Statement from Sheriff Barnes on the passing of former Sheriff Sandra Hutchens 

SANTA ANA, Ca. (January 4, 2021): Please see the statement below from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.  
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of former Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.  In November 2012, Sheriff Hutchens was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She courageously fought this disease while still leading this department.  Her fight was successful for eight years.  Unfortunately, the cancer recently returned and Sheriff Hutchens passed this morning with her loved ones by her side." 

Click for more information. 

Two off-duty Sheriff’s Deputies’ quick actions helped save the life of a truck driver trapped in the cab of his vehicle after a roll-over crash.

 Sgt. Phil Cruz and K-9 Handler Deputy Adam Nauta were driving on the freeway in Artesia at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, December 14, when they saw traffic abruptly stop and a plume of smoke rising from a nearby embankment on the 91 East and North 605 freeway interchange. 

 As the deputies got closer, they saw a blue semi-truck had rolled into the embankment, coming to rest on the driver’s side. Sgt. Cruz and Deputy Nauta jumped from their vehicle and ran down to the truck where they found the driver trapped and unresponsive. 

 With the distinct smell of diesel fuel getting stronger and smoke filling the interior, the deputies had to move quickly.

 Sgt. Cruz borrowed a golf club from another motorist who had stopped and smashed the passenger side window. The driver gained consciousness, but he was wedged in tight and couldn’t climb out.

 The deputies cut the driver’s seatbelt and pulled him from the vehicle. They carried the 59-year-old driver to safety and waited for medical crews to arrive. The driver was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

 We are grateful for the deputies’ actions that day and wish the driver a full and speedy recovery!

ORANGE, Ca. (December 18, 2020) –A 68-year-old male inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died this morning at 5 a.m. of medical complications after testing positive for COVID-19.
The inmate, Eddie Lee Anderson of River Ridge, LA, was booked into jail by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on July 1, 2019 on suspicion of homicide. Anderson is suspected of the 1976 murder of Leslie Penrod Harris, and was identified in 2019 by the Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task Force.
Anderson tested positive for COVID-19 within the last week, and was transferred to a local hospital on December 13. He is the first Orange County Jail inmate to die from medical complications of COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,260 Orange County Jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.
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.
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The windows were too dark to see in, but K-9 Remi knew what she was looking for was inside.

The floppy-eared bloodhound sniffed the silver car then stopped, her nose pressed against the door. Her handler, Deputy Assayag, knew this meant good news.

A patrol deputy used his flashlight to cut through the deep tint of the windows to find who they were looking for – a 70-year-old woman who had wandered from her home hours earlier.

A Mission Viejo man called the Sheriff’s Department at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16, asking for help to find his wife. He had checked the house and the neighborhood and was unable to find her.

Patrol deputies began their search on the ground while Duke, the Sheriff’s Department patrol helicopter, circled above the homes near Jeronimo Road and Alicia Parkway. Deputy Assayag and Remi also were called in to help.

Shortly after beginning her search, Remi alerted to the parked car in the neighborhood to find the woman safe inside and sitting in the passenger seat. Deputies learned the vehicle, which was not related to the family, had been left unlocked.

Good girl, Remi!

We are grateful this team was able to safely reunite this woman with her family.

On June 29, 2014 an OIS occurred in the unincorporated are of Ladera Ranch.  This case was investigated by the Orange County District Attorney's office and no criminal charges were filed.  Link to responsive records - https://cpraazlrshotprod1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/cpraprod1/Mediazip/OIS/OIS.14-121963.zip Please note that due to the size of the files, and depending on download speeds, it could take several minutes for the files to open.

• Read more about 14-121963 Officer Involved Shooting (OIS)

SANTA ANA, Ca. (December 11, 2020): Please see the statement below from Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.

“We have received an order from the court in a case regarding COVID-19 in the Orange County jails. The order mandates a significant reduction of the jail's inmate population. We are evaluating the order, its impacts and our options for appeal. If the order stands, it will result in the release of more than 1,800 inmates.  Many of these inmates are in pre-trial status for, or have been convicted of, violent crimes and will be released back into the community. This order puts our community at substantial risk and does not take into account the impact on the victims of these crimes.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Director Carrie Braun
CBraun@ocsd.org | C: 714-904-7042
Be Safe, Be Sober This Holiday Season // National Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign Begins Dec. 14

Orange County, CA (December 11, 2020) – This holiday season, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind the public about the importance of being safe and sober while driving.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is changing how we celebrate the holidays, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is dedicated to keeping the public safe and urges people to stay at home or use a designated sober driver if you plan to drink.

