The Orange County Tribune March 29, 2023

Argument and Then a Man Is Fatally Stabbed

Teen girl is also injured in G. Grove fracas

An argument turned deadly Sunday night in Garden Grove and a man was arrested on murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges.

The incident took place in the 10300 Lampson Avenue area (between Brookhurst Street and Nutwood Avenue). According to Detective Sgt. Nick Jensen, officers were dispatched there around 10:27 p.m. in reference to a report of a stabbing.

Police believe that an argument between the sus-

pect – identified as Juan Carlos Fernandez Bustos, 25, of Garden Grove – and another man turned into violence. It’s believed that the argument was about a relationship that the suspect had been involved in.

When the victim – a 43-year-old Garden Grove man – sought to intervene, he was stabbed in the upper torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later died from his injuries.

A 16-year-old Garden Grove girl also tried to intervene in the fracas and suffered injuries to her hand. She was treated for the wound and is in stable condition.

The suspect was iden-

This home invasion in Westminster nets little

Two suspects are being sought in connection with a home invasion robbery Sunday night in Westminster.

According to Commander Kevin MacCormick of the WPD, officers responded to a home in the 8000 block of Rockview Circle (northeast of Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard) around 10:37

Reject both bids for city Navigation Center

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

One step forward, one step back.

On Tuesday night, the Garden Grove City Council voted unanimously to reject all construction bids and authorize the re-adver-

p.m.

The victims the told officers that two male suspects smashed a window and entered the home.

One of them brandished a pistol and demanded money and then ransacked the house looking for valuables.

Taking only a wallet containing cash and credit

Continued on page 2

A man and a woman are dead after a shooting incident in Huntington Beach on Sunday evening.

According to Jessica Cuchilla, public information officer for the HBPD, the incident began around

tising for bids for the construction of the planned Central Cities Navigation Center project.

The action delays the start of work on the cen-

Continued on page 2

6 p.m. when officers responded to the 9500 block of Kensington Drive (near Bushard Street and Adams Avenue) regarding an assault with a deadly weapon call.

Lisa KIm, Garden Grove’s new city manager speaks to guests at a reception held Tuesday night before the city council meeting. Kim was previously the assistant city manager and community and economic developer, and is the first woman to become the city’s top appointed official (Orange County Tribune photo).

Delay on progress of Navigation Center

Continued from page 1

ter, which is aimed at providing housing and services for the homeless. Garden Grove will be the host city and operate it

Fatal stabbing at GG home

Continued from page 1

tified and located at a nearby hospital, also with injuries. The cause of those wounds is still under investigation.

Anyone with more information about the incident is asked to call Detective Daniel Camara at (714) 741-5824 or e-mail him at danielca@ggcity.org.

Two dead in HB incident

Continued from page 1

Arriving officers found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was declared dead at the scene and the woman was taken to a local trauma center, where she later succumbed to her wounds.

Anyone with information relating to the crime is asked to call the HBPD WeTip Hotline at (714) 375-5066.

Home invasion

Continued from page 1

cards, the suspects fled the house in an unknown direction.

The suspects are described as:

• A male of unknown race, 5-feet, 4-inches tall wearing a black Nike hoodie, dark pants and black shoes;

• A male, possibly Hispanic, 5-feet, 10-inches tall wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants and black shoes.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the WPD watch commander at (714) 548-3767.

in conjunction with the partner cities Fountain Valley and Westminster.

According to a staff report, two bids were received for the project, one for $4.8 million and another for $6.9 million. But “both bids have irregularities and may lead to protests.”

The proposed center is on a 0.41-acre site at 13871 West Street in an industrial area northwest of Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue. It would accommodate as many as 80 people.

Getting the center built and up and running is a priority for all three cities as anti-camping ordinances can only be enforced if there’s a place for the unhoused to be sheltered.

Before the meeting a reception was held in an adjacent room in the Community Meeting Center to honor Lisa Kim, Garden Grove’s new city manager. She assured attendees that “the future of Garden Grove is “bright.”

The Orange County Tribune Every Wednesday & Saturday

JIm Tortolano Editor and Publisher Marilyn Lewis Tortolano General Manager

The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesdays and Saturdays with some exceptions. Address is 9402 Luders Ave., Garden Grove, 92844.

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Call Jim at (714) 458-1860

Checkpoint for DUI is planned for April 8

The Garden Grove Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence Checkpoint on April 8, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location.

DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.

“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improves traffic safety.”

Garden Grove Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-thecounter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana is legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers charged with a firsttime DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

MARCH SHOWERS BROUGHT PRETTY FLOWERS

Deadline extended for foodie video

The submission deadline to participate in the Foods of Garden Grove Social Media Challenge has been extended to Sunday, May 28, 2023. Garden Grove Unified School District high school students, 10th-12th grades, are invited to create a 30- to 60- second foodie video at a Foods of Garden Grove eatery or café of their choice.

