Here We Go Again

Almost ten months ago to the day, this exact window was etched by one of Santa Ana's "scratchitti artists". Today, this window once again became the target our newest enemy.

Being that our Association has taken a lax position on glass etching removal, and the city of Santa Ana offers no solutions by way of removal assistance, this problem will only continue to get worse.

There is fine line where graffiti could be considered art, but this recent act of vandalism holds no artistic merit and pisses me off.

During next month's Association meeting, I'm going to move that our Association give homeowners the option of replacing the window pane within three days, or to have the Association pay for someone to buff out the glass–a solution that yields questionable results, but at least removes the eyesore.

Crapfiti

This weekend as I was walking the dog around the south side units, I passed through this alley that separates two street-facing buildings.

Walking past the first bamboo planter, I was shocked to see that someone had once again used our community as a public restroom. What's even worse is that culprit squatted against the unit, and as they squeezed out the runny deuce, it created a cascade that scuttled down the stucco.

Taggers take note: If you want to leave your mark and get the attention of everyone, don't do it with markers, etchers or paint, do it with feces.

For some reason, this alley seems to attract the weirdos. In my less than two years of living here, I've: removed graffiti from these service doors numerous times, seen several homeless people sleep between the planters, caught teenage kids smoking weed, asked mothers to not tell their kids it is okay to pee in the alley as they take a break from walking home, and of course, been screamed at by the Poo Lady twice in this very alley.

Never a dull day in the city of Santa Ana.

Got a strong stomach? Click on the image -><- to see the work of the "Ass Bandit".

Strength in Numbers

About ten days ago, an individual using a moniker of Cyrus the Virus contacted me about the Santiago Street Loft blog.

Cyrus recently moved into the Monterey Villas (located off 17th street and Cabrillo) and it just so happens that the folks over there are experiencing similar difficulties with graffiti, vandalism and theft. They even have someone stealing laundry from the community laundry room!


Communication was limited to flyers hung in the laundry room and limited face-to-face interaction with neighbors that seemingly comes paired with the southern California lifestyle in which we’ve become accustomed.

Cyrus saw an opportunity much like I did and that was to create an online voice to help raise awareness among neighbors, develop a sense of community and inspire others to help turn the city of Santa Ana around.

In a very cordial email, Cyrus asked permission to use content and ideas from this blog to help develop his. Needless to say I was honored and thrilled by this individual and his efforts to do in his community what we at the Santiago Street Lofts have established so far.

Do what you have to do for the greater good of the community my friend. Recognizing and celebrating your small victories will be key to your happiness and success.

At the Santiago Street Lofts, we are very fortunate to have passionate and active individuals living here such as: El Diablo Blanco, Dr. Jason and Urban Messiah just to namedrop a few.

They are some of the prime examples as to why this community is so great and worth fighting for. The Santa Ana Justice League is slowly forming and just you wait…

Check out the Monterey Villas blog!

I Love It When They Run

Taking a break from the über-addicting Super Mario Galaxy to walk the dog last night, I zeroed in on two kids; one of which was tagging the wall on the north side of Santa Ana Boulevard. As they crossed Santiago Street and headed towards our complex, I knew right then that trouble was headed our way. I quickly brought the dog inside, grabbed my “usual necessities” and charged out the door.

One of the kiddies that was wearing a USC hooded sweatshirt was supposed to be the lookout while his friend spray-painted the rollup door on a unit across the street. That kid in the sweatshirt had one job and one job alone—and he failed miserably being that I was able to run-up and pepper spray the tagger right between the eyes.

With a face full of searing pain, he amazingly “Froggered” his way across the street through traffic and headed west down Santa Ana Boulevard. In “police speak”, I engaged the suspect in pursuit.

Over the course of my life, I’ve come to accept that I’m pretty much an average guy (yes, you should be feeling sorry for “Mrs. Dayhoe” if you don’t already), average with the exception that I can run—really fast (and swear all at the same time).

In high school, I ran a 4.4/40. That means for every 1.1 seconds, I’ve advanced another ten yards in distance. Making it off the pine, well, that’s another story, a sad one at that.

Needless to say, I caught up to him by the next block (Garfield Street) and at this point, I was terrified—terrified that the Chipotle burrito that I devoured less than an hour prior was going to burst from me like it did from the foil wrapper.

Without even having to tackle him, I forced him to lie down on his stomach, spread his legs, and put his hands behind his back. The problem now was that I didn’t have anything to restrain him with other than my body weight (plus a 5lb. burrito that was churning away).

Luckily, an FBI officer returning from a prisoner drop-off saw me chasing him down the street and took the time after a long day to lend a hand and a set of cuffs, allowing me to place an out-of-breath call to SAPD.

