Tag Archives: Halloween

Goblins and Ghouls Beware

Norco Sheriff’s Office

It’s that time of year again when the ghosts, ghouls, and superheroes come out and enjoy the Halloween spirit! Our primary concern on Halloween, and any other time, is the safety of children. Across Norco, children are preparing to dress up as their favorite characters and walk neighborhoods looking to score a bag full of treats.  With that in mind, the Norco Sheriff’s Office would like to share the following safety tips to keep Halloween safe for all families in our Norco community as they begin their “trick or treat” adventure.

Kids

  • Young children should always be accompanied by an adult and older children should never trick or treat alone.
  • Visit homes that are well lit and never go inside a stranger’s house.
  • Always stay on the sidewalk and only cross at corners; never cross in the middle of the street.
  • Trick or treat in well populated areas and never cut through alleys or parks for a short cut.
  • Do not eat candy that has not been inspected by a parent/guardian.
  • Never accept food or drinks from strangers.
  • Carry a flashlight.
  • Call 9-1-1 for all suspicious or illegal activity.

Parents/Guardians

  • Do not let children eat any homemade treats or unpackaged foods.
  • Make sure all candy is tightly wrapped, look for pin holes, discoloring, and opened packaging prior to your children eating any of the items.
  • Remember Poison Control has a toll-free hotline 1-800-222-1222.
  • DRIVE SLOW!!! Be cautious in all neighborhoods for children and parents crossing streets.
  • Remember the posted speed limit is usually 25 mph in most residential areas.
  • Call 9-1-1 for all suspicious or illegal activity.

Halloween can be a safe and enjoyable evening with a little preparation, communication and diligence. Of course, we will be on patrol and available to you and your children should you need us. The Norco Sheriff’s Office wishes everyone a safe and Happy Halloween and reminds all to never drink and drive.

 

Don’t Let this Halloween Give Your Budget a Scare

Photo courtesy: Google Images

Photo courtesy: Google Images

By StatePoint

Cooler weather and seasonal fall colors means it’s almost time for trick-or-treaters! Getting ready for all the fun the season has to offer can add up fast. Don’t let this Halloween give your budget a scare.

With some helpful money saving tips, you will be ready to have a spooktacular Halloween.

Decorations

Bring the colors of fall into your home with seasonal decorations. From pumpkin kitchen towels to owl décor and festive candle holders, you can accent your home in style.

Adorn your front door with an autumn wreath. Warm your home with pumpkin scented candles and fall themed tablecloths and runners.

For a scary theme guaranteed to thrill your trick-or-treaters, stock up on Halloween décor like skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, bats and cobwebs!

Candy and Treats

Whether you’re planning for a crowd or just a few, don’t forget to stock up on the candy and treats that make Halloween so sweet. Try your hand at homemade goodies like scrumptious monster cupcakes or homemade popcorn balls. Make a Halloween trail mix with chocolate candies, pretzels, candy corn, rice cereal and pumpkin seeds. Visit http://www.dollargeneral.com/easymeals for quick, festive snack ideas to feed your hungry monsters.

Use a fun decorated candy bowl and fill it with Halloween favorites to hand out to costumed visitors. Make sure to stock up on Halloween themed napkins and paper plates to add festive flair to your table spread.

Costumes

Above all, Halloween planning includes having a great costume. Check out your closet and use clothing items you already have to create a fun DIY look. Use bold make-up and fun hair styles to create your own unique costume. For the trick-or-treater who likes to accessorize, check out Halloween selections at your local discount retailer, like Dollar General. A variety of costume essentials and accessories are available starting at $1.

Halloween comes once a year, but it doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank to have a great time. With quick tips and money saving ideas, you can have fun affordably.

Santa Ana: Halloween Hit And Run Kills 3 OC Girls

STAFF REPORTS

halloween-victimes-hit-and-run

Photo Caption: The Perez twins and Andrea Gonzales (Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Santa Ana – On Halloween evening, when most youngsters look forward to costumes, candy and fun, real terror struck when three 13-year old girls were killed crossing the street while trick-or-treating.

