Police were asking for the public’s help Wednesday in locating three men wanted in an armed robbery at a music recording studio in Santa Ana.

The three men arrived at The OC Recording Company located in the 3100 block of Warner Avenue around 10:20 p.m. on Oct. 7 under the pretense of recording an album, according to a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department.

After making contact with the owner and being asked to wait outside, the men entered the business with handguns, the release stated.

The men tied up the studio owner and one of his employees and demanded to know the value of the studio equipment and the location of the safe, the release stated.

The victims cooperated with the gunmen who stole $40,000 in studio equipment, including microphones, guitars, and computer equipment as well as cash from the safe.

The men fled in a light-colored vehicle that was captured by a surveillance camera located outside a neighboring business, police said.

The suspects were described as black men in their late teens to mid 20s, between 5 foot 7 inches and 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds with short black hair.

Two of the men were armed with silver and black semi-auto handguns, according to police.

The third man had a black semi-auto handgun.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Detective Art Castorena 714-245-8422 or Orange County Crime Stoppers 1-855-TIP-OCCS

Police pursued a fleeing vehicle on surface streets to a home in Santa Ana in connection with a purse robbery that occurred in Brea on Thursday afternoon.

The robbery occurred at the Brea Mall, where a man stole a purse from a woman at the Macy’s at about 1:40 p.m., according to a Lt. Derrin Deveroux with the Brea Police Department.

As the thief tried to leave, he got into a fight with a loss-prevention officer, and then escaped, Deveroux said.

The man later returned to the mall to pick up a woman he had dropped off there; at that time, he was spotted by officers and a chase began, Deveroux said.

The pursuit was transferred from Brea police undercover units to Placentia police, a Placentia Police Department lieutenant said. Other agencies became involved as well.

The pursuit ended in the 1800 block of West Myrtle Street in Santa Ana (map), where multiple police cars swarmed a home, aerial video showed. A black convertible BMW was stopped in the home’s driveway.

It was not immediately clear if anyone had been taken into custody.

KTLA’s Nidia Becerra Tijerino contributed to this article.

A WestJet plane arriving from Canada was temporarily contained on the tarmac of John Wayne Airport after a 2-year-old with meningitis was reported on board Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The child was hospitalized but was quickly released after she was determined not to have meningitis, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The WestJet plane was stopped at Gate 2 of the Santa Ana airport, Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Larry Kurtz said. The fire department was called to the airport at 2:30 p.m. with a report that a 2-year-old with meningitis was on board a plane, Kurtz said.

Authorities initially said the flight was “quarantined,” but later revised that to say the flight was simply “contained” for 15 to 20 minutes while first responders consulted with the local health care agency.

WestJet Flight 1754 from Vancouver arrived at 2:15 p.m. and passengers were “cleared” 40 minutes later, the airport stated on Twitter.

The child was taken to Children’s Hospital of Orange County with a high fever and some other signs of meningitis that prompted concerns, authorities on scene said.

The toddler was found not to have meningitis and was released, CHOC spokeswoman Denise Almazan said about 5:30 p.m.

Because it was not clear if the child indeed had meningitis, names and phone numbers for the 125 passengers on board were collected in case they need to be contacted about a possible illness, Kurtz said.

A Fire Authority spokesman had earlier said the child was taken to a different hospital.

Multiple emergency vehicles were at the airport, aerial video showed.

A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and DUI following a multi-vehicle crash in Santa Ana that left an 18-year-old man dead and five others injured, authorities announced Sunday.

Robert Rubio, 18, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Santa Ana on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, authorities said.

Herbert Granados Calderon was driving on a suspended license at the time of the collision, according to a statement from the Santa Ana Police Department. His license had previously been suspended for driving under the influence, the statement said.

Officers responded about 9:21 p.m. Saturday to the intersection of Bristol Street and Central Avenue (map), where three vehicles — each carrying multiple occupants — were involved in the crash.

A Lexus, driven by Calderon, was traveling southbound on Bristol when it drove through a red light at Central and broadsided a Honda, the Police Department said. The force of the impact caused the the Honda to collide with a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Calderon, a Santa Ana resident, was found to be under the influence of alcohol and arrested at the scene, said police Cmdr. Eric Paulson. He and his three passengers were transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

Herbert Granados Calderon, suspected of vehicular manslaughter and DUI, is seen in a booking photo. (Credit: Santa Ana Police Department)

One of the Honda’s three occupants died at the scene, Paulson said. The other two were taken to a hospital in stable condition.

