Latest news with #Newport-MesaUnified
Los Angeles Times
12-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
15-year-old student athlete ID'd as victim of gang-related stabbing in Costa Mesa
Authorities have identified a victim of a fatal stabbing in Costa Mesa Saturday as a 15-year-old Newport-Mesa Unified student whom social media reports describe as an up-and-coming soccer player killed in an incident being investigated as a gang-related attack. Allison Castillo — a student athlete who was recently invited to play soccer in Spain — was identified by the county coroner's office Monday as the teenager found collapsed in an outside courtyard on the 700 block of Shalimar Drive by police. First responders were contacted Saturday at 12:30 p.m. regarding a stabbing and arrived to find the teen suffering from a life-threatening wound, according to a Costa Mesa Police Department release issued Sunday. Officers and paramedics performed CPR at the scene and eventually transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where she died of her injuries a few hours later, the release stated. Although CMPD spokeswoman Roxi Fyad declined to release Castillo's identity to the public, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerard McCann confirmed Monday coroner officials had identified the victim as Castillo, a resident of Costa Mesa. During their investigation of the incident, police detectives determined the stabbing may have involved a suspect with known gang ties, at which point investigators from CMPD's Gang Unit were called to the scene. 'The suspect was known to law enforcement as a known participant in illegal criminal gang activity,' Fyad said Monday. That individual — Matthew Juarez, 31, of Anaheim — was quickly traced to a residence in the city of Anaheim, where he was detained without incident. Juarez was booked into the county's intake release center on Sunday and is awaiting charges from the district attorney's office. Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials acknowledged Castillo was a student of the district, although a spokesperson did not indicate which school the student attended. 'She was a student in our district, and we are saddened by her passing,' the spokesperson said in a statement to media, declining to share further out of respect for the victim's family. 'Counseling and support services are available for our school community.' Castillo reportedly played soccer for two years with So Cal Select, an independent scouting program that prepares young athletes to play in college- and professional-level international tournaments, according to the organization's Instagram page. An online GoFundMe account established on behalf of Castillo's family recalled the youth as 'the life of the party, always bringing joy, laughter and warmth to everyone around her.' 'Her kindness, her ability to inspire, and her loving nature changed lives,' the page read. 'She was a kind soul who didn't deserve what happened to her. We demand justice for Allison, and we will not stop until those responsible are held accountable.' Costa Mesa police detectives are asking anyone who may have information about Saturday's incident to contact Det. Eloisa Peralta at (714) 754-5039 or Investigator Eric Molina at (714) 754-5694.
Los Angeles Times
06-06-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Monte Vista Mountaineers Class of 2025 are ready to take on college
In its second graduation since the program was established, members of the Class of 2025 collected their diplomas Thursday from Monte Vista, Newport-Mesa Unified's unique independent study high school, during a ceremony held at the Norma Hertzog Community Center in Costa Mesa. Monte Vista students, although they do their coursework remotely, have the same course and graduation requirements as comprehensive Newport-Mesa schools. Once a week they meet with their respective teachers at Presidio Learning Center in Costa Mesa. Seventeen Mountaineers were in this year's class. Sixteen of them are planning to go on to two-year colleges, according to school officials. One of the newly-minted grads, Madison Stephenson, was accepted to several four-year universities and will be attending Colorado State University in fall to study elementary education. Bruno Andrade Bruning, who made a colorful splash at the ceremony by accessorizing his gown with a stole depicting the flags of the U.S. and Brazil, was named Mountaineer of the Year. Bruning was also one of the student speakers, sharing that honor with Roel Orozco. Ahead of the ceremony, Principal Racquel Stephens offered her sentiments to the graduating seniors. 'The class of 2025 at Monte Vista is a special class. May you always have fond memories of your time at Monte Vista — a collection of the classmates, teachers and staff members who helped shape your school memories. May you look back on it with a smile of gratitude for your time at Monte Vista — a truly special place.' — Daily Pilot Staff
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Newport-Mesa's STEP grads celebrate ‘seamless' transition to adulthood, independence
Stepping up to the podium Wednesday evening, and into the next chapter of their lives, students of Newport-Mesa Unified School District's STEP program celebrated hard-won victories with the instructors who helped get them graduation ready. Friends and loved ones gathered at the district's Harper Assessment Center in Costa Mesa to celebrate the accomplishments of 18 graduates from the adult special education program, while proud faculty members and administrators passed out certificates of completion and congratulations. In lieu of applause, which can upset individuals with hearing sensitivities, the small audience waved their hands over their heads and wiggled their fingers as a silent but visual cue of collective enthusiasm. To know STEP's mission one need look no further than the acronym itself. The Seamless Transition Enrichment Program does just that — providing work and life skills to adults through age 22 designed to help them segue into jobs and living situations that foster independence. Some of this year's class of 2025 will move on to other post-secondary studies, while others leave school for jobs and various career avenues they learned about or explored as students of STEP. Although many will continue to be served as adults through Southern California's network of regional centers, the skills they've obtained and the relationships they've forged during their time at the Newport-Mesa Unified program will enrich their lives forever.
