Costumed Caper Ends With Creek Rescue
An unidentified and intoxicated teen-ager wearing a Halloween costume was rescued uninjured after a 50-foot fall down an embankment above Aliso Creek shortly after midnight on Sunday. Police say he jumped a barrier to elude officers, called to Aliso Creek Inn about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, to break up a large party.
Altogether, Laguna Beach police say they made 10 drunk driving arrests and three public intoxication arrests over the Halloween holiday, Oct. 28-31, one less arrest than the previous year.
In Sunday’s rescue, firefighters found the boy curled in a fetal position at the stream’s edge, suffering from exposure and otherwise appearing to be uninjured, said fire department division chief and incident commander Dan Stefano. But because the boy was uncooperative with rescuers and couldn’t state what happened, firefighters extracted him as if he had a spinal injury and transported him to a hospital, Stefano said.
“The man was found lying half in the creek. He was suffering from hypothermia and extreme intoxication,” police Lt. Jason Kravetz said. The boy’s friends called police and reported him missing about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, though they had located him by the time police arrived.
The boy, who was accompanied by two friends also in costume, fell from a periphery clearing beside Country Club Road about 100 feet from a Coast Highway bridge across Aliso Creek, Stefano said.
Due to the steepness of the embankment where the boy fell, firefighters led by Capt. Api Weinert entered the creek bed upstream where the slope is less severe, he said.
Stefano couldn’t say specifically if the boys were intoxicated. “It appeared there was something going on,” he said.
Monday, Oct. 24
Grand theft. 1:34 p.m. 500 block of S. Coast Hwy. A gallery patron slipped a 20-inch tall bronze statue of a nude woman priced at $3,925 into a bag and walked out of the store.
Hit and run. 2:19 p.m. 600 block S. Coast Hwy. A 79-year-old Colorado visitor was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving and hit and run after witnesses provided police with a license and description of a car that rear-ended another vehicle at Laguna Avenue.
Fraud. 2:58 p.m. 500 block of Mountain Road. A woman discovered three unauthorized checks amounting to $927 drawn on her account.
Grand theft. 3:15 p.m. 2300 block of S. Coast Hwy. The owner of a bike left at a location is not being allowed to retrieve it.
Traffic stop. 10:22 p.m. 200 block of Park Ave. An Arizona visitor was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Tuesday, Oct. 25
Burglary. 6:44 p.m. 1200 block of S. Coast Hwy. Someone broke into a boutique and stole inventory with an as yet undetermined value.
Hit and run. 7 a.m. 300 block of Glenneyre St. Michael Elliot Tomson, 57, of Laguna Beach, was charged with suspicion of hit and run, possession of a cocaine and resisting arrest. Bail was set at $20,000. Witnesses to a parking structure collision provided police a description of the vehicle, which was found in a Diamond Street garage.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Traffic stop. 7:52 a.m. 300 block of Third St. Parolee Sol Langlois Risley, 35, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for suspicion of heroin possession after his car was stopped for expired tags. Bail was set at $20,000.
Fraud. 1:49 p.m. 1000 block of Catalina St. An unknown suspect made $7,300 in unauthorized purchases on a woman’s credit card.
Follow-up. 2:18 p.m. 300 block of Canyon Acres Dr. Police found a 17-year-old Laguna Beach girl and four friends from nearby towns in a home perfumed by marijuana. Two were cited for misdemeanor possession.
Grand theft. 3:25 p.m. 800 block of La Mirada. A watch and earrings together valued at $1,750 were found missing. The victim suspects workers in her home.
Eco violation. 4:53 p.m. Diver’s Cove. Three men ignored a caution against collecting mussels.
Traffic stop. 10 p.m. Reef Point. A 58-year-old Huntington Beach man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 10:57 p.m. 600 block of Laguna Canyon Rd. A 23-year-old Lake Elsinore woman was arrested for outstanding warrants.
Thursday, Oct. 27
Traffic stop. 10:41 a.m. 200 block of Brooks St. A Santa Ana man was arrested for vehicle code violation warrants and held for $15,000 bail.
Fraud. 5:12 p.m. PD. A resident who received a citation for a car he doesn’t own believes identification in a wallet he lost two years ago is being used by someone else.
Burglary. 5:35 p.m. 1600 block of Sunset Ridge. Thieves who gained entry through a dog door stole an undetermined amount of jewelry and silver sometime after noon. Residents found the door open when they returned.
Vandalism. 5:47 p.m. 2700 block of Victoria Drive. A car was keyed.
Traffic stop. 8:37 p.m. Coast Hwy. A 59-year-old San Juan Capistrano man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 11:56 p.m. Cleo St. A 53-year-old Laguna Niguel woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Friday, Oct. 28
Traffic stop. 1:25 a.m. Laguna Canyon Rd. A 34-year-old Irvine man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Disturbance. 1:32 a.m. 100 block of Brooks St. Called to quell a disturbance, police learned Ryan McKnight, 34, of San Diego, was wanted for arrest by Alabama for suspicion of cocaine possession.
Traffic stop. 2:24 a.m. 30600 block of Coast Hwy. Mario Daniel Pacheco Hernandez, 25, of Dana Point, was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. His bail was $10,000 because of a previous arrest last year.
Trespassing. 2:23 p.m. 600 Park Ave. A 14-year-old Irvine boy was taken into custody for assault and trespassing on school property after slugging a student outside the theater who he mistakenly took for a kid that taunted him on Facebook. He was transported to Juvenile Hall.
Threats. 3:09 p.m. 900 block of Coast Hwy. A financier received threats after aborting a loan to a customer who lied about his assets and forfeited a $20,000 deposit.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Traffic stop. 12:19 a.m. Beach St. A 32-year-old Irvine woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 1:02 a.m. Mountain Rd. A Mission Viejo woman was cited for DUI.
Traffic stop. 3 a.m. Aster St. A 23-year-old Newport Beach man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Vehicle burglary. 500 block of Windsor Pt. A rear window of an Acura was broken overnight and a lunch bag taken.
Vandalism. 9:35 a.m. Aster St. A window was shattered.
Fraud. 12:04 p.m. 500 block of Temple Hills Dr. Someone attempted to transfer monies out of the victims’ banking account by impersonating the account holder and changing account access codes.
Fraud. 1:06 p.m. San Tropez Ct. The victim learned his twin brother took out a $479,000 home loan by forging his name.
Suspicious. 3:19 p.m. 21600 block of Ocean Vista Dr. A bb-gun shattered a window.
Theft. 4:26 p.m. Santa Rose Ct. A housekeeper’s bag and its contents valued at $1,000 disappeared after it was left on a washing machine in an open garage.
Disturbance. 7 p.m. 200 block of Grandview St. A 30-year-old Culver City man was arrested for outstanding warrants.
Traffic stop. 11:52 p.m. Glenneyre St. A 47-year-old Dana Point woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Sunday, Oct. 30
Pedestrian stop. 1:31 a.m. Ocean Ave. An intoxicated 21-year-old Camp Pendleton marine was released to the custody of military police.
Trees cut. 3:11 p.m. 2500 block of Alta Laguna Blvd. A neighbor cut his trees without permission.
Vehicle burglary. 3:25 p.m. Cleo St. A hotel visitor who parked on the street returned to find a window smashed in her locked car. Contents valued at $550 was taken.
Fraud. 4 p.m. 3100 block of Bonn Dr. A resident who received a call describing his grandson’s supposed incarceration made two wire transfers of $9,000 for his release. He learned he was duped by calling the grandson.
