County officials said they were responding to reports and growing concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement accessing sensitive information obtained from Medicaid or Medi-Cal data.

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that a data-sharing agreement would give ICE agents access to the personal data of 79 million people enrolled in Medicaid. Signed between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security, the agreement, which has not been announced publicly, would help in tracking down the location of undocumented immigrants.

The county HCA said in its statement that the possible access raised “serious concerns about the privacy and security of protected health information entrusted to public health systems,” but urged patients not to disenroll from Medi-Cal. Any data previously submitted to state or federal systems would not be erased by unenrolling, OC officials warned.

“The HCA is actively engaging with state and federal partners to assess the scope of this issue and to understand any potential impact to patients under our care,” the county statement said.

Data obtained by ICE could include personal and medical information, residential addresses, and ethnicities. The agency said certain Medicaid data must be submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under federal and state laws.

“We recognize that this issue may cause fear or uncertainty among patients and families who are seeking care. We want to reassure our community that the HCA’s mission is rooted in providing equitable, respectful, and confidential care to all residents of Orange County,” county officials said. “We remain firmly committed to protecting public trust and upholding the privacy rights of every person we serve.”

On Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office was “moving quickly to secure a court order” that would block the sharing of Medicaid data for immigration enforcement.

Wearing a vest that read ‘DETENTION OFFICER’ with a GS4 security uniform patch, the driver stepped out of the van and waited as two plainclothes federal agents escorted a man and woman into the vehicle, which would transport them to a facility for deportation processing.

The woman broke down in tears, while the man stared ahead in silence.

A volunteer from the Orange County Rapid Response Network recorded the interaction and advised the two detainees of their legal rights. Another gently rocked a little boy in her arms while his mother cried out for her friend Briana, who she said is an asylum seeker from Guatemala.

“Diles que tienes miedo a regresar a tu pais, diles! No firmes nada!” the woman yelled. (Tell them you’re afraid to return to your country, tell them! Don’t sign anything!)

She ran towards the van; The sobs of both women echoed as the detention officer slammed the door shut. She pressed her hands against the car as it drove off.

The courthouse detentions show how the Trump administration has ramped up deportation efforts around the nation. But immigration advocates say fast-tracking the process discourages immigrants and asylum seekers from following the rules, or even showing up for their cases.

On Wednesday, July 16, a group of immigrants and legal advocates filed a lawsuit to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from arresting people appearing in immigration court for previously scheduled hearings.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department and ICE, says arrests of thousands of people at courthouses deny them rights afforded under U.S. immigration law and the Fifth Amendment.

It’s become a familiar scene: A judge grants a government lawyer’s request to dismiss a deportation proceeding, as ICE officers wait in the hallway, ready to take the applicant into custody.

In Santa Ana, attorney Luis Gonzalez called the tactic a “betrayal” of his clients’ trust in the system. When he raised the issue of ICE agents being spotted in the parking lot, he said, a judge responded, “I don’t know what’s going on outside.”

“I’ve always felt that courthouses are supposed to be a safe place where people go to resolve their issues and try to get right. I found that to be such a betrayal of not only the community that uses their services but also a betrayal of my practice, to call myself an attorney, encouraging these poor people to show up and then to have them go through that trauma,” Gonzalez said.

“At this point, I can’t guarantee the safety of my clients,” he said. “I can’t in good conscience tell them that they’re not in danger.”

A spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on whether the judges were aware of federal immigration agents in and around the courthouse. A representative from the Department of Homeland Security could not be reached for comment.

Federal officials have said that detaining people at immigration courthouses is more efficient than deploying agents to track them down after they head out following a hearing and try to resume their lives.

“If an individual is going through proceedings, and he’s going to take a deportation order, then and there we want to make the arrest of that individual,” Garrett J. Ripa, a senior ICE official in Miami, said in The New York Times.

Arresting people at courthouses, however, will make others too frightened to attend their hearings, “ultimately pushing people further into the shadows and out of legal status,” Deborah Fleischaker, a senior ICE official during the Biden administration, told the Times.

The Trump administration has said targeting violent criminals would be a priority for its mass immigration sweeps. But advocates cite government data showing a majority of the people detained by ICE had no criminal convictions, facing only civil immigration charges, such as being undocumented, CBS News reported.

The Orange County Rapid Response Network, made up of community members, lawyers, and others who monitor and verify ICE sightings and support immigrants and their families facing detention or deportation, confirmed the presence of 12 immigration agents at the Santa Ana courthouse on Tuesday morning, July 8.

