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On Monday, Riverside Public Utilities workers were doing a routine check of a canal near Cridge Street Olivewood Avenue when they saw two dogs lodged against a metal grate to the storm sewer. The workers noticed that the dogs had tape over their mouth and one dog had died from drowning. The other chihuahua was uninjured. The dogs had been in the canal for less than 24 hours and were beleived to be someone’s pet. Once the person who did this is caught, they will be charged with animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty is the infliction of injury or harm on an animal or the neglect of an animal. Animals are helpless creatures that often cannot fight off their attackers. If you are convicted of animal cruelty, you will likely go to jail, have to take anger management classes, pay restitution and be put on probation. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Laguna Niguel or Fullerton, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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This week, Billie Joe Johnson, a convicted double murderer, was sentenced to death for the retaliation murder of a former gang colleague, Scott Miller. Miller decided to go on TV and explain their white supremacy gang. Fellow gang members recognized Miller on TV and were so angry that they decided to retaliate. Johnson was convicted of luring Miller into an alley and then co-conspirator Michael Lamb shot him. Johnson was charged and convicted of murder with special circumstances of lying-in-wait and murder for the benefit of the gang. He wanted to be sentenced to death instead of life in prison because he thought he would get a bigger prison cell, more recreation time and more family visits. In his past, he had beaten a man to death and has been serving time for that murder as well.

To qualify for the death penalty instead of just life in prison without the possibility of parole, special circumstances need to be present. Some special circumstances include felony murder, murdering a peace officer, prosecutor or judge or multiple murders, among others. If you are convicted of murder with special circumstances, you will be on Death Row for years before being executed. If you are sentenced to murder without special circumstances, you will have to spend your life in prison. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Westminster or Anaheim, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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On Friday, a drug bust was made in Castaic leading to four arrests and ten children being put in protective custody. Rafael Arciniega and James Stern were arrested for possessing methamphetamine for sale and put in jail. Midalia Hernandez was arrested for possessing methamphetamine and was also jailed. Manuel Arciniega was arrested for possessing a fraudulent document. During the drug raid three guns, cash and several ounces of methamphetamine were found. Ten children were living in the home and they were all put in protective custody.

Most of the time, police need a search warrant to come into your home and look around. For this drug bust, it is likely that police obtained a warrant after neighbors reported suspicious activity coming from the house. Depending on the amount of drugs found, the suspects can be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony charge. They face serious jail time if convicted. Whether you live in Tustin, Garden Grove or Ladera Ranch, if you are charged with drug offenses, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Margot Jean Strawn was a former accountant and trustee to the Pellissier family. She was in charge of managing trust funds for two children of the family. Over a six year period, Strawn stole more than $500,000 from the fund to buy herself a doll collection. She would write personal checks to herself from the fund and then deposit it into her own checking account. She also failed to file her tax returns and worked as an accountant even after her license expired. She was sentenced to two felony counts of grand theft with enhancements for aggravated white collar crime. This week, she was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay back the money she stole.

A white collar crime is a crime committed by someone in the course of their occupation. Types of white collar crimes include fraud, forgery, embezzlement, etc. Most people think that people charged with white collar crimes get special treatment since they have a lot of money. They are also thought to be sentenced to less time in prison and are sentenced to low security prisons that have many amenities. This is becoming less true as more and more white collar crimes are being recognized and prosecuted. Whether you live in Irvine, Newport Beach or Coto De Caza, if are you charged with white collar crime or grand theft, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Matthew Thomas Dragna was arrested this week, after police found evidence that links him to a murder that occurred last month. Authorities believe that Dragna and Damon Nicholson became friends through a website and starting a relationship. On October 23, a co-worker of Nicholson found him beaten to death on his sofa. Nicholson’s laptop, computer, clothing and cell phone had been stolen. At the crime scene, there was evidence that Dragna may have been at the crime scene and there was no showing of forced entry into the home, meaning that someone close to him may have done the crime. Search warrants were issued for both Dragna’s Lake Forest home and a Santa Ana Drug Rehab center where Dragna had been staying. Dragna was arrested when some of the stolen items were found. He faces murder and robbery charges.

