Santa Ana council members’ true colors show as residents demand killer cops be held accountable

Santa Ana, CA – Tensions rode high Tuesday, March 17, when Santa Ana residents, along with Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) attended city council. They demanded that killer cops Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra be fired from Santa Ana Police Department.

On December 1, 2024, Noe Rodriguez was murdered by Santa Ana Police. Jocelyn Pacheco of CSO OC stated, “Noe Rodriguez was unarmed and experiencing a mental health crisis. When SAPD officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra shot him 29 times. Bodycam footage shows that they opened fire within 30 seconds of the officers arriving. “

Towards the end of Pacheco’s comment her mic was shut off, despite only being 17 seconds over time. Attendees of the meeting yelled “Let her speak!” and “Shame!”

Matthew Compton talked about an incident that occurred with Officer Ibarra on February 18, stating, “Members of CSO along with the family of Noe Rodriguez were outside Santa Ana Police Department recording videos. Isaac Ibarra intentionally left the department where we were standing in an attempt to intimidate us.”

Compton continued, “Isaac elbowed both myself and another CSO member, then later shoulder-checked me and threw a fake punch at a different CSO member. Isaac is highly mentally unstable and should not be allowed on the force let alone carry lethal weapons.”

In response to more comments with concerns about officer Ibarra’s behavior, Mayor Valerie Amezcua, who receives campaign funding from the Santa Ana Police Officer’s Association, had this to say: “I had my husband watch that video with Officer Ibarra, and I felt really bad for him.” She continued with “I think he behaved in a manner where I was like wow. It’s a hard thing, he was walking to his car.”

Family members impacted by police violence were present, including Noe Rodriguez’s family and the family of Albert Arzola. He was only 19 years old when he was killed by Anaheim police officers on December 6, 2025.

Grace Arzola called out the council, stating: “Valerie and Phil, body language is everything. You guys are more concerned over a charter, and light poles not being fixed than you are with people losing their lives.” Arzola pointed out that the mayor wasn’t paying attention and was slouched over during public comments.

David Pulido, a CSO OC member mentioned “Luis Casillas killed two people within one month. Noe Rodriguez on December 1, 2024 and Henry Gonzalez Jr on January 1, 2025. Casillas was also involved in a brutal beating of a 15-year-old minor Mario Diaz. For all his crimes, SAPD has not fired Luis Casillas. Instead, they moved him from patrol to the crimes against persons division.”

Pulido concluded, “We demand Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra be fired before they can kill again! If you do nothing, then the blood will be on your hands. The blood is on the hands of Police Chief Robert Rodriguez. The blood will be on your hands, City Manager Alvaro Nunez. The blood will be on any councilmembers who stand against accountability. That will be your legacy, and we will never let anyone forget that!” The audience applauded and cheered.

As the meeting ended, some council members, like Jonathan Hernandez, showed support for the firing of Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra. Others showed their disdain towards Santa Ana residents.

The family of Noe Rodriguez, along with CSO OC and residents of Santa Ana, have been fighting for over a year to seek justice for Noe Rodriguez. CSO members declared that they will not stop until Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra are fired and jailed for their crimes.

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