A spokesperson for the network said the agents were there for the morning docket and followed an arrest pattern that targeted asylum seekers with less than two years in the country and Visa overstays, as well as people with criminal records or previous detentions.

Inside the courthouse that day, four paramedics rushed to help a woman who had suffered an anxiety attack and was struggling to breathe after she was detained by federal agents inside the courtroom. A woman who witnessed the ordeal said the woman’s lips turned purple, and she had begun to shake and convulse. Yet, she said, none of the federal agents checked to see how she was doing.

She asked not to be named, for fear of being targeted.

Gonzalez heard the woman having a panic attack and said court security staff seemed concerned for her health and safety. He watched the paramedics rush her out in a gurney. When he stepped outside into the parking lot, he saw two detention officers in a van follow the ambulance transporting the woman.

“I saw vans that weren’t here when I first arrived. I saw them with men in the front wearing masks, I didn’t know who they were. They looked private and very threatening because the vans are clearly law enforcement type vans with cages inside and metal frames inside the windows,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve heard that (federal agents) were out there, but this is the first time I saw it with my own eyes. And it was in the most gross way possible — it shocked me.”

Layla, a 43-year-old Riverside woman and asylum seeker from China, told a reporter her boyfriend was taken by ICE that morning. She found out after he used his one phone call to tell her he had been detained and urged her to go home. His asylum application had been rejected at his court hearing and was ‘taken away’ by federal agents, she said. He did not have an attorney. It was not clear what stage his case was in.

“I was shocked,” she said in Mandarin, which was translated into English using an app on her phone. “I can’t live without him. I want to do everything I can to get him back.”

That week, a mother and young son were detained by federal immigration agents inside the courthouse. The agents escorted the mother towards a staircase leading to the back of the court parking lot. She looked scared and confused. The little boy, who stood beside his mother, appeared to ignore the surrounding commotion, his eyes glazed over as he wrote on the side of his crayon box in a repetitive motion.

Details about the woman’s case were not immediately available.

Lance Powell, an immigration attorney who has worked in the field for eight years, said judges inside the courthouse have said they’re not aware of the federal agents’ presence. He felt his integrity had been questioned after he was essentially told to “prove it” to the judges.

Powell said he has seen judges ask legal observers to publicly identify themselves but have allowed federal agents to remain anonymous, including one account where an agent pointed at a DHS attorney and said, ‘I’m with them.’

“It’s really disheartening to see,” he said. “It’s not just affecting immigrants, but the whole legal community.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Instead, after much back and forth at their meeting this week, councilmembers agreed to hold a joint special meeting with the commission within the next 60 days to discuss the proposed amendments. The City Council had been scheduled to debate a rewrite of the commission’s ordinance at a meeting earlier this month, but ran out of time to do so.

Commissioner Carlos Perea welcomes the meeting, saying the commission had been excluded from the process despite previously calling on the council to bring the proposed changes to the seven-member panel.

“I appreciate that the council decided to do a joint session, and I’m looking forward to that. I think that should have been done in the first place,” Perea said.

Established by the City Council in 2022, the Police Oversight Commission aims to increase police accountability and transparency, but commissioners have said they’ve struggled to make significant progress without an oversight director. Almost three years passed before the city hired T. Jack Morse as the director earlier this month.

The city manager’s office, which submitted the proposed changes to the City Council for review, said the changes are meant to “align” the commission with state law and maintain “best practices in law enforcement accountability.”

The proposed amendments to the commission are meant to address concerns regarding compliance with state law; clarification of roles and responsibilities, including that of the oversight director; training and to make enhancements that would safeguard information about police officers that may be considered “sensitive” to avoid risk of violating the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act and possible subsequent lawsuits.

Changes to the ordinance include the removal of the word “independent” throughout and in Morse’s recently landed title as police oversight director. The commission would also be limited to reviewing cases involving in-custody deaths and instances where a First Amendment right was violated. It would not be allowed to investigate cases that haven’t been reviewed and confirmed as misconduct by the Police Department.

“These amendments would gut the Police Oversight Commission, turning a hard-won community victory into a powerless, symbolic body that protects the status quo instead of the people,” Chispa Policy and Political Director Bulmaro “Boomer” Vicente said Thursday. The organization that operates as a political advocacy group for young Latinx in Orange County helped launch the oversight police commission.