At this time, a neighbor at the lofts, Maglite in hand, also arrived on the scene having heard me yelling when I originally confronted the tagger. I was amazed and thankful that he too came to help out.

The police showed up and had me fill out the standard police report. Let me tell you, since moving to Santa Ana, that’s one form I’ve filled out one too many times.

They asked me “What possessed you to try to take this extreme form of action?”

One thing came to mind*: The Greatest Fight Scene EVER.

The officer stated that very rarely do they catch taggers in the act and commended me for my actions, but not without chiding me of the lesson that I always forget in these situations: These kids could be concealing weapons—is it really worth it?

I say until Jack Bauer is back on the air satisfying my need for an adrenaline rush, then yes, yes it is.

*Okay, this one also came to mind as well.

Video Vigilantism in Santa Ana

It seems as if there is someone in the Floral Park area who is as fed up with graffiti in Santa Ana as yours truly. Instead of chasing taggers down the street with a screwdriver in hand, this person has taken a more subtle and creative approach to keeping their neighborhood clean.



If you recall in an earlier post, the city of Montebello was working on installing cameras that begin recording when triggered by the sound emitted from aerosol spray cans.

I hate to keep sounding like a proponent of the Big Brother system, but it might be what this troubled city needs to keep the kiddies from writing on the walls.

Keep up the great work!

2007 Santa Ana Shootings

Red Marker: Homicide | Yellow Marker: Shooting | Blue Marker: Shots Fired

Click Here to View Larger Map with Incident Details

This time of year, people like to write Christmas cards and make plans for New Year's Eve. I like to make interactive maps of tragic events that take place in this gang-infested town.

I'm still missing data from January through April, as well as the month of June, but I wanted to give you all an early Christmas present.

Creating this map was a very interesting learning experience. Here are a few things that I concluded about gang activity in Santa Ana while working on this project:

1. Even if you claim "nothing", you'll probably still get shot.


2. Bangers use all means of transportation to get their job done (Cars, bicycles, own two feet, although, I'd be really surprised to hear about a banger on roller skates).


3. Black SUV's tailgating you usually means bad news.


4. No one ever knows exactly how many gunshots were fired when asked by police.


5. Descriptions of suspects are always too vague.


6. You are more likely to be shot between the hours of 3PM-2AM in Santa Ana.
   

So yeah, Santa Ana is in dire need of a renaissance, but hope needs to begin with the people. And for these folks, hope maybe what they need to stop shooting at each other.

A Little Too Close to Home

View Larger Map

One of today's top headlines in the Santa Ana section of the OC Register is this article about how local Police and immigrant agents shut down an alleged heroin ring operating out of Rollin Auto Collision, which is just a few minutes walking distance away from our community.

I've seen some people near our community with the obvious track marks of a heroin user, but never suspected a drug ring operation to be in our backyard.

This town definitely needs an enema.

In Case of Boredom, Break Glass

Saturday night (12/08) between the hours of 6PM and 8:45PM, another community-owned fire extinguisher was stolen near 702 N. Santiago Street.

A short while back, the fire extinguisher next to 904 Poinsettia Street was being stolen on a weekly basis. Eventually, the extinguisher was relocated to a spot where potential thieves could easily be targeted, then beaten.

Hopefully once the lot across the street is redeveloped, the folks on N. Santiago Street will have someone watching their backs (er, fronts).

A police report was filed, given a case number of #0747174.

Thanks goes out to El Diablo Blanco for the heads up on this one.

Police Meeting Tonight @ 6:30

Tonight, December 6th starting at 6:30PM, the Santa Ana Police Department will be hosting a community meeting specifically for residents of the Santiago Street Lofts, and any surrounding neighborhood communities.

The meeting will be taking place on the 5th floor in the Santa Ana Train Depot tower. Elevator access is available to the floor if needed.

Michele Martinez and Thomas Gordon have notified me that they will also be in attendance.

Original post available here.

Monkey Business at Circus Hall

So my friend Thomas Gordon had no chance with the ringleaders of the circus we call city hall. The immediate 6-1 vote in favor of Thomas’ removal was a slap in the face to not only the outspoken citizens who stood up for Mr. Gordon and spoke out on his behalf, but to the rest of the citizens who care about Santa Ana, myself included.

I was amused and amazed as to how fast the council brought this issue to vote, where just minutes before, it seemed as if the unfunny mayor was joking and stalling when presenting awards to the honorable employees who have patiently served the city for more than twenty years. Yeah I said it–he’s not funny, AT ALL.

