Orange County Man Arrested for Alleged Kidnapping, Burglary
Above: Jesse Fuerte booking photo | Santa Ana PD
An Orange County man has been arrested in connection to an alleged kidnapping, which later led to a standoff with police.
On February 22, 2023, the Santa Ana Police Department responded to reports of a possible kidnapping on the 800 block of South Sullivan Street.
According to officers, the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Jesse Manuel Fuerte, was believed to be armed when he allegedly entered the victim’s mobile home and forced the victim to drive him to another portion of the city. The victim was able to return home unharmed and contacted the police department.
The situation escalated when the police received several calls about a subject attempting to enter homes on the 2000 block of West 11th Street. Based on the information given to officers, they believed the subject was the same individual from the earlier kidnapping. After gaining entry into one of the homes, the suspect refused to leave.
Residents were safely evacuated, and police began attempting to negotiate with Fuerte.
The police spent several hours negotiating with Fuerte, and he eventually surrendered without further incident and was taken into custody. He was booked at the Santa Ana jail on suspicion of burglary and kidnapping.
