In a 4-0 vote this week, councilmembers instructed city staff to draft a ballot measure establishing three four-year term limits for the mayor’s seat. The measure will also include a provision to expand term limits for the four councilmembers’ seats — upping them from two four-year terms to three.

The ballot measure requires approval from the council before it can be placed on the 2024 ballot.

Term limits were established for councilmembers following the adoption of Measure RR in 2016.

But when Stanton switched to district-based elections in the following year, the mayor’s seat was designated to be an at-large position, unlike the rest of the council. Term limits enacted under Measure RR did not apply, allowing the mayor to serve unlimited terms of four years.

“It’s the only position that isn’t covered. The intention originally was for it to be covered,” said Councilmember Gary Taylor, alluding to the term limits established under Measure RR.

Councilmember Hong Alyce Van, who recommended the three-term limit across the board, said the current term limits hamper councilmembers from finishing long-term projects.

“As a councilmember, I feel like you spend your first term trying to figure out what you’re doing,” Van said. “You won’t actually be able to see projects from cradle to grave.”

Mayor David Shawver, who was first elected to the City Council in 1988 and has served several terms as mayor, was absent from the Aug. 22 meeting and did not vote.

In order to enact the new term limits, the council would first need to adopt a resolution calling for the measure to be placed on the ballot before voters are asked to consider the measure, according to a staff report. If a majority of Stanton residents vote in favor of the measure, any potential term limit would apply beginning in 2026, which is when Shawver’s current term expires.

City staff recommended the council to include the measure in the 2024 general election instead of a standalone special election due to cost. Holding a special election would cost between $513,583 and $547,415, according to city staff, while placing the measure on next year’s ballot will cost $8,500.

Anaheim residents Adrian Castaneda, 19, and Damian Ivan Mayorga, 18, as well as  Garden Grove resident Henry Diep Le, 19, are accused of fatally shooting Juan Cristalinas last June at the 7000 block of Lessue Avenue, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

Cristalinas, who was 49 and lived in Santa Ana, had been trying to help a 76-year-old man who was apparently being beaten by a group of men demanding money, the release said. The 76-year-old man was also shot but survived.

It was not immediately clear whether the suspects knew any of the victims.

“Juan leaves behind three sons, a loving wife, and three beautiful grandchildren. He was a hardworking, loving man. He had two jobs and spent his weekends working on cars as a mechanic. He was the kind of person who always stood up for others and wasn’t scared of doing the right thing,” a GoFundMe set up for Cristalinas said.

Castaneda, Mayorga, and Le were all being held at Orange County Jail as of Thursday evening, according to jail records.

Bail was set at $1 million each. Le was due in court Thursday, while Castaneda and Mayorga were expected to appear Friday.

Pizza delivery driver killed, elderly man wounded in Stanton neighborhood

Legal fireworks must have the State Fire Marshall seal on their packaging.

All cities in Orange County prohibit the use of fireworks without the state seal and many have hefty fines for those caught using illegal fireworks.

For more, see: Where you can see July 4 fireworks in Orange County

Here’s the information on when fireworks can be bought and used in those towns that do allow the “safe and sane” varieties:

Anaheim: Residents may purchase the approved fireworks from June 28 to July 4 at 16 stands, here is where you can find the nearest stand. Fireworks may only be used from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4. Sales end at 9 p.m. on the holiday.

Fireworks use is not allowed in the hilly eastern side of Anaheim where wildfires are a risk. The ban runs east of the 55 and east and southeast of the 91 freeway.

Buena Park: There will be safe and sane fireworks sold at booths throughout the city from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 1 to July 3 and 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be discharged from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the Fourth.

Costa Mesa: Fireworks will be on sale from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 30 to July 3 and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be discharged from 4 to 10 p.m. on July 2-4.

Fullerton: Stands open in the city from noon to 10 p.m. July 1 to 3 and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be discharged from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4.