When the vote was passed, it happened so quickly that I had to turn to the lady behind me to ask "Was that it?" I wanted to stand up and yell that this city is f’ing joke and it’s being run into the ground by monkeys, but that would be offensive to my friends swinging from trees and throwing feces at each other. Those of you who know me personally know that this course of action isn’t completely out of my nature.

With my face red from my blood boiling over, and my palms so sweaty, they rippled the night’s agenda I held in my hand, I jolted up. Eyes angrily closed, teeth clenched, palms now in a fist, I took a deep breath, and said nothing. It was at that instant that I realized that having Thomas Gordon removed was the best thing that this council could do for this distressed city and Mr. Gordon.

Here we have an honorable man, whom many have stated cares more about the city of Santa Ana than our current mayor. Thomas’ removal from the EPIC commission by the 6 of the 7 council members can only be due to personal reasons, and possibly serving a deeper political agenda.

Imagine having a subordinate, who does more, makes more sense, and is liked more than you. Soon enough, people are going to start looking at you and questioning your ability to lead. So what did the city do in this case? They fired him in hopes to shut him down.

But this type of monkey business is totally within the realm of Santa Ana political fashion (there I go again insulting real monkeys). What better way to handle a serious issue than to look the other way, rather than tackling it head on? Over twenty years have Mayor Pulido and City Manager Dave Ream been in office, and the state of the city just keeps getting worse. Okay, so there are less transvestite hookers, I’ll give you that, but at least they weren’t shooting each other and vandalizing the city at all hours of the day.

Why just the other night, I walked outside to see why a homeless guy was throwing trash all over the sidewalk only to be threatened by Santa Ana locals demanding money from me. I guess those guys read this Blog being that they knew my screen name and kept saying it as they threatened me. Not until they got a glance of my jesus stick did they decide that I wasn’t worth the trouble.

By removing Thomas Gordon from his position, the council has now brought even more attention to their poor management and decision-making, which hopefully will result in a drastic and much needed change in the next mayoral election next year. Pandora’s box has now been opened and the city has made a martyr of Mr. Thomas Gordon. By slaying him from his position, they have made his voice all the more louder and clearer.

How Easy is it to Steal Spray Paint?

Section 594.1 of the California Penal Code makes it illegal to sell or furnish aerosol paint containers to anyone under the age of 18; and, requires proof of identity and age through drivers license or other government issued identification prior to sale.

Violation of these Sections is a crime which can result in prosecution and which is punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of $1,000.00.

So I'm guessing that when Kragen Auto Parts on Grand Ave and Seventeenth leaves their spray paint display case unlocked and wide open making it easy for people of all ages easy to steal, then that's okay.

This photo was sent to me last night courtesy of el diablo blanco, one of our awesome readers.

Santiago Street Loft's First Police Meeting

Next Thursday, December 6th at 6:30PM, the Santa Ana Police Department will be hosting a community meeting specifically for residents of the Santiago Street Lofts, and any surrounding neighborhood communities.

The meeting will cover topics such as what type of suspicious activities to look out for, whom to call in different emergencies, crime statistics within our vicinity, and a special presentation from the Santa Ana Graffiti Task Force. At the conclusion of their presentation, the officers will be available for a question and answer session.

The meeting will be taking place on the 5th floor in the Santa Ana Train Depot tower. Elevator access is available to the floor if needed.

This is not only a great chance to learn about the problems concerning our neighborhood, but a terrific opportunity to meet and greet with your neighbors as well as local law enforcement.

Who Enforces B&P Code 22435?

Like many of the residents here at the Santiago Street Lofts, I spend countless hours working downstairs in my home office. As my desk faces the sidewalk, I am privy to many interesting things that happen outside on a daily basis that makes for great stories among friends and family.

Several times a day, I hear the klickity-klank of shopping carts as they are pushed along on the sidewalk out front. Sometimes they are filled with groceries or kids, and other times I'll see someone who's pushing their entire existence contained in that cart as they rummage through the trash for recyclables.

As I watch these individuals through the looking glass, I recall my last Targhetto trip where as I was loading up the car, I saw a family pushing a shopping cart towards the yellow sensor at the end of the parking lot. Just before arriving at the yellow line that automatically triggers the front wheels to lock, the teenager pushing the cart put his foot on the lower portion of the carriage, causing the cart to "pop a wheelie" as he and his family continued down Grand Avenue. It was evident that he and his family had perfected this craft.

I asked myself how did this problem get out of hand in the first place? Cities like Milpitas uphold a strong ordinance that is strictly enforced. The first offense will cost you $100, the second violation in the same year, $200; any additional offenses that year will run you $500. This might sound a little harsh, but the fact is that the removal of a shopping cart without permission from the store is a crime (misdemeanor), it even says so right on it!


