CRIME
Allegedly Stolen Car/Driver Crashes Into the Fountain at Park Plaza in the Orange, CA. Aftermath Photos.
A historic fountain in the City of Orange, Calif., will have to be restored after the driver of an allegedly stolen vehicle crashed into it early Monday, police said.
According to the City of Orange Police Department, a patrol officer noticed “suspicious activity” on South Parker Street at around 5 a.m. Monday. A Hyundai Sonata drove away without its headlights on, prompting the officer to attempt a traffic stop.
The driver, later identified as 24-year-old Raymond Salazar Felix, fled east on Chapman Avenue “at a high rate of speed,” police said. Felix crashed into the fountain in Plaza Park, where he was immediately taken into custody, police said.
According to police, Felix was “in possession of an unserialized handgun and a high-capacity magazine.”
Photos shared by police show the firearm, the wrecked Hyundai, and the damaged fountain. The circular fountains tiled wall is partially collapsed and crumbling where the car hit it.
According to police, Felix was on probation for vehicle theft in Kern County. He was transported to a hospital with moderate injuries before being booked into the Orange County Jail, police said.
The City of Orange had already begun construction for improvements in the park on Feb. 27, and said that work will continue while damage to the fountain is assessed and repairs are scheduled. Upcoming park improvements include crash-rated bollards along pedestrian walkways, upgraded bollards along the parks perimeter, and increased lighting.
