
Early encouragement in girl’s native Spanish from former Anaheim Captain Joe Vargas lifted her to police career
0Asunción Maribel Plascencia is on a remembrance and reunion tour of sorts. As she stands in a cul-de-sac in her old Chevy Chase neighborhood, once one of the more notorious and gang-ridden spots in North Anaheim, also known as “the jungle,” she recalls some of the more chilling memories of her young childhood. But she also remembers highlights, such as the encouragement and advice she received from former Anaheim Police Captain and Behind the Badge Editor Joe Vargas, to pursue a career in law enforcement. Advice delivered in the only language she understood: Spanish. Plascencia, who goes by Maribel, points…

To mark our 10th anniversary, we are sharing some of our top stories from our archives. This one was originally…

Editor’s note: As part of our 10th anniversary, Behind the Badge is sharing stories from our archives every Tuesday and…

Behind the Badge launched 10 years ago on a simple notion: to tell the stories of the men and women…

Happy Medina didn’t set out to become one of the foremost experts on human trafficking in Orange County, or the…