With the 3-year-old daughter of the victim in the courtroom, an Orange County woman with three previous convictions for driving under the influence was sentenced to 15 years to life on Friday for killing a pregnant woman that she hit with her car in 2020. Courtney Fritz Pandolfi, 44, of Garden Grove pleaded guilty in February to two felonies, including murder and driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury with two or more priors. She also pleaded guilty to several misdemeanors, prosecutors said. According to the Orange County Office of the District Attorney, Pandolfi was drivin ..read more

The Anaheim Police Department is investigating a possible homicide after a body was found Tuesday morning. The body was discovered by officers just before 4 a.m. in the 8700 bock of East Santa Ana Canyon Road when police officers and Anaheim Fire and Rescue personnel were responding to a small fire, said Sgt. Jon McClintock. At the scene, a side street running next to the 91 Freeway in Anaheim Hills, responders found a man's body that had been burned. McClintock confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a homicide. The man who initially reported the fire did so from a phone outside ..read more

A man is facing a felony animal abuse charge after the Anaheim Police Department says he was captured on video abusing a terrier mix. Maynard Allen was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday, four days after the investigation began in the 1400 block of South Sunkist Street, police said in a news release. Police say a "widely-shared viral video" captured the "disturbing" abuse. The dog was seized from its owner on Sunday ..read more

Anaheim Union High School District appears ready to lay off dozens of teachers. A report in The Gladiator Times, the student publication of Gilbert High School, indicates that 195 teachers are being notified about their possible termination, though only 110 will actually be laid off. At Gilbert High, eight teachers are affected, the report adds. According to the AUHSD Board of Trustees resolution, however, the equivalent of 131 full-time positions will be eliminated. The proposed cuts are broken down by subject matter: Subject Full-time Part-time Total English 31 2 33 Math 27 2 29 Phy ..read more

A suspect was arrested after a woman was found dead inside an Orange County home. The suspect was identified as Raymond Craft, 66, according to the Anaheim Police Department. On Feb. 26, officers responded to a residence on the 100 block of Spruce Via in Anaheim. Inside the home, arriving officers found a 72-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation revealed the woman had been assaulted prior to her death and her case was ruled a homicide. Investigators later identified Craft as a suspect in the woman’s murder. On March 7, he was located in Fullerton where he was ta ..read more

A father and son are accused of burglarizing elderly victims in Southern California by posing as home security workers. The suspects were identified as Jacinto Chavez, 37, and Jeramiah Chavez, 19, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The thefts took place between August and November 2023 in Anaheim. Jacinto allegedly dressed up as an employee with a badge that identified him as a Brinks Home security worker. The victims ranged in age from 79 to 88 years old, including one woman who was legally blind. On Dec. 11, 2023, a deputy responded to reports of a burglary on the 100 ..read more

A man was arrested after allegedly trying to lure a young boy into his vehicle in Anaheim.  The suspect was identified as German Reyes Ramos, 46, by the Anaheim Police Department. On Feb. 13, officers responded to a possible kidnapping on the 2900 block of West Orange Street at around 9:30 a.m. The victim, a 12-year-old boy, told police a man driving a tan-colored SUV had approached him and asked him if he needed a ride. The suspect was holding a “bundle of money” while trying to lure the boy, police said. The boy ran away and was able to call police to report the incident. Detectives inv ..read more

Mixed martial arts fans are getting excited for UFC's return to Anaheim this weekend, but the event could come with complications for fighters. According to SB Nation's MMA Fighting site, the California State Athletic Commission will be conducting drug tests, and if THC is detected at a level above 150 nanograms per milliliter, that will constitute a failed test ..read more

Saturday marks Chinese New Year, and in Anaheim, elementary school students are using the occasion to learn about other cultures. The Anaheim Elementary School District is hosting a Lunar New Year celebration at Roosevelt Elementary Friday morning to honor the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Mandarin was added to the district's dual-language immersion program this year, and the transitional kindergarten students will participate in the program. Also featured will be a traditional lion dance, and each student will receive a red envelope, "a symbol of good luck for the New Year," the distri ..read more

A pregnant woman had to be rescued Tuesday after getting trapped inside a rain-swollen storm drain in Anaheim. A caller alerted officials around 9:15 a.m. that the woman was trapped in a drain that feeds into the Santa Ana River, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. John McClintock said. Crews from multiple agencies, including the Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority, responded to the incident. A woman was rescued from a storm drain in the Santa Ana River in Anaheim on Feb. 6, 2024. (KTLA) “Upon their arrival, they discovered a pregnant adult woman was trapped inside of the storm drain ..read more