Will Bruzzo’s Blog

19-year-old Daniel Moreno has been charged with cruelty to animals for stomping on a California brown pelican’s beak at Newport Beach pier after it tried to take his fish. Under California Penal Code Section 597, the offense may be filed as a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail or a felony carrying prison…

38-year-old Debra Ayala Tapia was arrested March 23, 2010 on suspicion of felony lewd and lascivious acts with a child ages 14 and 15 and felony oral copulation with a child under 16 years of age (California Penal Code Section 288). Her bail was set at $100,000. Tapia is said to have had a sexual…

As the beach weather returns sun bathers at San Onofre State Beach will be facing enforcement against nudists. There is a disagreement on whether the beach should allow nudity. The California Court of Appeal decided that the Cahil Policy was not a valid measure because it had not been passed through proper procedures for approval.…

In an effort to curb state spending and move toward greater efficiency in inmate healthcare, Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing to have the University of California provide medical attention to state inmates. This move would could save California $300 billion this year alone according to the Los Angeles Times article. In order to reduce spending the…

The Orange County jail system debuted their new immigration check program on March 17, 2010. The process uses the Department of Homeland Security database to scan each inmate’s fingerprints. The scan detects those who have had “any contact with the immigration system [and] flags immigration officials” according to the Orange County Register. An immigration hold…

Last Wednesday night, on March 10, 2010, $10,000-$12,000 worth of gear was stolen from locked outdoor storage sheds at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove, Orange County. The young players were shocked to find their mitts, bats, helmets, cleats, catching gear and pitching machine all gone. 80% of these items belonged to the players…

Convicted murder Rodney Alcala has again been sentenced to death for two murders from the 1970’s. The case gained attention outside of Orange County and has been featured in print and television news as Alcala represented himself on his third trial for multiple murders after the prior trials were reversed on appeal. Alcala also defended…

Former Orange County dentist Tony Protopappas convicted of second-degree murder in 1984 has been granted parole by an appellate court. He was convicted for the deaths of three women he had as patients at his Costa Mesa dentistry office. They died from a high dosage of anesthesia. His attorney acknowledges that there are some possible…

At a council meeting on March 9, 2010, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens offered a proposal to house 838 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees at two of the Orange County jails – Theo Lacy and James A. Musick Facility. Most of the ICE detainees are former federal, state or local inmates who were…

A Huntington Beach High School student, in Orange County California, was arrested March 3, 2010 on two felony charges for possessing an imitation bomb (Penal Code Sections 12301, 12303, 12303.2, and 12303.3) and making criminal threats (Penal Code Section 422). Police were called to the school after a “suspicious” device was found in the student’s…