Orange County Tribune October 21, 2018

SUNDAY

Oct. 21, 2018 MONDAY Print edition July 9, 2018

the Orange Printofedition of the County Tribune Orange County Tribune

The Tribune www.orangecountytribune.com www.orangecountytribune.com

HITMAN GETS GGLIFE MAN IS SENTENCE FOR MURDER ACCUSED IN

Covering Serving Garden Grove Garden Grove Huntington Beach Huntington Beach Stanton Stanton Westminster Westminster

IT TAKES TWO ... OR THREE

OH MY, OHTANI!

n STANTON CITY COUNCIL

Smoking ban in city parks on agenda

FIERY ATTACK

Pay for hire killing in Westminster

A convicted hitman in a against him, he moved out 2004 murder for hire in of his home.

Westminster was sentenced According to the district on Oct. 12 to life in prison attorney’s office, Magdi without the possibility of Girgis, a respiratory theraA proposal to restrict parole. pist, decided to have his smoking in public parks According to the Orange wife murdered because of tops the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the County District Attorney’s the cost of a divorce and the Stanton City Council. office, Anthony Edward possible loss of his mediA Garden Grove man statehis prison.

Although the details of Bridget, 44, received cal license if convicted of a was arrested on July 3 for The incident the proposal were not availsentence after his April felony.took place allegedly throwing a “Mo- on June 27, 2018 at about able today (Thursday), the 2018 conviction on one Magdi Girgis lotov cocktail” – an im- 1:30 p.m. Police say that the justification for the planned count each of then solicited at provised incendiary device suspect assembled the deordinance includes this conspiraleast one person usually murder, inside a glass bottle vice and rode his bicycle tostatement. cyhomeless to commit murkill his wife.

– at two men in ward the two men on to Katella “The Community Servicder, aggravated Bridget and one Anaheim. According to the Avenue in Anaheim. es Department’s mission is assault and false other person enOrange County District AtOne of the victims was to enhance the quality of life by inside a makeshift tent, tered torney’simprisonment office, Andrew Eric and the famof residents. In that effort violence. ilynear house on Plum Mongerson, 29, has been another outside the tent and in joining with hundreds tocounts that a bus stop. MongersonStreet in Westmincharged Added with felony allegof other California cities and was with a sentencing on Sept.

29, of assault a deadly edly lit the device andster threw counties, this ordinance will enhancement for 2004 where Ariet weapon, possession of flam- it at the men, yelling insults implement reasonable reANTHONY specialand attemptcircum- and cycling away. and her 17-year- FOUNTAIN VALLEY DEFENDERS (in blue) swarm to tackle Kobe Lopezstrictions mable material (3) in Friday regarding the loEDWARD BRIDGET stances: murder oldnear son Ryan were night’s Battle for the Bell game at LeBard Stadium on the Orange Coast College ed arson. campus The glass shattered cation and mannerinof smokfor have financial gain the victims, the pieces at blazhome. Bridget Costa Mesa. Lopez rushed for 212 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers’ He will a pre-trial 42-20 Sunset ing in recreational areas.” wait. ing until running boundout and gagged the son League victory. For more area prep football results, see next page. hearingand in lying Northin Justice of fuel.

Huntington Beach last Center inCo-conspirator Fullerton on July A Magdi shoved him in a closet, witness and called Anaheim year banned smoking in all 12. If convicted of all chargFaiz Girgis, 65, of police West-andand the Ariet suspectGirgis was was killed parks, wetlands and beaches, he could serve was up to five minster, found arrested guilty oninJune her30. bedroom with a sharp es.

ANGELS PHOTO years and four months in April 2014 inof similar object. The suspects fled the If approved on Tuesday Shohei Ohtani’s pinch hit home run in the seventh inning was the key to the charges and sentenced to scene.

(July 10), the ordinance Angels’ 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

The win allowed life in state prison without Ryan was able to free himwould come back to the July the Angels to move back over .500 at 46-45. the possibility of parole. self and call for help.

24 for final approval and He was the husband of Magdi Girgis was convictadoption.

Ariet Girgis, the murder ed in the domestic violence The council meets in its By Jim Tortolano victim. case unrelated to his wife’s chambers in City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave.. (west of Beach In 2004, Magdi Girgis was death.

