A retired professional surfer and co-founder of the Gotcha surfwear brand was arrested for suspicion of drug dealing after Laguna Beach police seized $2,000 worth of cocaine in his home last week, police said Monday, June 22.
Police charged Michael Elliot Tomson, 60, of Laguna Beach, with felony possession of narcotics for sale after conducting a 7 a.m. probation check at his home in the 21000 block of Mar Vista Avenue. A scale, baggies used to package cocaine for sale and 52 grams of cocaine were seized, said Sgt. Tim Kleiser, who provided the street value estimate.
While the new charges carry a $25,000 bail, Tomson’s probation officer placed a hold on him due to the new arrest, Kleiser said. Nevertheless, Tomson posted bond and was released early June 19, jail records show.
In 2013, Tomson was charged with two felony DUI counts, and suspicion of cocaine possession, following an early-morning traffic accident in Laguna Beach. Court records show Tomson has had numerous run-ins with law enforcement beginning in 2010.
A native of Durban, South Africa, Tomson finished fifth in the debut world pro surfing championship of 1976, says the Encyclopedia of Surfing. Two years later, Tomson emigrated to the U.S., moving to Laguna Beach, where he co-founded Gotcha in 1978 with Joel Cooper, selling swimming trunks from a Laguna Beach garage. The pioneering Southern California surf wear company transformed a cottage industry with edgy design and would become a dominant player in the market.
“Gotcha was a risk taking idea factory, a creative foundry that took gambles and broke rules. It created a blueprint that action sports brands still follow and its designs, widely considered to be a creative benchmark, are still referenced throughout the industry today,” says Amazon.com’s summary of “Goin Big: Gotcha and the Evolution of Modern Surf Style,” author Kevin O’Sullivan’s 2008 book.
Known for its flashy board short designs and aggressive marketing, Gotcha’s sales topped $65 million by 1987.
But when the wave crumbled by the mid-’90s, Gotcha’s founders in 1997 sold the company, now a Perry Ellis division that licenses the Gotcha brand that is sold in retailers such as Sears and Kmart.
Tomson served as the second president of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, based in Dana Point, from 1990 to 1999.
Monday, June 15
Grand theft. Glenneyre St. 1:28 p.m. Kitchen knives vanished from an unlocked car.
Tuesday, June 16
Occupied vehicle. 1300 block of S. Coast Hwy. 6 a.m. Joel Cruz Herrera, 35, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for misdemeanor drug and paraphernalia possession after police questioned the driver of an illegally parked car.
Traffic stop. Irvine Cove. 7:34 a.m. Brian Lopez, 43, of Chino, was arrested for outstanding vehicle code violation warrants.
Wednesday, June 17
Stolen vehicle. 400 block of Shadow Lane. 7:17 a.m. A vehicle reported stolen at 7:17 a.m. was spotted on video leaving town around 12:28 a.m. Brea police recovered the vehicle Sunday, June 21, and arrested a driver.
Vandalism. 800 block of S. Coast hwy. 9:46 a.m. Several cars in a lot were keyed overnight.
Thursday, June 18
Vehicle burglary. 100 block of Canyon Acres Dr. 6:56 a.m. A $6,500 mountain bike was stolen from inside a vehicle.
Stolen vehicle. 100 block of Mountain Rd. 9 a.m. Wayne Chong, 47, of North Hollywood, denied knowledge of a stolen vehicle but was arrested by police for an outstanding assault warrant.
Fraud. 1100 block of Miramar St. 4 p.m. A resident reported learning of a fraudulent IRS tax return filing.
Traffic stop. Bluebird canyon dr. 9:28 p.m. Kristin Lee Mattson, 54, of Irvine, was arrested for suspicion of DUI and held for $10,000 due to a prior offense.
Saturday, June 20
Traffic stop. Laguna Canyon Rd. 2 a.m. Salvatore Alessi Cataldo, 28, of Laguna Beach, was cited for suspicion of DUI and held for $10,000 due to a prior offense.
Pedestrian stop. Park Ave. 2 a.m. Brian Schaar, 29, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for a parole violation and held without bail.
Traffic stop. Tablerock 9:58 a.m. John Joseph Ramsey, 32, of Newport Beach, was arrested for suspicion of petty theft.
Rape. 200 block of San Tropez Ct. 10:47 a.m. Police declined to provide any details about a sexual assault that allegedly occurred earlier in the month.
Petty theft. 400 block of Oak St. 12:10 p.m. Not long after someone inquired about wanting to buy a resident’s potted plant, the coveted plant was uprooted and its owner found a $100 bill under a mat. Its owner valued the plant and pot at $1,000.
Petty theft. 30900 block of Coast Hwy 2:53 p.m. A $900 skim board and $300 Go-pro camera left in the bushes disappeared when the owner entered a store.
Sunday, June 21
DUI. Canyon Acres. 4 a.m. A 21-year-old Huntington Beach man was cited for DUI.
DUI. Coast Hwy. 4:29 p.m. An 18-year-old Laguna Beach resident was cited for DUI.
