One motorist was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol when Laguna Beach police officers conducted a DUI/drivers license checkpoint from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, at Coast Highway one half mile north of Wesley. Of the 2,016 vehicles that passed through the checkpoint, officers also cited/arrested 10 people for driving either unlicensed or with a suspended or revoked license, and they issued five additional citations.
With a proven record in lowering DUI-related deaths and injuries, these checkpoints serve as a deterrent to those who might drive alcohol- or drug-impaired, increase awareness and encourage the use of sober designated drivers.
Monday, June 2
Brandishing a weapon. Club Laguna. 2:24 p.m. Multiple police units and the Orange County Sheriff’s helicopter were dispatched to the apartment complex after a resident reported seeing a man walking around with a rifle. The person reporting the incident said he had approached the community mailboxes and found a bunch of bullets on top of them, at which point a 15- to18-year-old man yelled out that the bullets belonged to him and then walked over and grabbed some of the ammunition. That’s when the reporting party saw the rifle slung on the guy’s shoulder. Fear of violent harm elicited a large police response, but the gunslinger was never found and police found no resident in the complex matching the description.
Petty Theft. 200 block of Ocean Ave. 6:40 p.m. Officers sent to the Sunglass Gallery at 205 Ocean Avenue to take a theft report. The clerk said that video surveillance showed that a woman came inside at 6 p.m. and stole two pairs of sunglasses: one pair of Toms worth $89, and a second pair of Marc Jacobs worth $109. She took them by placing them in her purse without being noticed until she was gone.
Tuesday, June 3
Vandalism. 600 block Park Ave. 9:16 a.m. A 17-year-old juvenile was issued a vandalism citation for painting graffiti on an electrical box in front of the Artists’ Theatre, causing about $50 worth of damage.
Grand Theft. 1500 block S. Coast Highway. 11:08 a.m. Mission Viejo resident Chad Hiroshi Goodchild, 24, was charged with burglary and unauthorized use of access card information after detectives responded to a report of credit card fraud at the Surf and Sand Resort. The suspect had apparently checked into the hotel for three nights costing $3,638, when the real owner of the credit card, a Camp Pendleton Marine, called to say that someone was using his credit card information. The hotel’s concierge happened to read in the local media about Goodchild’s previous arrest on May 31 for robbery and getting into an altercation at Spigot Liquor and realized the same person was responsible for the credit card fraud. Footage from the hotel’s security video confirmed the ID. On June 3, when Goodchild showed up at the police station to retrieve some personal effects from the earlier arrest, records personnel notified the detectives and they arrested him again.
Keep the peace. 200 block of Ocean Avenue at Bank of America. 4 p.m. Capo Beach resident Esperanza Guerrero, 42, caused a disturbance in the bank’s lobby. Officers ran a wants and warrants check on the woman and located two $15,000 warrants for her arrest, one for criminal contempt and the other for violating a court order.
Wednesday, June 4
Traffic collision. 1700 block of Laguna Canyon Road. 2:52 p.m. A Prius rear-ended another Prius near Ganahl Lumber. The driver behind was the following too closely and talking on a cell phone. The driver of the car that was hit complained of neck pain.
Thursday, June 5
Pedestrian stop. 300 block of Broadway Street at the bus depot. 9:48 a.m. Bradley Ronald Stace, a 60-year-old homeless man, was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant after being contacted at the bus depot.
Battery. Legion Street and S. Coast Hwy. 1:32 p.m. A homeless man walked into a business at 658 S.Coast Hwy and punched one of the male workers. The suspect and victim knew each other and had recent disagreements. Officers saw the suspect running near Legion Street, but were unable to catch up to him. The case is being submitted to the District Attorney’s office with the request for battery against the aggressor.
Friday, June 6
Burglary. 500 block Mystic Way. 9 a.m. A homeowner said she had just returned home, where her extended family had been staying, after a lengthy hospital stay. She noticed the missing jewelry since returning home and believes it was burglarized sometime between June 5 and 6. There were no signs of forced entry, but numerous miscellaneous pieces of jewelry went missing at an estimated loss of $30,000.
Sunday, June 8
Suspicious circumstance. 900 block N. Coast Hwy. 5:27 a.m. Responding to a burglary alarm at Laguna Sea Sports, 925 N. Coast Hwy., an officer found smashed glass in the front door, leaving a whole large enough for a person to climb through. Whether the incident was a random act of vandalism or potential burglary remains unclear. Nothing inside the business was found stolen and no arrests were made.