When a new development Boulevard) at 6:30 p.m. involved in a pending do- However, after a cold case mestic violence case against investigation, Westminster comes before a city counhim related to assaulting his police detectives arrested cil, it’s not uncommon for wife, Ariet, 55. After a re- Magdi Girgis on Feb. 1, a parade of citizens to sally forthredto glare complain or warn The rockets’ straining order was issued 2013. of explosives without a perabout incrowding, traffic, and bombs bursting air mit and for discharging illeparking and other concerns.

– the bad kind – are over. gal fireworks.

But at Monday night’s Mostly.

But he didn’t earn his meeting The July 4th holidayoflitthe Huntington arrest for cleverly launchBeach up the sky, with muchCity of theCouncil, the oping his pyrotechnics from posite happened.

Nine peospectacular displays from behind a wall or with other GARDEN GROVE firefighters in action. illegal fireworks.

It let to ple spoke on the 51-home concealment. According to numerous arrests, but noproject and all Sea Dance Lt. Whitney, he was riding fires attributednine locally to the were in favor. a mini-bike down the street, A proposal to build a stuff on the Fourth.

“It’s really refreshing to towing a trailer from which 53-unit housing project There washear one only unusual supportive commortars blasted fireworks on a former school site instance in Garden ments Grove. from DAVID the public,” into the sky using an elecLEE TURNER will go before the HunAccording to said Lt. CarlCouncilwoman WhitLyn ignition device. tington Beach Planning SEA DANCEtronic housing project approved on Monday. ney of the Garden Grove Fireworks suspect.

Semeta.

The suspect was spotted A FIRE Garden Grovesuch . a Police Department, 37 offiCommission on Tuesday.

A reports onon a Lee staff Ann re- Drive that in union supported District, the site opened in “These homesample will of fit the theprohibition at 14422 in unmarked by officersDr., in an What’s before the of Hammon view of the Orange County change. cers were deployed on fire1962 was closed in neighborhood,” said Sean an area west of Springdale vehicle and allegedly tried planners 1994. is a general unlawful pyrotechnics ocFire Authority’s proposal to However, the cities of works watch. Over 200 acalls Also Monday night’s tract neighbor the area Street and southeast Ranto flee onofhis bike but was at plan amendment, curred to in the of Acaprovide fire service to Gar- Irvine and Placentia have were receivedHaller, about illegal meeting, the council apdevelopment.

“They will cho Road. eventually stopped and armap and other approvcia and Jackson.

David Lee den Grove highlights Tues- notified A fire early Tuesday morn- the minutes to get the fire under OCFA of their fireworks, and 71 citations proved of the an projimprove property values for rested. The Orange County introduction The development on the als to construct Turner, 51, of Garden Grove day’s meeting of the Grove City intention ing in Garden did an of control. withdraw from issued, each for $1000. ordinance making shared everyone.”

Bomb to will Squad includewas a called ect at 14422 Hammon possession site Council.estimated $125,000 inthe damGarden Grove The police agency.Two Irvine’s commost brazen ex- was arrested for 8.75-acre – typically disarm trailer. mobility Turner devices park.theOrigiLane, the one-time site of In March, officials thepolice age and sent of two of-centers officers were first on the The council voted 7-0 to 1.3-acre public plaint on its “donor” was booked into scooters Orange and bicycles – or Franklin school.

OCFA ficers – which serves 23 status. It pays to the hospital. scene andin tried more taxes to get into approve the project at the nally owned and operated County Jail in Santa Ana. businesses unlawful.

School The planners will cities inAccording Orange County – to the OCFA it receives to Capt.

Thanh thethan building to search for former Franklin School site by the Westminster Westminster police rebe asked to change the made aNguyen presentation the Garden in services.residents.

Placentia hasThey exof onthe suffered ported “several arrests” for general plan for the area possibility of Fire that Department, agency pressed the cost and were Grove the concern smokethatinhalation illegal fireworks and the from public and semiabsorbing the Garden belonging to thebyagency incident was Grove reportedofshorttreated firefighter-paraconfiscation of hundreds of public to residential low Fire Department. rise without ly after 7 The a.m.counin the continue 12000 tomedics, thencontaken to a lopounds of those materials. density cil wasblock told of thatLethe Arraignment is scheduled driving under the influence trol. Each cal member city for has evaluation.