If you think the fine for individuals who remove shopping carts from the premises is harsh, read how the ordinance applies to store/business owners:

The local businesses have also been informed of this ordinance. They are required to comply by taking measures to prevent shopping cart removal and provide a cart retrieval plan that meets City approval/ or enter into a contract with a City designated cart retrieval service. Noncompliance from the business owners/managers is subject to a civil fine of $1,000.00 and an additional fine of $50.00 for each additional day of noncompliance.

While I don't expect Santa Ana's finest to cuff those who break this law, something needs to be done as shopping carts are deposited all over the city, including the Logan neighborhood in which we all live. Besides, it's stealing! Shopping carts cost stores anywhere from $125-$250 per cart to replace–and we all know that the stores always pass these costs back on to the consumers.

Although California Business and Professions Code 22435 states that the removal of a shopping cart from the property is a misdemeanor, nowhere does it state how the city can enforce this code, nor does it establish a specified fine amount to the offenders. In other words, cities can pick and choose whether they wish to enforce this code or not.

Yesterday, as I did my daily walk around the neighborhood, I made sure to first grab my trusty camera before walking the streets adjacent to the lofts. All of these photos were taken within minutes of each other. It seems that the largest and most expensive units (plan 4) are not only magnets for graffiti, but shopping carts as well.

The above cart was left on the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Poinsettia Street.

This cart was left next to the seldom-occupied Urban West unit located on the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Santiago Street.

One block north on Santiago Street and Civic Center Drive is where this cart filled with junk was deposited.

These two carts were parked on Civic Center Drive sitting right across the street from the previous cart.

The city has available a shopping cart pick-up service that is quite effective when used, but a phone call first needs to be placed as I've seen carts in certain parts of the city not move for weeks on end.

In a past town hall meeting hosted by our Council Member Michele Martinez, many residents including myself, brought up concerns about the continually growing problem of shopping carts that are loose on our streets.

I mentioned that the carts are not only an eyesore, but can be a road hazard as well. I cited a night when a friend came to visit me and as he exited the 5 south freeway to the Santa Ana Boulevard off ramp, he had to quickly swerve to avoid five shopping carts that were deliberately placed across the road.

It was concluded from that meeting that the responsibility of the carts was ultimately that of the stores. Every store that provides shopping carts was responsible for ensuring the city that they would not run away. That town hall meeting was almost a year ago, and like the rest of Santa Ana's problems, not much seems to have happened by way of change.

And while we wait for the stores to implement their safeguards, shopping carts are making their way off parking lots on a daily basis, only to end up as another problem for the city of Santa Ana.

To have unsightly shopping carts removed from anywhere in the city, a pick-up service is available at (888) 233-2278. As of this posting, the five carts pictured have been reported.

Read more about the city of Milpitas and their ordinance here.

Here's a success story reported in the Sacramento Bee about how high-tech carts have helped curb their city's problem.

Like Flies to a Rotting Carcass

The local taggers now smell blood after the events of this last Sunday. Open season has now begun on the Santiago Street Lofts.


Last night at 10:50PM, two hoodlums made their mark on the Urban West loft, the unit on the Southwest corner of Santiago Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.

While one stood as a lookout on the North side of the street, the other, with a can of white spray paint in hand, tagged the usual garbage tag that can be seen all over town.

A call was placed into SAPD at 10:51PM, but by the time officers arrived on the scene at 11PM, the vandals were long gone. Being that no one actually lives in the nicest unit in our complex (which also helps make that unit an easy mark too), no police report could be filed because there was no victim to come forward.

Some may ask why I make such a big deal about graffiti. Other than being a firm believer in the broken window theory (or etched window theory in our case), graffiti is the gateway for more serious crimes. Next comes petty theft like something goes missing from your garage or I don't know, like a plasma television being stolen. Oh wait.
After that will come the burglary of an actual residence and not a model home, then armed assault and robbery are shortly to follow.

Think I'm crazy or a little paranoid, perhaps. But in Santa Ana, you can never let your guard down.

A call was placed into Keystone Pacific's emergency hot line as of this morning informing them of what happened last night. Hopefully this recent vandalism incident will be cleaned up by the end of the day as requested to the operator.

Model Home Break-In

Last Thursday, November 8, Santa Ana CSI answered a burglary call in one of the model homes. Turns out that the thief/thieves were able to enter the garage door by breaking a glass pane at the top of the door, unlock the security latch, and headed straight for the plasma television on the second floor. Pretty clever if you ask me.

If you don't do so already, I would highly suggest locking the door that leads from your first floor to your garage. Those crooks sure went through a lot of work for a tv that wasn't even 1080p!