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Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, July 13, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
n GARDEN GROVE CITY COUNCIL
Progress Toward A New Police Bldg. $8 million for interim use, potential site 7-11 STORES SITES OF SHOOTINGS Two dead, others wounded in multiple attacks
Suspect is sought in 7-11 store shootings By Stefanie Dazio Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two people were killed and three wounded in robberies before dawn Monday at six 7-Eleven stores n STANTON COUNCIL
Moratorium extended for 10 months plus In an effort to curb illegal activities in some commercial enterprises, the Stanton City Council took action Tuesday night to continue a ban on certain new businesses. The council voted 5-0 to extend an existing moratorium on certain “personal service and medical office businesses” for an another 10 months, 15 days. Continued on page 2
MATTHEW RULE, 24 Santa Ana victim
in Southern California – including in three Orange County cities – and authorities said they were seeking the same lone gunman in at least three of the crimes. The string of violence occurred occurred within a timespan of about five hours on July 11, or 7/11, the day when the national 7-Eleven brand celebrates its anniversary. This is its 95th year and on Monday stores gave out free SlurContinued on page 2
In a major step toward replacing the city’s public safety building with a bigger and newer facility, the Garden Grove Council voted 6-0 – with Mayor Steve Jones absent – Tuesday night to approve purchasing a two-story building in the Civic Center area for possible eventual use as the location for a new public safety building. According to a staff report, the city will be purchasing the building
BLDG. IS 35,000 SQUARE FEET, 1.85 ACRE SITE On Garden Grove Boulevard, east of Euclid.
at 11277 Garden Grove The site could be used as Blvd. (about one block an interim facility while east of Euclid Street) from the police department is KJ Investments Group relocated to another Civic LLC for $8,049,000. Continued on page 2
COVID-19 stats are still up, down You’re seen this headline before: confirmed new coronavirus cases in Orange County are up and down. According to Tuesday’s report from the county health care agency, the latest report covering July 8-11 showed 5,172 new cases, an average of 1,293 per day. That compares to Friday’s average of 1,527
and 666 a week ago. Deaths declined from 19 on Friday to 10 on Tuesday. Hospitalizations increased from 277 on Friday to 287 on Tuesday. Use of intensive care units for COVID-19 patients declined from 34 to 30. Nationally, The New
York Times is reporting that – over a 14-week period – new cases are up 8 percent. Hospitalizations are up 17 percent and deaths are up 2 percent. Los Angeles Times reports that California new cases are down 5 percent and deaths up 29 percent.
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2 WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Suspect sought in shootings Continued from page 1
pee drinks. It wasn’t immediately clear to investigators what prompted the violence in the cities of Ontario, Upland, Riverside, Santa Ana, Brea and La Habra. “I think the only person to answer that would be the suspect,’’ said Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesperson for the Riverside Police Department. But he said the date was no accident. “There’s no way it can be a coincidence of it being 7-Eleven, July 11,’’ Railsback said. 7-Eleven Inc. issued a statement saying it was gathering information and working with police. “Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones,’’ the statement said.
The first robbery happened at about midnight in Ontario, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. The masked man brandished a handgun at the store’s employee and demanded money, according to Ontario Cpl. Emily Hernandez. He did not fire any shots and the clerk was not injured. It was not immediately clear to investigators what, if anything, was stolen. The second robbery happened about 45 minutes later in Upland, less than 5 miles away from the Ontario store. The suspect approached the store clerk with a few items, “some drinks and things,’’ and brandished a semi-automatic handgun, Upland Sgt. Jake Kirk said. The man stole the items Continued on page 6
Moratoriums are extended Continued from page 1
The original 45-day moratorium was approved by the council on June 14, 2022. According to a staff report, some massage establishments – along with other enterprises in which the customer might end up partially or fully undressed – have been connected to illegal sexual activities and human trafficking.
New GG police building Continued from page 1
Center spot, or as the location for a new facility. Also on Tuesday night, the
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. E-mail is orangecountytribune@gmail. com. Website is: www.orangecountytribune.com. Phone: (714) 458-1860. Established Aug. 6, 2016. All opinions expressed in The Tribune, unless otherwise stated, are those of the individual writer or artist and not necessarily those of The Tribune. A member of The Associated Press, Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Online News Association.
council heard an update about progress in creating a “Navigation Center” for the unsheltered in concert with the cities of Fountain Valley and Westminster. All three cities have approved a memorandum of understanding for the creation of the facility. The agreement gives much of the oversight for the center to the “Host City,” presumably Garden Grove as the largest of the three. At a previous council meeting, City Manager Scott Stiles said that city staff were looking at locations in the industrial areas northwest of Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue. According to Lisa Kim, assistant city manager and director of community and economic development, city staff expected to have a potential site identified to report to the council at a meeting in August.