Vicente called the proposed amendments “concerning,” arguing that most would weaken police oversight. “This isn’t what the community demanded and fought for,” he added.

“I did raise my eyebrows when the ability to provide input and review the contracts of the Police Officer Association was taken out of the commission’s hands. That to me raised a lot of questions, because it is the largest contract in the city,” Perea said of the proposal. “There has been serious concerns over the last 10 years of the way in which the police officers’ association has been conducting business in city hall.”

The suggested changes were worked on with an ad hoc committee involving with Mayor Valeria Amezcua and councilmembers Benjamin Vazquez and Phil Bacerra, along with staff from the city manager’s office, city attorney’s office and the Santa Ana Police Department.

Staff writer Hanna Kang contributed to this story.

Related: City of LA, county and 7 cities join lawsuit to stop federal immigration raids

“The city of Santa Ana is committed to safeguarding the rights, dignity, and safety of all its residents. By joining this lawsuit, the city stands in solidarity with neighboring jurisdictions to challenge enforcement actions that undermine public trust and violate due process,” a city news release said. “Respecting constitutional rights is not optional — it is fundamental to good governance and community safety.”

The City Council approved joining the federal class action lawsuit 6-0 during a closed session Tuesday night, July 15, with Councilmember Jessie Lopez absent. Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem was filed by various immigration and civil rights organizations, including the American Farmworkers Union and the American Civil Liberties Union.

“It was necessary, given that one of our only lines of defense against the Trump administration was lawsuits,” Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez said in a later interview. “Being the only sanctuary city in Orange County, we have a duty to protect our residents and, right now, cities across California are lining up shoulder to shoulder, to protect our First, Fourth and Tenth amendments rights.”

The lawsuit challenges the use of alleged disproportionate force during immigration enforcement actions by multiple agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It also challenges what the city described as an “unlawful confinement of people held at federal buildings without access to legal representation.”

Border Protection and ICE representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, previously denied the lawsuit’s allegations of unconstitutional raids and said federal law enforcement agents do not conduct operations without proper procedure.

“ICE does not randomly arrest people or conduct operations without specific objectives. Nor does federal law enforcement execute operations without undergoing proper procedure, such as securing warrants when necessary,” she said in a statement, also adding that people “in detention have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. The appropriate process due to an illegal alien with final deportation orders is removal, plain and simple. That said, DHS has a stringent law enforcement assessment in place that abides by due process under the U.S. Constitution.”

Previously joining the lawsuit were Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Culver City, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Monterey Park and West Hollywood, along with Los Angeles County.

“For the past month, we’ve seen individuals picked up at car washes and Home Depot parking lots, then simply disappear without warrants, probable cause, or due process,” Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement when L.A. County announced it was signing on.

Earlier this month, Santa Ana’s City Council approved a resolution calling on federal elected representatives to advocate for the removal of ICE and military citywide, arguing that aggressive enforcement actions carried out have had notable economic and social effects, have spread fear in the city’s immigrant communities and have eroded trust between residents and local police.

“While immigration enforcement remains a federal responsibility, Santa Ana affirms that such enforcement must always be conducted lawfully and with full respect for the rights of every individual,” Santa Ana officials said in their announcement that the city would join the lawsuit.

Santa Ana became the first sanctuary city in the county in 2016 and approved an ordinance that limited cooperation between the city and federal immigration authorities. This includes limiting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement and protecting residents’ sensitive information.

Staff Writer Teresa Liu contributed to this report.

Barranco, of Tustin, whose detainment by immigration agents late last month in front of a Santa Ana business garnered national attention because of a video showing him being hit multiple times in the head, was originally scheduled to be released on Friday, July 11.

The official release time remained up in the air for several days, leaving the Barranco family “understandably frustrated,” said Orange Council member Arianna Barrios, who attended his bond hearing at the Adelanto Detention Facility last week in support of his release.

Barrios said Barranco’s upcoming hearings, which are scheduled for August, will be held at the Santa Ana immigration courthouse.

“Narciso is very happy to be reunited with his family,” said Barranco’s immigration attorney Lisa Ramirez. “He clearly will need time to decompress and get reacclimated. He is, with good reason, traumatized by this whole experience and will need time to heal both physically and emotionally.”

It was unclear exactly what led to the holdup in his release, only that there were significant system delays in processing and updating his case, Barrios said. According to Ramirez, it took approximately 24 hours and six phone calls to the court for the judge’s order to be uploaded on the administrative website.

