More serious crimes reported in Fountain Valley, but fewer aggravated assaults

The number of serious crimes such as homicide, rape, burglary and robbery went up last year in Fountain Valley, the city’s Police Department said.

The department released its crime data statistics report for the state and federal governments in a Facebook post Friday.

In total, the crimes deemed Part 1 offenses rose to 1,562 in 2015 compared with 1,179 in 2014.

No rapes or homicides occurred in 2014, but in 2015, the city reported two rapes and one homicide.

Ermilo Marcial, 33, of Fountain Valley died Feb. 21 at a local hospital after being shot multiple times near San Gabriel Street and Holly Avenue.

Also, 2015 saw an increase in robberies, to 24 from 21 the year before, and 273 burglaries was a jump over 196 in 2014.

Larceny increased, from 828 in 2014 and 1,091 in 2015.

Motor vehicle thefts almost doubled, from 68 in 2014 and 131 in 2015.

Aggravated assaults went down, from 65 in 2014 to 39 in 2015.

And one case of arson was reported last year, the same as 2014.

The Police Department attributed the increases to prison realignment, an attempt by the state to reduce its state prison population by shifting people to county jails.