The two occupants of the Chevrolet were not injured.

The deceased victim was later identified by the Orange County coroner’s office as Robert Rubio, of Santa Ana.

Throughout the day Sunday, dozens of friends and loved ones arrived at the crash site and contributed to a makeshift memorial erected in Rubio’s memory. A candlelight vigil was held Sunday evening.

“Everybody loved him,” said Bryana Rebollar, a friend of the the victim. “People loved being around him because of just the way he is. He’s a great person.”

An investigation into the collision is ongoing. Any witnesses were asked to call Investigator Hadley of the Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit at 714-245-8216.

One person was killed and five others injured in a suspected DUI crash in Santa Ana on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, police said. (OnScene.tv HD)

A suspected drunk driver who was arrested over the weekend following a chain-reaction crash in Santa Ana that left an 18-year-old man dead and five others injured was driving with a suspended license, police said Sunday.

Herbert Granados Calderon, suspected of vehicular manslaughter and DUI, is seen in a booking photo. (Credit: Santa Ana Police Department)

Herbert Granados Calderon’s license had also previously been suspended for driving under the influence, a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department stated.

The 23-year-old Santa Ana resident was traveling southbound in a Lexus on Bristol Street on Saturday night when he allegedly ran a red light at Central Avenue and broadsided a Honda, which then collided with a Chevrolet pickup truck, according to police.

A passenger of the Honda, identified by the Orange County Coroner’s office as Robert Rubio of Santa Ana, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other people in the Honda were injured and taken to a local hospital. They were last reported to be in stable condition.

Calderon and three passengers sustained minor injuries and were also trasnported to the hospital.

Santa Ana police spokesman Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said that Calderon was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and DUI.

His bail was initially set at $100,000, but police later said he being held without bail.

In the aftermath of the fatal crash, Rubio’s family and friends gathered at the crash site over the weekend to remember the popular teen.

Robert Rubio, 18, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Santa Ana on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, authorities said.

A makeshift memorial featuring candles, cards, balloons and flowers remained at the crash scene as of Monday morning, a day after mourners attended a candlelight vigil in memory of the teen.

Those who knew Rubio remembered the student-athlete as being well-liked and a good person who always had a smile on his face.

“Everybody loved him… people loved being around him cause of just the way he is. He’s a great person. Always fun to be around with,” said Bryana Rebollar, Rubio’s friend.

“It’s crazy how it just happened,” Rebollar added. “They weren’t even the ones driving bad, they were doing everything good and they just got hit.”

Another friend said there was widespread disbelief following news of Rubio’s death.

“We didn’t believe it. We all rushed… over here. And we were here we just prayed, we couldn’t believe it was him,” Gustavo Sanchez said.

The crash remained under investigation. Witnesses have been asked to call Investigator Hadley of the Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit at 714-245-8216.

More video: 

Authorities continued to search Halloween night for two men who fled after their SUV struck and killed three 13-year-old girls – two of whom were twins – who were trick-or-treating in Santa Ana Friday, authorities said.

Three teenage girls were killed by a hit-and-run driver while trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, 2014. (Credit: Steve Kuzj/ KTLA)

The girls were hit in the 1400 block of Fairhaven Street (map) around 6:45 p.m. Friday, Orange County Fire Authority said.

All three were found dead upon arrival, Santa Ana Police Department Capt. Anthony Bertagna said.

They were all 13 years old and two were twin sisters, OCFA Capt. Concialdi said.

The vehicle involved was found about 800 yards from the crash near a strip mall that included a Del Taco and Big Lots in the 2700 block of North Grand Avenue (map), Bertagna said around 9:12 p.m.

It appeared to be a Honda CRV.

Officials searched for a hit-and-run driver who killed three teen girls who were trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, 2014. (Credit: Steve Kuzj/ KTLA)

A witness said two men, a driver and passenger, fled the area.

Brittany Evans, an 8-year-old girl at the scene, said she was friends with the twins, and the two had protected her from bullies in the past.

