run violent cities are located in California: Oakland, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“A super majority of those cities, even in otherwise red states, are deep blue and run by left-wing ideologues,” Heritage exposes.

Last March, left-wing advocacy organization, The Third Way, published a short study with the title, “The Red State Murder Problem.” The Heritage Foundation exposes the leftists behind the paper: “Written by Jim Kessler, a long-time Democratic policy director to Senator Charles ‘Chuck’ Schumer, and Kylie Murdock, a former intern for Congresswoman Barbara Lee and volunteer for Elizabeth Warren for President, the study states that ‘murder rates are far higher in Trump-voting red states than Biden-voting blue states.’”

Only this isn’t true.

“Those on the Left know that their soft-on-crime policies have wreaked havoc in the cities where they have implemented those policies. It is not hard to understand why ‘reforms’ such as ending cash bail, defunding the police, refusing to prosecute entire categories of crimes, letting thousands of convicted felons out of prison early, significantly cutting the prison population, and other ‘progressive’ ideas have led to massive spikes in crime—particularly violent crime, including murder—in the communities where those on the Left have implemented them,” Heritage said.

The Third Way blames Republicans for the spike in murders across the country, Heritage reports. “The not-so-subtle suggestion the study pushes is that those on the Left are not responsible for rising crime rates because crime is rising everywhere—especially in Republican-led states. Fighting for their political survival, Left-wing politicians such as Gavin Newsom and Larry Krasner have recently started to parrot the ‘results’ of this study.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who some say will be running for President in 2024 despite his feeble denials, ran with the leftist report and posted a pompous Tweet – as if he was imperiously imparting the shocking truth:

“The @GOP love to campaign on being “tough on crime.” But here’s the truth — their policies don’t work. 8 of the 10 states with the highest murder rates are red. Murder rates were 40% higher in red states than blue. Gun deaths are almost 2x as high in red states.”

The actual truth that is the Democrat-run cities in all states, including Red States, are sucking up the bulk of the air (and city resources) when it comes to crime. Gov. Newsom also fails to acknowledge the disproportionate number of mass shootings in California, which not only has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, but continues to pass dozens of unconstitutional gun control laws every legislative session.

Gov. Newsom isn’t talking about California’s Homicide Rates by State, 2014–2020, ranking either: California is 25th in homicides per 100,000 population.

It’s no coincidence California’s crime rate increased almost immediately in 2014 when Proposition 47 was passed by misinformed voters. Prop. 47 reduced a host of felonies to misdemeanors, including drug crimes, date rape, and all thefts under $950, even for repeat offenders who steal every day, decriminalized drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor, also removed law enforcement’s ability to make an arrest in most circumstances, as well as removing judges’ ability to order drug rehabilitation programs rather than incarceration.

Gov. Newsom also ignores the crime infiltrating middle and working class neighborhoods. Fugitives were holed up in the backyard of a home in a lovely suburban Sacramento neighborhood Sunday. A Sacramento man Tweeted about this:

Fugitives holed up in a backyard in #CollegeGreens. Apparently two kids got in a car accident and started shooting at each other. They came down our street and went into a neighbor’s house. Everyone is safe. Thank-you ⁦@SacPolice #Sacramento

There was another homicide Friday in Sacramento. Sacramento Police Department patrol officers responded to reports of a shooting in a South Sacramento neighborhood. Officers located the victim, a 25-year-old male, suffering from a single gunshot wound. Sacramento Fire Department personnel responded and transported the victim to an area hospital in critical condition. Despite their efforts, the victim was later pronounced deceased, SacPD reported.

Just since November 1st, the Sacramento Police Department has had a bustling crime log including two robbery investigations and four shooting investigations – that we know of.

Sacramento had another homicide October 30th, when SacPD responded to reports of an vehicle that had collided with a fence, and found a dead male adult in the driver’s seat, with a gunshot wound.

