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In Murrieta on Sunday, Ezekiah James allegedly went onto his neighbor’s patio, removed his neighbor’s pet parakeet from its cage, ripped off its head, threw the dead bird at the neighbor’s window and then smashed the window with his fist. Police were called and they arrested James for animal cruelty, vandalism and public intoxication. Apparently, James and his neighbor had been involved in some dispute which may have triggered James to react this way.

Animal cruelty is a serious crime because it involves hurting a defenseless animal. What James allegedly did was considered active animal cruelty since it was an intentional and deliberate harm to an animal, while having malicious intent. The sentence for animal cruelty can be anywhere from a citation or fines to prison time. Whether you live in Huntington Beach, Fullerton or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Naomi Perez was a teacher at Saddleback High School in Santa Ana while allegedly having an intimate relationship with one of her students over the summer. At the end of August, Perez and the student broke it off and allegedly Perez vandalized the student’s car. The student reported the vandalism which triggered an investigation that led to the accusations against Perez. She was charged with three felony counts of sex related crimes and a misdemeanor vandalism count. Since the accusations, Saddleback High School terminated her from her position. If she is convicted of these crimes, she faces around 4 years in prison.

Sex with a minor is always illegal, regardless if it is consensual or non-consensual. Lately, we have been hearing more stories about teachers sleeping with their children and most of us do not understand how this happens. The teacher may feel that since the student is initiating the relationship, it is legal, but it’s not, and it is their responsibility to make sure no relationship ever starts. A possible defense to a claim of child molestation/sexual assault is if the adult does not know the child’s real age and thinks they are over 18. In this case, since this student was still in high school, that defense will likely fail. Whether you live in Tustin, Villa Park or San Clemente, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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This week, Army Spc. Jason Scofield, 37, was charged with eight felony counts of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old. Before joining the army, Scofield was a gymnastics instructor in Tustin. Allegedly, earlier this year, Scofield had a three-month-long intimate relationship with a 16-year-old girl he met while working as an instructor. After the relationship ended, the girl told a friend, who told her parents and the relationship was eventually reported to police. At the time police had enough evidence to arrest him, he had joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Arizona, so they arrested him there and extradited him to California. He is currently out on bail and his arraignment hearing is scheduled for December. If Scofield is convicted of all eight charges, he is facing up to seven years and eight months in prison.

Scofield is facing serious charges and needs an experienced defense attorney right away. One possible defense to the charge of sexual assault with a minor is if the suspect did not know the girl was under 18. Often times, the charge of sexual assault with a minor is brought even though there was a consensual intimate relationship between the suspect and the victim. If both of these people were over 18, Scofield would not be guilty of any crime. Unfortunately for him, she was under 16 and if he is convicted of this crime, he will no longer be able to be in the Army or be a gymnastics instructor.

Whether you live in Lake Forest, Irvine or Villa Park, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

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This week, Santa Ana resident Inocente Secundino Jr. was convicted of special circumstances gang murder of Steven Christopher Arreguin, that may result in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Secundino and Arreguin were rival Santa Ana gang members and their gangs had gotten into a fight on that day in July of 2006. As Arreguin was turning to run away, Secundino shot him in the back of the head, killing him. Secundino then left the state and was placed on the Santa Ana’s most wanted list. In 2008, officers found Secundino living in Oregon with family members, using a new identity. He was arrested on suspicion of murder, charged and convicted. His sentencing hearing will likely take place next month.

Since Secundino killed a rival gang member, he received a special circumstance enhancement which could qualify him for life in prison without the possibility of parole. Any crime done in furtherance of a gang automatically adds time to your sentence. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Westminster or Fullerton, if you are charged with murder or gang crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. Possible defenses to a gang crime include not being a member of a gang or not doing the crime for the benefit of the gang. A possible defense to murder includes the lack of intent to kill or self defense. In this case, since Secundino shot Arreguin in the back of the head, the defense attorney cannot use the defense of self defense.

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Christopher John Ontiveros was arrested this week for allegedly assaulting a female student from the Oxford Academy in Cypress, a school that has been voted best high school in Orange County for two years in a row. Ontiveros is an AP European and U.S. history teacher and his wife is a physical education teacher at the school. Investigators claim that they believe Ontiveros had been having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor for a few months. After they gathered enough evidence, officers arrested Ontiveros on suspicion of felony sexual assault, felony battery, sexual communication with a minor, grooming a minor and child annoyance. He has not yet been charged.