Evan’s father said he heard a screech and scream when the crash occurred.

“How do you think I feel? A father, my daughter,  Halloween night. I’m scared to hell,” Jeff Evans said.

The incident occurred near Fairhaven Elementary School, in a 25 mph zone.

Two men fled a Honda CRV after hitting and killing three teens in Santa Ana Halloween night. (Credit: KTLA)

Initial investigations indicated the SUV may have been driving at least 50 mph.

The impact caused the girls to be thrown more than 100 feet, and no tire tracks were found at the scene, officials said.

Authorities were also investigating if the vehicle had been stolen.

Although the National Weather Service predicted rain in the area Halloween night, it had not rained prior to the crash.

UPDATE:

Multiple people have been arrested in connection to a hit-and-run that killed three 13-year-old girls who were trick-or-treating Halloween night, the Santa Ana Police Department stated in a news release Sunday.

Click here to read KTLA’s updated story.

ORIGINAL POST:

As a search continued Saturday for two men wanted in connection to a hit-and-run that killed three 13-year-old girls who were trick-or-treating in Santa Ana Halloween night, the coroner’s office identified the victims – two of whom were twin sisters.

A Facebook page posted this photo of Lexi Perez Huerta and Lexandra Perez, twin sisters who were killed by a hit-and-run driver on Oct. 31, 2014. The post did not indicate which twin was which.

The three teens were walking in a crosswalk when they were struck by a speeding Honda CRV in the 1400 block of Fairhaven Street (map) around 6:45 p.m. Friday, not far from Fairhaven Elementary School.

The coroner’s office identified the twins as Lexi Perez and Lexandra Perez and the third girl as Andrea Gonzalez. A friend told KTLA the twin girls’ last names were Perez Huerta.

The impact of the crash caused the girls to be thrown more than 100 feet, authorities said.

All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

“Witnesses say the vehicle was traveling at a high-rate of speed. I didn’t see any skid marks, so it doesn’t appear they slowed down whatsoever,” said Santa Ana Police Department Capt. Anthony Bertagna. “They left these three young women laying in the street, and left without calling, without stopping, without rendering aid. It’s hard to even fathom doing that.”

A friend provided this photo of Andrea Gonzalez, a 13-year-old girl killed while trick-or-treating in a hit-and-run in Santa Ana on Oct. 31, 2014.

The crash occurred in a 35 mph area, and officials suspected the driver may have been traveling double that speed.

One witness followed the SUV to a nearby strip small, where they reported seeing two men – a passenger and driver – get out of the vehicle and flee on foot.

No description of the men being sought had been released.

The SUV’s registered owner had lived near the crash, but recently moved, officials said. It was unclear if the vehicle had been stolen.

Police were checking surveillance video from businesses in the area to see if the pair had been captured on camera.

They were also asking witnesses to step forward and provide information.

“At this point, we need the community’s help, anybody that saw these individuals. Did they call somebody? Did they get picked up? Were they seen running on foot past the freeway?” Bertagna asked. “People are going to be talking about this. These individuals could be talking about this.”

The victims’ friends and family gathered at a memorial for the girls on Saturday.

“These two men don’t deserve to live, or be free at all. They need to pay for what they did to all those three girls, they broke their dreams,” the twins’ older brother Luis Huerta said.

A memorial honored three girls killed while trick-or-treating in Santa Ana on Oct. 31, 2014. (Credit: Steve Kuzj/ KTLA)

The Alexandra and Lexi Perez Huerta Memorial Fund Facebook page was created Saturday and asked for donations for the their funeral expenses.

Members of the Decentes Car Club OC told KTLA they also planned to donate some proceeds from a Nov. 7 event to the girls’ families. An event flier stated it would include music, raffles and a hot dog eating contest.

The Santa Ana Police Department could be contacted at 714-245-8665. Additionally, anonymous tips could also be left through Orange County Crime Stoppers by calling 855-847-6227 or by visiting the website occrimestoppers.org.

More videos:

The search continued Sunday for a male driver and passenger who fled the scene of a Santa Ana hit-and-run that killed three teenage girls who were trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Members of the Decentes Car Club OC told KTLA they also planned to donate proceeds from a Nov. 7 event to the girls’ families. An event flier stated it would include music, raffles and a hot dog eating contest.