Garden Grove: Fireworks sales will be open in the city from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 1 through 3 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4. Use of safe and sane fireworks is allowed on private property only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4.

Huntington Beach: Safe and sane firework sales at city-approved booths will be from noon to 10 p.m. on July 1-3 and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be used in the city only on July 4 – from noon to 10 p.m. No fireworks at the beach or in public places.

Los Alamitos: This year, the city joins the list of communities where safe and safe fireworks may be sold, allowing two booths to open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 1-4. The safe and sane fireworks may used in town only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4.

For more, see: Which state-approved pyrotechnics are worth the price?

Santa Ana: The city allows booths hosted by community groups to sell safe and sane fireworks starting at noon on July 1. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. on July 1; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 2 and 3; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be discharged from July 1 to 4.

Stanton: Sales of safe and sane fireworks in the city are allowed from noon to 10 p.m. on July 1 and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 2 to 4. Approved fireworks may only be used on private residential properties and only from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 1-4.

Villa Park: Safe and sane fireworks will be sold at city-approved stands starting at 10 a.m. on June 30. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 30 to July 3 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be used from noon to 10 p.m. on July 4.

Westminster: Approved fireworks may be sold from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting on June 30 to July 3 and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Fireworks may be discharged from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4 on residential streets.

And then, Pho’s thinking went, his son eventually would help him run Skin Design Tattoo, a multi-state business known as one of the best in the trade of skin art.

Instead, it’s his oldest daughter, Reena Pho, who at 19 has relocated from the family home in Hawaii to practice her craft at the Skin Design studio at the Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton.

And right behind her is younger sister Reesa Pho, 14, who, for now, is practicing on fake skin (a silicon pad) and lives with her parents in Honolulu.

As for the baby in the family, 3-year-old Vanna, who knows?

What matters to the 51-year-old father of four is not what choices his children make, just that they make good ones.

He learned that lesson in the hardest of ways.

As a teenager Pho made bad choices – to carry a gun, to join a gang, to commit crimes.  Those choices landed him in prison with a 14-year sentence at the age of 16.

Pho said those youthful decisions were driven by an urge to protect himself from the bullying and racist harassment he endured as an Asian immigrant in Southern California. He always fought back but he felt the sting keenly.

And, Pho said, his parents, who often argued, were strict and harsh, fueling his rebellion. They split up when he went to prison.

Pho said he’s not proud of who he was back then.

But he also doesn’t shy away from telling how his life changed when he learned to tattoo while in prison — and how his life kept changing later, through hard work and the support of his wife, Cristina. That better life has helped pave a better path for their children.

Over the past few years, Pho has been been lauded for what he’s overcome and for his talent as a tattoo artist and businessman. He’s been featured in newspaper and magazine articles, on TV news and online blogs.

He specializes in black-and-grey ink realism, creating skin art that looks like photographic portraits. But, really, he can do any style of tattoo.

Pho is so successful and in such demand that he can command a minimum of $4,000 to ink someone’s skin. He’s made as much as $350,000 for a full bodysuit.

He runs eight studios, including in Las Vegas, Nashville, and New York City, where he is working on opening a second location soon in the SoHo fashion district. His enterprise employs about 70 people, including his oldest daughter.

He hopes the trajectory of his life will inspire others to find their dream, believe in themselves and passionately pursue their goals.

Reena Pho knows she doesn’t have a backstory to match her father’s. She’s never been behind bars and never wants to. But – like father, like daughter – she’s skilled with a tattoo needle, earning anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000 a tattoo.

Her dad continues to nurture her career. And, while Reena Pho is fully licensed, she said, “I consider myself to still be an apprentice.”

Robert Pho said she already surpassed his expectations.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true to have your kids working alongside you.”

Earlier this month, the two joined tattoo artists from around the world at a convention in Ontario. Then the family spent time together in Orange County.

Reena Pho apprenticed more than a year under her dad, shadowing him in Skin Design’s Las Vegas studio. She moved to Orange County in March.

