ALISO VIEJO, Ca. (March 18, 2022): Just before midnight, deputies responded to an unknown trouble call after residents reported gunshots and an injured man near Via Jacinto and Via San Miguel in Aliso Viejo.
Deputies arrived and located a male adult in his 20s suffering from a gunshot wound outside of a residence on Via Jacinto. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by County Fire at approximately 12:15 a.m.
The suspect in the shooting fled the scene prior to deputies’ arrival and is outstanding. OC Sheriff’s Homicide and Gang Enforcement teams are investigating. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending official identification and next of kin notification.
Members of the public with any information that may assist investigators are asked to contact OC Sheriffs Dispatch at 949-770-6011, or anonymous tips may be submitted to OC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-OCCS (1-800-847-6227) or online at occrimestoppers.org.
Santa Ana, Ca. (March 17, 2022): Orange County Sheriff’s investigators have released an updated forensic rendering of a 1983 Jane Doe in an effort to identify the woman and possibly generate new leads on her homicide case.
In April 1983, children discovered a human skull in a culvert while playing in the area of Canada and Old Trabuco roads in what is now the city of Lake Forest. An excavation was performed and approximately 70 percent of a female’s human remains were discovered.
Based on preliminary anthropological analysis, it is believed Jane Doe was 18-24 years old, Black or possibly mixed-race, about 5’3” to 5’6”, with a slight build. They also determined she had a distinctive front tooth with a gold crown on the left lateral incisor. Although the official cause of death is listed as undetermined, homicide is suspected.
In 1983, Jane Doe was compared to several reported missing persons without success and eventually the case ran cold.
Investigators revisited the case in 2018 after convicted serial killer Samuel Little confessed to targeting Black females between 1970 and 2005 in multiple states. Little was a long-haul truck driver who admitted to killing 93 women, including 13 in California, over the 35-year span. Little died in 2020 in California State Prison, Los Angeles County. Despite concerted efforts by investigators, no plausible link between Jane Doe and Samuel Little could be established and the case again went cold.
The Sheriff’s Department in 2019 partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to produce a forensic rendering of Jane Doe, which used a computed tomography (CT) scan of the victim’s remains to determine facial features. The image was widely circulated, however no new information was developed.
Refusing to give up on identifying Jane Doe, Sheriff’s investigators have now partnered with forensic artist Carl Koppelman to develop an updated rendering based on evidence evaluation, which depicts Jane Doe with longer hair and the top she was believed to be wearing at the time of her death. It also includes a detailed sketch of her distinctive tooth.
Anyone who recognizes Jane Doe or may have information on her case is asked to contact Investigator Bob Taft at 714-647-7045 or email coldcase@ocsheriff.gov. Anonymous tips may be submitted to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or at occrimestoppers.org.
MISSION VIEJO, Ca. (March 16, 2022): Yesterday at around 1 p.m., deputies were called to the 28000 block of Via Arriaga in the city of Mission Viejo regarding a deceased female in her 80s inside a residence. Deputies arrived and determined a homicide occurred.
OC Sheriff’s Homicide investigators responded and contacted the other occupant of the residence, William Wiley, 86. Based on the interviews conducted by investigators and evidence at the scene, Wiley was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder. Family members indicated Wiley was previously diagnosed with dementia.
Official identification of the victim is pending autopsy by the Orange County Coroner.
We do not believe there is any additional threat to public safety.
In July of 2019, A deputy was found to be dishonest in the performance of duty. The employee was terminated in December 2019. The employee was awarded his job back through arbitration in December 2021.
In January 2008, Deputies were involved in a Deputy Involved Shooting in the unincorporated Rossmoor area. The case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's Office and no criminal charges were filed. The Deputy Involved Shooting was determined to be within policy.
In June of 2004, Deputies were involved in a Deputy Involved Shooting in the unincorporated Black Star Canyon area. The case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's Office and no criminal charges were filed. The Deputy Involved Shooting was determined to be within policy.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 9, 2022): On Wednesday, March 2, members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Detail arrested Terry Lyn Myers, 65, of Garden Grove, for felony aggravated sexual assault. He is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail.
Myers is booked on charges related to a suspected sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1990s. Myers has been a volunteer at multiple churches in Orange County. He was a volunteer at Grace Community Church, formerly known as Nutwood Church, in Garden Grove from 1995-2013. Since 2013, Myers has been volunteering at MidCities Baptist Church in Westminster.
Due to the suspect’s role at these churches and his access to children, investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information regarding possible additional victims or with information they believe may assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7419, or submit an anonymous tip to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or at occrimestoppers.org.
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Ca. (March 9, 2022): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, March 11, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita.
DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Deputies will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with deputies checking drivers for proper licensing.
The Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
In 2019, 1,066 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads.
The Sheriff’s Department offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:
Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.
Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses, not to mention possible jail time.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Sheriff’s Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SANTA ANA, Ca. (March 8, 2022) – On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, an inmate housed at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana died at the hospital.
The inmate, a 65-year-old man, was booked into jail on May 15, 2020, by the Santa Ana Police Department for lewd acts with a child.
On February 3, 2022, the inmate was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. He was positive for COVID-19. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology testing and an independent autopsy. His identification is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.