Erin Myers reports for the KTLA 5 Morning News on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014.

Five people were arrested in connection to a hit-and-run that killed three 13-year-old girls who were trick-or-treating Halloween night, officials said Sunday.

A friend provided this photo of Andrea Gonzalez, a 13-year-old girl killed while trick-or-treating in a hit-and-run in Santa Ana on Oct. 31, 2014.

Twins Lexi Perez and Lexandra Perez and their friend Andrea Gonzalez were walking in a Santa Ana crosswalk Friday around 6:45 p.m. when a Honda CRV slammed into the three girls, throwing them more than 100 feet, officials said.

“Witnesses say the vehicle was traveling at a high-rate of speed. I didn’t see any skid marks, so it doesn’t appear they slowed down whatsoever,” Santa Ana Police Department Capt. Anthony Bertagna said. “They left these three young women laying in the street, and left without calling, without stopping, without rendering aid. It’s hard to even fathom doing that.”

A witness followed the SUV, which was left at a strip mall parking lot about a quarter mile from the crash site, and said a male driver and passenger fled on foot.

Multiple people were arrested in connection to the crime, a Santa Ana Police Department news release stated Sunday. More details were expected to be given during a Monday news conference around 11 a.m.

The arrests were made around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Bertagna told the Los Angeles Times.

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido later said five people had been arrested.

A Facebook page posted this photo of Lexi Perez Huerta and Lexandra Perez Huerta, twin sisters who were killed by a hit-and-run driver on Oct. 31, 2014. The post did not indicate which twin was which.

Andrea Gonzalez’s brother said he was comforted by the arrests.

“The people who did this left them there as if they were nothing. They’re finally in custody and have to answer to justice, that brings such a sigh of relief not just to my parents, not just to the twins’ family, but just to the whole community,” brother Josafar Gonzalez said.

Two GoFundMe donation pages were established over the weekend for the girls’ families.

Over $23,000 had been donated to the Perez Huerta family as of Sunday night. The stated goal was $10,000.

The principal of Santiago Charter Middle School, where Gonzalez was an eighth grader, established a separate GoFundMe account for the young girl’s family. The $15,000 goal was nearly reached by Sunday night.

Officials searched for a hit-and-run driver who killed three teen girls who were trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, 2014. (Credit: Steve Kuzj/ KTLA)

A 31-year-old man who arrested in connection with a Santa Ana hit-and-run that left three teenage girls dead on Halloween night was driving on a suspended license and had been convicted of a DUI in another hit-and-run that occurred in August.

Facebook and friends provided these pictures of Andrea Gonzalez (right) and twins Lexi Perez Huerta and Lexandra Perez Huerta were killed by a hit-and-run driver while trick-or-treating in Santa Ana on Oct. 31, 2014.

Jaquinn Ramone Bell, 31, was taken into custody outside a Stanton motel on Sunday following a surveillance operation by investigators, Santa Ana Police Department Chief Carlos Rojas said at a news conference Monday.

Bell allegedly had his two teen children in the car at the time of the crash.

Court records indicated Bell had a recent conviction for charges related to a DUI hit-and-run. Bell’s driver’s license had been suspended Aug. 4, the day of his conviction, according to the DMV.

Twin sisters Lexi Perez and Lexandra Perez were trick-or-treating with their friend Andrea Gonzalez about 6:45 p.m. Friday when the three 13-year-olds were struck by a Honda CRV that witnesses said was traveling “at a high rate of speed,” police Capt. Anthony Bertagna said Sunday.

The girls, who were walking in a crosswalk on Fairhaven Avenue at the time of the collision, were thrown more than 100 feet, authorities said. The posted speed limit in the area is 45 mph.

Jaquinn Bell is seen in a booking photo provided by the Santa Ana Police Department on Nov. 3, 2014.

Photos provided by police Monday showed the SUV had a shattered windshield and severe damage to its hood and passenger side.

Asked if Bell was aware that he had been involved in a collision, Rojas replied: “I’m not going to comment on what he might’ve known at the time. … What I can tell you is, the vehicle had significant damage and there’s no doubt in my mind that anybody who was driving in a vehicle that impacted three individuals … probably knew they hit something.”

