The Costa Mesa Police Department in a press conference Thursday morning identified the suspect in the 1997 cold case rape-murder of 26-year-old Sunny Adrienne Sudweeks.

The identity of the suspect has been unknown until recently and after extensive follow-up investigation and exhausting all avenues to capture the suspect, CMPD hopes to bring the suspect to justice by making his identity known.

Felipe Vianney Hernandez Tellez, 43, has been identified as the homicide suspect who raped and murdered Sudweeks in 1997.

Click here for a Spanish language version of the press release.

CMPD was assisted in this investigation by the Orange County Cold Case Task Force, the Orange County Crime Lab, the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) TracKRS Unit, U.S. Marshals Service, Santa Ana ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Unit, Santa Ana School Police, and the California Department of Justice.

“While we can never make up for the loss associated with this heinous and vile crime, my hope is that we can provide some sense of closure and make life a little easier for the Sudweeks family,” said Chief of Police Robert N. Sharpnack. “My staff worked hard to get to this point but we will not stop until this despicable individual is behind bars.”

Felipe Vianney Hernandez Tellez

At the time of the murder, Hernandez, then 23 years old, was living in Santa Ana but had previously lived in Costa Mesa from approximately 1991 to 1993.

Two years prior to the murder, Hernandez was arrested on Dec. 4, 1995, by Newport Beach Police Department and his fingerprints were collected. He was subsequently charged and convicted of second-degree burglary.

He was also arrested on May 20, 2000, by the Santa Ana Police Department and subsequently charged and convicted for domestic violence. His fingerprints were placed in the fingerprint database in 2000.

In 2006, Hernandez fled the United States, and returned to Mexico. It is believed that he currently lives somewhere in the state of Oaxaca with his new family to include his wife and three children. He is possibly living near the resort town of Puerto Escondido. He previously worked as a painter and currently delivers rotisserie chickens to customers. Hernandez frequents his mother’s home in Huitzuco, Guerrero.

Murder of Sudweeks

Sudweeks was a 26-year-old photography student at Orange Coast College and worked part-time at an Aaron Brothers. At the time of the murder, she was living with her boyfriend and a roommate, who both worked night shifts as cab drivers.

On the night of Feb. 22, 1997, Sudweeks was home in her upstairs apartment in the 1000 block of Mission Drive in Costa Mesa. That night, she had several phone conversations, and evidence shows that her last conversation with a girlfriend took place around 11:00 p.m.

On Feb. 23, 1997, between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., it is believed that Hernandez entered Sudweeks’ upstairs apartment where the victim was sleeping in one of the three bedrooms and raped and murdered Sudweeks by strangling her. It is believed that Hernandez then subsequently fled the scene.

Sudweeks’ boyfriend and roommate returned early that morning to find Sudweeks’ body lying in her bed. Her boyfriend immediately called 911.  At approximately 4:55 a.m., CMPD officers and detectives arrived at the scene and began their investigation.

Click here to see a slideshow from the press conference.

Investigation and Identification of the Suspect

Over the course of the initial investigation, CMPD collected over 130 DNA samples and 265 pieces of evidence. They canvassed the area and conducted extensive interviews, passed out police bulletin fliers, and distributed a press release regarding the murder. A month after the homicide, fingerprints from the crime scene were input into the fingerprint database but returned no match. The DNA sample that was collected returned a profile but no name in the DNA database. With no leads to pursue, the case went cold.

Between 1997 and 2009, CMPD conducted due diligence reviews of the case file but found nothing new to advance the case.

In 2009, the case was reviewed due to new developments in DNA technology. CMPD and then-Deputy District Attorney Camille Hill, who specialized in DNA, conducted a DNA review. The case remained cold with no leads to a suspect.

Between 2010 and 2016, CMPD routinely reviewed the case file. In 2011, 2012, and 2014, the suspect’s DNA was run in a state database for a familial match but no match was made.

In November 2016, Parabon NanoLabs provided CMPD with a detailed “Snapshot Prediction Results Composite Profile” including physical identifiers of the suspect such as a facial composite, skin color, eye color, hair color, freckles, sex, and ancestry. Around that time, CMPD ran fingerprints in the fingerprint database, which returned a hit to Hernandez from a prior arrest and conviction. With that promising lead, CMPD focused on Hernandez and pulled his 2000 booking photo. The snapshot provided by Parabon NanoLabs and the booking photo of Hernandez were strikingly similar.

