Supervisor Foley Supports OC District Attorney and Law Enforcement to Support Prosecution and Accountability for Increased Burglaries

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Monday, May 22nd, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley and the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the purchase of new technology to support local law enforcement’s public safety and criminal apprehension efforts.  

The Board approved the purchase of a cellular site simulator for the OC Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), improving OCSD’s ability to locate missing children, at-risk individuals, and fugitives. The Board also approved the purchase of a 35-foot fire boatfor the OCSD Harbor Patrol to conduct law enforcement patrols, fight fires, and serve as emergency first responders. 

“We cannot sit back and tolerate the sharp rise of well-organized burglaries and robberies in our homes and businesses.” said Supervisor Foley “These recent law enforcement efforts demonstrate that Orange County will continue to lead with new strategies and technologies to keep our neighborhoods safe. I remain committed to working with the District Attorney, local law enforcement, and our state and federal partners to find the most effective way possible to hold criminals accountable.” 

Today’s votes come on the heels of Supervisor Foley joining the Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and local law enforcement last week to announce new efforts to combat residential, commercial, and smash and grab burglaries across Orange County, at least 20 of which were linked to transnational criminal efforts.  

During the press conference, District Attorney Spitzer announced 140 charged in Orange County – at least 20 linked to Chilean transnational crime ring. He also announced that for the first time, 7 of those charged received hate crime sentencing enhancements for deliberately burglarized Asian American homes. Click here to read the District Attorney’s announcement for more information about the charges.  

In her remarks (33:54) Supervisor Foley discussed her personal experience and stories she has heard in the community in the last year. The circumstances of these cases remain largely confidential as cases are ongoing.  

• In November of 2022, on the evening of the election, the home of Supervisor Foley’s in-laws was burglarized along with the homes on the street in their neighborhood in University Hills at UC Irvine while they were watching election results at a different location.  
• A home robbery in San Juan Capistrano while a teenage girl was home downstairs. No injuries were reported. 
• A home robbery in Laguna Niguel in the middle of the day while the resident was home.  
• A home robbery in broad daylight, where a woman was taking a shower at the time of the break-in and was forced to sit on her couch with a towel on while her home was ransacked.   
• A burglary in Dana Point where multiple individuals burglarized a home, which was reported as a potential string of burglaries up to Yorba Linda and all the way to Santa Monica and Santa Clarita. 
• 2 different vehicles drove into the Neiman Marcus store at Fashion Island at 2 different points of entry, where they stole $100,000 in handbags. The Newport Beach Police Department reported that 2 of the 4 suspects were arrested in a high-speed chase that went into Los Angeles County. 
• A vehicle smashed into the same Neiman Marcus store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and burglarized the store. The Newport Beach Police Department reported 4 arrests were made, all from Los Angeles County.