Pho sent his daughter to work at the Beach Boulevard location so she could become more independent. She’s distinguished not only by her relationship to the owner but by her strikingly long hair, which hangs down to her feet.

Her parents, she said, did not raise their children with the anger that the elder Pho said was part of his upbringing. Instead, she said, her parents have always been loving and supportive.

Who her father was as a youth is alien to her.

“I can never see him doing any of these things that he talks about,” she said during a recent chat as she waited for a late-afternoon client.

Sometimes, she added with a grin, “I think, ‘You’ve gotta be exaggerating.’”

He’s not.

Old ink, new ink

Robert Pho once memorialized the highlights of his wayward youth by inking them into his skin. That included the name of a gang he now won’t talk about because he doesn’t want to glorify them.

Years ago, he underwent the painful process of laser tattoo removal, swapping out old memories for new ones. These days, Pho’s torso, arms and legs display things he cares about, like his family.

The portraits include his parents, who fled Cambodia during the Vietnam War when Pho was 2. In 1980, after a couple of years in France, Pho, his parents, and younger sister were sponsored by relatives to emigrate to the United States.

They spent time all around Southern California, first in El Monte and then in Fontana, Ontario, Rowland Heights, and parts of the San Gabriel Valley.

In Cambodia, Pho’s father had been a professor. In this country, Pho’s father worked physical labor before saving enough to open a doughnut shop. His parents also ran a clothing factory in Los Angeles.

After Pho went to prison, and his parents split, they both chose to remarry.

Pho’s father was killed in New York City, in 2004, and Pho says he wishes he’d lived long enough to see his life after prison.

“I didn’t get to talk to him and show him how I’ve changed.”

Pho remembers vividly how unwelcome his immigrant family was made to feel. Often, he said, there were taunts from other kids and from grown-ups. They’d get kicked out of restaurants and told to go back to their own country.

The mistreatment, along with working early mornings, baking doughnuts alongside his father before school, fueled resentment in Pho.

Around the age of 12, he got caught bringing a gun to De Anza Middle School in Ontario. The gun, he said, was for protection.

“I had to. I was getting bullied.”

At Rowland Heights High School, he joined a gang. By the start of his junior year Pho was convicted of attempted murder and street terrorism.

Pho could have spent decades in prison, but the judge reduced his sentence. He served two years in the juvenile justice system, at the Youth Training School in Chino, a place so notorious for its brutality that inmates called it “Gladiator School.”

When he turned 18 Pho was transferred to an adult prison.

Hard time, in and out

“Really scared,” at first, Pho found adult prison to be more organized than Gladiator School, with self-governing rules and a population segregated itself by ethnic groups.

He learned to tattoo by watching other inmates. He fabricated a contraband machine, using a motor off a Sony Walkman radio, a needle honed from a guitar string, and ink that he created by mixing the ashes made by burning a foam cup filled with shampoo, toothpaste and baby oil.

Pho’s first tattoo was self-made; he wrote the name of his gang on his knees. He soon improved.

In prison, his skills as a tattoo artist earned him protection, which lasted for the seven years he served. Out of prison, it would take two decades before Pho’s skills earned him a following.

Art had always been a refuge. As a child, when he was punished and sent to his room, Pho escaped by drawing, penciling renderings of his comic book heroes: Captain America, Superman, Spiderman.

Once out of prison, with a criminal record and no high school diploma, escape wasn’t as easy. Pho’s employment options were limited. He earned sales commissions via door-to-door soliciting and making cold calls. He worked as a typist.

Despite those struggles he reconnected with a Filipina girl he’d known in high school and who wrote to him in prison – Cristina. They married in 1996, giving Pho an instant family with Cristina’s son from a previous relationship.

For a time, Pho was making some extra money on the side doing tattoos for people in the neighborhood.  An invitation from a paroled prison buddy brought him to North Carolina to help run the original Skin Design Tattoo studio.