The Honda’s occupants abandoned it in the parking lot of a strip mall about a quarter mile from the scene, then fled on foot, according to a witness. The driver and two passengers were later identified by police as Bell and his two children, ages 14 and 17.

The SUV “belonged to somebody associated with Mr. Bell,” Rojas said.

The SUV that struck three teens, killing them, is shown in photos provided by Santa Ana police on Nov. 3, 2014.

An investigation led police to multiple locations before they found Bell at a Motel 6 in the 7400 block of Katella Avenue (map). The suspect has numerous addresses, including one in Orange, Rojas said.

Bell was taken into custody about 11:30 a.m. Sunday along with his mother, half-sister and two minors, who were placed in protective custody.

Rojas declined to discuss Bell’s criminal record, but Orange County court records showed that Bell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges connected to an Aug. 1 hit-and-run that occurred in Anaheim.

He pleaded guilty Aug. 4 to child abuse and endangerment, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and hit-and-run with property damage. As with the Halloween incident, Bell had underage occupants inside the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Bell was sentenced to three years of probation and 10 days in jail for the child abuse count, as well as eight days in jail for the DUI count. He also got three months in  first-offender alcohol program for the DUI and was ordered into a child abuser’s treatment program, court records show.

He also had two warrants out for his arrest in connection with domestic violence allegations at the time of his arrest Sunday.

In connection with the Oct. 31 crash, Bell was booked for felony hit-and-run causing death, Rojas said. The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities initially said Sunday that five people were arrested in connection with the crash. Two other adults who were in the car at the time of the crash were not publicly identified and have been released, police said. Bell’s children were turned over to a legal guardian.

Standing beside a makeshift memorial near the crash scene on Sunday, before details of Bell’s alleged involvement were announced, Andrea Gonzalez’s brother reacted to news of the arrests.

“The people who did this left them there as if they were nothing. They’re finally in custody and have to answer to justice,” Josafar Gonzalez said. “That brings such a sigh of relief not just to my parents, not just to the twins’ family, but just to the whole community.”

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Two women were in custody after a police pursuit of a stolen car that led officers across several Orange County cities early Friday evening.

Santa Ana police responded at 4:40 p.m. to a stolen car out of Garden Grove, following the white sedan through Orange, Anaheim and back to Santa Ana, according to a Police Department spokesman.

The white sedan led several black-and-white patrol vehicles through multiple intersections against traffic, even driving on a sidewalk at one point, aerial video showed.

Firefighters were called to a pedestrian reported struck at First and Flower streets (map) just after 5 p.m., but the individual was not hurt and refused to be transported to a hospital, according to Capt. Steve Concialdi with the Orange County Fire Authority.

Meanwhile, a spike strip was deployed in the pursuit and it the chase to a halt, Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Anthony Bertagna said.

The pursuit ended at 1001 E. Hunter Ave. (map) with two females in custody, Bertagna said.

The location appeared to be at the Bishop Manor apartment complex.

Mourners gathered Saturday at two funeral services for three 13-year-old girls, two of whom were twin sisters, who were killed by a hit-and-run driver while trick-or-treating on Halloween in Santa Ana.

Mourners gathered at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange on Nov. 8, 2014, for the funeral of 13-year-old Andrea Gonzalez. (Credit: Erin Myers/ KTLA)

Sisters Lexi Perez Huerta and Lexandra Perez Huerta and their friend Andrea Gonzalez were walking in a crosswalk on Fairhaven Avenue (map) when an SUV plowed into the girls, throwing them more than 100 feet. All three died at the scene, authorities said.

Since the crash, a memorial at the scene including balloons, posters and stuffed animals, had expanded and as of Saturday blocked off part of Fairhaven Avenue. Mourners have been seen gathering and praying in the area since the Oct. 31 incident.

A funeral for the Perez Huerta sisters began around 8:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church located at 1322 East Third St. in Santa Ana (map).

Gonzalez’s funeral began around 9:30 a.m. at Holy Family Cathedral at 565 South Glassell St. in Orange (map).

Standing outside the church Sunday morning, family friend George Alverado remembered Gonzalez as “really nice — [a] loving, caring family member.”