In January and February 2017, CMPD detectives conducted interviews of Hernandez’s family members and obtained DNA from a relative. Both the relative’s DNA and the DNA collected from the 1997 crime scene were tested and returned with a high likelihood that the relative and the perpetrator who killed Sudweeks were related. The investigation, including DNA and fingerprints, led CMPD detectives to believe that Hernandez is the suspect that raped and murdered Sudweeks.

CMPD will submit the case to the OCDA for charges and will continue to work with law enforcement partners to locate Hernandez and extradite him back to Orange County to face justice.

As part of the Costa Mesa Police Department’s (CMPD) continued commitment to reducing injury and fatalities caused by impaired drivers, a sobriety checkpoint will be conducted by CMPD’s Traffic Unit Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, from 8:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. within the city limits.

The checkpoint will be clearly marked and vehicles will be selected for further screening on a pre-set basis to ensure objectivity. Motorists will be greeted and given information about impaired driving. Driver’s licenses will be checked and trained officers will direct suspected impaired drivers to a secondary area for further evaluation.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000. Motorists can expect a slight delay driving through the checkpoint.

This checkpoint will be conducted with grant funding awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA research has shown that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunken driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. The deterrent effect of sobriety checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes. CMPD publicizes these highly-visible sobriety checkpoints to deter impaired drivers, promote awareness about the consequences of impaired driving, and encourage the use of sober designated drivers and rideshare services.

According NHTSA, checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. Based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, sobriety checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achi eving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

“DUI Checkpoints have been an essential part of the phenomenal reduction in DUI deaths that we witnessed since 2006 in California,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “But since the tragedy of DUI accounts for nearly one third of traffic fatalities, Costa Mesa needs the high visibility enforcement and public awareness that checkpoints provide.”

All residents/businesses are encouraged to sign up for AlertOC.

AlertOC is a mass notification system designed to keep Costa Mesa and Orange County residents and businesses informed of emergencies and certain community events.

By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive voice messages from the County or City in which you live or work may be sent to your home, cell or business phone.

Text messages may also be sent to cell phones, e-mail accounts and hearing impaired devices.

AlertOC is operated by the County of Orange in collaboration with local cities.

To register go to: www.alertoc.com

The Costa Mesa City Council is currently seeking residents to serve on the following city committees:

Bikeway & Walkability Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, assists with the review, update and implementation of the city’s Master Plan of Bikeways and pedestrian pathways in order to make recommendations for their improvement to the City Council. It has 15 regular member vacancies expiring March 31, 2017, all for two-year terms. For further information, please contact Public Services Director Raja Sethuraman at (714) 754-5032.

Cultural Arts Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, works to promote the city’s slogan, “Costa Mesa City of the Arts.” The committee maintains a youth gallery in City Hall and a directory of local artists. It has six regular member vacancies and one alternate member vacancy expiring March 31, 2017, all for two-year terms. For further information, please contact Recreation Supervisor Ashley Ocasio at (714) 754-5052.

Historical Preservation Committee: This committee, which meets monthly, serves to maintain, preserve, educate and promote the city’s historical resources. It has nine regular member vacancies and two alternate member vacancies expiring March 31, 2017, all for two-year terms. For further information, please contact Assistant Recreation Supervisor Cecily Renteria at (714) 754-5034.

Housing & Public Service Grants Committee: This committee, which meets on an as-needed basis, helps to promote community understanding of the community development process and activities funded by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). It has nine regular member vacancies and one alternate member vacancy expiring March 31, 2017, all for two-year terms.  For further information, please contact CDBG Consultant Mike Linares at (714) 754-5678.

Traffic Impact Fee Ad Hoc Committee: This committee, which meets on an as-needed basis, assists staff on all aspects related to the updating and revision of traffic impact fees. It has four vacancies expiring March 31, 2017, all for four-year terms: two at-large positions representing Costa Mesa residents, one representing major developers, and one representing small developers. For further information, please contact Public Services Director Raja Sethuraman at (714) 754-5032.