By the time Reena was 2, Pho owned the business outright and had relocated to Las Vegas, where she grew up.

Still, for Pho, success felt distant.

His seven-days-a-week work schedule, and the fear of debt, prompted Pho to write a series of letters for his daughter — letters he didn’t show her until she was 12.

He later shared a couple of them on Instagram, explaining that they were written as an apology “to my daughter, wife, and to myself.”

He was, he said, contemplating suicide. “I thought I was failing them.”

In one letter, addressed to “My Baby Reena,” Pho explained his distress:

“My heart feels very hurt and my soul helpless and tired. I want to be a good Dad to you so bad but I’m missing out on everything that’s most important to me right now … watching you grow!”

But he persevered. And when skin art entered the mainstream, Pho’s business took off.

Passing

Reena remembers, as a little girl, hanging out in her father’s tattoo studio. She would watch him work in a shop corner, his foot on a pedal powering the tattoo needle and music playing in the background. And she would scramble through his supplies. Then she would sit and draw.

In middle school, kids would come up to her and say things like “Your dad’s Robert Pho!”

“It was so funny. I was, like, ‘They know who my dad is.’”

As a high school freshman she realized she wanted to try her hand at tattooing. At 18, she began a began her apprenticeship.

There was a rough patch with her dad. He came down on her for not paying enough attention to all aspects of the business; she’d ignored social media.

Yes, a 50-something father had to tell his teenager daughter to spend more time online.

“Talent alone now is not enough,” Pho said. “You’ve gotta stay active on social media.”

Reena Pho rededicated herself.

“I almost got fired. I didn’t want to get fired.”

Her dad, she said, is recognized not only for his artistry but for his entrepreneurship and his activism on behalf of tattoo artists. That’s his legacy.

“Now, I’m a part of it,” she said. “That’s very special to me.”

Her late-afternoon client, Rudy Castro, initially hoped for a session with Robert Pho, whom he had followed for a while. But Robert Pho was booked solid.

Castro looked at Reena Pho’s work online and liked her style.

“I just thought it was beautiful work,” said Castro, a corporate executive from Mission Viejo.

He had her tattoo the names of his four children in a half ring across his chest a few weeks ago. He came back for her to touch up a fading Aztecan shoulder tattoo he got when he was 18. And he may add to it.

He didn’t realize at first that Reena was Robert Pho’s daughter.

“I just didn’t make the connection,” Castro said. “I think that’s very cool. That’s very special.”

The funny thing is, Reena Pho does not have a single tattoo. She is not sure yet what her first should be, but she wants it to have special meaning.

She knows who she wants to do it.

That makes her dad smile.

“I look forward to that.”

Spaghetti replaced pho noodles, and they learned to adapt to the intense heat of Arkansas’ summers.

Then, the family learned of Westminster, and its abundant job prospects, yearlong nice weather and the UC education system. So the family moved, settling down off of Westminster Avenue and Bushard Street.

Here, Do and his family also found community with other Vietnamese refugees who had settled in the area.

“To be able to come here and get that flavor of home, it was transformational in the way that you think about what life means to you, what’s important in your life,” Do said.

He was speaking at a press conference to mark the 35th anniversary since then–Gov. George Deukmejian designated the area as Little Saigon in 1988. The freeway signs placed on the busy 405 Freeway “acknowledged the existence of an ethnic community,” Do said, noting it was at a time when “there was a lot of hostility” against the Vietnamese American population.

And now, words like pho and banh mi have become part of the “American psyche” because of that designation, Do said.

To commemorate the occasion, Do said, his team is “working with our county staff and with our lobbyists at all levels, state and federal, to work to get an official U.S. Department of Interior, historic designation of Little Saigon.”

The county will work with the cities of Westminster, Garden Grove and Fountain Valley to get this recognition because it will help the Little Saigon community to “be an entity and go out there and market itself and to be able to raise funds,” Do said.