With such serious charges against Ontiveros, he is looking at serious prison time if he is convicted of all of these crimes. Even though the relationship with the minor may have been consensual, having an intimate relationship with anyone under 18 is considered statutory rape/sexual assault. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Laguna Woods or La Palma, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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On Tuesday night, detectives were conducting surveillance of the Orange County Church of Christ in Irvine in the 100 block of Goodyear. Detectives noticed Izad Chavoshan putting a trash can near the front door of the church and lighting the contents on fire. They then noticed him lighting scraps of paper on fire and then trying to put the burning paper through the church door. Detectives stopped him, searched him and arrested him for suspicion of arson. They found matches on him and lighter fluid in his car. Detectives are looking into four separate similar arson attempts and think that Chavoshan was a member of the church at one time but became disenchanted due to philosophical differences.

Arson is the act of intentionally and maliciously setting fire to property, land, business or a residential building. Penalties can range anywhere from no jail time to almost 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of the damage. Whether you live in Newport Beach, Mission Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with arson, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. Your attorney may be able to help lower your charges or sentence.

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After receiving several complaints regarding a house in Placentia that was allegedly tied to illegal drug activity, police arranged a stakeout on Finnell Way and Alta Vista Street this week. Officers observed a Lexus with two men inside of it, pull up to the house and a man come out of the house. Police observed Kyle Robert Snowden emerging from his house with something in his hand. He then handed something to the passengers of the Lexus, Ricardo Francisco Ramos and Donald Joseph Smith. Police stopped the passengers of the car and searched them. Police found heroin on Smith so they arrested him. They cited Ramos with loitering with the intent to engage in drug-related activities, but did not arrest him.

Police then searched Kyle Robert Snowden and found heroin, prescription pills and cocaine on his person. They arrested him and took him to jail. After searching the residence of Snowden, they found psilocybin (the active ingredient in illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms), marijuana, heroin and ecstasy on Snowden’s roommate, Gregory Bryce Slatic and he was also arrested.

All three men were charged with possession of a controlled substance and all three pled not guilty. Whether you live in Tustin, Santa Ana or Fullerton, if you are charged with drug crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in fighting your charges or lowering your sentence.

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Dan Berrey Harkey was arrested this week for breaking into two lockers at a 24-Hour Fitness gym in Irvine. He attempted to rummage through a third locker, but a witness confronted Harkey, so he took off with the cash that he had found in the other two lockers, about $180. He got away before police arrived, but witnesses had seen his license plate. After investigators found out where Harkey lived, they arrested him on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools. He was using bolt cutters and a pry bar to break into the lockers.

Burglary is the entering of a structure with the intent to commit a felony. Here, since Harkey brought burglary tools into the gym, it is clear that he had the intent to commit a burglary. If Harkey is convicted of this burglary charge, it can count as a strike on his criminal record. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Mission Viejo or Anaheim, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Carlos Rosario Gonzales was convicted this week of murdering a bouncer at a topless nightclub in Santa Ana in 2006. Gonzales, a construction worker at the time of the incident, got off of work and went to the nightclub with some of his co-workers. While there, he allegedly touched an employee inappropriately and was then escorted out by bouncer Michael Blackenhorn. A fight erupted and Gonzales got a gun from his toolbox and shot Blackenhorn, who died two days later in the hospital. Since he was convicted of first-degree murder with enhancements for using a gun, Gonzales faces from 50 years to life in prison.

Gonzales clearly had anger issues that erupted on the night of the incident. If you know you have anger problems, it is best not to own a gun. It is unlikely that Gonzales would have been able to murder Blackenhorn if it were not for the gun he had. If you are charged with murder, you will immediately be arrested and subject to questioning. Do not speak with officers until an attorney is present. If you can afford an attorney, hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in investigating the charges and preparing a defense.

Whether you live in Orange, Brea or La Palma, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Oscar David Duenas has been arrested on suspicion of raping 3 prostitutes in the Garden Grove area in the last month. Allegedly, Duenas would pick up prostitutes along Harbor Boulevard in Westminster and then take them to a secluded area and rape them. These prostitutes reported the sexual assaults and an investigator noticed that the description of the crime and the suspect matched other rape complaints. Police arrested Duenas last week on rape charges and he is expected to be arraigned next week on charges of rape, false imprisonment and robbery.

Often, prostitutes are afraid to report physical or sexual abuse because of their illegal occupation. Here, it is not clear if the prostitutes will be charged or if there is a credibility issue due to their profession. If you are charged with rape, an experienced attorney will investigate the claims and the evidence against you. If there is a credibility issue with the witnesses, the defense attorney will use that to your advantage in hopefully lowering or dropping the charges against you. Whether you live in Irvine, Aliso Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in your legal matters.

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