From all of the nominations, three will be selected at random to receive $100 gift cards. There is no cost to participate. To sub-

mit a video, visit the Foods of Garden Grove website at ggcity. org/foodsofgardengrove/socialchallenge.

Videos must be the original work of the student and feature one of the Foods of Garden Grove businesses. Submissions will be showcased on the Foods of Garden Grove social platforms.

Gift card winners will be announced on the Foods of Garden Grove website and social platforms on Tuesday, May 30,

2023.

The social media challenge is part of the city’s Foods of Garden Grove program, showcasing the city’s food culture through a prominent list of 150 select eateries.

Through the Foods of Garden Grove Social Media Challenge, students can create a unique foodie experience, while supporting local small businesses.

For more information, visit ggcity.org/foodsofgardengrove.

Hunt. Beach Easter Egg Hunt returns on April 8

The City of Huntington Beach and the Kiwanis of Huntington Beach announce the return of the “Easter Hunt & Family Fun Day,” Surf City’s annual Easter event will take place on Saturday, April 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Huntington Sports Complex, located at 18100 Goldenwest Street, Huntington

Beach, CA 92648.

This year’s event is “sure to be bigger and better than ever.” The estimated 10,000 event attendees will have plenty of activities to choose from, including:

• A public official dunk tank

• Live music

• Over 45 vendor and City booths

• Food vendors

Representatives from various city departments will be on hand to take part in the festivities. Attendees will get to see police department vehicles and equipment up close, meet with members of the community and library services department, and spend time with the fire department’s

peer support dog, Kingman.

This year’s Easter Egg Hunt will include a hunt using sound-assisted eggs for visually- impaired children. Easter Egg Hunt times are spread throughout the event. Participants must avoid lining up more than 15 minutes before hunt time.

THE RAIN that hit the West Orange County area recently may have complicated our lives a bit, but it freshened lawns and led to the blooming of beautiful flowers, as with these on Ontario Street in Garden Grove. The rain will be back on Wednesday and Thursday (Orange County Tribune image)

NewsUpdate

floor and looking and walking around before opening fire.

Protest turns tragic at detention center

At least 40 people died in a fire Monday night at a detention center for migrants in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

Shooter brought three guns

The shooter in Nashville, Tennessee who killed six people – three of them children – at a private school brought three firearms to the incident, which was carefully planned.

The New York Times is reporting that Audrey E. Hale – who was fatally shot by police – had been undergoing treatment for an “emotional disorder.”

Body-cam footage provided by police showed officers hurrying down the second floor of The Covenant school to confront the shooter.

Closed circuit security footage released by the Nashville Police Department showed Hale shooting open a glass door to gain access to the school, climbing to the second

According to the Associated Press, the event started when migrants placed mattresses on the bars of their cells and set them on fire. But guards, instead of releasing the migrants, walked or ran away, leaving the migrants trapped in their cells.

The burning of mattresses

was intended to be a protest against being deported to their home countries in other areas of Latin America.

Ciudad City is located across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Sports: Angels win Freeway final, 13-5

The Angels defeated the Dodgers 13-5 in third and final game of the Freeway Series, which they won two games to one. This was the last preseason game for each team. In NHL action, the Los Angeles Kings lost 2-1 to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

VIDEO IMAGE of Nashville shooter (Nashville PD).

Utah vs. Social Media Addiction

New laws will put the burden on the parents

By Barbara Ortutay AP Technology Writer

Utah’s sweeping social media legislation passed last week is an ambitious attempt to shield children and teens from the ill effects of social media and empower parents to decide whether their kids should be using apps like TikTok or Instagram.

What’s not clear is if – and how – the new rules can be enforced and whether they will create unintended consequences for kids and teens already coping with a mental health crisis.

And while parental rights are a central theme of Utah’s new laws, experts point out that the rights of parents and the best interests of children are not always aligned.

For instance, allowing parents

to read their kids’ private messages may be harmful to some children, and age verification requirements could give tech companies access to kids’ personal information, including biometric data, if they use tools such as facial recognition to check ages.

“Children may be put at increased risk if these laws are enforced in such a way that they’re not allowed to some privacy, if they are not allowed some ability for freedom of speech or autonomy,’’ said Kris Perry, executive director of the nonprofit Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.

The laws, which will go into effect in a year, impose a digital curfew on people under 18, require minors to get parental consent to sign up for social media apps and force companies to verify the ages of all their Utah users.

They also require tech companies to give parents access to their kids’ accounts and private messages, which has raised

alarms for child advocates who say this could further harm children’s mental health by depriving them of their right to privacy. This is especially true for LGBTQ+ kids whose parents are not accepting of their identity.