“What folks don’t really understand is the government is at capacity, and its workforce is diminishing,” Ramirez added. “The increase of people who need to be processed has increased by (roughly) 800%.”

Barranco was released to his family around 2 p.m. and was taken to the hospital for a physical check-up, said Barrios, who said she was in direct contact with the family. His son, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, told NBC on Tuesday that his father “looked bad” when he stepped out of the detention facility and was wearing the same clothes. Details on his condition were not immediately available.

In the video posted on social media, Barranco is seen being pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched and pepper sprayed by at least one agent. He had been working a landscaping job at an IHOP in Santa Ana when he was approached by masked, armed federal agents.

U.S. Border Patrol officials accused Barranco, in a message posted on X, of wielding a weed whacker at agents and refusing to comply with authorities. An included 11-second, slowed-down video shows Barranco appearing to swing the weed whacker in the direction of approaching agents. No agent is hit.

Alejandro Barranco previously said his father was in the process of applying for parole-in-place, which is granted to undocumented family members of active-duty military members, giving them permission to stay in the U.S. for at least a year. Three of Barranco’s sons are Marines, two on active duty.

Exactly when Barranco will be allowed to leave the detention center isn’t yet clear. His supporters had hoped he would be released on Friday, July 11. But, by the late afternoon, they said it likely won’t happen until Monday or Tuesday.

On Thursday, Orange Councilmembers Arianna Barrios and Ana Gutierrez and Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange joined his family for his bond hearing at the center in San Bernardino County’s High Desert.

“Today was a good day in this new battle for civil rights, due process and humanitarian principles,” Barrios said in a post on Facebook. “I was so impressed that Bishop Vann made the long drive out to the desert to bear witness and bless this special family.

“Mr Barranco will be released on bond sometime tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, God willing! He can remain free until mid-August, where he will have another hearing to try and adjust his status to parole-in-place based on the fact that his wife is a U.S. citizen and his three American-born sons are active-duty U.S. military,” she said.

Video posted on social media shows Barranco getting pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched, then pepper sprayed, by at least one masked, armed federal immigration agent in Santa Ana in late June. The footage gained nationwide media attention and highlighted community concerns over immigration enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Barranco attacked agents with a weed whacker, went into traffic and refused to comply with them. “Show the full story,” the agency posted on X with an 11-second clip that shows Barranco swinging the weed whacker in the direction of approaching agents but not hitting them.

His son, Alejandro Barranco, has said his father moved to Orange County in the ’90s and has been working as a landscaper.

His father had been applying for parole-in-place, which can be granted to family members of active-duty military members who are without legal status; it gives them permission to stay in the U.S. for a while, usually a year, and can be extended, Alejandro Barranco said.

Diocese of Orange officials described their support for the Barranco family as part of their overall efforts to help and address the fear and uncertainty many in the immigrant community are currently facing.

“The Barranco family is part of our Orange County Catholic community, and we continue to pray for them,” Jarryd Gonzales, a Diocese of Orange spokesman, said in a statement. “Bishop Vann’s presence at the bond hearing exemplifies the pastoral care at the core of our ministry and highlights the Diocese of Orange’s commitment to stand with the Barranco family in faith, offering our spiritual support during this difficult time.”

The delay in Barranco’s release appeared to be related to the detention center getting confirmation about the judge’s order that he be released on bond, supporters said.

• For the latest, see: 13-year-old arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked Rancho fire in Laguna Beach

Forward progress of the Rancho fire was halted just after 5 p.m. at about 4 acres, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said.

“We’re making tremendous progress,” Doran said, adding the air attack helped slow the flames.

“It was a hard aerial assault (on the fire),” said Doran, who added mild winds were a factor in helping crews stop the fire.

No structure damage was reported,  Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said.

King praised the OCFA and neighboring departments for helping with the fight to contain the fire.

“It was great we had air resources come in a few minutes,” King said. “But this is still a very dynamic situation… We’re asking people to not go to the fire and stay clear.”

As of around 4:45 p.m., about 100 homes had been evacuated in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood after the fire broke out in Bluebird Canyon in an area that had recently been approved for fuel-reduction work by hand crews, Mayor Alex Rounaghi said.

Rounaghi added that by late afternoon five helicopters and one plane were making drops on the fire.

Click here for a map of the fire location.