With the Olympics happening in Los Angeles in 2028, the historical designation, Do said, will “become known on all of the Olympic brochures and promotionals.”

Westminster Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen was also present at the press conference, and Do said he would be working with the city to erect an archway over Bolsa Avenue at the south entrance to Little Saigon.

“I have committed $1 million of my own offices’ budget for the construction of the archway,” Do said. “I will also allocate another $500,000 for the artwork that will go on the archway.”

The gateway arch to Little Saigon, Nguyen said, is “a crucial and needed project to beautify the area.”

And Do also said his team will “prepare plans in the near future to build the Vietnamese Cultural Center” in Miles Square Regional Park.

“I believe that to have a cultural center for our community in a regional, county park is the greatest acknowledgment of our presence, of our contributions,” Do said.

Westminster city staffers previously discussed plans to convert Bolsa Avenue from a six-lane roadway to a four-lane roadway, but those plans are still “very preliminary,” Nguyen said.

Eric Corona, a representative from Caltrans, District 12, said the state’s transportation authority will mark the 35 years since Little Saigon was officially designated by installing 10 new signs along the 22 Freeway in Garden Grove. The signs will be brown in color, indicating the cultural interest area.

While Assemblymember Tri Ta, who represents Little Saigon, was not present, his chief of staff Emanuel Patrascu said Ta introduced legislation to designate a portion of the 405 Freeway from Bolsa Chica Road to Magnolia Street as Little Saigon Freeway.

The 35th anniversary celebrations will continue on Saturday, June 10 with a commemorative event at Asian Garden Mall from 4-7:30 p.m. More information is available on the event website.

Deputies responded to the 10000 block of Fern Avenue around 2 p.m. and two men were located with multiple gunshot wounds, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Frank Gonzalez.

One of the men succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, the other victim was admitted into surgery Gonzalez said. Their exact ages were not immediately available. It was not immediately clear whether the victims lived at the Fern Avenue residence or whether they knew one another.

Multiple people were detained Saturday, Gonzalez added.

In an updated statement Sunday, the Sheriff’s Department said that no one had been arrested.

It was not immediately clear whether a weapon was recovered at the scene.

Anyone with information to assist the investigation cab call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 714-647-7000 or anonymous tips can be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS (1-855-847-6227). Online tips can be submitted via occrimestoppers.org

Anaheim: Treats and free activities will be found at the Downtown Anaheim Farmers Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 6 at 435 W. Center Street Promenade. More information can be found at downtownanaheim.com or by calling 714-956-3586.

Anaheim Hills: Egg hunts, bunny photos, games, crafts, egg decorations and more will be available at the Rotary Clubs’ festival on Sunday, April 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held at Ronald Reagan Park, at 945 Weir Canyon Rd., and more information can be found at anaheimhillsrotary.com.

Buena Park: The Spring Eggstravaganza will be held on Saturday, April 8 at Boisseranc Park at 7520 Dale St. The free event will include bounce houses, train rides, a candy hunt (broken down into age groups) and a petting zoo. More information can be found on the city’s website, buenapark.com.

Dana Point: Families have two options for bunny visits, pancakes and egg hunts in Dana Point on Saturday, April 8 from 8-11 a.m. The festivities will be at Pines Park at 34942 Camino Capistrano and Sea Canyon Park at 33093 Santiago Dr. More information can be found at danapoint.org.

Fountain Valley: The annual egg hunt will run from 8-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 8 at the Fountain Valley Sports Park at 16400 Brookhurst St. More information can be found on the city’s website, fountainvalley.org.

Garden Grove: Families can join in on an “Eggscavation” from 2 to 5 p.m. on April 8 at the Atlantis Play Center, 13630 Atlantis Way, in Garden Grove Park. Tickets must be purchased for $12 for children 3 to 12 and $3 for spectators by April 6. There will be egg hunts, carnival games, an obstacle course made of inflatables, pictures with the Easter Bunny and more. Information: ggcity.org/eggscavation.

