1900s | 1950 | 2000

1892

August 21

2,000 people pay their respects to Francisco Torres at his funeral, after his lynching by a mob the previous day. Torres was being held for the murder of Captain William McKelvey on July 21 near the home of Madame Modjeska in the Santa Ana Canyon. Torres was lynched at the corner of Sycamore and Main from a telephone pole. According to the Times: "Pinned on the breast of the corpse was a placard on which was written: 'A CHANGE OF VENUE.' His hands were tied behind him and his feet were bound together, one foot being bare and the other with a stocking on. An undershirt and dark pair of pants were the only clothing on the body. Torres's face told the story of terrible suffering, a bungling job and a desperate struggle for life. So quietly was the lynching done that it did not even arouse the guests in the Hotel Brunswick, not fifty feet away." Torres is later buried in the Potter's Field of the cemetery.

1896

June 29

The Times posts an announcement at the request of James Irvine: "It is said that James Irvine of the San Joaquin ranch is desirous of having a beet-sugar factory located on this large domain in Orange County. Mr. Irvine is quoted as saying that he does not have much faith in the cooperative scheme at Anaheim, but that if some capitalist will indicate that he is ready to put some money into the building of a factory, that he will do his part in the way of furnishing land for the growing beets.

1897

June 23

On June 21 Santa Ana City Council members vote for an "anti-expectoration ordinance" known as the "General Anti-Nuisance Bill" which includes the banning of spitting and from throwing banana or orange peels on the sidewalks or curbs in the city. During the discussion, it is suggested that hats be required to be removed in theaters and public halls. The matter is sent to the City Attorney for consideration.

1904

July 25

"There were 154 teachers employed in the county, and of this number 24 are men. The children of school age number 6,800, of whom 5,392 attended public schools and 1,023 attended private schools and 1,023 attended no school. There are 15 deaf children in the county and 4,374 that have never been vaccinated; 8,672 are native born and 77 foreign born," according to the Times.

1905

August 22

The first Buddhist burial ceremony in the history of Orange County takes place for K. Harishiba, a Japanese worker who was flung from his horse. The ceremony takes place at Smith & Son's undertakers and again when his body is interred. Reverend Izumida from Los Angeles' Buddhist Mission leads the ceremonies.

1907

April 3

Two blocks are given to the city of Santa Ana for the purposes of creating a park. The land is donated by H.R. Heninger and M.R. Heninger.

1912

April 4

Calling a group of International Workers of the World a "hoodlum gang," the Los Angeles Times reports on the union's presence in Fullerton and in Santa Ana. The group of 91 individuals seeks to counsel the members of its group in the Santa Ana Jail and in the San Diego jail. According to the Times: "The gang got off at Santa Ana and declared their intention of staying here until tonight.... The gang that is camped here today is composed largely of foreigners and youngsters, some of then not over 18 years of age. Dozens of them spent the day in the Santiago Creek bed."

1912

April 20

According to the Times, "Mrs. Kate Measor was put in jail this afternoon on a charge of selling liquor in no license territory so declared after an election under the Wylie local option law. The woman once served a term in jail for breaking the county prohibition laws. Deputy Sheriffs Squires, Stacy and Law and Constable Heard raided Mrs. Measor's house at Delhi and got a truckload of empty bottles, bottled beer and liquor. After being arrested the woman seized a monkey-wrench and smashed two five-gallon demijohns of wine."

1943

April 18

A series of weekly garden classes is sponsored by the Times Victory Garden Club each Saturday from 10 am to noon at Ninth Street and Pacific Street.

1953

October 16

Police Chief Boyd Hershey is fired from his job due to the predominance of prostitution and gambling in Santa Ana, despite repeated complaints made by residents. It appears he did nothing to stop this criminal activity. He has been a policeman for over 30 years and chief since 1946.

1954

August 15

15 year-old Dwight Curran wins the 4-H Garden Competition with 32,600 square foot plot of beans, corn, lettuce, peppers, squash and tomatoes.

1955

March 27

Inez A. Atencio works as a riveter at the Cherry Rivet Division plant of Townsend Company and makes $1.50 per hour. She wins England's Grand National Steeplechase. Atencio lives with her sister and brother-in-law on Garnsey Street.

1956

February 11

Police Chief Edward Allen announces the suspension and resignation of four police officers involved in local burglaries over a five year period. According to the Allen: "The accused men said they took much of the loot home in police cars, sometimes in such quantity that it stuck out the window." They officers also admitted to "shaking down" Mexican immigrants for money on the threat of deportation. Allen adds: "Appalling as the crimes and depredations have been, I am also deeply concerned about the perverted sense of loyalty adopted by some of the officers. Many who did not participate in the crimes nevertheless shared guilty knowledge, since it is admitted that it was  'common gossip' around the squad rooms and became the topic of jokes and gibes."

1958

July 8

Construction begins on the new library at 8th Street and Van Ness.

1959

September 8

On September 7, two police officers are attacked after responding to a disturbance of the peace call at Joseph Roa's home at 2137 W. 7th Street. According to accounts, officer Ronald Helson asked Roa to turn down his radio, which was on the front porch, words were exchanged, Roa resisted arrest, and a "riot" followed in which 50 men attacked Helson, who is in serious condition at Orange County Hospital. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Roa began to struggle with Helson when the policeman attempted to arrest him, officers said, and men began pouring out of the house to aid him. The out-numbered officers fired shots in the air to control the fracas, but no one paid any attention, officers said. Roa was apparently hit by a stray bullet, according to police." Roa is in critical condition. Six men and one 13 year-old boy are arrested for "violating California's little-used 'lynch law,' which prohibits taking a prisoner from an officer."

1960

June 5

Tsuneji Chino, who lives with his wife Miyoshi at 845 E. McFadden, will receive the Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasurer from Japan's Emperor Hirohito. Chino has been involved in farming since 1905, when he came here from Japan. In the 1920s he farmed 200 acres of sugar beets on the McFadden Ranch and later developed a celery farm in Chula Vista. According to the Times: "He campaigned for education, Americanization and naturalization of Japanese people in Orange County." Chino is one of 27 Japanese Americans who will be honored by Emperor Hirohito.

1965

March 15

The intersection at Raitt Street and McFadden Avenue, along with 100 other intersections, receive traffic signals.

1965

April 10

The Santa Ana City Council made public a report that investigated the police department. The report concludes that morale is low on the force due to divisions within department. There are 23 members of the John Birch Society on the force. These members are alleged to have used police time to plan political activities against Chief Edward J.Allen.