OCTribune’s electronic paper comes out on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The best in local news The Orange County TRIBUNE
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 3
News&Views
20 years to life in daring escape from the OC Jail FIRE SCENE ON BLACKHEATH CIRCLE IN WESTMINSTER Working smoke alarms were valuable (OCFA photo).
Smoke alarms were heroes Working smoke alarms are credited with helping to contain a fire that broke out in Westminster on Sunday. According to the Orange County Fire Authority, a garage fire ignited at home in the 8900 block of Blackheath Circle (southwest of McFadden Avenue and Magnolia Street). A “911” call was placed at 3:06 p.m. when residents smelled smoke and the smoke alarms were activated. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire – which was confined to the garage – is under investigation.
7/11 Slurpee Day turns fatal
Shootings in Brea, La Habra and Santa Ana on Monday took the lives of at least two people and wounded others, all incidents taking place in 7-11 convenience stores. July 11 is “7-11 Free Slurpee Day” when people throng the store for free Slurpee drinks. One clerk was fatally shot in Brea and another in Santa Ana.
News Briefs Another shooting took place in Riverside where the victim is reported to be in “grave condition.” See page 1 for more details
Help sought in finding suspect
Anaheim police department detectives are asking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in an explosion that resulted in injuries on Tuesday, July 5. According to the APD, the incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. inside a home near the 8000 block go E. Far Canyon Way. Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect (pictured at right) is asked to contact Detective Cavaness at (714) 765-1557 or ccavaness@anaheim.net .
SANTA ANA (AP) – One of three men who carried out a daring, elaborate escape from a Southern California jail was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison. Bac Tien Duong, 49, was sentenced both for the Jan. 22, 2016, breakout and for attempted murder in the case that first got him locked up. He was given credit for the more than seven years he already spent in jail. Duong, a reputed street gang member, was awaiting trial when he and two other inmates broke out of the Orange County Central Jail Complex in Santa Ana. Using smuggled tools, the three cut through a metal grate in their maximum-security dorm cell, then climbed through plumbing shafts within the walls to reach the roof, where they rappelled down five stories using a rope made of bed linens, according to authorities and a cellphone video shot by one of the men. That day, Duong allegedly called an unlicensed
BAC TIEN DUONG (OCDA photo)
taxi driver who had advertised in Vietnameselanguage publications. The 72-year-old driver was kidnapped and sometimes held at gunpoint as he drove the men around. The men then stole a van and took both vehicles and taxi driver Long Ma along as they drove hundreds of miles north to the San Francisco Bay Area, authorities said. The men and Ma stayed in motels until on Jan. 29, when Duong took an opportunity to drive with Ma alone back to Southern California, telling Ma that another escapee had intended to kill the drivContinued on page 4
Cannabis, short-term rentals, etc. on council agenda Cannabis, short-term rentals and the Quang Tri Monument top the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Westminster City Council. The council will hear a report from staff on commercial cannabis regulations in Orange County cities.
Also, the council will hear the results of research on regulations governing short-term rentals of residential property. Two related items concern the controversial Quang Tri Monument. The first refers to the
recommendation of the monument committee as to depiction and design, and the second is consideration of potential locations for the monument. According to a staff report, the most feasible locations are: • Westminster Park
n WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL • Tony Lam (formerly Park West Park) Park • Elden Gillespie Park • Sid Goldstein Freedom Park •Westminster Memorial Park (privately-owned
cemetery. The monument is intended to commemorate a victory in 1972 by South Vietnamese and allied units against Communist forces. The council will have a closed session at 5 p.m., the open session at 7 p.m.
4 WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
20 years to life in prison sentence Continued from page 3
er, according to an account Ma gave to a newspaper in 2016. The other two men, Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu, were arrested the next day in San Francisco, ending a weeklong manhunt.
The taxi driver, who has credited Duong with saving his life, filed a letter to the court asking the judge to show mercy to Duong, the paper reported. Duong was the first of the three men to go to trial on escape charges.