On Fri., Oct. 31, at about 6:45 p.m. in the 1400 block of E. Fairhaven Avenue, twins Lexi and Lexandra Perez, and their friend, Andrea Gonzales, were walking in a crosswalk when a Honda CRV struck and killed them, and fled the scene.

Captain Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department stated, “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. 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.”

It is reported that a witness followed the Honda to a strip mall not far from the crime scene and watched a male driver and passengers once again flee the scene.

On Sun., Nov. 2 the Santa Ana Police Department issued a news release stating that multiple arrests had been made in connection to these hit and run deaths. Allegedly at fault, is Jaquinn Ramone Bell, 31, who was found at a Motel 6 in the City of Stanton. Bell – who reportedly has a criminal history dating back to 2009 – was charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving on a suspended license, and fleeing the scene of a crime. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 16, and faces a maximum sentence of 17 years if convicted.

It is reported that Bell had two children with him when he struck the girls in the crosswalk, and then abandoned his vehicle. Other members of Bell’s family were also arrested and then released on Nov. 2.

LA County: Operation Safe Halloween Rescues Pomona Child

STAFF REPORTS

County of Los Angeles – When the Special Enforcement Officers (SEO) set out in the pre-dawn hours of Halloween, they were looking to see if 66 of the Department’s highest risk child predators were in compliance with their court orders ranging from no child pornography on their phones or computers, to no candy or costumes in their homes used to entice children on a day famous for temptation. Deputy Probation Officers (DPOs) found much more than that on Halloween morning.

In a Pomona home, the SEO team entered to find a 32-year old sex offender in bed with a 10-year old girl.  According to the County of L.A. Probation Department, the probationer and another adult male were arrested at the scene, as was the mother of the girl.  The child was taken into protective custody by the Department of Children and Family Services. The SEO team also confiscated a methamphetamine pipe and marijuana. The contraband was taken to the Pomona Police Department for processing.

Another team – this time in Santa Clarita – arrested a 22-year old sex offender who was residing with his mother. The SEO team learned that the mother runs what appeared to be a child daycare service out of her home. A female tenant who also lived in the residence with her infant son and 9-year old daughter told SEO she had no idea the man was a convicted sex offender.

“Operation Safe Halloween is about ensuring probationers are in compliance with the law, but at its core, the Operation is about protecting children and we were able to accomplish that mission today,” said Assistant Chief Margarita Perez.

60 L.A. County SEOs deployed at 5 a.m. from eight staging areas Countywide, with a pre-dawn strategy to check on child sex offenders at a time when offenders least expect to be visited by law enforcement.

In total, five sex offenders were arrested and taken into custody, along with five computers, 13 USB sticks and memory cards, three computer towers, and drugs/drug paraphernalia were confiscated. The Department of Children and Family Services took one 10-year old girl into protective custody and is investigating the status of two other children involved in a home where a sex offender resided.

“Today is a perfect example of the value of going into the communities, into the homes of probationers to see who they are living with, what is their environment, and what is the real story of their compliance with the orders of the court,” says Special Enforcement Director, Eric Newby.

This is the third year L.A. County Probation has conducted Operation Safe Halloween.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Know?

BY K.P. SANDER

bloodyskeletonHalloween, or All Hallows Eve, is a day of celebration for many countries, held on October 31 each year and dedicated to remembering the dearly departed. While many honor it at face value, it is more commonly known as an opportunity for children to don costumes and collect candy.

Interestingly enough, trick-or-treating has an origin that dates far back into history.

William Shakespeare spoke of it in The Two Gentlemen of Verona in 1593, in a passage that mentions ‘whimpering like a beggar at Hallowmas’. Great Britain records the custom of poor people going door to door to receive food in exchange for saying prayers for the dead, called “Souling”. “Guising,” or visiting homes masquerading in disguise to be rewarded with cakes, fruit or money, was a Scottish tradition as far back as 1895. Similar guising in North America is first noted in 1911, when Ontario, Canada reported children masquerading throughout neighborhoods.

Nowadays, typical activities include the popular trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, visiting haunted house attractions, attending parties, and watching scary movies. In many parts of the world, Christian religious observances still include attending church service and lighting candles on the graves of the dead.

Whatever your tradition, enjoy a Happy Halloween!