1965

June 8

Santa Ana resident Rose Mary Thompson is the first woman allowed entrance into Cal Poly Pomona University and is the first woman to graduate in 1965 with a degree in electronic engineering.

1965

August 21

Shirley Temple Williams, a 21-year-old African American woman is arrested with four teenagers for alleging throwing a molotov cocktail at the Power Unit Sales office and at a parked car, causing $300 in damages.

1965

September 8

The Orange County Conference of Racial Equality asks the Santa Ana City Council to create a civilian review board of police conduct. The request is part of a five point plan presented by CORE. The author of the plan, Oree Dyes, writes: "Our own city, Sana Ana, has no Negro policeman, no Negro firemen and only a scant few in the city government agencies, totally unrepresentative of the large number of Negroes and minorities in the community.

1966

December 7

Harlen D. Lambert is hired by the Santa Ana Police Department. He is the first African American police office officer hired in Orange County, according to the Los Angeles Times. Lambert is originally from Louisiana and moves to Santa Ana in 1961. He is working as a laboratory technician at US Rubber Company when he decides to apply for the force.

1968

April 4

After meeting with Governor Ronald Reagan, Santa Ana Mayor Tom McMichael has called for a study on unemployment and minorities in Santa Ana.

1968

April 8

A "predominantly white audience" of 3,000 mourns the murder of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in a 90 minute memorial service at the Santa Ana Bowl. The event is sponsored by the Santa Ana-Tustin Council of Churches, the Community Action Council of Orange County and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. According the Times: "Many were crying openly in the closing minutes as Negro and white filed hand-in-hand from the stadium as they sang "We Shall Overcome."

1968

April 9

A retired Navy chief petty officer Wyatt Frieson has decided to renovate an old service station to make service station that will provide job training for African American youth. Frieson receives support from the Orange County Partners for Progress, an organization "which aid Negroes in finding jobs and becoming self-sustaining citizens." Partners for Progress arranged for a contract with Mobil Oil and financing from a group of Orange County businessmen. Frieson notes the training for youth will include how to deal with the public: "They must learn how to smile, how to take insults and how to be pleasant even when they feel lousy....They have to be taught to be salesmen."

1968

April 19

Parents sue the Santa Ana Unified School District on behalf of eleven students for its failure to "accept and utilize" federal funds earmarked for disadvantaged students. Title I funds are designated for students like those in Santa Ana who have scored the lowest in the County. The school population includes a 34.4% minority population of its 28,205 total students.

1968

April 19

Wyatt Frieson of Partners for Progress expresses disappointment in the mayor 6 point plan to deal with racial diversity in Santa Ana. Frieson is concerned about the quality of education for schools with minority students, which have been earmarked for cuts.

1968

April 20

In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, a group of Christian ministers resolve to form a chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to continue King's work. Led by Reverend Robert L. Nichols from the First Mission Baptist Church who hopes: "This will be an organization for al men, a coalition of Spanish, white and Negro. The only way to overcome obstacles of one another." The SCLC's goals are to register voters; conduct citizenship classes for Mexican Americans; stimulate neighborhood redevelopment in low-income areas; aid in the economic development of depressed areas; and conduct classes in "Negro heritage."

1968

July 2

The Santa Ana City Council votes (5 for, 2 against) to participate in the federally funded "War on Poverty" plan, going against past position. Santa Ana has a population of 146,000 residents; 15% are "Mexican-American" and 5% "Negro."

1968

June 9

The NAACP sponsors a workshop with 165 "Negro and white teen-agers" at the Santa Ana Community Center on May 11. The workshop reveals the feelings each group of students felt before and after the workshop. Both groups expressed mistrust for each other, learned from their parents and the media.

1968

September 14

A group of African American tenants request the help of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in dealing with their eviction.

1969

February 17

Assistant Superintendent of the Santa Ana School District announces the addition of more material related to "black culture" in school curricula.  According to the Los Angeles Times, the Santa Ana school district's minority population is 37% of total enrollment; with more than 2,000 "Negro students and more than 8,000 students with Spanish surnames." The addition of "black culture" will begin at Santa Ana Valley High School under the direction of Richard Grumblatt, chairman of the social science department. According to the article, "Grumblatt's research included a summer trip through the South and involvement in the poverty march to gain insight about the Negro and his problems."

1969

June 7

Three men are charged with the murder of Santa Ana Police Officer Nelson A. Sasscer on June 4. The three men are all members of the Black Panther Party and include Daniel M. Lynem who is in custody, Nathaniel Odis Grimes and Arthur DeWitte League who are still being sought. Immediately following the shooting, African Americans allege the police intimidated and harassed African American residents. A group of 16 residents sign and send an open letter to the police chief attesting to being victims of police harassment and asking him to control officers.  According to the Los Angeles Times: "As far as we can tell, this murdered officer was not the object of any particular ill will in the black community. Nor was this killing a part of any organized plot aimed at the police officer....There are no outside agitators. There is no desire for violence on the part of the black community. Please insure that your men do not become the agitators."

1969

June 12

Members of the Inter-Denominational Ministerial Alliance meet with Santa Ana's Mayor and City Manager to open communications between the city and African American residents. The ministers report that since the murder of Officer Sasscer African Americans "have been stopped and searched at gun point and of having their homes broken into by police."

1969

June 14

The Orange County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference discuss the "contradictions" in city response to their concerns of police abuse. According to the Los Angeles Times: "The mayor and city manager have told us that they would do everything they could to see that the alleged actions did not happen again. But last night, Chief Allen said that if another policeman is killed, the same thing would happen. We are here to decide what we can do to cope with these contradictions because talk alone is no good anymore. We have to have something concrete to present to the people to let them know this is not just in the hands of the city administration," according chapter president Reverend Melvin Williams. "The feeling is that if the police department is the only agency to say if a complaint against the police is justified or not, no one is going to believe them." The group calls for a Human Relations Commission.

1969

June 26

The Community Action Council joins a growing list of groups calling for a Human Relations Commission. Two of the three alleged murderers of a Santa Ana police officer are still at large.

1969

June 28

The Santa Ana Board of Education applies for $1.7 million in federal funding to develop Santa Ana College, funding to help communities deemed "educationally disadvantaged," ESL programming and bilingual projects.