Sacramento counted its 50th homicide October 21, 2022. At this rate, we may lose count soon.

Click here to read the full article at the California Globe

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: California Politics, Crime, violence

In One of Orange County’s Safest Cities, Voters Still Think About Crime. So Do Republican Campaigns

November 8, 2022 By Hannah Fry Leave a Comment

Best known as the birthplace of former President Nixon, Yorba Linda is home to lush golf courses, equestrian trails and ranch-style homes with backyard stables. It has more houses of worship per capita than anywhere else in Orange County.

Residents move to the conservative suburb in search of safe neighborhoods, clean parks and open space. The city, whose motto is “Land of Gracious Living,” is largely removed from many of the crime problems that grab headlines in California’s denser cities.

Yorba Linda, population 68,000, had eight robberies last year, up from three the year before, and 71 residential burglaries, up from 59 in 2020. It hasn’t had a homicide in eight years, crime data show. But even in one of the safest cities in the state, concerns about crime are on voters’ minds in an election that will determine the balance of power in Congress.

Though many in Yorba Linda say crime isn’t their top issue, their desire to prevent it in their city ranks among other critical topics including inflation, gas prices and abortion that will help them decide which congressional candidate gets their vote.

“People that live in safe neighborhoods really don’t want crime. They’re the super paranoid ones about ‘who’s walking down my street’ or ‘who’s in my neighborhood’,” said Jimmy Camp, an independent political consultant. “Crime is a strategy and is it probably a little hyperbolic? Yes, but I think it’s effective.”

Nationally, Republicans, who for months have been largely focused on inflation, have seized on crime as a key issue in the final weeks leading to Tuesday’s election as a means to sway independent voters, bring out their conservative bases and deflect focus from abortion. The GOP has been on the defensive since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in June and many states have since enacted a range of sweeping abortion bans.

Even as Orange County becomes more politically diverse — diverging from its reputation as a GOP stronghold — the 40th Congressional District where GOP Rep. Young Kim is running against Dr. Asif Mahmood, a Democrat, remains home to some of the most conservative cities in the county. Republicans have a 4.5-point voter registration advantage there.

But that edge will amount to a win for Republicans only if consistently conservative-leaning voters cast ballots, which has likely prompted the increased focus on crime, Camp said.

“Somebody is polling and they’re saying that the intensity of the base is not as strong as we need it to be,” said Camp, who has worked on some of Kim’s past campaigns. “They’re looking at a poll and they’re saying we need to make sure we get out and stir our base.”

When Tamara Schlachter’s Yorba Linda home was burglarized by two masked intruders who broke in through a sliding glass door last month, television news stations across Southern California aired surveillance video of the crime on their evening shows.

Schlachter was out to dinner when she got a notification on her cell from her home security system that an “unfamiliar face” was upstairs. She watched the burglary unfold on her phone.

The video shows two thieves prowling through the home and rifling through the family’s possessions for roughly 14 minutes. The men made off with cash and jewelry, Schlachter said.

News stations also shared photographs of the home’s shattered door and belongings strewn across the master bedroom. The situation was horrifying, but motivating, Schlachter said.

“You don’t realize it but you can’t just make yourself feel safe,” said Schlachter, 51. “What happened really makes me want to get out there and vote.”

Susan Wan-Ross, 59, said she was unnerved when she saw the video of the burglary on the news.

“They were just so casual about it,” she said of the intruders. “If it were my house it would be hard for me to stay knowing someone was in there going through all of my stuff.”

Wan-Ross, the CEO of the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, said crime is one of several issues she will consider when voting. Still, she feels safe overall because of the police presence in the city, she said.

“I know they’re on top of things and it makes me feel better knowing that they’re going to do everything that they can to apprehend the offenders,” she said.

Republicans’ argument that Democrats are soft on crime has historically served the GOP well. Years of polling show voters view Republicans as being more stringent on justice issues.

