Category: Garden Grove

Family-Friendly Events in Orange County This Weekend

Family Brunch Cooking Class Spend some quality time with your kids while cooking and dining on a delicious homemade breakfast, all under the instruction of a professional chef. This weekend, the guests will be cooking blueberry muffins, vegetable frittatas, parmesan bacon potatoes, and fruit parfaits. Tickets are priced for pairs, and guests must arrive 10…


Registered Sex Offender Arrested in Garden Grove Assault

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A 25-year-old registered sex offender wearing a GPS monitor was arrested in connection with an assault on a woman Dec. 28 in Garden Grove. The attack occurred at 9:11 a.m. in the 11200 block of Magnolia Street, near Magnolia Park, according to Detective Sgt. Mark Lord. “The victim was walking in the area…


Garden Grove Appoints New Chief of Police

Deputy Chief Amir El-Farra will officially begin his new role as the Chief of Police for the City of Garden Grove, California, on Jan. 1, 2023, to replace the retiring Tom DaRé. El-Farra, a 27-year law enforcement veteran, began serving the city as an officer at the Garden Grove Police Department in 2008 after previous…


One Killed, 2 Critically Injured in Fiery Garden Grove Crash

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A passenger in a Tesla that caught fire was killed and two other people were critically injured in a three-vehicle crash Nov. 11 in Garden Grove, authorities said. The driver of the Tesla is suspected of both speeding and driving under the influence, according to Sgt. Royce Wimmer of the Garden Grove Police…


Convicted Arsonist Charged With Setting Fire in Garden Grove

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A convicted arsonist was charged Sept. 30 with setting a fire at the Harbor Motel in Garden Grove. Alexis Alan Avila, 22, was charged with a count of arson of an inhabited structure and two counts of arson of property, all felonies. He also faces sentencing enhancements for arson with a prior conviction….


Teen Shot to Death Outside Garden Grove Party

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A teenage boy was shot to death outside a large house party in Garden Grove, authorities said Sept. 11. His name was not yet released by the police, but a GoFundMe page identified him as the 17-year-old Julian Martinez, who was said to be “killed in an act of gun violence by vicious…


House Fire in Garden Grove Injures Firefighter

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—An Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) firefighter suffered a burned neck while battling flames in a Garden Grove house Aug. 27. The fire was reported at 12:58 p.m. Saturday in the 12000 block of Magnolia Street, said OCFA Capt. Sean Doran. OCFA video showed thick black smoke flowing out of the house as…


Suspect Wounds Man During Family Fight in Garden Grove, Flees in White Sedan

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—A fight involving family members in front of a Garden Grove home on Aug. 21 escalated into a shooting leaving a 28-year-old man wounded and a 20-year-old man fleeing the scene in a white import sedan, authorities said. The victim, a resident of Victorville, was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery…


Orange County Education Board Appoints New Trustee

COSTA MESA, Calif.—The Orange County Board of Education appointed Jorge Valdes, an attorney and judge pro-tem from Tustin, to fill the vacant seat for Area 1—which covers Garden Grove, Tustin, Santa Ana, and Fountain Valley—during a board meeting Aug. 17. Valdes was one of the three candidates interviewed by the board to replace former Trustee…


School Shooting Survivor Finds Purpose in Trauma: Kyler Erickson

Before a fateful January day in 2011, high school student Kyler Erickson decided that he wanted to be remembered for his excellence in basketball. However, after surviving the Millard South High School shooting in Omaha, Nebraska, that occurred just mere feet from his room, Erickson spent years battling PTSD, suicidal thoughts, and depression. He eventually…