A man was accused of breaking into an Orange County home while three women were still asleep inside. The suspect was identified as Michael Alan Garnett, Jr., 44, according to the Westminster Police Department. On March 20, Garnett allegedly broke into a home in the 14800 block of Cordoba Place in Westminster shortly before 6 a.m. During the invasion, three women were still asleep in their bedrooms, police said. One woman was suddenly awakened by loud noises. That’s when she discovered Garnett inside the home. He had broken in through a sliding glass door that was attached to the woman's b ..read more

A Tustin man is dead after he was struck by a car in Westminster, and police are looking for the vehicle, which fled after the collision. The man, a 62-year-old whose name has not been released, was found in the northbound No. 2 lane of the 14600 block of Beach Boulevard just after 2 a.m., the Westminster Police Department said in a news release. His wounds were "consistent with being struck by a vehicle," police said, and he was declared dead at the scene. "Officers spoke to a witness who confirmed the male had been struck by a vehicle that fled the scene," the release said. No information ab ..read more

Police are investigating after a man was found dead outside a Westminster church on Friday. The victim was identified as Stephen “Steve” Smallwood, 62, according to the Westminster Police Department. On Jan. 5, officers responded to reports of an unresponsive man on the 13500 block of Goldenwest Street at around 3:38 p.m. Arriving officers found Smallwood lying on the ground with “obvious signs of trauma consistent with a homicide,” police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No suspects were found at the time.  Smallwood had previously resided in Westminster and became homeless aro ..read more

A serial burglar continuing to target and ransack homes across Orange County remains on the loose. The male suspect has broken into homes in Anaheim and Westminster so far. His image was caught on surveillance cameras during multiple break-ins. On Dec. 22, the suspect entered a home on the 2800 block of East Hampstead Street in Anaheim, police said. He ransacked the home and escaped with several thousands of dollars.  Several days later on Dec. 26, he allegedly burglarized a home on the 16000 block of Jenner Street in Westminster at around 9 p.m.  On Dec. 29, a Westminster victim, Ch ..read more

Two Southern California men face decades or even life in federal prison for allegedly supplying fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine for online sales. Omar Navia, 38, of South Los Angeles, and Adan Ruiz, 27, of Garden Grove, are accused of providing "counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other narcotics" for sale on darknet, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. They were indicted last month and arrested on Thursday. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of "conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetami ..read more

A man was arrested after he allegedly attempted to rape a woman in a public Westminster area. The suspect was identified as Ernesto Nuno, a 41-year-old Long Beach resident, according to Westminster police. On Saturday around 11:45 p.m., officers responded to reports of an attempted sexual assault behind a CVS store on the 15400 block of Brookhurst Street. The female victim told police that while she was sitting down in an alleyway, Nuno allegedly approached her and exposed his genitals. He then asked her to “orally copulate him,” to which she refused, police said.  “When the victim refuse ..read more

Six teenage boys were arrested for an alleged hate-crime-fueled attack in Westminster. The victim was a 15-year-old boy, according to the Westminster Police Department. The male suspects were three 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old, all from Westminster or Garden Grove. The attack took place on Feb. 21 when a school resource officer was notified of a fight at Gillespie Park around 11:20 a.m. The victim told police around 10 suspects “jumped him in the park” when they thought he was filming them with his cell phone. The group of suspects kicked and assaulted the victim “numerou ..read more

Police are searching for three suspects who were seen carjacking a man in Garden Grove on Wednesday morning. Video from Garden Grove Police shows the carjacking happened at a 76 gas station on the corner of Knott Street and Lampson Avenue around 5:03 a.m. Surveillance video shows the victim was pumping gas when two men suddenly approach him. As one suspect distracts the victim, a second male suspect opens the passenger door and steps inside. The victim suddenly notices the second man and is visibly distraught and reacting. The first suspect begins to punch the victim while a third suspect wal ..read more

A Southern California motorcycle club founder who killed three people in 1980 has been ordered to be released this week, following a terminal cancer diagnosis, prosecutors said Thursday. Thomas Maniscalco, 77, has been incarcerated for nearly 40 years after his 1994 conviction on three counts of second-degree murder, with enhancements for being armed with a firearm, according to state prison officials. He was sentenced to life in prison and has been denied parole twice. He was ordered released under California's compassionate release law, which was amended last year and allows incarcerated peo ..read more

A 3-year-old Westminster child is dead after she was struck by a car Friday evening, and the driver of that car is facing a manslaughter charge. The collision at Goldenwest and 21st streets occurred at about 6:30 p.m., and despite lifesaving efforts at the scene and at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the girl succumbed to her injuries, the Westminster Police Department said in a news release. The driver, 26-year-old Bautista Decastilla of Westminster, "voluntarily came to the Westminster Police Department for an evaluation and to speak with investigators," the release said. He was then a ..read more