1969

November29

Arthur D. League enters a plea of innocent to murder charges in Municipal Court. League is alleged to have killed police officer Nelson Sasscer. League is a member of the Black Panther Party and is arrested in July after the FBI tracked his location to the home of actor Donald Sutherland, who was out of the country at the time.

1970

May 11

The underground Movement for a Democratic Military sponsor a four-mile peace march and rally at the Santa Ana Memorial Park. 2,000 participants listened to speeches given by members of the military who did not provide their full names in fear of reprisal. MDM has 12 demands including a stop to all alleged military censorship and intimidations; abolition of existing court martial systems; wages commensurate with the minimum federal wage; an immediate pull out from Vietnam; and end to the draft. Others spoke against the US presence in Cambodia.

1971

June 28

According to Ruben Alvarez of the Community Improvement Committee, minority residents are unhappy with the city's plans to not rebuild center city schools and to send minority students to predominantly Anglo schools in the outlying area: "The people in the community feel that if they want to reach ethnic balance, why not build schools here--two ore three big ones, in fact--and have children bussed to our community?" According to Mrs. Halfrid Moore: "This is another white racist perpetuation of their ideals of equity. I feel blacks and browns do not want to be homogenized into suburbia." The Times notes Moore is responsible for raising public opinion among minority residents, despite being an "Anglo." The vote to send minority students to outlying schools was made on June 1 and the School Board did not consult with those who would be affected. Moore is calling for a citizen's committee: "Mrs. Moore says the plan, proposed to achieve ethnic balance, is not equitable because it involves movement in only one direction--out of the inner city."

1971

September 15

250 Santa Ana residents listen to School Board President Charles Paskerian discuss the city's plan for bussing scheduled to start in 1972. According to Paskerian, all California cities must comply with state guidelines that require individual schools not vary more than 15% in ethnic balance from the school district average. Approximately, 1,700 students will be bussed to meet this requirement. One meeting attendee objects to the plan based on civil rights. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Mrs. Mary Pryer said that telling a child he must go to a certain school because he is black is depriving him of his civil rights. She said a group has been formed to follow this and other points of law to their ultimate conclusion." The School Board hopes parents will volunteer their children to be part of the bussing program. Different organizations urge the Board to rescind or delay its decision including the Santa Ana Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Ana Tustin-Orange Board of Realtors.

1972

June 7

Hundreds of students from seven Santa Ana high schools walk out of their classes at 1 pm in a mass exodus and walk out to protest school conditions. Students walk out despite threats of suspension by each school. 250 "Mexican-American and Negro students" walk to El Salvador Park. A similar walk out was staged the previous week at Santa Ana High School.  According to the Los Angeles Times, their specific demands include: "immediate effort to fill administration, faculty and staff positions with persons who reflect the ethnic makeup of the community. Reevaluation of discipline policies. An end to "mass" suspensions at Valley High School and Smedley Junior High. A "community person" with a position in the administration to ensure injustices are not committed. At least one Chicano counselor and nurse who speak Spanish at each school. Establishment of community advisory groups with direct input on discipline and curriculum. Construction of a new school "for the Chicano community" at the condemned Franklin Elementary site. Community aides at each school. Redefinition of the community aide position so that aide can implement new programs and have liaison with person in the community." Santa Ana police officers film the demonstration at El Salvador Park to ensure all participating students will be suspended.

1972

November 24

According to the Los Angeles Times studies indicate Santa Ana "Anglos" make up 52.65% of enrollment in schools and "non-Anglos" make up 47.35%. School district officials caution that this is not a result of "white flight" but lower birth rates in Anglo families.

1973

February 11

A series of free programs are hosted by the McFadden Branch of the Santa Ana Public Library including a concert by Santa Ana Valley High School students, a story program for kindergarten children, Principal Joe Steele of Glenn Martin School will read poetry from James Weldon and Paul Lawrence Dunbar. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Concluding the week-long series of programs will be a lecture entitled 'Black History in Poetry' presented by Richard Gordon. A resident of Santa Ana, Gordon is working on his master's degree in theater arts at Cal State and works as an Orange County probation officer."

1975

May 3

300 Orange County high school students attend Cinco de Mayo festivities at University of California Irvine's Gateway Plaza but gang violence erupts when members from Santa Ana's F Troop and Delhi gangs. One student is stabbed and two others are beaten. The two day event is sponsored by MECHA and Cesar Chavez is expected to speak on the next day.

1976

March 13

US Federal Judge Warren J. Ferguson issues an 84-page opinion that concluded the hiring practices in Santa Ana's Police and fire departments discriminated against Mexican Americans. The suit is first brought to the court in 1974 on behalf of the League of Latin American Citizens.

1980

January 9

Greenville Fundamental School opens on the corner of Raitt Street and MacArthur Boulevard. The opening is originally planned for 1978 but is delayed due to construction problems. The school can accommodate 720 students but opens with 514 students and 18 teachers. Its principal, Joan Ranney tells the Times: "a fundamental school puts more emphasis on basic subjects, includes patriotism in the curriculum, assigns homework nightly and adheres to tough student conduct standards." The school is criticized by some for "accommodating Anglo flight from neighborhood schools in a heavily ethnic minority school district. It serves students throughout the southern half of the district, and Muir Fundamental serves the north half.

1982

August 10

Pete Major, executive director for Civic Center Barrio Housing Corp announces the organization will begin construction on two acres on the west side of North Raitt Street between 3rd street and Santa Ana Boulevard on land formerly part of Santa Ana Lumber Co. yard using "sweat equity." The project will build low-income condos and employ the labor of those slated to live in them, following a plan first done in Oakland. According to the Times: "Planners expect the condos to be worth about $90,000 apiece when completed, although the purchase price will be about $50,000 due to the savings in labor."

1983

June 20

Naoma Capps organizes a neighborhood boycott of ice cream trucks due to two fatal accidents and several near accidents with drivers. Trucks drivers use Myrtle Street and its environs to cater to barrio residents. In 1982 20 month old Angle Godoy was killed on West 6th Street and 9 year-old Juan Lopez was killed on West Cubbon Street. No citations were issued to the drivers. Drivers pay $35 annual for a permit and Capps would like the permit fee to increase to $1,000.

1985

October 26

Kim Murphy and Hector Gutierrez of the Times report that Santa Ana ranks #11 as one of the worst cities in the United States, from a list of 184 major cities. The study is conducted by Zero Population Growth "a Washington-based organization that looked at the stressful effects of crime, pollution, economics, crowding and other ills of urban growth." While city officials dismiss the results, residents note that crime and crowding in local schools.