Huntington Beach: A free egg hunt and family fun day is scheduled for Saturday, April 8 at the Huntington Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest St. The event, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include a public official dunk tank, vendors (with food for purchase) and an egg hunt broken down by age group. More information can be found on the Kiwanis of Huntington Beach’s website: kiwanishb.org.

Irvine: It’s Egg-A-Pool-Looza at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center (4601 Walnut Ave.) on Saturday, April 8 with poolside egg hunts, bounce houses, face painting, crafts and bunny photos from 2-5 p.m. Lifeguards will be on duty, and parents are instructed to accompany children 6 and younger while in the water. Registration is required, found on the city’s website at cityofirvine.org, and is free for adults but $10 for children 14 and under.

La Habra: An annual Egg Night event on Friday, April 7 kicks off two days of fun. The Friday evening event, at La Bonita Park (1440 W. Whittier Blvd.) from 7-8 p.m., is open to youths from 7 to 13 years old. For $10, the children can hunt for eggs using flashlights and glow-in-the-dark items. Then on Saturday, the city will hold its Spring Family Eggstravaganza at La Bonita Park from 8 a.m. to noon, with more egg hunts, face painting, game booths, inflatables and more. More information can be found at lahabraca.gov.

Laguna Niguel: The free Bunny Bonanza is Saturday, April 1 with crafts, games and face painting — but no egg hunt. More information about the event, held at Chapparosa Park, located at 25191 Chapparosa Park Rd., can be found on the city’s website, ca-lagunaniguel4.civicplus.com.

Lake Forest: The city’s Bunny Blast will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 1 at El Toro Park, 23701 Los Alisos Blvd. Cost on the day of is $15 for a wristband for unlimited games, rides and more. Information: lakeforestca.gov.

Los Alamitos: It’s time for the Spring Carnival, including egg hunts, photo opportunities with “Peter Rabbit,” vendors and more. The free event will be held on Saturday, April 8 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Little Cottonwood Park at 4000 Farquhar Ave. For more information, visit cityoflosalamitos.org.

Newport Beach: The 8th annual mayor’s egg race will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 1 at Civic Center Park, 100 Civic Center Dr. More about the free event, featuring inflatables, train rides, photo opportunities and more, can be found at newportbeachca.gov.

Orange: The Easter Eggstravaganza at the Irvine Park Railroad continues daily through April 8. There are a variety of activities for families, including egg hunts, photos with the Easter Bunny, hay rides and more. Entrance is free and activity costs vary, starting at $7. Information: irvineparkrailroad.com.

Placentia: The city will host its annual Easter Eggcitement from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 1 at Kraemer Memorial Park, 201 N. Bradford Ave. There will be egg hunts for children 10 and younger and games, crafts, photos with the Easter Bunny and more. The Rotary Club will host a hot dog lunch from 10 a.m. to noon. Information: placentia.org.

San Clemente: From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 8, the city’s Sensational Springtacular and Summer Camp Palooza will take place on the Meadows at the Vista Hermosa Sports Park (987 Avenida Vista Hermosa). Then, a “splashtacular” event will be held at the San Clemente Aquatics Center from 12-4 p.m. Bunny visits, live music, spring games and an egg hunt, broken into age groups, will be offered. More information, including how to purchase wristbands ahead of time, can be found at san-clemente.org.

San Juan Capistrano: The annual Spring Eggstravaganza will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Los Rios Park, located at 31790 Paseo Adelanto. The free event, geared toward children between 2 and 12 years old, will include egg hunts, a puppet show, games, photos and more. For more information, visit the city’s website at sanjuancapistrano.org or call the Community Services Department at 949-493-5911.

Santa Ana: A free community egg hunt, as well as a pancake breakfast, pony rides, games and more, can be found at Santa Ana’s Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. More information about the event can be found at santa-ana.org.

Stanton: Hunt for eggs and visit the Easter Bunny from 9-11 a.m. at Stanton Central Park, 10660 Western Ave. The free event on Saturday, April 8 will also feature a resource fair. Information: stantonca.gov.

