Welcome to the Orange County DA Office - Reporting the Crime/Investigation

When a crime is committed, the victim(s) or witnesses to the crime should contact the local police agency or Orange County Sheriff’s Department to report what happened.

The police agency investigates the crime by taking statements from the victim(s) and/or witnesses, collecting evidence, and interviewing suspects.

After investigating the crime, the police agency may immediately arrest the defendant or issue a citation to the defendant to appear in court to answer to charges the District Attorney’s Office may later file. Police agencies may arrest a person without a warrant if the misdemeanor offense was committed in their presence or if they have probable cause to believe a misdemeanor or felony was committed. The police agency may also decide to conduct further investigation and later request the District Attorney’s Office to file charges and request the court to issue a warrant for the defendant’s arrest.