Santa Ana police arrested a Westminster man in an undercover operation after investigators say he arranged what he believed would be a meeting with a 16-year-old boy, using the name “Ernie the Uber.”
The case started when the teenager’s mother contacted the Santa Ana Police Department after finding alarming messages on her child’s phone. According to a department social media post, police identified the sender as 45-year-old Ernesto Orozco Villa of Westminster.
Patrol officers worked with the department’s drone unit to plan a targeted sting, persuading Villa to agree to meet the boy at a location in Orange County, authorities said.
Officers moved in shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday as Villa waited in his car near Bristol Street and McFadden Avenue, where he was taken into custody.
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Video of the arrest released by Santa Ana police shows Villa smiling and briefly speaking in Spanish before getting out of the vehicle. Officers then handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car.
Villa was booked into the Santa Ana Jail. Police reported that the suspect had allegedly requested explicit photos from the teen and was actively trying to arrange a sexual encounter.
“Parents, talk to your children about the dangers of communicating with strangers online and consider monitoring their devices,” Santa Ana police wrote. “Know who your children are talking to.”