The rules could drastically transform how people in this conservative state access social media and the internet, and if successful, serve as a model for other states to enact similar legislation. But even if the laws clear the inevitable lawsuits from tech giants, it’s not clear how Utah will be able to enforce

them.

Take age verification, for instance. Various measures exist that can verify a person’s age online. Someone could upload a government ID, consent to the use facial recognition software to prove they are the age they say they are.

“Some of these verification measures are wonderful, but then also require the collection of sensitive data. And those can pose new risks, especially for marginalized youth,”

Perry said. “And it also puts a new kind of burden on parents to monitor their children. These things seem simple and straightforward on their face, but in reality, there are new risks that may emerge in terms of that collection of additional data on children.”

Just as teens have managed to obtain fake IDs to drink, they are also savvy at skirting online age regulations.

“In Southeast Asia they’ve been trying this for years, for

THE STATE of Utah has passed laws intended to combat the effects of social media addiction among kids (Shutterstock).

Utah vs. social media addiction

decades, and kids always get around it,” said Gaia Bernstein, author of “Unwired,” a book on how to fight technology addiction.

The problem, she said, is that the Utah rules don’t require social networks to prevent kids from going online. Instead, they are making the parents responsible.

“I think that’s going to be the weak link in the whole thing, because kids drive their parents insane,” Bernstein said.

There is no precedent in the United States for such drastic regulation of social media, although several states have similar rules in the works.

On the federal level, companies are already prohibited from collecting data on children un-

der 13 without parental consent under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

For this reason, social media platforms already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their sites - but children can easily skirt the rules, both with and without their parents’ consent.

Perry suggests that instead of age verification, there are steps tech companies could take to make their platforms less harmful, less addictive, across the board.

For instance, Instagram and TikTok could slow down all users’ ability to mindlessly scroll on their platforms for hours on end.

The laws are the latest effort from Utah lawmakers focused on children and the information they can access online. Two

years ago, Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation that called on tech companies to automatically block porn on cell phones and tablets sold, citing the dangers it posed to children.

Amid concerns about enforcement, lawmakers in the deeply religious state revised the bill to prevent it from taking effect unless five other states passed similar laws - which has not happened.

Still, child development experts are generally hopeful about the growing push to regulate social media and its effects on children.

“Children have specific developmental needs, and we want to protect them at the same time that we’re trying to push back on Big Tech,” Perry said. “It’s a two- part effort. You have to really put your arm around the kids while you’re pushing Big Tech away.”

Who can topple the Astros in the AL West Division?

of the pandemic. They went to the ALCS each season and made it to four World Series, winning two of them.

HOW THEY PROJECT

1. Houston Astros: Altuve is out until possibly June after getting hit by a pitch, but the Astros added former MVP 1B

José Abreu in free agency to a lineup that otherwise remained mostly intact, including slugging DH Yordan Alvarez, 3B Alex Bregman and RF Kyle Tucker. All-Star lefty Framber Valdez is 28-12 the past two seasons and Cristian Javier threw 11 1/3 scoreless innings in two postseason starts last year. But their rotation depth will be tested with Lance McCullers Jr. (strained right elbow) out to start the season.

2. Seattle Mariners: Coming off their first playoff appearance in more than two decades, the Mariners believe they have

added pieces to close the gap in the division. They boast one of the strongest starting rotations in baseball and should benefit from having ace Luis Castillo for a full season following his midseason trade from Cincinnati last year.

AL rookie of the year Julio Rodríguez is the face of the franchise and should be even better in his second season. Seattle’s success will depend largely on if the offense is improved after adding Kolten Wong, Teoscar Hernández and AJ Pollock.

3. Texas Rangers: Bochy was coaxed out of a three-year retirement by one of his former pitchers, GM Chris Young, who then revamped the Rangers’ starting rotation. Along with deGrom ($185 million over five years), whose final two seasons with the Mets were injury-plagued, former All-Star Nathan Eovaldi and lefty Andrew Heaney signed multiyear deals in free agency. Jake Odorizzi was acquired in a trade.

None pitched the full season last year because of injuries. Neither did Jon Gray, signed to top the rotation last season before three IL stints, though lefty Martín Pérez was a first-time All-Star. At 68 wins, Texas had only eight more than in 2021 before the $500-million addition of middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

4. Los Angeles Angels: Twoway superstar Ohtani has made it clear he wants to play for a winner. The 2021 AL MVP, and runner-up for that award last year (15-9, 2.33 ERA/.283 bat-

ting average with 34 homers, 95 RBIs), is going into his sixth and final season under contract with the Angels.