1985

November 3

Civic Center Barrio Housing Corp. helps 20 families complete construction of homes on Raitt Street last January. A second phase of the owner-builder projects is now ready to begin and organizers are inviting applications for 21 homes.

1986

March 5

The construction or rehabilitation of six homes will be undertaken by the Civic Center Barrio Housing Corp. as a result of an agreement approved by the City Council, which allocated $240,000 in federal funds. The corporation, which provides housing for low- and moderate-income residents, has selected Flower Park, a neighborhood east of Bristol Street between Civic Center Drive and 1st Street, for the project.

1987

February 12

Santa Ana is the target of a federal Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) raids for another time, to the protests of local merchants and residents. 84 Mexican men and women and one 16-year-old boy from El Salvador are detained at the Orange County Transit District Terminal and while conducting business along 4th Street. Business owners like Alan Kunski, who owns a furniture store, form a coalition to protest such raids as they provoke fear in the neighborhood. The Mayor of Santa Ana sent a letter to President Reagan in 1986 asking for a stop to the raids but never hears a response.

1987

February 15

Andy Rose  of the Times reports that Santa Ana Police Chief Raymond Davis is retiring after serving fourteen years as the city's Chief law enforcement officer. He is considered controversial for his choice to not cooperate with federal INS sweeps. According to Davis: "Sweeps and deportations of undocumented residents are useless because most will be back within 72 hours. The only result is that they'll have to pay 'coyotes' to bring them back into the country, putting them deeper in debt and more easily prone to crime." Others argue that such sweeps are necessary to relieve the city of crime.

1987

May 4

Organizers are expecting 16,000 participants in this year's Cinco de Mayo celebration. It is the third time Santa Ana celebrates the Mexican national holiday for the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 in which Mexico defeated France's invasion. This year includes performances by Mexican actors and free counseling from nonprofits offering information on amnesty and help on the recent immigration reform act.

1988

January 24

The Minnie Street Project is an effort to help the low-income communities living within its 15 square blocks who include Latinos and Southeast Asians at a community center located in a former church. The center will provide services to neighborhood residents like ESL courses, health services like general check ups and prenatal car, immigration counseling and job training. Within this space are 12,000 residents including 70% Latino, 20% Cambodian population. Los Angeles Times staff writer David Reyes reports its demographics:  "An 86% unemployment rate among the Cambodian population and a 38% unemployment rate for the area's Latinos--compared to Orange County's Overall unemployment figure of only 3.3% in October 1987. Sever depression in the Cambodian population, attributed to post-traumatic stress syndrome. During the regime of former Cambodian Premier Pol Pot, a third of the country's population--or more than 3 million people--died from torture and murder." Reyes cites other factors that plague the neighborhood including the potential for an AIDS outbreak due to the high rate of intravenous-drug use in the neighborhood.

1989

February 19

The Santa Ana based nonprofit Civic Center Barrios provides housing for displaced residents. One group they assist is the Olivo family whose former landlord raised the rent without warning on their "dilapidated" 3-bedroom house from $900 a month to $1,200. Civic Center Barrios is responding to a housing crisis in Santa Ana and the demand for low-income rental housing and was formed after low-income housing was unfairly destroyed and replaced with condominiums in the 1970s. According to CCB executive director Helen Brown, in 1980, the developers agreed to pay Civic Center Barrio Housing Corp, --which the residents had voted to form that year to represent their interests--$1.4 million in lieu of the 58 low-income units they had promised to build. "Those [families] could have taken the money ... and split it up. Instead, the money gave Civic Center Barrio the means to do something concrete with its political muscle. All of a sudden, we were no longer just a community organization."

1989

June 23

Jean Davidson  of the Times reports that the police in Santa Ana note that drive-by shootings are increasing, in comparison to reports from 1988. "Police on Thursday sought a gunman who fired from a speeding car about 8:45 pm Wednesday, wounding two boys riding on a bicycle in the 2300 block of West Monte Vista Avenue. The gunman then shot a 21-year-old man and wounded another teen-ager after the car rounded the corner to the 600 block of South Townsend Street. Some of the victims were wounded several times, but all are expected to live, police said."

1989

September 11

Violence breaks out at Orange County first Gay Pride Parade. Six individuals are arrested after confronting protestors: "About 75 gay participants of the parade, some of them members of the militant homosexual groups Act Up of Los Angeles and the Orange County Visibility League, encircled about 20 - 25 fundamentalists on a grassy knoll near the corner of Mohawk and Edinger about 1:30 pm. The gays began chanting "kiss, kiss, kiss" and several pairs began kissing each other. Several of the fundamentalists, clearly out numbered, tried to retreat as they yelled 'Repent! Repent!'"

1989

September 23

The City of Santa Ana Recreation and Community Service Agency's gang prevention program called Project PRIDE sponsors a youth march and rally around City Hall and the Civic Center. The PRIDE march is co-sponsored by Comcast Cablevision and the Drug Use Is Life Abuse Foundation.

1990

January 22

Reporter Jere Witter documents the ill effects of the city's new strategy to begun on June 6, 1988 to "clean up" the homeless population: "According to a claim filed, on the night of Oct. 16, in Civic Center Mall, one cop felt compelled to slug and wrestle down an inoffensive black man while four other cops stood by. The victim took his bruised ribs and bulging eye to a lawyer, and the names of the principals involved are now a matter of public record....On Nov. 22, according to a number of witnesses, another officer scattered a group of homeless and announced in a voice audible to most of east Santa Ana that he hated "niggers and Mexicans." ...[on Nov. 26] this same officer (his superiors have his name and badge number) was cruising the lumberyard near the Amtrak station looking for targets.  The person he found is well-known around Santa Ana as one of the city's most piteous poor. She is ragged and unwashed, has been homeless as long as she can remember, and she drags her lame right leg behind her as she forages trash cans for food. She is undersized and undernourished and drinks beer to kill her pains and lubricate a dreadful existence. I know her well, this lady. She has a number of aggravating habits, but fantasizing isn't one of them, and I'm afraid I believe her when she says this officer seized her and cracked her head against a lumber pile and bore her to the ground, leaving her with the left side of her face fractured, a blackened left eye and a citation for drinking in public. The officer admits a scuffle but claims the woman "took an aggressive stance." He was good enough to sign his name to the ticket, and because two experienced lawyers also believe the woman's story, he will have the chance to explain his techniques in court."