A felony murder is a murder done during the commission of another felony, or in furtherance of that felony. Since police think that robbery may have been the primary motive for the murder, this would likely qualify as a felony murder situation. Felony murder charges come with a sentence of life in prison. A possible defense to the murder would be a lack of intent. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Tustin or Brea, if you are charged with murder or robbery, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Last week, four Orange County men and one Nevada man walked into a Nevada Wells Fargo bank, handed the bank manager a fake warrant and said that they had the authority to walk into the vaults and take all of the money. The bank manager refused to allow the men take the money so they handcuffed and threatened him. As the suspects were leaving, police caught the men and arrested them. The men in FBI custody include Orange County residents Jonathan Miranda-Brewster, Jonathan Gray, Brady Beach and Ryan Williams. The Nevada robbery suspect was Eric Griffin.

These men will likely be charged with attempted robbery. Robbing a bank is a federal felony since banks are federally insured. You can be prosecuted by both the FBI and federal prosecutors. It is a very serious charge that comes with prison time, fines and probation. If convicted, this counts as a strike against you and once you get three strikes, you are sent to prison for life. Whether you live in Irvine, Lake Forest or Anaheim Hills, if you are charged with attempted robbery, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Julieta Pimentel was arrested today for stealing items off of a FedEx truck parked outside of a Wendy’s restaurant in Glendora in September. Pimentel apparently stole items such as designer purses, luggage and clothing and then sold them from her apartment on South Occidental Blvd. After police received a tip that Pimentel was selling stolen items, they raided her apartment and found more than 300 stolen items exceeding $155,000 in value. Pimentel was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

You can be charged with receiving stolen property if you knowingly buy, sell or receive stolen property. Besides being charged with the crime, the suspect can also be sued in civil court by the person they stole from. Punishments include jail time, probation & restitution. Defenses include claim of right or lack of knowledge that the items are stolen. Whether you live in Huntington Beach, Laguna Niguel or Brea, if you are charged with theft, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Jesse Karim Pena was convicted of raping a female patient in the Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo in February. The patient was heavily intoxicated and could not resist Pena’s advances. She later reported the incident to hospital officials who called police. Pena was arrested in June and was charged with one count of raping an intoxicated person. Last week, after pleading guilty to the crime, Pena was sentenced to three years in state prison.

Rape is a very serious crime that will almost always come with prison time. If the rape is with someone who is intoxicated, the sentence will be increased due to their inability to fight back. A major defense to rape charges is consent. Consent has to be freely given though and can not be influenced by the threat of force. Whether you live in Orange, Aliso Viejo or Anaheim, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you in preparing a defense.

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Fabian Cayetano Urrea has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the murder of a National Guardsman. Jorge Estrada had been serving time in Iraq while his wife, Diana Estrada, was having an affair with Urrea. Diana Estrada became pregnant with Urrea’s child and Jorge Estrada decided he would raise the child as his own. Three days after the child was born, Urrea went to Estrada’s apartment to see the baby. Before stepping out of his truck, Urrea loaded his 9mm gun and cocked it. When he saw Jorge Estrada, he shot him three times in the chest, killing him. Urrea was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Last week he was convicted of first degree murder and now faces 50 years in prison.

First degree murder is one of the most serious crimes you can be charged with. To prove that someone committed first degree murder, a prosecutor must prove that the murder was willful and premeditated. This means that the suspect must have had a plan and the intent to kill the person. This was proved in this case because before Urrea stepped out of his car, he loaded and cocked his gun. This shows that it was Urrea’s intent to use the gun on someone. Whether you live in Westminster, Villa Park or San Clemente, if you have been charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Joey Roy Hawkins, a former long boarder and surf champion, was arrested last week on suspicion of being under the influence of methamphetamine and possessing a loaded gun while sitting in his car near a youth shelter in Huntington Beach. Shelter employees called police after they saw a suspicious man walking around the shelter. When officers got there, Hawkins was sitting in his car with a gun and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested, charged and pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of possessing methamphetamine while armed and of possessing the drug.

Since Hawkins will be charged with both drug and gun charges, it is likely that he may face some prison time. Luckily, police got there when they did because it was unclear what Hawkins planned to do with the loaded gun while under the influence of a mind altering substance. Although everyone has the right to own a gun under the Second Amendment, there are restrictions on where you can have the gun. If you have any questions pertaining to gun laws, look up your city and state regulations. Whether you live in Coto De Caza, Costa Mesa or Fullerton, if you are charged with drug or gun charges, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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