La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive and Baja Street were ordered evacuated. But by 7:34 p.m. evacuation orders were lifted, the city said.

A Care and Reception center had been set up at the Community & Susi Q Center, 380 3rd Street, the city said.

The fire started near the intersection of Morningside Drive and Rancho Laguna Road, north of Fernando Street Park.

“The fire is progressing rapidly up the hillside and is currently threatening homes,”  King said shortly after the fire broke out as ground crews set up for structure defense.

Maryann Minck and her husband Mike have lived in Laguna Beach since 2003 and Maryann said the fire left her feeling terrified.

She was in Laguna Canyon when she received a call from Mike telling her there was smoke in the backyard and “there is a problem, don’t come home.”

Their son, Ellis Minck, 16 was also driving through Laguna Canyon from water polo training at El Toro High School.

“My friend called me and said there’s a fire by your house,” Ellis said. “At the corner of Cress and Temple Terrace, I saw a cloud of smoke. Fire trucks were screaming down the canyon and cutting through the median.”

Ellis and his mother later met up with Mike and waited for the all clear.

Longtime residents Alan and his wife Rosalie, who live near where the fire broke out at La Mirada and Summit, raced out out with only their dog, Benny Buttons, a cockapoo; and very personal treasures. They asked that their last name not be published for security reasons.

“I didn’t see anything but I saw people running,” said Rosalie. “My dog started barking and then I got the order. We were lucky we left right away. There were a few cars and it only got backed up toward the bottom.”

“It’s a haunting experience,” said Alan. “In January after the LA fires we packed up everything, but now it was too close for comfort knowing it was just two blocks away. You have to be focused on what’s most critical. That means your family, your animal’s life.

“I ran without even taking my computer,” he said. “The only thing I grabbed is my Tallis bag. And in it is a special note from my mother before she died.”

Gridlock conditions were reported on southbound and northbound Coast Highway to the west of the fire, with emergency personnel trying to squeeze through the jammed traffic. Trolleys full of passengers were stuck and all vehicles traveling southbound on Coast at the Montage resort were being turned around at Montage Resort Drive.

Coast Highway was temporarily closed while crews worked on the fire, but later reopened.

Rancho Laguna/Bluebird Canyon, 1190 Morningside Drive and the Fire Road in both directions remain closed as of about 7:20 p.m., the city said.

With many roads temporarily closed,  many evacuees were staging at the former Gelson’s market site across from the Montage Resort.

Among the people there was Joshua Hanna, a Laguna Beach resident and Community Emergency Response Team member who as an Uber driver was picking up orders. He ran over to Laguna Beach police officers offering to help direct traffic as Coast Highway became even more gridlocked.

Crime scene tape was seen in the area along with what appeared to be fireworks mortar on the ground and Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said fireworks are suspected as the cause of the fire. All fireworks are illegal in Laguna Beach. No arrests or citations were immediately announced in relation to the fire.

A man nearby said that just before the fire was reported, he heard a loud boom like that of a firework.

“I heard a boom around 1:55 (p.m.), it sounded like an M80. I got up, I went and checked, I saw three kids riding their e-bikes down the hill,” said Roger Robleto, who was house-sitting at a residence at the neighborhood corner where the fire started.

He said he saw faint smoke from the front window of the house. But when he checked the outdoor patio area, he saw a “bellow” of white smoke and went to check it out.

“I walked out to the middle of the street and that’s when I saw the big smoke and the fire. It was raging at that point … It sounded like a dragon,” said Robleto.

The fire broke out in 68-degree weather, with relative humidity around 80% and winds of 4-6 mph with gusts of 10-13 mph, the National Weather Service said.

City News Service and staff photographer Jeff Gritchen contributed to this story.

Officials with the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley said Sunday evening on Facebook that the eagle pair returned to the area late Saturday, July 5.

“We hadn’t seen or heard from Jackie or Shadow all day,” the nonprofit said, “but then relief came to all who were concerned about their safety when both were seen together in the Twin Pine tree, one of their new favorite trees.”

The nonprofit said one of the eagles flew by the area around 5:30 p.m. before Shadow landed on the tree around 7 p.m. Minutes later, Jackie joined him.

It was reportedly the fifth time the eagles had similarly fled in recent years.

The organization had opposed local fireworks – “all but begging,” as one leader put it –  contending they could be especially difficult for Sunny and Gizmo, the pair’s offspring that hatched in March. More than 40,000 signatures were collected via an online petition, urging that the fireworks be canceled.

