Lopez Arrest
What the video of Florentino Lopez's arrest shows and what remains unclear
A cellphone recording captures Santa Ana police officers repeatedly striking and restraining Lopez. The footage does not show how the encounter began.
Daniel Diaz
Santanero born and raised, lived in every single ward, Daniel is the man of many hats as editor, publisher and everything in between for The Santanero.
Lopez Arrest
Santa Ana City Council orders independent investigation into videoed police beating
A cellphone video showing Santa Ana police repeatedly striking Florentino Lopez has prompted two investigations into the officers’ conduct.
Agenda Preview
Agenda Preview Oct. 6: Bike lanes, ALPR cameras, parking, policing and more
Expect a jam-packed meeting, or at least a longer one.
ElectioNite
Diaz: The Questionnaire Is Over. Countdown to ElectioNite Starts Now.
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 on the Issues: Santa Ana Mayor's Race
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
Hector Bustos on the Issues: SAUSD Board Area 5
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,
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Benjamin Vazquez on the Issues: Santa Ana City Council Ward 2
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
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Sandra De Anda on the Issues: Santa Ana City Council Ward 4
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
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Daniel Shimell on the Issues: Santa Ana Mayor's Race
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
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Alejandra Rodriguez on the Issues: SAUSD Board Area 5
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
2026 Santanero Questionnaire
Isuri S. Ramos on the Issues: Santa Ana City Council Ward 6
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
Editor’s Note: Candidate Questionnaire Update
[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