“It’s nice to know that there’s people out there that actually care,” he said.

A Facebook page posted this photo of Lexi Perez Huerta and Lexandra Perez Huerta, twin sisters who were killed by a hit-and-run driver on Oct. 31, 2014. The post did not indicate which twin was which.

The SUV that struck the girls was left in a parking lot near the incident, where a witness said multiple people fled on foot. Photos later revealed the vehicle had a shattered windshield and severe damage to its hood and passenger side.

Three days after the fatal hit-and-run, 31-year-old Jaquinn Ramone Bell was arrested in connection to the incident. Authorities said his two children, ages 14 and 17, were also in the SUV at the time.

Bell was charged with three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, one felony count of hit-and-run with permanent injury or death, and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license, according to a joint statement from the Santa Ana Police Department and Orange County district attorney’s office.

He had previously been convicted for charges related to a DUI hit-and-run, and was driving with a suspended license at the time of the deadly crash.

A friend provided this photo of Andrea Gonzalez, a 13-year-old girl killed while trick-or-treating in a hit-and-run in Santa Ana on Oct. 31, 2014.

Under California law, if a person previously convicted of DUI kills someone while driving under the influence, that driver may be charged with murder. However, prosecutors said it would be difficult to prove Bell was driving under the influence Halloween night since he fled the scene and was not given breathalyzer or field-sobriety tests.

“Is that possible — could you have evidence of intoxication or alcohol ingestion even though the suspect flees the scene? It could happen,” prosecutor Keith Burke said last Tuesday. “Obviously it makes it more difficult to determine.”

As of Saturday, nearly $80,000 dollars had been donated to the girls’ families through GoFundMe accounts. The city of Santa Ana established a website for those who wished to donate, and separate GoFundMe accounts were established for the families of the Perez Huerta twins and Gonzalez.

KTLA’s John A. Moreno contributed to this report.

More Video:

Kim Pham, who was fatally beaten outside The Crosby in Santa Ana, is seen in a photo posted on a flyer asking witnesses for help.

Two office workers convicted in the high-profile death of a 23-year-old Huntington Beach woman who collapsed after a fight outside a Santa Ana nightclub were sentenced Friday to six years in state prison.

A jury found Candace Brito, 27, and Vanesa Zavala, 26, guilty of voluntary manslaughter and assault in July. They were acquitted of a second-degree murder charge in the death of 23-year-old Kim Pham, who died in January, three days after a melee outside The Crosby nightclub, which has since closed.

Candace Brito, left, and Vanesa Zavala are led into their sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom on Nov. 14, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)

Brito and Zavala, accused of kicking Pham in the head, had each faced up to 11 years in prison. They appeared in a Santa Ana courtroom for their sentencing hearing Friday morning.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals said the case represents a parent’s worst nightmare.

He asked the defendants why they — or the victim — hadn’t simply walked away from the fight that left Pham motionless on the ground.

“You’re not gang members. You’re not fighters. You had been essentially law-abiding, nice young women,” the judge said, the Associated Press reported. “And yet … you were all in the fight up to your elbows. If any of you had just swallowed your pride and walked away none of us would be sitting here.”

Vanesa Zavala looks back during victim impact statements at her sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom on Nov. 14, 2014. Her co-defendant, Candace Brito, is in the background. (Credit: KTLA)

Trial testimony revealed that Pham threw the first punch, escalating a verbal argument that started when a friend of Brito and Zavala bumped into Pham’s group.

When Pham began fighting with the friend, Brito and Zavala in turn assaulted Pham. Cellphone video of the fight drew national attention to the case.

Brito and Zavala fatally kicked Pham in the head, according to the prosecutor.

Attorneys for the defendants argued they were acting in self-defense.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office referred to the fight as “mutual combat.”

At Friday’s hearing, Pham’s father, brother and sister testified.

“The damage Brito and Zavala have caused is unrepairable. A part of myself died with her,” Pham’s sister said, according to the DA’s office.

Pham’s father told the court that dying would be easier than living without his daughter, but his religious beliefs prevent him from killing himself.

KTLA’s Chip Yost and Jacqueline Sarkissian contributed to this article.

Santa Ana police have interviewed and released the parents of a 2-year-old boy whose death early Saturday was being investigated as “suspicious,” authorities said.