1990

April 28

Lily Eng  of the Times report that because 1990 has already resulted in 8 deaths and 50 gang-related shootings, the Santa Ana Police Department announces it will add more members to the gang detail unit.

1990

May 13

Sonni Efron of the Times reports: "Hector De La Torre, 24, of Santa Ana, said to be a member of the F-Troop gang, and Oscar "Tiny" Jiminez, 18, of Garden Grove, allegedly part of the Anaheim Westside gang, are stabbed to death outside a home on 8th Street in Garden Grove. Friends said their attackers were members of a third gang, the Hoodlum Crips of Garden Grove. The day after the shooting, police arrested Steven Joseph Salazar, 23, of Santa Ana. Though investigators identified him as a gang member, they declined to specify which gang. One investigator said he has found gang members who save their press clippings in photo albums and view them as a status symbol. MARCH 4 8:10 P.M.: Argument at a Dance Studio Jesus Gutierrez, 21, of Garden Grove, is killed by gunfire from a passing car as he and a friend stand in front of a house on West Henderson Place in Santa Ana. Witnesses said Gutierrez, who died at the scene, hung around with gang members. Also wounded was Juan Manuel Alcantar, a 25-year-old Santa Ana man who described himself as a former member of the Middleside gang. A RECORD GANG DEATH TOLL With at least 17 deaths in the first five months of this year, law enforcement authorities say gang violence is surpassing 1989, when roughly 16 gang-related murders were committed at this time."

1991

January 18

Mark Landsbaum & Kristina Lindgren of the Times report: "Demonstrators were met with occasional jeering and counterdemonstrations by supporters of the U.S.-led air attacks on Iraqi forces. About 22 Santa Ana police officers clad in riot gear barred the protesters from entering the Federal Building. Santa Ana police identified the nine as Timothy Adam, 24, Santa Ana; Paul DuNard, 47, Buena Park; Ben Miles, 36, Huntington Beach; Dennis Moynahan, 26, Buena Park; Paco Marmolejo, 39, Fullerton; Jeanie Bernstein, 67, Laguna Beach; Linda Schatzman, 34, Anaheim; Melissa Morrow, 25, Costa Mesa, and Marion Pack, 44, Norco."

1991

January 19

Bill Billiter of the Times reports that the Gulf War is in its third day of bombing and anti-war protesters at the Federal Building are outnumbered by backers of the Persian Gulf War.

1991

January 20

James M. Gomez of the Times reports that police estimate that 2,000 of Santa Ana's estimated 7,500 gang members are "hard core" and involved in criminal activities. One new program notifies parents of children picked up by police as being in a gang in order to identify and stop the growth of gangs. The program relies upon other youth to report on gang activities.

1991

March 25

Rose Apodaca of the Times reports that the first Monday of every month is a poetry reading at "The Factory," an organized event that takes place at Casa Palmas Mexican Restaurant. It is organized by Jana Kiedrowski. She is inspired by her teacher Lee Mallory. The Factory starts in 1988.

1992

March 7

John O'Dell of the Times reports that Jeff and Rolinda Biscotti are fixing up an historic home in at Sycamore and Pine Streets. The home is over 100 years old, 3,000 square feet and known as the Duggan home, built in 1905 by insurance salesman William Lee Duggan.

1992

May 1

Dan Weikel of the Times reports that OC Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton calls off Santa Ana events like the skinhead punk concert at El Nuevo Monterey at 601 N. Harbor due to the LA Riots. There are some "disturbances" in Santa Ana on Thursday night following the Rodney King verdict but police have maintained order.

1992

April 12

The federal program Weed and Seed will begin in Santa Ana. According to the Los Angeles Times: "The first amounted to what could only be called a peace conference, one of a series of such gatherings held on Saturday afternoons since January in Delhi Park. The idea originated among rival gang members serving in prison together who wanted to prevent others from following in their footsteps. They apparently also wanted to help protect their families because they felt helpless to do so. On a recent Saturday, about 200 gang members-representing eight gangs-mingled without incident. Then they listened intensely as two men, both of whom said they had been affiliated with gangs, urged gang members to "stop all this madness." One of the men grimly described what it was like to be in prison. "They bring you food like a dog, and it's already cold and there are flies all over it," he said. It takes courage to stage these gatherings. They are a small sign of hope that at least some gang youths want to decrease the violence that frightens communities and puts so many of their friends in jail or graves prematurely."

1992

April 19

Dana Parsons of the Times reports that the mayor and mayor pro tem of Santa Ana are taking on the gang violence issue. Santa Ana is called the "sister city to West Beirut or Belfast."

1992

April 26

In the last week Santa Ana is reeling from a gang's "terrorist attack on an outdoor pick up basketball game at Santa Ana High School." One person is killed and three are wounded. The city's three year old gang unit is headed by Deputy District Attorney Doug Woodsmall underscores the importance of prevention and the need for after school programs for those in third grade forward.

1992

August 21

900 youth receive summer jobs as the result of federal funding allocated for "disadvantaged" communities in response to the Los Angeles Riots. Santa Ana's funding under the Job Training Partnership Act increases from $650,000 to $1.4 million. The program provides summer jobs in fast food restaurants, hospitals, libraries, parks and schools. The United Gang Council informs youth of the jobs, who then apply instead of "kicking it" with nothing to do.

1992

August 26

David Reyes of the Times reports that, "Nativo Lopez, national co-director of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, an immigrant rights' organization with a branch in Santa Ana, was among three people arrested Tuesday by police for allegedly refusing to disperse at a demonstration of striking drywall workers. Lopez said he was arrested on misdemeanor counts of obstructing a police officer, obstructing a street and refusing to disperse. He was released after posting $500 bail. According to Hermandad officials, Lopez and two others were arrested as demonstrators were moving to clear an entrance to a construction site near Velare Street and Orange Avenue. The work site is the same location where police in riot gear last week were confronted by an angry crowd of about 150 drywall workers. But police had a different version of events. Sgt. Jeff Roush said Lopez and the other two men arrested had refused to comply with officers' orders to clear the street as a bus tried to pass them. The other two men are Juan Antonio Segura, 19, of Fullerton and Victor Munoz Miranda, 19, of Santa Ana. During a telephone interview after his release, Lopez accused the police of overreacting. He said that as a bus carrying non-striking drywall workers was trying to enter the work site, police ordered protesters to disperse or face arrest. "I turned to the group of men and started telling the men to disperse when a lieutenant ordered his men forward. I got caught in between the police and the strikers and three officers pulled me out of the crowd and arrested me," Lopez said."