They haven’t even had a winning season since he arrived from Japan. Three-time MVP Trout, the U.S. captain at the WBC and signed with LA through 2030, has been to the playoffs only once in his 12 seasons. The Angels were swept in the 2014 ALDS, four years before Ohtani arrived, and their postseason drought since matches the longest in the majors. They did sign another All-Star pitcher, lefty Tyler Anderson ($39 million, three years) after he was 15-5 for the Dodgers, and added the bats of Gio Urshela, Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Drury to the lineup.

5. Oakland Athletics: Coming off the franchise’s first 100-loss season since 1979, the A’s then traded away their stars in another winter of salary shedding - dealing catcher Sean Murphy to the Braves and left-hander Cole Irvin to the Orioles. That comes after last year’s tradeheavy winter sending away several other stars.

That makes it tough on manager Mark Kotsay, who kept his cool and positive spirit even as his club lost 102 games in his first season, only two years after the low-budget A’s won the AL West during the virus-shortened 2020 campaign. Oakland did acquire hard-throwing 6-foot-6 Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami on a $3.25 million, one-year contract.

Mariners, Vikings top diamond Hi 5

6). Worthy of mention is Huntington Beach (5-3).

Note: all records are as of Monday, March 27 games.

Locals having star spring

While area prep sports programs do well all year long, they excel in the spring. This week’s CIF-SS polls have 19 local teams recognized. Baseball:

• Division 2: Ocean View (not ranked but receiving votes).

• Division 6: Garden Grove (fourth), Westminster (fifth).

• Division 7: Magnolia (eighth). Softball

• Division 1: Pacifica (fifth), Huntington Beach (10th).

• Division 2: Marina (first)

• Division 4: Edison (10th)

• Division 7: Los Amigos (ninth) Boys’ volleyball

• Division 1: Huntington Beach (fourth), Edison (ninth).

• Division 3: Garden Grove (not ranked but receiving votes).

• Division 5: Magnolia (not ranked but receiving votes).

Can Angels Break Fall, Keep Ohtani?

Halos have two future Hall of Famers, but ...

With a new set of rules –pitch clocks, bigger bases and curbs on defensive shifts – Major League Baseball starts this week with high hopes for a revival in fan interest as it competes with football and other sports for broadcast money and fan loyalty.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels are facing what could be key seasons as well. The Dodgers, who have dominated the National League West, have been riddled with injuries, and the Angels have one more season to convince two-way star Shohei Ohtani to stay in Anaheim.

For the Dodgers the season opens on Thursday, hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For the Angels, 2023 will start on the road Thursday in Oakland. The home opener for the Halos is Friday, April 7 hosting the Toronto Blue Jays.

Who can top Astros in the AL West?

By Stephen Hawkins AP Baseball Writer

Once Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout for an epic finish to the World Baseball Classic, the former AL MVPs quickly returned to being teammates again for what could be their last chance together to lead the Los Angeles Angels to the playoffs.

For the Athletics, this might be their last season in Oakland.

A long postseason drought is over for the Seattle Mariners after their first playoff appearance

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

since 2001 - and they feel like they can do it again. Three- time World Series champion manager Bruce Bochy and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom have joined the Texas Rangers, who have had six losing seasons in a row.

In the AL West, they all still have to try to get by Dusty Baker and his reigning World Series champion Houston Astros.

Even with Jose Altuve injured and three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander gone in

Mariners, Vikings top our High 5’s

Pacifica tops the High 5 this week for area high school baseball teams, and Marina is first in The Tribune’s High 5 for softball. The PHS Mariners are 11-2 and have won six games in a row.

They began Empire League play on Tuesday (results below) against Valencia (2-9), but face some serious title challenges against Cypress (11-4) and Crean Lutheran (11-3).

Next week will be an early test as Pacifica takes on Crean next Tuesday and Thursday.

The rest of the baseball High 5 for the West Orange County area are Huntington Beach (8-6), Garden Grove (9-5), Edison (75) and Westminster (9-2).

Not ranked but worthy of mention are Los Amigos (7-4) and Orange (7-6).

In softball, Marina is 14-1 and

has won six in a row. The Vikings’ biggest rival for the Sunset League crown will be Los Alamitos (7-2). Those two will open SL play next Tuesday at the Viking diamond.

The rest of the High 5 for area softball are Pacifica (8-3), Westminster (11-5), Edison (10-6) and tied for fifth are Garden Grove (8-3) and Ocean View (9-

free agency, Houston is a solid favorite to win another division title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Its leadoff-hitting second baseman is out until possibly June after breaking his thumb while playing for Venezuela in the WBC, while Verlander departed in free agency during the offseason.

The only time in the last six years the Astros didn’t win the AL West was the 2020 season shortened to 60 games because

Continued on page 7

WITH MIKE TROUT and Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels have two of the best players in baseball, but it hasn’t translated into a winning season or playoff appearance (Angels photo).