Santa Ana police were investigating the death of a toddler on Nov. 22, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)

Officers responded to a medical aid call at a home in the 2500 block of South Linda Way (map) around 1:45 a.m. and discovered the toddler was not breathing, according to a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbors said the anguished mother rushed out to the street where they heard her screams.

“She was in the road, screaming like crazy,” said Jonathan Leyva, who was among a handful of people who went out of their homes in the middle of the night to see what was going on. “It sounded like the baby must have been already dead because the mom was just.. hysterical when she was outside.”

The family had recently moved to the neighborhood, according to Leyva who estimated that they had been in the home for about a couple of months.

“They seem like really nice people, they’re very conservative,” said Desiree Oliver, adding she never noticed anything unusual or out of place at the home.

Neighbors said they were hopeful that detectives would figure out how exactly the toddler died.

“The baby deserves justice,” Oliver said.

A “suspicious death investigation” was ongoing, the release stated.

No further information about the case would be provided on Saturday, police said.

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday, according to the release.

A 22-year-old Santa Ana man accused of befriending at least 11 young boys and then sexually molesting them was believed to have additional victims and detectives were trying to find them, police said Thursday.

Edwin Echeverria was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of child molestation early Wednesday, according to a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department.

Edwin Echeverria is shown in a booking photo released by Santa Ana police on Dec. 4, 2014.

Eight male victims have been identified, and detectives have identified three more who have not yet been interviewed, according to police. The boys were as young as 10, police said.

“The number of victims involved is this case is extraordinary,” the department’s news release stated. “Detectives are not aware of any other Santa Ana cases involving a single suspect targeting such a large number of victims within memory.”

The alleged molestations began in August 2012, with the most recent occurring about two weeks ago, according to police.

Detectives believe Echeverria befriended boys by selling chips and soda from his home at the Warwick Square Apartments in the 700 block of South Lyon Street (maps).

“Over time, Echeverria took advantage of the rapport and trust he had established to convince the children to engage in sexual acts with him,” police said.

A parent of one the alleged victims discovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship and alerted police, who interviewed the boy and later identified Echeverria as their suspect and other children as additional victims.

Echeverria was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 3500 block of South Harbor Boulevard as he was leaving his job in Costa Mesa. He was due in court Thursday and was being held on $1 million bail, county inmate records showed.

Santa Ana police asked parents of children who may have had contact with Echeverria to talk to their kids about him.

Those who believe there was inappropriate contact with Echeverria were asked to call detectives at 714-245-8542 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.

A man suspected of being the so-called Cal Bear Bandit was taken into custody Friday after leading police on a brief pursuit in a carjacked cab following a bank robbery in Westminster, according to the FBI.

The FBI released this photo of a robber, believed to be the Cal Bear Bandit, who hit a Bank of America in Costa Mesa on Sept. 8, 2014.

The incident began around 3:11 p.m. when the accused robber called for a taxi to meet him outside the Union Bank branch at 15550 Brookhurst St., according to Cmdr. Bill Collins with the Westminster Police Department.

The alleged serial robber entered the bank, handed the teller a note that claimed he had a gun and then fled in the taxi, Collins said.

Witnesses were able to provide police with the number of the taxi and officers tracked down the vehicle within a mile of the bank, according to Collins.

When officers tried to pull over the taxi, the driver complied. But before police could arrest the suspected bandit, he jumped into the front seat and carjacked the cab, authorities said.

About one minute later, the taxi collided with another vehicle at Fairview Street and Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Justin Hayes of Irvine, then got out of the car and tried to run away, but officers were able to catch him, according to Collins and the Westminster Police Department. .

Three people in the other car suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital.

The Cal Bear Bandit, so named because he often wore a California Republic hat, was suspected of robbing at least seven banks in Orange County in the past five months, according to the FBI.

Two unidentified males were being sought Saturday after a shooting in Santa Ana that left one man dead and another wounded, police said.

Officers responded about 7:11 p.m. Friday after the incident was reported in the 800 block of North Jackson Street (map), according to a news release.

Police found two men suffering from gunshot wounds at the location, in a residential area just west of the Willowick Golf Course. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics were called to the scene and transported the victims to UC Irvine Medical Center.

