CAMPUS
NEWS
AROUND CAMPUS
11TH ANNUAL STEM
WEEK: OCT. 18-25
Explore the science behind
zombies, crime scene investigation
and medicine during the 11th
Annual STEM Week 2019. Daily
events like Biotech Science
Theater 3000 presents a live
scientifi c commentary of World
War Z and SAC-CON: The Science
and Law of Zombies will happen
across campus from Friday, Oct.
18 through Friday, Oct. 25. Also
providing scholarships and transfer
information for those interested
in a career in the STEM fi eld, this
event will be the largest STEM
Week yet. / Ashley Ramynke
AROUND CAMPUS
THE CRUCIBLE AT
PHILLIPS HALL
Immersing students in the
Salem witch trials of the late
17th century comes the Tony-
Award-winning play The Crucible
to Phillips Hall. The play offers
lessons on peer pressure,
prejudice and individuality.
Opening night is Friday, Oct. 11 at
7:30 p.m. and performances run
each Friday and Saturday through
Oct. 20. / Ashley Ramynke
Closed campus
STORY
LESLY GUZMAN
PHOTO
ASHLEY RAMYNKE
Homicide suspect arrested and charged. Offi cials say the
robbery and murder had no connection to students.
A
Long Beach man was arrested and charged
with murder and robbery in the fatal shooting
and subsequent car crash that closed down
the Santa Ana College campus Monday, Sept. 16.
Antonio Lamont Triplett, 49, was arrested on Sept.
17 and charged with the murder of Osvaldo Garcia,
29, as well as second-degree robbery and for fi ring
a gun that resulted in death. Police say the crime
was not gang-related and was not connected to
SAC or any of its students.
"The campus is just basically a victim of circum-
stances,” Santa Ana Police Department's Cpl. An-
thony Bertagna said. “There's nothing related to the
homicide that has a nexus to the college campus
in any way, shape, or form. We don't want people
to think [Santa Ana College] is not a safe place. This
just happens to be where the [victim's car] ended."
On the day of the incident, two people of Carson
were detained in connection to the crime, but both
suspects were released without charges three
days later. The investigation is ongoing.
"We believe it’s a robbery. There was some sort of
altercation [between the suspect's vehicle and the
victim's vehicle]. Eventually, the suspect's vehicle
struck the victim's vehicle, which knocks it on to
the campus. And then that's when the shooting
occurred," Bertagna said.
SAPD offi cers responded to reports of a collision
near 17th and Bristol streets around 1 a.m. Sept.
16. When offi cers arrived at the scene, they found
Garcia in SAC parking lot six suff ering from gunshot
wounds.
On the day of the incident, district offi cials sent
out an alert at 3:44 a.m. stating for students and
faculty to not come onto campus and at 6:44 a.m.
to remain away from the college because investi-
gations were ongoing. Around 11:42 a.m., an alert
was sent out that school would be open for eve-
ning classes to resume. The victim's vehicle made
no notable property or landscape damage for the
campus.
Santa Ana has had a decreasing number of mur-
der and homicide rates, according to Bertagna. Yet,
armed robberies are increasing.
"Santa Ana has its issues," Bertagna said. "We
have a chief that has a strong strategy, which our
goal is to take as many guns off the streets as pos-
sible. Fewer guns mean fewer shootings."
el Don Santa Ana College · September 2019
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