Clark Adams, 81. and open space Anncity Drive. hospital In Huntington Beach, parkofto the allowfelony for the decould save as much as $23.5 onesaw – ran a red If convicted vote on the board Arriving firefighters Both were ofindistable condi- for Friday (today) in the of marijuanahuge crowds showed up at of the planned millionflames through showing 2034-5 by from rectors. her vehi- charge of velopment gross vehicular a tion and there were no other case of a Stanton woman light and crashed watch a spectacsingle-family homes with making the move. meets in its charged with vehicular cle into the the rearpier of toanother manslaughter while intoxisingle-story house and The be- council injuries reported. ular – and legal – show of reduced lot sizes and In June, a representa- chambers in the Community manslaughter in an August auto at about 8:20 a.m. on cated, she faces a maximum gan attacking the fire and Fire investigators are seekexplosives, following a day “public benefits for the tive of the Garden Grove Meeting Center, 11300 StanAug. 6, 2017 Santiago sentence 10 years in state searching for residents. It ing to determine the cost of 2017 accident in Orange. thaton included the 114th an- ofcommunity.”

Firefighters Assn. told the ford Ave. at 6:30 p.m.

According to the Orange Canyon Road. prison. Arraignment was determined that the blaze. Structural damage nual 4th of July parade. councilwas that later members of JULY 4 crowd in downtown Huntington Beach. no one was in the building was estimated at $100,000 County District Attorney’s The impact pushed the set for Central Jail in Santa at that time. with $25,000 damage to office, 24-year-old Aliza second vehicle into the in- Ana. – allegedly tersection, fatally injuring breaking news23and sports all week long,Keiley go toGiglio www.orangecountytribune.com or follow us on Facebook ItFor took 20 firefighters contents.

Suspect allegedly three Molotov cocktail at two homeless men

Sea Dance project approved

by Huntingon Beach council

That was a loud, long and kinda weird 4th of July

Report on OCFA for GG to be made

53-house project to H. Beach planners

GG fire sends two to hospital

Stanton lady faces manslaughter charge

2 Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 THE ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Angels opt out of stadium lease The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim … or perhaps somewhere else?

The team announced on Tuesday it was opting out of its lease with the City of Anaheim for the “Big A” stadium that has been its home since it opened in 1966.

That doesn’t mean the team is headed for another city, but that could be the end result. What it does mean is that negotiations between the Halos and Anaheim about the future of the stadium will re-open, probably after the Nov. 6 election when it becomes clear what the political climate will be.

“As we look to the future, we need the ability to continue to deliver a high-quality fan experience beyond what the original lease allows,” Angels president John Carpino said in a statement.

“It is important that we look at all our options and how we can best serve our fans now and in the future.”

And Anaheim’s official reply? “We look forward to

ANGEL STADIUM OF ANAHEIM

many great years of Angels’ baseball in Anaheim,” said Mike Lyster, a city spokesman. “We don’t believe there is a better place for the team than in the heart of Orange County’s most exciting city.

“The Angels’ paid attendance here puts them in rare company as part of a group that includes the Dodgers, Yankees and Cubs that sell more than 3 million tickets each year. As fun as baseball is in Anaheim, this is a reminder that this is still

a business. And we understand that the Angels need to preserve all options available.”

At issue is the stadium itself, the fourth-oldest in big league baseball. Only Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles are older. Newer stadiums can sometime offer a better fan experience and more revenue to the operator by selling “skyboxes” and renting space to eateries and even retail shops.

HUNTINGTON BEACH FIRE DEPARTNMENT VEHICLE

One hospitalized after fire in H. Beach One person was hospitalized early Friday morning after a fire in Huntington Beach at an apartment complex.

According to Keita Sato, public information officer

for the HBFD, the alarm came in at 1:43 a.m. regarding a fire at the building at 16902 Lynn Ave. Units from the HBFD and Fountain Valley Fire Department responded.

High school grid scores

As firefighters arrived, they saw smoke and flames coming from a second-story unit in the six-unit building.

They were able to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent apartments.

One person was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange for evaluation. The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

Edison defeated Fountain Valley 42-20 in the annual Battle For the Bell Friday night at LeBard Stadium in Costa Mesa. Kobe Lopez rushed for 212 yards and JulyMONDAY a9,2018 touchdown as the Chargers improved to 5-4 overall and 3-1 in the Sunset League.

Here are the results for area teams Thursday and FriGG MAN IS day.

Print edition of the Orange County Tribune

FRIDAY • Rancho Alamitos 41, La Quinta 7 • Segerstrom 48, Westminster 7.

• Laguna Beach 38, Ocean View 21.

• Edison 42, Fountain Valley 20.

• Los Alamitos 47, Huntington Beach 0.

• Western 55, Godinez 0.

• Orange 69, Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana 6.

• Anaheim 39, Magnolia 7.