Application Process: Residents who are interested in getting involved in local government are encouraged to complete a Committee Application Form from the City Clerk’s Office or from the City’s website (www.costamesaca.gov/apply).  The completed application may be submitted online; mailed to Costa Mesa City Clerk at Post Office Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California, 92628-1200; faxed to (714) 754-4942; emailed to cityclerk@costamesaca.gov; or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

The deadline is 5 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2017.  Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the April 4, 2017 City Council meeting.

City staff is urging residents to prep for a fierce winter storm that is expected to bring high winds and drench Costa Mesa and surrounding communities with as a much as two inches of rain.

To help with potential flooding, the city is providing sandbags to residents only and not for commercial use. Also, sandbags are limited to 15 per resident.

The city offers a pre-filled sandbag station at the Southeast corner of the City Hall parking lot at at 77 Fair Drive while supplies last. There are signs on Fair Drive that will direct residents to the location.

Residents can also fill up sandbags at Fire Station No. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave. Bags and sand will be available for free, but please bring ID to show to City staff before picking up the bags.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

Further, the city has added additional maintenance crews for Friday and Saturday to assist with emergencies.

Residents are urged to drive safely, watch for downed trees and power lines and be prepared for potential flooding. Residents who are in need of assistance are encouraged to call the city’s non-emergency line at 714-754-5252.

As always, in the case of emergencies, downed power lines or other life threatening issues, please dial 9-1-1.

In anticipation of the storm, County officials have issued a Flash Flood Watch and High Wind Watch for both Coastal and Inland Orange County.  Please click on the links below for further information on these alerts:

High Wind Watch in effect from February 17, 07:00 AM PST until February 18, 07:00 AM PST

Flash Flood Watch in effect from February 17, 12:00 PM PST until February 18, 04:00 PM PST

Click here to see how to contact Southern California Edison  or call 1-800-611-1911 to report power outages.

The agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

The Los Angeles Chargers invited civic and business leaders to a welcome luncheon Monday Feb. 13 at the Center Club, where team Owner Dean Spanos, General Manager Tom Telesco and Head Coach Anthony Lynn spoke glowingly about the team’s future new home in Costa Mesa.

“There are two things that we put a priority on,” Spanos said. “The first is to put a winning team on the field, and the second, equally, is to be a part of the community.”

That message resonated well with Costa Mesa leaders who welcomed the team with open arms and presented Spanos with a key to the city and a Costa Mesa baseball cap in the color of the team’s iconic light blue jerseys.

In addition to members of the Chargers front office staff, two players from the team were also in attendance, running back Branden Oliver and fullback Derek Watt.

“I’m a football mom and I know what football brings to families,” Mayor Katrina Foley said. “We are here to support you and make you feel at home. We are so thrilled to have the Charger family join our Costa Mesa family.”

Joining Mayor Foley at the luncheon were Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis and Council Members John Stephens, Jim Righeimer, City Manager Tom Hatch and Several members of the city staff.

The Chargers’ new headquarters will be a leased building in the Hive office complex in north Costa Mesa on Susan Street. The team also plans to create a training facility on a 3.2 acre property next to the site.

General Manager Telesco said the team and the team’s front office employees will become integral parts of the Costa Mesa community, getting involved with city events and even having family members take part in youth sports.

“Every day but game day, we’ll be in Costa Mesa,” Telesco said.

And Lynn, who was recently named head coach, echoed that.

“I believe in being part of the community,” Lynn said.

Charger announcer Josh Lewin, the emcee of the event, said it was no mistake that the team made Costa Mesa its new home.

“They didn’t just leave and happen to land in Costa Mesa,” he said. “They scouted Costa Mesa, they met with Costa Mesa city leaders and it was only then that they decided to call this town home.”

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Division Chief Jason Pyle was settled into his plane seat high over the skies of Colorado and enjoying a movie with his headphones on when he heard what sounded like a call for medical assistance.

Pyle, Fire Engineer Steve Cathey and fleet maintenance supervisor Gant Corum were just returning from Appleton Wisconsin where they were doing the final inspections on two new fire engines.

He pulled off his headphones and again heard the flight attendant put out a call for medical emergency and asked that anyone with medical training come back to assist.

Pyle peered to the back of airplane and knew his services were needed.