At the time of the escape, Tieu was facing retrial on charges of murder and attempted murder for a 2011 shooting outside an Orange County pool hall.
Three killed, four hurt in fiery crash Three people were killed and four others injured – three of them critically – in a fiery rollover automobile accident on Orange early Saturday morning. According to the OPD, the incident took place around 2:47 a.m. A Nissan Altima was traveling south on Glassell Avenue “at a high rate of speed” and went out of control at the curve at the Orange-Olive merge. The vehicle rolled over and all seven occupants were ejected. Three were declared dead at the scene and the other four were taken to local hospitals.
DEBRIS FROM FATAL ACCIDENT Three of those are in critical to be a factor in the crash. Glasconditions and the fourth had sell and Orange-Olive, north of suffered moderate injuries. Taft Avenue, were closed to trafDrugs and alcohol are suspected fic for several hours.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 5
Arts&Living
TWO THORS ARE BETTER THAN ONE, RIGHT? Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth star in “Thor: Love and Thunder” (Marvel/Disney)
This “Thor” is bonkers movie-making But still a very entertaining motion picture By Mark Kennedy AP Entertainment Writer
The last full Thor movie was the overstuffed 2017 “Thor: Ragnarok,’’ with the God of Thunder dealing with dueling brother and sister issues, the imminent destruction of his planet, a boozy sidekick, a huge dog, pal Hulk having a panic attack and the death of his father. It was Taika Waititi filmmaking at its most intense, with slomo sauntering, stupid antlered headdresses, slicing swords and laser cannons, capes and undead soldiers, a hair-cropped Thor, a typically unbalanced Jeff Gold-
Movie Review blum character, a prophecy, alien spacecrafts and lots of Led Zeppelin. If you thought that was bananas filmmaking, its sequel is the whole fruit basket. “Thor: Love and Thunder’’ – a rare Marvel fourth installment for one character – has giant bleating goats, a horrible Zeus, children in cages, space dolphins, Jodie Foster jokes, teddy bears with laser eyes, an Old Spice commercial parody, Natalie Portman headbutting a villain, blue aliens and lots of Guns N’ Roses. Waititi is back as the co-writer, director and the voice for the stony Korg, with Chris Hemsworth as our space Viking, a man who really needs to get more credit for taking Thor over
the years from glum to hysterical. His ability to pronounce superhero things dramatically and then become a goofball is endlessly endearing. Also back are Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Jaimie Alexander’s Sif. One problematic character back is Jane Foster, Thor’s ex whom he still pines for eight years after they broke up and she skipped the third film. But now Foster – played by Portman – has his old magical hammer, Mjolnir, and has become a superhero of her own, the Mighty Thor. She’s working on a catchphrase, like “Eat this hammer!’’ Thor, of course, has moved on – not with his romantic feelings, but with his favored weaponry. He wields the enchanted axe Stormbreaker now. He has no eyes for Mjolnir – or does he? “We good? I know it’s a little weird having my ex-weapon
Good: HHH around,’’ he asks his axe in a deliciously loony scene, basically reflecting a love triangle between a Norse god and two metal armaments. Our villain this time is superb: Christian Bale plays the deliciously named Gorr the God Butcher. A once-pious man who prayed in vain to the deities, he has now decided to wipe them out after having a personal setback. Bale is so creepy and so committed that you can feel his hatred melt your popcorn. ``The gods will use you but they will not help you,’’ he snarls. Another punch of the bizarre comes from Russell Crowe, who plays Zeus as a vainglorious tyrant with a Roman outfit Continued on page 6
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“Thor: Love and Thunder” is goofy but fun Continued from page 5
(a riff off “Gladiator’’?) and an atrocious Mediterranean accent. He is surrounded by lackeys – some called Zeusettes – and frustrates Thor, even stripping him of his clothes, to the delight of many in the audience. ``You know what they say: Never meet your heroes,’’ says the Viking. The whipsaw from death and suffering to idiocy is staggering, with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson credited alongside Waititi for a script that seems like it was pasted together after gerbils ripped up a bag of words. You go from a hospital room on Earth dealing with a terminal illness to Thor dressed as a hot dog to a shadow realm in low gravity where the film goes completely black and white. There is very little logic and the connections between scenes are tenuous, giving the film a feeling of not building to anything clear. Peak lunacy is reached at the
Omnipotence City, where the universe’s gods hang out. There is the Aztec God, various Maori Goddesses, the Mayan God and a round dough called Bao, God of Dumplings. It’s a gag that seems out of a Mel Brooks film but the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, don’t be surprised to see the 47th installment called ``Bao: Steam and Sauce.’’ The film is stacked with cameos – many of which critics aren’t
permitted to reveal – but look for Hemsworth’s real-life wife and one of his sons, a bunch of fed-up Guardians of the Galaxy and a pretty famous comedienne playing Cate Blanchett’s role from ``Ragnarok.’’ What to make of this glorious, intergalactic mess? There is no better answer than to swipe one of our hero’s catchphrases: “What a classic Thor adventure, Hurrah!’’