1992

September 10

John Nalick of the Times report that the city of Santa Ana agrees to pay Hector Rodriguez $150,000 as an out of court settlement for his case of police brutality against officer Steve Serrano for breaking his jaw by striking him with the butt of a gun. This is the fourth claim resolved with a financial settlement by the city including one case, according to reporter John Nalick, "in which a 5-year-old boy was handcuffed and questioned when he was suspected of causing a small garage fire."

1993

February 8

Eric Young reports that there is still hope for the gang truce started in 1992, despite the 22 gang related deaths over the year. According to Young, activists want veteranos to get involved with truce leaders so that the message is spread across the city to all of the gangs--especially the ones not honoring the truce.

1993

February 26

Residents clean up Jerome Park in an effort to "combat gang violence, drug-related crime, unemployment and neighborhood deterioration."

1993

March 5

Eric Young reports the violence of the previous week and interviews residents and city officials like Sergeant Dick Faust. According to Faust: "We've had worse weeks in the past."

1993

June 13

Thuan Le of the Times reports 200 people march in the second annual march to end street violence, which starts at City Hall and then goes one mile to El Salvador Park, which includes 10 barrios known for gang activity. The march is accompanied by three police vehicles who assist with traffic.

1993

October 17

Jodi Wilgoren of the Times reports that three residents are robbed at gunpoint at 1400 S. Townsend when they are outside drinking beer. One person is killed. Following the robbery another series of shootings takes place. According to reporter Jodi Wilgoren: "James Howlin, 37, and Toni Howlin, 35, both of Santa Ana, were at a drive-through restaurant at 2100 S. Bristol Street when they heard gunshots. The couple spotted two cars exchanging fire, and followed one of them across the city to 2100 W. 7th Street, where the car stopped and four people appeared in the street, toting guns. As the Howlins sat in their truck, the two groups shot at each other, leaving shell casings from shotguns and semiautomatic weapons at the scene.

1993

August 25

Mark Pinsky of the Times reports that Jose de Jesus Jimenez is shot twice in the back by Officer Steven Serrano in 1992. Jimenez is killed while fleeing from police. Mark Pinsky reports: "He was crouching behind a parked car when he was shot, the suit alleges. Police spokesmen said that Jimenez spun around and pointed a small-caliber gun at Serrano, prompting the officer to fire. The Jimenez family attorney, Rodolfo Ginez, Jr. said that there was no forensic evidence to connect the teenager with the weapon that police reportedly found near his body. ....In a 1990 case involving Serrano, the city of Santa Ana paid $150,000 to settle a brutality claim made by a man who claimed the officer broke his jaw during an arrest for gun possession." The Orange County district attorney declines to file charges in this case against Serrano.

1993

November 24

Two decades ago, the sharp teeth of a bulldozer swallowed the wood-frame homes of a Santa Ana barrio, forcing the exodus of hundreds of Mexican immigrant families who banded together in crisis and made el sueno imposible, the impossible dream, a reality. Even now many of these families can't quite believe that poor factory workers forced out of a downtown neighborhood to make way for pricey pools and condos could unleash their own bulldozers.

1993

December 6

Two decades ago, the sharp teeth of a bulldozer swallowed the wood-frame homes of a Santa Ana barrio, forcing the exodus of hundreds of Mexican immigrant families. In response, the immigrants banded together in crisis and created what they now call el sueno imposible, the impossible dream: They pooled their money from city relocation checks and a legal settlement fund to create a nonprofit housing organization that today is unleashing its own bulldozers across California.

1993

December 8

Reporter Alicia De Rado notes that a coalition of worshippers and residents in Santa Ana meet at St. Anne's Catholic Church to address gang violence. According to Mayor Daniel H. Young: "The gangs are killing the youth of the city. They are creating racial tension. They have virtually destroyed the reputation of this city....We intend to take the sternest possible measure." However, when pressed, Young indicates the responsibility lies with the parents of gang members.

1993

December 27

Eric Lichtblau of the Times reports that Santa Ana Police Department Officials deny any racial bias but agreed to settle a case out of court by paying 55 year old Crecencio Ruiz $200,000. According to reporter Eric Lichtblau, "Ruiz just needed a ride to the neighborhood market in 1990. But when a friend who offered him a lift rammed into a car driven by an off-duty cop, the ride turned into what some among minority groups would call a typical nightmare. The driver sped away from the scene, the 55-year-old Ruiz still buckled into the passenger seat. Once police cornered the getaway car a few blocks away in Santa Ana, sworn witnesses said that at least one officer-without any apparent provocation-pulled Ruiz out of the car, kneed him in the gut, and began hitting his head against the trunk of a car at the scene. The final insult, Ruiz's lawyer claimed, came when the slight immigrant was put in a black-and-white squad car and, still bleeding, vomited in the back seat. Police had him clean up the mess with his own shirt and then left him curbside as they pulled away from the scene, according to court depositions." Another Santa Ana bar owner, whose case was thrown out of court, alleges the police routinely harass her mostly Mexican clientele with drug searches and questioning..... Harassment may be unintentional, says Meir Westreich, a lawyer who regularly handles complaints against police in Orange County. But the "wars" against crime and drugs have produced a "battle mentality" among police, Westreich insists, and minorities in low-income neighborhoods have become unwitting targets. "The police act like an occupying army in a lot of these immigrant neighborhoods," he said. Mervyn S. Lazarus, a Santa Ana lawyer who also handles claims against police, agrees that police adopt a different attitude in lower-income areas of the county than they do in Irvine, for instance. "The officers are just more hyped up in those areas and I think are harsher in their treatment as a result," he said. Such attitudes are underscored by a recent Los Angeles Times Poll finding that Orange County minority group members held notably lower levels of trust in police than did whites. While 52% of whites polled said they had "a lot" of confidence that their local police would protect them, only 37% of Latinos and 27% of Asians gave that same answer. In addition, 15% of the Latinos interviewed claimed they had been the victims of "police brutality in Orange County"-most often through what they considered unnecessary searches-compared with 5% of the respondents among both whites and Asians. "If you are not American, they don't care about you," said poll respondent My Nguyen, 33, of Stanton, a laid-off McDonnell Douglas electrical worker who has two children. A native of Vietnam, Nguyen said she was so unhappy with the way police responded to problems at her home in the past that she didn't even bother to call them when someone broke into her husband's car. "Sometimes, because English is your second language and you don't speak well, they don't have patience. They don't even try to understand you," she said.