One of the men later died at the hospital, officials said. The other man’s condition was unknown. Their names were not immediately released.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the two victims were standing in front of a home when two males approached and “engaged them in conversation,” according to homicide detectives. Multiple shots were then fired at the victims, investigators said.

No description of the gunmen was available. It was unclear whether they fled on foot or in a vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714-245-8390 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIPS-OCCS.

The Police Department offers “monetary rewards for information leading to the arrest of gang homicide or felony gang assault suspects,” the news release said.

A 63-year-old man was charged with murder in the cold-case death of a Santa Ana woman in 1989, authorities announced Thursday.

The arrest of Douglas Gregory Gutridge was the first cold case investigation resulting in a murder charge for the newly formed Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task Force (OCHTF), according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Gutridge, 37 years old at the time of the incident, was accused of killing 35-year-old Carla Salazar inside her apartment in Santa Ana.

During the initial stages of the investigation, Gutridge provided information about the murder to police, but there was not enough evidence at the time to file charges against him, the release stated.

That changed in 2008, when the Orange County Crime Lab was able to identify male DNA from forensic evidence collected at the crime scene, the release stated.

That DNA was later matched to a sample provided by Gutridge, according to the release.

Gutridge was arrested on Dec. 9 at his home in Lodi.

He was being held on $1 million bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 2, 2015.

He faced a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.

Police were asking for the public’s help Wednesday in identifying a woman caught on surveillance camera vandalizing a Buddhist temple in Santa Ana.

Surveillance video at the Hong Tich Buddhist Temple showed an unknown woman throwing glass bottles at statues of Buddha located at the front of the temple, according to a news release from the Santa Ana Police Department.

The temple had experienced eight incidents of bottle throwing in the past three weeks causing damage to the statues, the release stated.

The woman in the photograph was observed throwing bottles at the statues on three separate occasions during various hours of the day, according to authorities.

The incidents occurred between Dec. 16, 2014 and Jan. 6, 2015.

The woman was described as an Asian female between 25 to 40 years old, weighing 115 to 130 pounds and standing 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall with short dark hair.

Anyone with information on the identity of the woman was asked to contact Detective A. Gonzalez at 714-245-8732 or Orange County Crime Stopper at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

A Santa Ana family who lost their home to an accidental fire nearly lost their young pet Chihuahua who was trapped in the home as all, but the dog was saved by the sweater it was wearing.

Firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze at a home in the 3300 block of West Camille Street Wednesday morning when the pup came running from the front of the burning structure.

Santa Ana Police Department Animal Services Supervisor Sondra Berg responded and examined the dog to assess its injuries.

A file left a Santa Ana home destroyed, a family homeless and dog burned. (Credit: Santa Ana PD)

“The first thing that I noticed was that it had a little sweater on that was literally melted to its fur,” Berg said. “The sweater was so crisp it was almost like plastic on the outer layer.”

She cut the sweater off with a knife, but found the animal was virtually unscathed underneath. Millie’s tail and paws were burned.

Berg said she was ready to pay for the dog’s care herself, but when she took Millie to the 17th Street Animal Hospital, the staff said they would do the work for free.

“She got extremely lucky she was wearing a protective sweater,” said veterinarian Dr. David Weber of 17th Street Animal Hospital. “She’s here because of it.”

The burned home where Millie and the Avila family lived is shown. (Credit: KTLA)

Millie’s owners, who did not want to speak about the fire, escaped without harm, but their home was destroyed.

A female resident of the home was treated for anxiety symptoms she experienced because ofMillie’s injuries, the Orange County Register reported.

An electrical malfunction was suspected of causing the accidental fire, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

An estimated $175,000 in damage was caused to the home, as well as to a back house that was impacted. The loss of the contents in the home amounted to some $80,000, Concialdi said.

Dr. David Weber of 17th Street Animal Hospital hold Millie on Jan. 8, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

The four adults and two children who lived in the home have been displaced, as well as three people in the back house.

A GoFundMe.com fundraiser page has been set up to benefit Millie and the Avila family.

“Thankfully, she was able to escape, although she did receive third-degree burn on her paws and was saved from burning her skin because of the sweater she was wearing,” the page reads. “We are asking for your help in this time of need.”