Tag: SANTA ANA
O.C. Man Gets Nearly 10 Years in Prison After Kidnapping Woman, Carving His Name on Her Chest
A Santa Ana man who carved his name on a woman’s chest was sentenced to nearly a decade in state prison on Friday.
Sergio Mendoza is shown in a booking photo provided to the Los Angeles Times by Santa Ana police in 2015.
Sergio Joaquin Mendoza, 27, kidnapped, threatened and physically harmed a woman he was in a “romantic relationship” with in 2015, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Over the course of four days in March 2015, he repeatedly punched the unidentified victim, forced her to sit in his car while he worked and threatened her if she tried to leave the vehicle.
Then, two days after that ordeal, he told the victim “he would let her leave if she allowed him to carve his name onto her chest,” the DA’s office said in a news release.
He used a razor blade to write his first name on her chest.
He drove her around, again threatening her with more violence if she left the vehicle, punched her and head-butted her, and tried to strangle her.
Nonetheless, the victim was able to escape, run into a local business and call police.
Mendoza was arrested three days after the woman escaped.
On March 9 of this year, he was convicted of felony kidnapping, criminal threats, false imprisonment, and two counts of domestic battery with corporal injury. He was also found guilty of misdemeanor false imprisonment.
An Orange County judge sentenced him to nine years and eight months in state prison. When he was arraigned in 2015, the DA’s office said he faced a maximum sentence of 11 years and eight months.
Man Trying to Buy Candy at Santa Ana 7-Eleven Goes on Violent Rampage in Store After Credit Card Is Declined $.75 M&M’s
Santa Ana police Wednesday released surveillance video showing a man who assaulted a 7-Eleven employee after his credit card was declined as they sought the public’s help in locating him, authorities said.
The incident occurred inside the 7-Eleven located at 902 W. First St. on Feb. 11, according to a Santa Ana Police Department news release.
The man was trying to purchase a pack of M&M candy when his credit card was declined, causing him to get angry, police told KTLA.
Video showed the customer reaching over the counter and hitting the employee on his head. He then violently pushes a cash register and printer off the counter, and shoves a basket of bananas to the floor.
After, customer walked over to the end of the counter where he threw bananas at another employee and pushed a second register off the counter, police said.
His actions caused an estimated $700 of damage to the store, police said.
“Based on his actions over a 75 cent-bag of M&M’s, I’m not sure what his reaction would be to something that’s really serious,” Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said about the man.
The man is described as white, 30 to 35 years old, about 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11, between 180 and 200 pounds, with short black hair and a light complexion, police said. He also had black prescription glasses.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about the case is encouraged to call Investigator Laura Delisle at 714- 245-8647 or email [email protected].