1994

February 6

Leslie Berkman of the Times reports, "The homeless man known as "Papa," pushing a cart heaped with his belongings, was moved to tears as the 1994 Black History Parade passed by on Broadway on Saturday. Impressed by the diversity of ethnic groups-Asians, Latinos, whites and African Americans-who turned out to march and line the street despite the cloudy morning, Papa watched silently as the parade swept by. "I love my people, and I am glad to see the parade was not just one color, but all colors unified," said Papa, who is black. "It makes me cry, because the street is full of love." Saturday's Black History Parade succeeded, its organizers said, in being a multiethnic celebration and an affirmation of African American culture to inspire the young. In all, 120 service clubs, drill teams, bands, equestrian units and other groups participated, some coming from as far as Los Angeles and San Diego. A parade organizer said about 3,500 people attended the event."

1994

March 17

A nonprofit group devoted to providing low-cost housing for the poor has won a $50,000 grant to aid in its work. The Santa Ana-based Civic Center Barrio Corp. was awarded the grant last week by Great Western Bank, a bank spokesman said. "We're very excited about it," said Helen R. Brown, Civic Center Barrio Corp. executive director. "The award is a strong endorsement from the housing and financial industries that our program is making a contribution that is both positive and significant."

1994

March 20

The City Council and Redevelopment Agency has pledged $900,000 to the nonprofit Civic Center Barrio Housing Corporation to buy and renovate 18 blighted apartments on West Myrtle Street and train residents to manage them. More than $400,000 in federal funds controlled by the city will be spent to buy and administer the three six-unit buildings in the 1900 and 2000 blocks of West Myrtle Street, according the council's decision this week.

1994

July 11

A five year old boy is wounded in a drive by shooting in the 2200 block of West Pomona near the intersection of Townsend and Pomona.

1995

February 12

Bill Mack, an officer in Santa Ana's Prince Masonic Lodge, decides to track down the lodge's founder and discovers that Joseph Collins is living as a destitute widower with Alzheimer's Disease. Mack is able to have Collins move in with he and his wife at their home from Santa Ana, a few blocks from the lodge Collins founded. Collins founds the Prince Masonic Lodge in 1958 "to help black brethren."  In October 1993 the Los Angeles Superior Court awarded conservatorship of Collins to Prince Hall member Melvin Shanks and conservatorship of his finances to Prince Hall member Warren Bussey. According to reporter Leslie Berkman:  "While sharing the same secret rites and the religion-rooted value of benevolence, the Prince Hall Masonic organization is separate from "mainstream" Masonry. It was founded after the American Revolution by Prince Hall, a black immigrant from Barbados, because blacks were not allowed into all-white Masonic lodges. Santa Ana's Prince Hall is housed in a time-worn, one-story stucco structure at 1403 W. 5th St., in the neighborhood where the vast majority of Orange County's blacks lived until the late 1970s."

1995

February 25

Jon Nalick of the Times reports that Juan and Victoria Salgado are renewing their wedding vows after 75 years of marriage. They live on Civic Center Drive. 100 guests are expected to attend.

1995

August 21

Orange County residents who participated in the Chicano Moratorium in 1970 met to remember the event and discuss current struggles and Proposition 187. They meet at Memorial Park.

1995

October 21

President William J. Clinton speaks in Santa Ana: October 17, 1996.

1995

December 23

Lee Romney and Geoff Boucher of the Times report that the family of slain 17-year-old Joseph Pulido allege officer shot him without warning, that he was unarmed and fleeing the scene. Officer Ernie Conde shot four times, two striking Pulido. Conde was named "1995 Officer of the Year" by his colleagues. A gun that was stolen from Torrance was retrieved on a lawn by the body, and allegedly thrown by the victim before being shot. Joseph Pulido's nickname was "Woofie" for his love of dogs.

1996

January 1

Thao Hua reports Santa Ana's deaths due to gang violence "totaled six more times than the previous year and one short of the record of 48 such deaths in 1993," according to police lieutenant Bob Helton. Mourners create a quilt called the "River of Tears" quilt as it documents seventy-five of those killed in the previous year. The quilt is four feet wide and more than 45 feet long. The quilt and mourners meet at the First United Methodist Church to comfort each other and acknowledge their profound loss.

1996

June 30

Renee Tawa reports a nondenominational ministry sponsors a six-week youth program that provides a free camp that has games and Bible study for hundreds of kids at three different locations including one at low-income apartments on Minnie Street and South Townsend.

1996

November 28

Lee Romney reports Sunny Aghi organizes effort to help the homeless. He is the president of the Indo-American Business Association, whose membership donates $7,000 for the event, which will take place behind the Civic Center Drive, at Ross and Civic Center Drive. Volunteers give away 250 blankets, donated clothing and meals of tandoori chicken, vegetables and soda.

1997

October 25

Enrique Lavin reports 9,000 fans are expected at Santa Ana Stadium to hear Alex Lora and his band El Tri. "In the early '70s, Alex Lora, singing exclusively in Spanish to his homeland's marginalized youth, helped give birth to Mexico's rock en espanol movement. Now, more than two decades later, the genre has spilled over the border to create a whole new music scene. Having recorded 29 albums in as many years, Lora--a name synonymous with his current band, El Tri--easily ranks as the first Mexican rock en espanol legend, and he's proud of it."

1997

November 19

Elliot Zaret reports that the Justice Department announces it will provide $225,000 in support for Santa Ana's "Weed and Seed" program in the New Horizons neighborhood. This program is in effect here since 1995 and in the Mid-City neighborhood in 1992. New Horizons is bound by Raitt and Flower Streets and Edinger and McFadden Avenues. Mid-City is to its west and bound by Raitt, Sullivan, McFadden and Edinger. The program "combines community policing with mentorships and neighborhood beautification programs in an attempt to reduce crime and gang violence. Justice officials boast a dramatic reduction in crime in those Santa Ana neighborhoods since the program began."

