Recap Series
A record-breaking late start, a postponed police policy contract, new restrictions on city employees working for ICE and questions about how residents are notified of development projects marked Santa Ana's latest City Council meeting.
Lopez Arrest
A cellphone video showing Santa Ana police repeatedly striking Florentino Lopez has prompted two investigations into the officers’ conduct. Councilmembers say they have already viewed body-camera footage of the encounter that has not been publicly released.
Lopez Arrest
Despite a unanimous vote to investigate Florentino Lopez’s arrest, councilmembers differed on police accountability, potential discipline and the release of body-camera footage.
Lopez Arrest
A cellphone recording captures Santa Ana police officers repeatedly striking and restraining Lopez. The footage does not show how the encounter began.
Agenda Preview
Expect a jam-packed meeting, or at least a longer one.
ElectioNite
We’re less than a month away from Election Day, and The Santanero’s candidate questionnaire period is now over. Over the last few weeks, I tried my best to get the questionnaire to every candidate we reached out to and give them a fair chance to respond. That included
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Dwayne Shipp, 51, is a lifelong Santa Ana resident who has lived in the city since 1975. He attended Lincoln Elementary, Carr Intermediate and Valley High School and has worked as a caregiver in Santa Ana for more than 10 years. Shipp is the youngest of 10 children of Helen
A cellphone video showing Santa Ana police repeatedly striking Florentino Lopez has prompted two investigations into the officers’ conduct. Councilmembers say they have already viewed body-camera footage of the encounter that has not been publicly released.
Only the top-two will advance in state and federal races, while nonpartisan candidates with 50% plus one win outright.
The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a new ordinance regulating self-checkout operations in retail drug stores, marking a major shift in how stores like CVS and Walgreens may operate self-service kiosks in the city. The ordinance, considered during Tuesday’s council meeting in
RIP OCTA Paper Passes
Santa Ana's community newspaper. Since 2022.
Hector Bustos, 27, is a Santa Ana native who was born and raised in the city. He was raised alongside two brothers by a single immigrant mother from Jalisco, Mexico, in a working-class household that relied on programs including CalFresh and after-school services. The grandson of hotel workers,
Benjamin Vazquez, 55, is a Santa Ana educator and Ward 2 Councilmember who was first elected to the Santa Ana City Council in 2022. Vazquez grew up in Santa Ana in a union household with six children. His family did not have much money for sports and other activities, so
Sandra De Anda, 33, is a lifelong Santa Ana resident, born and raised in the city. She is the eldest of seven siblings and grew up in a working-class immigrant family with parents from Sinaloa, Mexico. De Anda spent much of her childhood in Section 8 housing in Santa
Daniel Shimell, 40, is an attorney who has lived in Santa Ana since 2020. Originally from El Cajon, Shimell grew up as an only child with a father who worked in sales and technical writing and a mother who was a registered nurse before leaving the workforce after he was
Alejandra Rodriguez, 40, is a lifelong Santa Ana resident, born and raised in the city. She grew up in a family of four with hardworking parents and one sibling, and credits her mother’s involvement in her education—from chaperoning field trips to attending school events—with influencing her own
Isuri S. Ramos, 33, is a lifelong Santa Ana resident, born and raised in the city. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Ramos grew up on Minnie Street in a family that relied on public transportation and city services and, at one point, lost its home. Ramos says Santa Ana’s
[reporting: The Santanero Newsroom] The deadline for The Santanero’s Candidate Questionnaire has been extended through Sunday, October 4. Candidates were notified of the extension last Friday by email or direct message to their campaigns. The questionnaire was sent to candidates in the following races: * Mayoral and City Council Wards
Santa Ana’s new ordinance would apply to all city employees, while a statewide restriction on peace officers awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision.
For Release on Friday, September 4, 2026
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Arte Moreno era with the Los Angeles Angels is nearing its end. Moreno, who has owned the Angels since 2003, has agreed to sell a controlling interest in the franchise to Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, the organizations announced Tuesday morning. The blockbuster transaction
After several quiet weeks, The Santanero is returning with a new look, a renewed sense of purpose, and plans for what comes next.
Two Santa Ana police officers involved in the fatal 2024 shooting of Noe Rodriguez Martinez will not face criminal charges, the California Department of Justice found.