“Thor: Love and Thunder,’’ a Walt Disney Studios release that opens in theaters on July 8, is rated PG-13 for “intense sci-fi violence, action, language, partial nudity and some suggestive material.’’ Running time: 119 minutes. MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Suspect is sought in 7-11 shootings Continued from page 2
and about $400 to $500 in cash and fled. No shots were fired. Surveillance photos, released by Upland and Brea police, show a masked man wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood over his head. The sweatshirt had white lettering with green leaves on the front. While police in La Habra, Brea
and Santa Ana have said they believe they are seeking the same suspect, officials in Ontario, Upland and Riverside have not yet made that determination though they said they were aware of the other crimes at 7-Eleven stores. “It could potentially be the same person but we’re not confirming that at this time,’’ Kirk said.
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About an hour after the Upland robbery and 25 miles away in Riverside, a gunman brandished a gun and robbed the 7-Eleven clerk, then turned the weapon on a customer, opened fire and fled, Railsback said. Police believe the clerk handed over cash from the register. The shooting victim was in grave condition. “It doesn’t appear to be any reason that the suspect shot the customer,’’ Railsback said. ``It sounds like the clerk gave him whatever he asked for.’’ Railsback said criminals typically know that robberies at convenience stores rarely yield large amounts of money, especially during the overnight hours. Another shooting occurred around 3:20 a.m., about 24 miles away, in Santa Ana, authorities said. Officers responding there reported gunfire and found a man dead in the 7-Eleven parking lot with a gunshot wound to his upper torso, according to Santa Ana Sgt. Maria Lopez. “At this moment, we don’t believe he was an employee,’’ Lopez said of the victim. “We don’t really know yet what he was doing there in a parking lot, if he was a potential customer or just walking by.’’ The decedent has been identiftied as Matthew Rule, 24, of Snata Ana. Surveillance video shows the suspect dropping items – believed to be the victim’s belongings – as he fled, Lopez said.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 7
Angels, Dodgers well-represented at 2022 All-Star Game Continued from page 8
Tucker and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez selected along with starting second baseman Jose Altuve. Alvarez went on the injured list Sunday because of right hand inflammation. World Series champion Atlanta also has five. Pitcher Max Fried, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, short-
stop Dansby Swanson and DH William Contreras joined outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who was elected by fans. Contreras will be the NL’s DH in place of Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, who was elected to start but broke his left thumb on June 25. Contreras joins Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras as the first brothers in the same AllStar Game since Aaron and Bret Boone in 2003. They will be just
the fifth brothers to start in an All-Star Game after Mort and Walker Cooper in 1942 and ‘43, Dixie and Harry Walker in 1947, Joe and Dom DiMaggio in 1949 and Roberto and Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1992. The New York Mets, St. Louis and Toronto have four All-Stars. Seattle outfielder Julio Rodriguez was the lone rookie picked and at 21 is the youngest of this year’s All-Stars. There are 30 first-time All-Stars and Rodriguez, who debuted on April 8, is among 10 age 24 or younger. Ohtani, the reigning AL MVP, is hitting .260 with 19 homers and 59 RBIs and is 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 111 strikeouts and 20 walks in 81 innings. He has won five consecutive starts and is coming off a Wednesday outing at Miami when he became the first player in major league
history to strike out 10 batters, drive in two runs and steal a base. In the AL’s 5-2 win last year at Colorado, Ohtani pitched a 1-2-3 first inning by retiring Fernando Tatis Jr., Max Muncy and Nolan Arenado, and grounded out twice. Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera is the senior All-Star with 12 selections and St. Louis DH Albert Pujols is second with 11, both picks of baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred under a provision for career achievements in the new collective bargaining agreement. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is next with 10, followed by Kershaw and Verlander with nine apiece. Trout was picked for the ninth straight time.
