Police say they are considering filing new charges against a thrill-seeker suspected of jumping into a swimming pool from a Laguna Beach hotel roof last week and injuring his feet.
Last October, investigators arrested Anthony Booth Armer, 28, of Laguna Niguel, for an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from previous trespassing incidents in Laguna Beach involving water jumps from daring heights.
Armer records his exploits and posts his videos on YouTube under the name 8Booth. On Monday, Jan. 2, 8Booth posted a gofundme appeal for donations to cover medical expenses. A photo shows him in a hospital room with his feet wrapped in bandages and set amid scaffold-like braces. In the first day, 63 people donated $1,457 towards the $112,200 appeal.
On Sunday, Jan. 1, 8Booth posted a video of his leap from the second-story roof of Pacific Edge hotel, where he is seen crawling from the pool and helped away by someone opening a gate. Hotel managers did not respond to a request for comment. In four days, the video generated more than 1.5 million views.
Police Sgt. Tim Kleiser said hotel staff informed police a day after the jump occurred on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Armer has not yet been interviewed by investigators, Kleiser said Wednesday, Jan. 4. “Based on video footage from the hotel and witnesses we are highly confident it was him,” said Kleiser, adding that exact charges have not yet been determined.
Court records show Armer is scheduled to be arraigned in Harbor Court in Newport Beach on Friday, Feb. 3, on three charges, two for unlawful entry and one for trespass, stemming from three separate incidents of roof or cliff jumping last July, September and October.
Armer is represented by Irvine lawyer Vincent Tucci, who was not immediately available for comment.