1997

December 14

Jeff Kass reports that since its inception in 1992, Santa Ana's Weed and Seed program has received $2.8 million from the federal government and the same amount matched by the city of Santa Ana. According to Kass: "Of the $2.8 million, $1.8 million has been spent on law enforcement programs...which included 16 officers originally assigned to sweep the area. Now four officers are assigned to the program." According to Santa Ana police lieutenant Mike Foote: "Our job is to come in and gain control-to weed out the criminal element in the community. We hold the barbarians at the gate long enough for the other programs to pay off." The other programs consist of the "seeding" part of the program and include Youth Education and Service (YES) which recruits youth to work in construction; Safe Haven which sponsors field trips and sports programs; and DEFY, a mentoring program between police and youth.

1998

May 15

Hue Thao reports that in a decision that may give greater protection to law enforcement officers in police brutality cases, an appellate court ruled that the burden of proof must be on the plaintiffs. The ruling Wednesday by the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana establishes a precedent in California, Justice William Bedsworth wrote in the decision. The decision came in a case brought by attorney Frank Barbaro of Santa Ana on behalf of Robert Edson, 28, who was shot to death by an Anaheim police officer following a high-speed car chase in 1989. The appellate court let stand a civil court jury's ruling that Officer Lee Smith acted reasonably under the circumstances.

1998

July 14

Twenty demonstrators protest the death penalty in front of the Main Place mall due to the execution of Thomas M. Thompson who is convicted of the 1981 rape and murder of a Laguna Beach woman. Thompson is executed that day.

1999

December 18

Agustin Gurza reports Koo's Cafe celebrates the opening night for "Abuelito's Mexican Christmas Card" and the stage receives an Aztec blessing.

2000

February 7

Jack Leonard reports Orange County law enforcement has had over 100 radio intrusions, wreaking havoc on communications. These security breaches are the result in changes in technology which allows hackers. According to reporter Jack Leonard:  Police officers in Santa Ana last month were forced to listen to a rap song from another hacker whose profanity-filled lyrics assailed officers, said Sgt. Luna. Under such verbal assaults, some officers try to use their radios to order hackers to stop broadcasting, but the tactic rarely works. Luna heard one 60-second rant in which the hacker sang profanity- laden rap songs attacking Santa Ana officers. 1I was stunned,' he said. 'He was so forthright and brazen with his comments. . . . It's almost like he's got a personal vendetta.'"

2001

October 13

Mai Tran reports an increase in gang related crime in Santa Ana. This increase is the result of the loss of federal funding for the Weed and Seed Program and the re-entrance of many gang members into the community. 30 gang members who were imprisoned in 1993 as part of "Operation Round up" are released from prison and have returned to Santa Ana. Experts note that the increase of gang activity is connected to unemployment, which is at its highest rate in four years.

2002

September 2

President George W. Bush visits Santa Ana.

2003

May 31

H. G. Reza reports how Creighton Hunter and C.J. Hart reminisce about opening the Santa Ana Drags in 1950 on an abandoned Navy airfield, now known as Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.

2003

October 12

David Haldane reports that 150 people meet to share memories about growing up in Logan Park.  Although most of the former residents no longer live here, they want current residents to know that its history is important.

2006

March 28

Cynthia H. Cho and Anna Gorman of the Times report:  "Nearly 40,000 students from across Southern California staged walkouts to protest proposed immigration legislation Monday, blocking traffic on four freeways and leaving educators concerned about how much longer the issue will disrupt schools. The protests are believed to eclipse in size the demonstrations that occurred during the anti-Proposition 187 campaign in 1994 and even a famous student walkout for Chicano rights in 1968.... In Santa Ana, officers used nightsticks and pepper spray to control students throwing bottles and rocks. They also set up barricades to prevent the protesters from disrupting traffic. One student was arrested and a few others suffered minor injuries, police said."

2006

May 8

Gustavo Arellano reports: "Unlike East Los Angeles or other regions with significant Mexican communities, the lords of Orange County never let their Mexicans become anything other than Mexicans. After receiving generations' worth of cheap Mexican labor to power the county's chief industries - - citrus before World War II, real-estate development afterward -- the O.C. psyche is wired to view brown-skinned folks as perpetual peons. City ordinances forced Mexican immigrants like my great- grandfather and grandfather to live in shoddy citrus camps instead of the good parts of town for decades; the resulting barrios still exist and account for our continued housing segregation. Orange County's recent emergence as a gateway for Mexican immigration -- the county seat, Santa Ana, is percentage-wise the most Latino city in the U.S., with a population of more than 100,000 --also ensures that the trek toward assimilation and acceptance won't begin anytime soon. The Mexican-hating here isn't all bad, I guess -- it does provides for delicious, ironic comedy. Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist has a Mexican son-in-law and owns a Chihuahua named Tia. An Anaheim club that used to be host to white-power rock shows is now one of the county's most popular Mexican nightclubs. And two days after viewing "The Mexican OC," I got to watch a group of about 60 prune-faced white folks do their comical worst to counter protest the tens of thousands of Latinos demonstrating in downtown Santa Ana at the "Day Without Immigrants" rally. Under the cover of mounted police, the furious fogies hurled chants."

2007

May 5

Jennifer Delson reports: a series of gang related deaths in spur nightly vigils that unite neighbors. There are nine deaths this year related to gang activity and the community acknowledges their losses.

2008

July 31

Tony Barboza reports four shootings occur in three days. Two of the shootings take place at the Country Club Mobile Home.  According to police, the shootings are not related and two are related to gangs. Police count 90 active gangs in the city although aggravated assaults are on the decline. According to the article, gang violence peaked in the 1990s.

2008

August 28

Tony Barboza reports that police urge residents to turn in gang members.

2010

March 29

Gale Holland reports Father John Moneypenny of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Santa Ana leads the city's annual Blessing of the Streets, a tradition begun in 1992, "when a 17-year old parishioner died in the arms of former St. Joseph's pastor Christopher Smith." The youth was killed as part of a gang initiation ritual. The procession includes religious figures who bless the neighborhood, parishioners singing hymns and memorials at sites of violence.

2012

April 27

A Santa Ana High School freshman was arrested for allegedly shooting a sixteen-year-old boy and then fleeing the scene, leaving the victim bleeding in an alley. The victim remains in serious condition. It is suggested that the incident was tied to gang activities,

2012

September 3

Anh Do reports that on Sunday over 1,000 Buddhists come together to celebrate Le Vu Lan, a day to honor one's mother, at the Hue Quang pagoda. The Vietnamese Americans celebrate the Buddhist ritual by wearing a pink or red rose in honor of one's mother if she is still alive and a white rose is she is dead.