SANTA ANA — A 38-year-old Westminster man pleaded guilty to killing his father, but because an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday he was insane at the time he is expected to be committed to a state mental health facility. Johnson Loc has been charged with one count of murder in the killing of 66-year-old Thinh Loc, according to Westminster police. But he accepted a plea deal to admit a felony count of voluntary manslaughter, according to court records. Based on medical reports, Orange County Superior Court Judge Greg Jones ruled Loc was insane at the time of the killing, accord ..read more

Carolee Ogata has been selected to serve as the next superintendent of Huntington Beach Union High School District, succeeding Clint Harwick once he retires in August. “I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the legacy of excellence within the Huntington Beach Union High School District,” Ogata said. “HBUHSD boasts an exceptional community of dedicated staff and high-achieving students.” Ogata has been serving as the deputy superintendent of human resources at HBUHSD since 2012 but has been involved in education for over 30 years. In her time at the district, she ha ..read more

For Amanda Nguyen, not even the sky is the limit. Nguyen, 32 years old and a Southern California native, is set to be the first woman of Vietnamese descent in space. It’s a lifelong dream of hers — traveling to space, becoming an astronaut — but it’s one that was put on hold after she was sexually assaulted in 2013 while studying national security and astrophysics at Harvard University. She discovered then that seeking justice was an arduous and antiquated process, and as she puts it, she had to choose between that justice and her dream. Justice, making life on earth a better place, won out. N ..read more

On the heels of closures in Dana Point and Orange, El Torito plans to shutter its long-standing Westminster location on May 3, according to employees at the Orange County location. The fast-casual Mexican chain’s restaurant has served the community for nearly five decades at the corner of Goldenwest Street and Bolsa Avenue. Xperience Restaurant Group, which owns the Mexican casual dining chain, didn’t provide comment on the closure of its Westminster eatery. “I don’t have specific details on this so I can’t confirm or deny anything,” said a spokesperson for the company. Three employees at the ..read more

Fifty-one years ago, the last American troops left Vietnam, ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. On Friday, those American veterans were honored in Westminster. The city hosted its inaugural American Vietnam War Veterans Day event Friday morning, March 29, at Sid Goldstein Freedom Park. The City Council designated the day as its annual American Vietnam War Veterans Day, a way to honor those who served in the war. Nearly 3 million Americans served in the war, and more than 58,000 died, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Westminster Chief of Police Darin Lenyi, left ..read more

MURRIETA — A 55-year-old man who killed a motorist in a driving under the influence head-on collision in Winchester was bound for state prison Monday to serve a 10-year term behind bars after pleading guilty to felony charges. Ernest “Sniper” Lugo of Westminster admitted one count each of DUI gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of controlled substances, with a sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegation, during a status hearing Friday at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Stephen Gallon imposed the sentence stipulated ..read more

Huntington Beach Union High School District Superintendent Clint Harwick is set to retire at the end of this school year after 36 years in education, the last seven of them with the district. “I have been truly blessed to watch some of the best educators and support providers in the county make magical connections with students and help them be successful,” Harwick said. “The best part is we always did it together.” Harwick joined HBUHSD as the superintendent in 2016. Over the past seven years, Harwick streamlined the district’s “Career Technical Education” opportunities, which are course ..read more

After forcing himself into a Westminster townhouse, a 44-year-old homeless man threatened the residents with a hammer, police said. Then, he reportedly asked for food. The break-in was reported shortly before 6 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20 in the 14800 block of Cordoba Plaza, a quiet area tucked behind a busy main street. Three women were asleep in their bedrooms when one was awakened by loud noises and came face-to-face with the man, who police believe got in through a sliding glass door. A second woman fled while the third stayed behind and attempted to speak to the man, who police said asked ..read more

Sandra Mendez Duran was studying at UC Riverside when she noticed two names in a book: Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez. Duran was familiar with the names — they were her parents’ — but not the story that went along with them, the story of a young couple who fought back when they were told their children weren’t allowed to attend a “White” school, a couple who without many resources won their case, leading to the desegregation of California’s schools. She called her mother and asked, “Could this be us?” Felicitas Mendez’s response was incredulous. “It’s in a book?” Duran told that story while advo ..read more

After 15 years of serving the ice skating community, The Rinks – Westminster Ice will close its doors on March 31. The COVID-19 pandemic was largely the catalyst for the decision to close the facility, said Alex Gilchrist, a spokesperson for the Anaheim Ducks which operates the rink. Gilchrist said Westminster Ice was the Ducks’ last location to reopen after the pandemic, occurring after most of the skaters had already moved to another facility. The 36,000-square-foot ice rink was the Ducks’ first ice rink other than the team’s practice facility in Anaheim as part of its efforts to bring ice h ..read more