“I saw someone joking on Twitter that you can tell it’s two weeks before the election because Republicans are talking about crime,” Camp said.

In October, Republicans spent nearly $96 million on more than 450 television and digital advertisements talking about crime to attack Democrats, many using footage from news reports and 911 calls. At the same time, Democrats have spent just over $77 million on ads delving into the issue, according to AdImpact, a political ad tracking firm.

The GOP ads evoke fears that are reminiscent of tactics used in past elections. In 1988, an ad supporting Republican George H.W. Bush’s presidential campaign accused his Democratic rival of allowing “first-degree murderers to have weekend passes from prison.”

While political scientists have debated the so-called “Willie Horton” ad’s effect on the election, many argue it helped usher in an era of tough-on-crime strategies.

Crime fears play particularly well in Orange County, experts say.

During this year’s race for district attorney, incumbent Todd Spitzer branded himself as a law-and-order candidate, focusing his messaging on punishing criminals to prevent Orange County from becoming like Los Angeles. He crushed his progressive challenger in the primary and avoided a November runoff.

“Crime can be very successful as a wedge issue for Republican candidates trying to break apart the larger Democratic or undecided coalition,” said Graeme Boushey, an associate professor at UC Irvine who teaches public policy and California politics.

More than three-quarters of voters surveyed across the country said violent crime is rising and is a major problem in the United States, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll released in early October.

About 60% of respondents said crime would play a key role when they decide which congressional candidate to vote for ahead of issues like jobs, immigration, COVID and voting rights.

Property crime in Orange County declined in 2021, according to a study published in October by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. Though violent crime rose more than 10%, the study showed, Orange County was among the four withthe lowest violent crime rate statewide.

But crimes, particularly ones that are captured on video, stick in people’s minds.

In early September, Thomas Huynh’s Yorba Linda restaurant, Monarch 9, was burglarized for the fifth time in six years.

On Facebook he shared security camera footage of a man smashing his way into the business with a rock. Customers were outraged. Several called for “tougher” laws on property crime. “Sad times we are living through,” wrote another.

Huynh, a 46-year-old Republican, said he will vote for Kim largely because of her “tough on crime” stance.

“I think she understands that for small-business owners this is a big deal and it’s hitting us hard,” he said.

Kim has appeared on FOX News in recent weeks to discuss retail crime and legislation she’s proposed to improve coordination between investigating agencies. Last month she told FOX in an interview that it “seems like every week we’re seeing news about another business being broken into.”

She frequently addresses the issue on her social media, blaming increasing crime rates on justice reforms like zero bail initiatives and Prop. 47, an 8-year-old law that reclassified some theft and drug possession violations from felonies to misdemeanors.

Kim’s campaign did not make her available for an interview.

Mahmood said crime is concerning but it’s less of a problem in Orange County than in many places nearby.

“Generally crime has been up everywhere,” he said in an interview with The Times. “Part of that could be the economic situation and part of it could be the COVID crisis. More than crime, I think gun safety is a major issue in our district.”

Some voters say laws regulating the sale of guns and ammunition don’t go far enough and suspect that could be contributing to more crime, he said.

In the Politico/Morning Consult survey, 60% of voters said gun policy would play a major role in their vote for Congress and more than half attributed the increase in crime to a proliferation of guns.

Yorba Linda Councilmember Tara Campbell said part of the city’s appeal is that many residents feel secure in their homes.

“We’re one of the safest cities in the state, but we’re not immune to all crime,” said Campbell, a 29-year-old Republican. “Public safety is always going to be a top priority for us. So I do think it’s going to be a factor in this election, as well as inflation and gas prices.”

Rosemary Moulin was dismayed when she saw on the news the video of Schlachter’s home being burglarized, she said while sitting outside a coffee shop in Yorba Linda.

“I thought, what’s happening to our city,” Moulin, 63, said, shaking her head.

Click here to read the full article in the LA Times

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Crime, yorba linda

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