Family and residents urge stronger action after fatal overdose at Sunland Motel; city attorney says contempt proceedings underway

Several family members and residents urged the Santa Ana City Council on Wednesday to take stronger legal action to close the Sunland Motel after a reported fentanyl-laced pill killed a local man in July.

Kim Miller and Marion Crane, who identified themselves as relatives of the deceased, told the council the motel has a long documented history of drug sales, prostitution and violent crime despite court orders. “They sold him fentanyl-laced pill and died instantly,” Kim Miller said of her nephew; Marion Crane described the death as “a robbery and a death that deserves investigation.”

Miller and Crane said police response and follow-up by investigators was insufficient, and they asked the city to pursue an aggressive legal strategy to shut the property. Miller said hospital staff were helpful after the overdose and that the deceased’s wishes as an organ donor resulted in a positive outcome for recipients, but she said closure of the motel is needed to prevent more deaths.

During public comment, city attorney staff responded on the record that the city is working on contempt proceedings tied to an existing court order for the Sunland Motel. “This particular property at Sunland, we are working on a contempt order because this is a property where we did get an order from the court to have them stop the activity there,” the city attorney’s representative told the council.

Council members and other public speakers urged continued and intensified enforcement; several noted the limits posed by staffing for investigations and the time required for legal remedies. Victor Mendez, president of the Zoo District Neighborhood Association, and other residents said they will continue to press for accountability.

The council did not take a roll-call action specifically to close the motel during the meeting, but the city attorney’s statement indicates active legal action being prepared. Residents asked the council to expedite investigations and use outside attorneys if needed.

The city manager and police department were present in the meeting and acknowledged ongoing work with code enforcement and criminal investigators; no detailed case file or timeline was provided in open session.

The council did not vote on a motion about the motel at the meeting; family members asked that Garrett Crane’s death not be ignored and requested a reopened investigation and stronger enforcement to ensure the property complies with court orders.