Starting Dec. 14 through New Year’s Day, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will have deputies on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The enforcement effort is part of a national campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, intended to show zero tolerance for drunk driving and keep roads safe.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana can also impair, especially in combination with alcohol and other drugs.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Director Carrie Braun
CBraun@ocsd.org | C: 714-904-7042

Orange County Jail COVID-19 numbers increase, mitigation efforts continue

SANTA ANA, Ca. (December 10, 2020): The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Custody Operations Division and OC Health Care Agency’s Correctional Health Services (CHS) have worked collaboratively to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the Orange County Jail system. Yesterday, two inmates in general population began exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive, the remaining individuals in those housing areas were tested. That resulted in 72 additional inmates in general population that tested positive for COVID-19. The total COVID-19 positive inmates today in the Orange County Jail system is 102, with 28 new booking inmates and 74 general population inmates. The vast majority of the COVID-19 positive inmates are asymptomatic.

None of the inmates who have tested positive within the last two days have required hospitalization or advanced medical treatment. All inmates exposed to COVID-19 positive inmates will be quarantined for 14 days, and tested prior to the end of their quarantine.

Following a positive COVID-19 case in general population, CHS and Custody Operations conduct contact tracing to determine exposure. All exposed inmates are quarantined and tested, and their health status is monitored including symptom screening and temperature checks, with additional assessments conducted as warranted.

These cases come after an exhaustive effort by personnel from Custody Operations and CHS to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the jails. Working collaboratively with the CHS team, the Department implemented a series of changes to practices and procedures to mitigate the spread of the virus. Beginning in April, all new bookings into the Orange County Jail are quarantined from the general population for a minimum of 14 days. To help prevent the spread of the virus from the community into our jails, all quarantined inmates, including all new bookings, are tested before being integrated into general housing. Also, any inmate exposed to a COVID-19 positive person is medically quarantined and monitored for symptoms. If any inmate exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they are also isolated and tested.

Patient education on infection prevention strategies is done at all healthcare encounters. In addition, screening procedures including a temperature check and symptom screening for all personnel and inmates entering an Orange County Jail began in March 2020.

“Just as we have seen COVID-19 cases rise in the community, we are now seeing that impact our jail,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “As we have successfully done before, we will implement multi-layered mitigation efforts to control the further spread of COVID-19 among inmates or personnel. Throughout the
pandemic, we have gone beyond CDC guidelines and increased testing for inmates and employees. I am confident that the practices and procedures we have implemented in previous cases will bring cases back down to zero as we have before.”

To further prevent the spread of these cases, the Sheriff’s Department is working collaboratively with the courts to limit the number of inmates being transported to courthouses. COVID-19 positive inmates in isolation and quarantined inmates are not transported to court.

In total, 691 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first positive inmate on March 24, 2020. Of those, only three inmates have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and none have died. 6,964 COVID-19 tests have been administered to Orange County Jail inmates since the start of the pandemic.

At the start of the pandemic, the average daily jail population count declined to 2,826 on May 11, 2020 at the height of active COVID-19 cases in the jails. That is less than half of the average daily population prior to the start of the pandemic. That number has steadily increased, and today sits at 3,628. This is well below the
Orange County Jails’ capacity of 6,159.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Director Carrie Braun
CBraun@ocsd.org | C: 714-904-7042

Orange County Sheriff implements proactive measures to limit exposure to COVID-19

SANTA ANA, Ca. (December 8, 2020): Effective immediately and until further notice, Sheriff Don Barnes issued directives for decreasing potential COVID-19 exposure to the community and department personnel.
“Our foremost responsibility is to keep the community safe,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “These precautionary measures will safeguard the health of the public who rely on our service and the members of the department who respond to their call.”
The following are immediate changes that are in effect until further notice:

• The front lobby of all Sheriff’s Department buildings and contract city police services substations will be closed to the public.
• All volunteer programs are suspended; this includes senior programs in contract cities, jail volunteers, and Explorer programs. Jail programs provided by staff will continue.
• Patrol deputies have been directed to utilize discretion in responding to calls for service that require social contact. Where possible, deputies will call reporting parties and take reports over the phone.
• Deputies will not be dispatched to, or respond to, calls for service to enforce compliance with face coverings, social gatherings, or stay-at-home orders only. Deputies will respond to calls for potential criminal behavior and for the protection of life and property.
• Personnel will not respond to non-injury traffic collisions unless vehicles are disabled in the roadway or creating a hazard.
• Public jail visiting remains suspended. Inmates are provided two free five-minute phone calls per week. 
• Enhanced symptom screening for jail intake continues in coordination with the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Correctional Health Services. In addition to symptom screening prior to entry to the jail, all new bookings will be quarantined for 14 days and tested for COVID-19 prior to release to general population.
• All department tours and civilian ride-alongs are postponed.

“As we have seen by mitigating COVID-19 cases in our jails, abiding by public health guidelines is necessary to stop the spread of the pandemic in our community. I encourage residents to wear face coverings and social distance,” said Sheriff Barnes.
For the latest updates on COVID-19 in Orange County and additional health and safety information, visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/.
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