Tustin: The city’s Parks & Recreation department is hosting an Easter celebration on April 8 with Compass Bible Church. At 8 a.m., there will be a pancake breakfast; at 8:30 a.m., there will be a public art dedication; and starting at 9 a.m., there are egg hunts, games and activities until noon, including pictures with the Easter Bunny, a BMX show and more. It all happens at Tustin Sports Park, 12850 Robinson Dr. More information can be found at tustinca.org.

Westminster: The city will hop from park to park with activities and egg hunts. The Bunny Hop 2023 starts at Bolsa Chica Park at 10 a.m. on April 1 and visits Sigler Park at 1 p.m. On April 8, it stops at Tony Lam Park at 10 a.m., and Westminster Park at 1 p.m. Visit the Easter Bunny and enjoy the fun for free. Information: westminster-ca.gov.

Yorba Linda: The city hosts its annual flashlight egg hunt open to children 7 to 13 years old from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, April 7. Children can use their flashlights to search for eggs and fill their baskets, and there will be games and other entertainment. Cost is $10 a person, and check-in begins at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House, 4701 Casa Loma Ave.

On April 8, the city will have its 39th annual Egg-Citement Hunt starting at 10 a.m. and activities through noon such as games, a petting zoo and pictures with the Easter Bunny. The free event is at Hurless Barton Park, 4601 Casa Loma Ave. Information on both: yorbalindaca.gov.

Enrique Torres, from Los Angeles, was convicted of second-degree murder with sentencing enhancements for the discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death and the personal use of a firearm. Torres is scheduled to be sentenced June 9.

Torres was convicted of killing 28-year-old Eddie Barajas of Stanton on Jan. 17, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 11999 Harbor Blvd.

Barajas and his friends went to the hotel at about 3:40 a.m. that night to attend a party, according to a trial brief from Deputy District Attorney Stephen Cornwell.

The group got into a “verbal exchange” with Agustin Cortez, of Hawthorne, and Torres, Cornwell said.

Cortez was charged in connection with the attack, but prosecutors later dismissed the case against him.

It was unclear what started the dispute, but there was an allegation that someone yelled out a gang name, Cornwell said.

As the argument escalated into a physical fight between the two groups, Barajas stooped to set down his beer and when he stood back up he was shot in the head, Cornwell said.

Barajas was heard to say, “Let’s just have a good day” before the argument escalated, Cornwell said.

Torres fled, but was later arrested May 18, 2021.

The fast-casual chain founded in Los Angeles quickly gained popularity and accolades for its Beer Battered Fish Tacos, plant-based Crispy Taco and co-founder Chef Eduardo Ruiz’s motto to serve “a better taco.”

The restaurant uses the same flour tortillas as Bib Gourmand winner Burritos La Palma, located in El Monte, hand crafted by Tortillas Mejorado, also co-founded by Ruiz.

Stanton will be the second location in the Orange County expansion after Chicas Tacos opened in a Huntington Beach food hall last October. The new location will feature exclusive menu items.

“We’ve decided to launch some unique dishes, specifically with the Orange County diner in mind,” Ruiz said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our Pork Belly Taco, Dirty Fries, and Chicken Wings which we think will resonate well with the brewery and neighboring community.”

In addition to a variety of meat, seafood, and vegan tacos, the eater also serves burritos, bowls, pizza, and more.

Visit: Chicas Tacos Rodeo 39, 12885 Beach Blvd in Stanton; chicatacos.com

At 11:50 p.m., Orange County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at an apartment on the 10000 block of Bell Street in Stanton. The victim, Serena Celeste Gallardo, was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Two other adult victims living at the residence were treated for minor injuries.

A weapon was recovered at the scene. The victim’s 22-year-old boyfriend, who was also at the residence, was taken into custody.

No other details, including a possible motive for the violence, were immediately available.