“There’s a guy all balled up on the floor, and he was in respiratory distress,” he said as he quickly walked back toward the plane to assist the senior-aged man. “He was blue, and he didn’t look like he was breathing.”

Pyle and the flight attendants slid him over to a portion of the plane where they could work on him. He was later joined by a nurse, a cardiologist and Cathey who helped with the medical charting and got the man’s medical history from his daughter.

As they performed patient care and began treatment on him the man was initially unconscious but as they provided the first aid his condition stabilized.

Meanwhile, the team of responders were able to contact the plane’s captain and advised him the flight needed to be diverted to Denver.

“That was like a roller coaster ride,” Pyle said as the plane quickly descended to the Mile High City.

Once the landed, he and Cathey met Denver Fire at the door to provide them with the information about the man, who they learned was 90 years old. By that time, he was talking and conscious and his color came back.

“The most important thing was getting him into a stable condition and providing him appropriate medical care,” Pyle said. “We got him in that window where he was in a savable moment.”

Pyle gives lots of credit to the flight crew for saving the man’s life.

“They are the ones who raised the concern and they are the ones who found him,” he said. “Their fast action to look for help and alert others and their ability to recognize an emergency was key.”

The other thing that assisted was the man’s daughter was able to provide his medical history to Pyle and others helping him.

That helped provide a jump start on his medical care and Pyle recommends that residents carry a medical bracelet or necklace that identifies medical conditions in case they are ever in need.

And if saving a life wasn’t enough, two family friends who were traveling with the man, stayed on the plane but didn’t have a ride home. So Steve Cathey gave them a ride home to Los Alamitos. And those friends have since kept him up date on the man’s condition.

“They sent me a couple letters saying that he is doing good,” Cathey said.

For Pyle and Cathey, it was good knowing their training came in handy that day.

“It’s part of what we do,” Cathey said.

Pyle agreed.

“It’s good to know when you have ability to help, that you are able to help,” Pyle said. “It doesn’t matter if you are in the streets of Costa Mesa or flying over Colorado.”

As a new winter storm moves through today and potentially another on Friday, Public Safety and Public Works crews urge residents to drive safely, watch for downed trees and power lines and be prepared for potential flooding.

Residents who are in need of assistance are encouraged to call the city’s non-emergency line at 714-754-5252.

As always, in the case of emergencies, downed power lines or other life threatening issues, please dial 9-1-1.

Click here to see how to contact Southern California Edison or call 1-800-611-1911 to report power outages.

Sandbags are also available for residents to deal with potential or real flooding problems.

The city offers a self serve process at the Southeast corner of the parking lot at City Hall located at 77 Fair Drive where residents can get up to 15 sandbags.

There are signs on Fair Drive that will direct you to the location.

Please visit City Hall as our primary location for sandbags, or if we are out of sand, you can obtain sandbags at Fire Station No. 4 located at 2300 Placentia Ave.

Click here for information on how to prepare sand bags.

Furthermore, the agency “211 OC” is also poised to help coordinate assistance. 211 OC has an around the clock phone line to help with all types of emergencies and provides regional connection to resources for disasters victims, the homeless, and others needing health and human services.

Information about 211 OC can be found at www.211OC.org or by simply calling 2-1-1.

Around 4:00 p.m. Friday, Southern California Edison closed a lane on westbound Victoria Street between Newport Boulevard and College Avenue to conduct emergency repairs due to a downed power line.

Currently, several residents and businesses are out of power.

The repairs are expected to take approximately three to four hours.

As part of the Costa Mesa Police Department’s (CMPD) continued commitment to reducing injury and fatalities caused by impaired drivers, the Department will be on alert and patrolling the City of Costa Mesa on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017.

Super Bowl Sunday tends to be a day of festivities across the country that is often accompanied by alcohol consumption.

National Highway Traffic Safety Association research has shown that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunken driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.

CMPD will be highly visible and patrolling areas of Costa Mesa in an effort to reduce and stop drunken and impaired driving.

Impaired driving is illegal and can be deadly. CMPD encourages everyone to drink responsibly and before the Super Bowl game begins, assign a designated driver, and/or make sure to have access to a mobile app designed to arrange a ride provided by a sober driver.