Park Ranger Is Dragged With Car, Then Beaten

A Santa Ana park ranger patrolling Centennial Regional Park received a mild concussion and a broken nose Saturday after he was dragged 350 feet with a car and then beaten.

Santa Ana Police Lt. Earl Porter said the ranger tried to break up a fight between two women and one man in the park at 3000 W. Centennial Road. They were part of a large group of people playing football, police said.

The man involved in the fight then ran to a car and drove away with the ranger caught in the driver’s door. The ranger was dragged across a parking lot, police said. The car stopped and the ranger was released. He was then beaten, police said, by some of the people playing football. The driver of the car fled the scene.

Margaret Naea, 23, of Santa Ana then jumped into the car from which the ranger was dragged and drove off with a male juvenile from Orange in the passenger seat, police say. Naea allegedly caused three hit and run accidents before being apprehended. No one was injured.

Naea was being held at Orange County Jail on suspicion of evading arrest and hit and run driving. The juvenile was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest.

Police are still searching for the first driver. The ranger’s name was not released.