THURSDAY • Garden Grove 43, Marina 6 • Loara 28, Santiago 14 • Valencia 26, Pacifica 7

The Tribune www.orangecountytribune.com

Subscribe to the print edition of The Tribune.

Just $10 for one year.

Serving Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster

JIm Tortolano OH MY, OHTANI! Editor and Publisher Marilyn Tortolano General Manager

n STANTON CITY COUNCIL

ACCUSED IN FIERY ATTACK The Orange County Tribune is

Smoking ban in city parks on agenda

Suspect allegedly three Molotov published cocktail at two homeless men A Garden Grove man was arrested on July 3 for allegedly throwing a “Molotov cocktail” – an improvised incendiary device usually inside a glass bottle – at two homeless men in Anaheim. According to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Andrew Eric Mongerson, 29, has been charged with felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of flammable material and attempted arson.

He will have a pre-trial hearing in North Justice Center in Fullerton on July 12. If convicted of all charges, he could serve up to five years and four months in

on Sundays as the print version of www.orangecountytribune.com. Posting and publishing news, opinion, arts and sports coverage of interest to Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster

state prison.

The incident took place on June 27, 2018 at about 1:30 p.m. Police say that the suspect assembled the device and rode his bicycle toward the two men on Katella Avenue in Anaheim.

One of the victims was inside a makeshift tent, and another outside the tent near a bus stop. Mongerson allegedly lit the device and threw it at the men, yelling insults and cycling away.

The glass shattered near the victims, the pieces blazing until running out of fuel.

A witness called Anaheim police and the suspect was arrested on June 30.

ANGELS PHOTO

Shohei Ohtani’s pinch hit home run in the seventh inning was the key to the Angels’ 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The win allowed the Angels to move back over .500 at 46-45.

9877 Chapman Ave. D-453 ThatGrove, was aCA loud, long and Garden 92841 weird 4th of July e-mail:kinda orangecountytribune@ gmail.com The rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air – the bad kind – are over.

Mostly.

The July 4th holiday lit up the sky, with much of the spectacular displays from illegal fireworks. It let to numerous arrests, but no fires attributed locally to the stuff on the Fourth.

There was one unusual instance in Garden Grove.

According to Lt. Carl Whitney of the Garden Grove Police Department, 37 officers were deployed on fireworks watch. Over 200 calls were received about illegal fireworks, and 71 citations issued, each for $1000.

The most brazen ex-

of explosives without a permit and for discharging illegal fireworks.

But he didn’t earn his arrest for cleverly launching his pyrotechnics from behind a wall or with other concealment. According to Lt. Whitney, he was riding a mini-bike down the street, towing a trailer from which mortars blasted fireworks into the sky using an electronic ignition device.

The suspect was spotted by officers in an unmarked vehicle and allegedly tried to flee on his bike but was eventually stopped and arrested. The Orange County Bomb Squad was called to disarm the trailer. Turner was booked into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana. Westminster police re-

www.orangecountytribune.com

GARDEN GROVE firefighters in action.

Report on OCFA for GG to be made A reports on a staff review of the Orange County Fire Authority’s proposal to provide fire service to Garden Grove highlights Tuesday’s meeting of the City Council.

In March, officials of the OCFA – which serves 23 cities in Orange County –

that union supported such a change.

However, the cities of Irvine and Placentia have notified the OCFA of their intention of withdraw from the agency. Irvine’s complaint centers on its “donor” status. It pays more in taxes to the OCFA than it receives

DAVID LEE TURNER Fireworks suspect. ample of the prohibition of unlawful pyrotechnics occurred in the area of Acacia and Jackson. David Lee Turner, 51, of Garden Grove was arrested for possession

A proposal to restrict smoking in public parks tops the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the Stanton City Council.

Although the details of the proposal were not available today (Thursday), the justification for the planned ordinance includes this statement.

“The Community Services Department’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of residents. In that effort and in joining with hundreds of other California cities and counties, this ordinance will implement reasonable restrictions regarding the location and manner of smoking in recreational areas.”

Huntington Beach last year banned smoking in all parks, wetlands and beaches.

If approved on Tuesday (July 10), the ordinance would come back to the July 24 for final approval and adoption.

The council meets in its chambers in City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave.. (west of Beach Boulevard) at 6:30 p.m.

53-house project to H. Beach planners A proposal to build a 53-unit housing project on a former school site will go before the Huntington Beach Planning Commission on Tuesday.

What’s before the planners is a general plan amendment, tract map and other approvals to construct the project at 14422 Hammon Lane, the one-time site of Franklin school.

The planners will