Early deficit doomed Dodgers Continued from page 8
Central, battered Mitch White (1-2) early, tagging him for 10 hits and six runs in five innings. He struck out three batters, walked two and gave up two home runs. One of those homers was hit by Albert Pujols, a former Dodger (and Angel) who hit a solo shot in the second inning. The Dodgers battled back all night, with Trea Turner hitting a two-run homer in the fifth and Freddie Freeman a solo shot in the ninth. Freeman went 4-for-5
with two RBIs and a run scored. What turned out to be the winning run for the Redbirds was an RBI single by Andrew Knizner scoring Lars Nootbaar from third base. The loss didn’t hurt the Blue Crew (56-30) any in the NL West race as the second place San Diego Padres also lost, keeping LAD 7.5 games ahead. On Wednesday these teams will meet again with the Dodgers sending Tony Gonsolin (110) to the mound to duel Adam Wainwright (6-7).
The Astros ground the Angels Continued from page 8
inning. When Astro starter Luis Garcia left the game after pitching six innings, the Angels had just one hit and one run. However, in the bottom of the seventh, the Orange County team loaded the bases against Phil Maton and scored four times on a hit batsman, a single by David MacKinnon and a passed ball. Mike Trout went 0-for-2 before leaving the game with upper back spasms. The Angels (38-50) will host
the Astros (67-29) again on Wednesday with Shohei Ohtani (8-4) making the start for the home team.
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8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
TheSportsPage
Stars To Shine at All-Star Game Kershaw, Ohtani, Trout etc. give us a good showing By Ronald Blum AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – In a city of stars, the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw will be in the spotlight July 19 at Dodger Stadium. “I think it’s been a couple of years since I got to compete in an All-Star Game, and something about Dodger Stadium, too, is special,’’ Kershaw said after pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday. “I don’t take that for granted. Like I said before, I hope I didn’t take anybody’s spot that was more deserving than me, but now that it’s official and I get to do it, I am very excited about it.’’ A year after he became the first two-way All-Star, Ohtani was picked for the American League pitching staff as a Major League Baseball selection, two days after he was elected by fans to start at designated hitter. Kershaw, 6-2 with a 2.40 ERA, and pitcher Tony Gonsolin were chosen from the host Dodg-
CLAYTON KERSHAW IS BACK FOR THE NATIONAL LEAGUE Dodger and Angel stars are on stage at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game next week. ers, joining starting outfielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Trea Turner. Kershaw was picked by MLB and is a favorite to open on the mound for the NL, which has lost eight straight All-Star Games and 20 of the last 23 played to a decision. “I’m going to try to take it all in as best I can,’’ said the 34-yearold left-hander, a three-time Cy
Young Award winner. “As the years go by, you start to appreciate things a bit more, so every time I get to pitch at Dodger Stadium, every time we get a win, every time something significant happens, I try to take it in a little bit more now.’’ Pitchers Clay Holmes, Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes made the AL team from the Yankees
along with catcher Jose Trevino, giving New York six All-Stars for the first time since 2011. Outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were elected to start. The defending AL champion Houston has five All-Stars, with pitchers Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez, outfielder Kyle Continued on page 7
This time, it was a close loss to the Houston Astros
Pujols, Cards beat Dodgers
By Pete Zarustica Orange County Tribune
By David Arthur Orange County Tribune
The Los Angeles Angels showed some grit in rallying late from a big deficit Tuesday night against the Houston Astros at home, but the outcome was disappointingly familiar. After tying the game at 5-5, the Halos lost the game when the visitors drove in the winning run on a single by Aledmys Diaz in
the ninth inning. Raisel Iglesias (2-6) took the 6-5 loss which was the Angels’ fifth straight defeat and ninth loss in 10 games. Halo starter Noah Syndergaard was pulled after giving up three runs on three hits in four innings. He struck out three batters but yielded four walks and a homer. The Angel offense was quiet all night except for the seventh Continued on page 7
An early 6-1 deficit was too big of an obstacle to overcome as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost 7-6 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the Gateway City on Tuesday night. The Cardinals (48-42), second place in the National League Continued on page 7