Friends of Big Bear said it still hadn’t seen Sunny and Gizmo and didn’t know if they remained in the habitat.

Located inside the San Bernardino National Forest, the 15-mile-long Big Bear Valley boasts a diverse ecosystem with a range of local plants and wildlife. That includes the iconic American bald eagle, whose population remains threatened. Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a bald eagle nest cam as part of an effort to protect and preserve the natural habitat through education and monitoring.

Jackie, a large female bald eagle, is roughly 13 years old, while her male partner Shadow is approximately 11 years old.

On July 4th, Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, shared an update:

“At about 9 pm, when some booms started, one of the eagles was no longer visible on the Roost Tree and was seen by our security camera flying away from the roost tree. Jackie made a peal call (a call emitted as a warning about danger) and a couple other short calls from nearby.

“The full show started at 9:17 and no eagles were visible on the roost tree by 9:18. The fireworks went on for another 20 minutes to the big finale.”

Earlier that week, on June 30th, the organization shared a statement to its 1 million Facebook followers about the upcoming holiday fireworks show:

“Sadly, Visit Big Bear and their agency and community partners are standing by their decision to blast off July 4 fireworks in Big Bear this Friday. We have tried speaking with them, all but begging, showing documented proof of Jackie and Shadow leaving the area for days, explaining how fireworks do major damage, not just to birds and wildlife, but to the lake with pollution, the ducks and their babies, the overall environment and humans breathing the air polluted by the event, as well as pets and PTSD humans.

“Shadow and Jackie leaving at this time of training and growth for Sunny and Gizmo could be especially devastating to the juveniles’ long and short-term development and chances of survival. Eagles and especially juveniles have very poor night vision, and being startled into flight at night is very dangerous.”

In 2023, the organization created a presentation for Visit Big Bear, highlighting the dangers of fireworks to wildlife.

Steers and a spokesperson for Visit Big Bear could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday.

Staff writer Andrea Klick contributed to this story.

Big Bear bald eagle advocates blast July 4th fireworks show

The man, identified as Earl Decastro, posted a $25,000 bail after his arrest on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, Buena Park police Lt. Jon-Michael Shaddow said.

Decastro was hosting a Fourth of July party, and the victim was the daughter of a family friend, police said Saturday.

A Buena Park police news release described what investigators said happened:

“Through initial investigation, a large illegal fireworks display, which was placed in the street by the homeowner, failed and began misfiring toward the residence where the child was. This caused other illegal fireworks to ignite, which were near the child and others.”

The girl, identified as Jasmine Nguyen of Anaheim, was taken to UCI Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Charges are pending review by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, police said.

A man who answered the door at Decastro’s home on Cornflower Circle on Sunday afternoon said Decastro declined to be interviewed.

“He’s grieving right now,” the man said, “and it’s a really hard time for him.”

A memorial with a white cross, heart-shaped balloon, bouquets of flowers and some candles was taking shape at the end of the cul-de-sac.

This report will be updated when additional information becomes available.

8-year-old Anaheim girl dies after fireworks explosion in Buena Park; homeowner arrested

Orange County Animal Control spokesperson Jackie Pratt said a community member had called the agency and reported seeing “a large number of cats at the residence and were concerned about their welfare.”

Animal control officers were dispatched around noon to the 2600 block of Balfour Avenue, near Chapman Avenue and west of the 57 Freeway, along with several Fullerton Police officers. The cats, which ranged from kittens to older adult cats, were found in and around the home.

The total amount of cats seized has not been determined yet, as animals were still being processed for intake at the agency’s headquarters in Tustin. Pratt said a lot of the cats suffered from some form of contagious illness and would receive proper treatment and care with the agency. She added that it didn’t appear that the cats were mistreated, there were just unfortunately too many.

Neighbors described the whole ordeal as odd, and many said the large police presence was unexpected for their area. One 68-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, said animal control officers had come around a week prior asking about cats in the neighborhood.

No arrests were made. Residents living inside the home where the animals were seized declined to comment.

Pratt said the case is being investigated as a criminal matter and if charges were filed, it would likely be for a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge, citing a failure to properly care for the animals. The animals will eventually be available for adoption after they receive medical treatment and the investigation is complete.

“We have tons of cats at the shelter, so if they want to foster or adopt any of our current residents, it’ll help us make room for these rescues,” she added.

The shelter is located at 1630 Victory Rd. Tustin, CA 92782.