A police checkpoint near Aliso Beach resulted in the arrest of one suspected drunk driver and a second motorist detained on other criminal charges between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday, May 29, says a statement from police.
A total of 1,658 cars passed through the checkpoint. Of those, police briefly questioned 1,000 motorists about whether they had been imbibing and inspected their driver’s licenses. Eight more were cited for operating a vehicle without a current license.
Police say that checkpoints are an effective deterrence to drunk and drugged driving, but fewer motorists and lawbreakers were snagged in the most recent one.
Last August, for comparison, at a similar six-hour checkpoint near Irvine Cove 2,200 cars went through and police arrested six suspected drunk drivers, seven others for license suspensions and another for drug possession.
August is a busier period, said Sgt. Tim Kleiser.
Within minutes of police using traffic cones to create a choke point south of Wesley Drive on Coast Highway, servers at 370 Common, a downtown Laguna Beach restaurant, warned patrons about departing southbound due to a checkpoint. The server said he learned about the checkpoint from an online app.
Kleiser said he lacked data to say if phone apps are having an impact in rerouting scofflaws.
Monday, May 23
Traffic collision. 20600 Laguna Canyon Rd. 2:33 p.m. An inbound driver using his cellphone drifted to the right and struck a power pole.
Traffic collision. 1600 block of Tahiti Ave. 9:54 p.m. Three passengers escaped injury when their vehicle plunged down the hillside when their brakes failed.
Tuesday, May 24
Fraud. Blue Lagoon. 12:56 p.m. Someone opened a credit card in the resident’s name.
Thursday, May 26
Grand theft. 1300 Cerritos Dr. 5:23 p.m. A radio and dashboard part valued at $1600 ws taken from a vehicle.
Friday, May 27
Traffic stop. 400 block of Forest Ave. 12:41 a.m. A 24-year-old Laguna Hills man was cited for DUI.
Traffic stop. 100 block of S. Coast Hwy. 2:12 a.m. A 30-year-old Aliso Viejo man was cited for DUI.
Battery. 20600 Laguna Canyon Rd. 5:37 a.m. Shane Hardin, 41, a Laguna Beach transient, was arrested for suspicion of robbery after he allegedly pulled a seven-speed Cannondale bike away from the victim.
Animal calls. 31400 block of Ceonothus Dr. 3:38 p.m. A warning was posted to hikers about an active bee hive on a hillside.
Burglary. 400 block of High Dr. 6:24 p.m. A resident returned home to find a door open and valuables missing worth $7,500, including a Beretta .380 handgun registered to the owner.
Saturday, May 28
Traffic stop. Canyon Acres Dr. 1:13 a.m. A 45-year-old Mission Viejo resident was cited for DUI.
Traffic. Oak St. 2 a.m. A 30-year-old Laguna Beach woman was cited for DUI.
Traffic stop. Forest Ave. 2:30 a.m. A 30-year-old Irvine resident was cited for DUI.
Remote rescue. Car Wreck Trail between Oak Grove and Mathis, 9:18 a.m. A hiker reported an injured mountain biker, who was airlifted to medical aid.
Stolen vehicle. 300 block of Legion St. A citizen who reported a vehicle theft apparently got police involved in an unusual marriage proposal that involved a staged car theft, according to a police desk clerk.
Fraud. 500 block of Forest Ave. 2:24 p.m. The victim said her mother made two unauthorized charges to her accounts amounting to $660.
Welfare check. 100 block of Mountain Rd. 7:11 p.m. As a result of a report about a skateboarder bleeding, a 28-year-old Laguna Niguel man was cited for DUI.
Robbery. 1400 block of S. Coast Hwy. 7:33 p.m. A 16-year-old Laguna Beach resident was arrested for suspicion of robbery after he allegedly took another’s skateboard and bike.
DUI. 100 block of of S Coast Hwy. 9:23 p.m. A motorist who reported a motorist driving erratically led to the arrest of a 33-year-old Norwalk man for DUI.
Domestic violence. 400 block of S. Coast hwy. 9:56 p.m. As a result of a report about a fight between a couple, a 46-year-old Mission Viejo man was cited for DUI.
Traffic stop. 1300 block of N Coast Hwy. 11:36 p.m. A 45-year-old Newport Beach woman was cited for DUI.
Sunday, May 29
Traffic stop. S. Coast Hwy at Cress St. 12:41 a.m. In the wake of a traffic signal being hit, a 22-year-old Mission Viejo woman was cited for DUI.
Attempt to locate. 30800 block of Coast Hwy. 1:25 a.m. A missing juvenile from Arizona was located and released to a guardian.
Vandalism. Saint Ann’s Dr. 12:20 p.m. Several work tools valued at $7,000 were taken from a pickup with a smashed window.
Pedestrian stop. 300 block of Broadway St. 1:38 p.m. Lee Andrew Wyatt, 53, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for a felony no bail assault warrant from San Diego County.
Monday, May 30
Traffic stop. Aliso Beach. 12:20 a.m. A 25-year-old Laguna Niguel man who led police on a slow-speed chase to San Clemente was taken for a mental evaluation as he appeared unaware of the pursuit.
Traffic stop. 31100 block of Coast Hwy. 12:41 a.m. A 31-year-old Santa Ana woman was cited for DUI.
Burglary. 600 block of Mystic way. 1:24 p.m. A 55-inch television valued at $200 was reported stolen.
Looks like business is boooming.
[…] say that checkpoints are an effective deterrence to drunk and drugged driving. Of course they do, especially when the […]