Inmate Returns to Face Murder Charge
An arraignment of Friday, Sept. 23, was set for a Connecticut inmate extradited to California last week on murder charges in the 1978 stabbing-death of a Laguna Beach architect.
Three decades after the fact, Walter Lawrence Dalie, 52, was charged on Feb. 23 with murder with special circumstances in the death of Brent Stapleton Tobey after DNA allegedly linked him to the scene.
Dalie has been incarcerated in a Connecticut state prison, serving a 50-year sentence for the 1985 bludgeoning murder of his girlfriend.
He was transported by U.S. marshals to the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center on Thursday, Sept. 1, and is being held without bail.
Last August, Laguna Beach police were notified of a possible DNA match to evidence collected during the investigation of Tobey’s death, a cold-case file that had been sent to county’s crime lab for analysis in 2002. Connecticut prison officials recently added newly collected DNA samples from current inmates to a national database. Dalie was linked to the Laguna murder through DNA, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors allege Dalie, 19 in 1978, fled after using a knife to stab Tobey 17 times in his Carmelita Street home. The 55-year-old architect was discovered in a pool of blood in his own bedroom, a crime whose brutality shocked the community and lacked investigative leads for more than 30 years.
Monday, Aug. 29
Loitering. 8:29 a.m. Main Beach. Donald Coleman Barnes, 52, of Brea, reported missing and armed and dangerous, was taken into custody for an outstanding drunk driving warrant by officers who disarmed him of a knife and unloaded handgun. They also found a suicide note. A retired police chief and off-duty police lieutenant called local authorities after they observed Barnes rifling through bags of Brea’s waterpolo team, training at the beach.
Grand theft. 10:38 a.m. Sawdust Festival. An iPad valued at $1,000 was taken from a booth.
Traffic stop. 9:15 p.m. Coast Hwy. Brian Christopher Ralph, 21, of Lake Forest, was arrested for an outstanding felony burglary, forgery and theft warrant.
Traffic stop. 11 p.m. Montage Resort Dr. A Laguna Niguel woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Tuesday, Aug. 30
Traffic stop. 10 a.m. Coast Hwy. A passenger in a truck, Juarez Arnoldo Hernandez, 33, of Santa Ana, was arrested for an outstanding immigration deportation warrant.
Traffic collision. 10:53 a.m. 1200 Park Ave. A teen driver and her 16-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries after rolling their vehicle due to excessive speed.
Wednesday, Aug. 31
Burglary. 9 a.m. 300 block of Forest Ave. Thieves stole an undetermined amount of cash after breaking a window to gain entry to a salon.
Thursday, Sept. 1
Traffic stop. 12:34 a.m. Montage Resort Dr. A Ladera Ranch woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 1:47 a.m. Brooks St. A Midway City man was cited for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 2:09 a.m. Wesley Dr. Venessa N. Rowan, 34, of Laguna Niguel was arrested for her third DUI. Bail was set at $15,000.
Fraud. 12:30 p.m. 600 block of Ramona Ave. Someone tapped a personal banking account to order $2,100 worth of stuff from the Home Shopping Network.
DUI. 1:28 a.m. Canyon Acres. A 41-year-old Costa Mesa woman was arrested for DUI and held for $15,000 bail.
Drugs. 8:30 p.m. Vista del Sol. Undercover detectives arranged a drug buy from Lewmann Rojas Granja, 32, of Tustin, who was arrested for suspicion of possession and sales of meth as well as drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $25,000.
Friday, Sept. 2
Traffic stop. 1 a.m. Broadway Pl. A 20-year-old Lake Forest man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Found property. 7 a.m. Victoria Beach. A piano was left on the beach after a photo shoot.
Burglary. 1:39 p.m. 31000 block of Coast Hwy. An accountant was accused of stealing artwork. No further details were available.
Traffic collision. 5 p.m. S. Coast Hwy. Rikky Gutierrez, 25, of Los Angeles, was arrested for drunk driving following a collision. Bail was set at $10,000.
Burglary. 5:12 p.m. 700 block of Bluebird Canyon Dr. Someone attempted to enter a patio door. No loss was reported.
Stolen vehicle. 9:29 p.m. 300 block of San Tropez. A 2002 Jetta was reported stolen.
DUI. 10:31 p.m. 1100 block of Coast Hwy. A 31-year-old Irvine man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail. After he refused a cab, another bar patron called police.
Traffic stop. 10:49 p.m. Diamond St. A driver, pulled over for lane straddling, was arrested for allegedly drunk driving and possession of prescription pills. Mark Andrew Murphy, 39, of San Diego, was held for $20,000 bail.
Traffic stop. 11:37 p.m. Vista del Sol. A 35-year-old San Clemente woman was arrested for DUI and held for $10,000 bail.
Saturday, Sept. 3
Traffic stop. 12:51 a.m. West St. A Utah woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 1:42 a.m. 2300 block of Laguna Canyon Rd. A 20-year-old Orange man was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 7:1 8 a.m. 200 block of Ledroit St. Driver Jose Ricardo Hernandez, 26, was arrested for allegedly providing police a phony name; passenger David Najerarubio, 22, was arrested for three outstanding warrants. Both are from Compton.
Traffic stop. 4:40 p.m. 300 block of Broadway. A Villa Park man was arrested for DUI and held for $10,00 bail.
Trespassing. 5:25 p.m. 30500 block of Coast Hwy. Jordan Samuel Keith, 23, of Yucaipa, was taken into custody for a $15,000 DUI warrant.
Lifeguard rescue. 7 p.m. Cliff Dr. Three lifeguards in the water and two more on paddleboards anchored a boat drifting from Shaw’s Cove until the Harbor Patrol arrived.
Traffic stop. 11:40 p.m. Cleo St. A Laguna Niguel woman, 34, was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Sunday, Sept. 4
Traffic stop. 12:02 a.m. 200 block of Ocean Ave. A 29-year-old Laguna Niguel woman was arrested for DUI and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic stop. 2:26 a.m. 1200 block of N. Coast Hwy. A 23-year-old Newport Coast woman was cited for driving drunk and held for $2,500 bail.
Traffic collision. 6:42 p.m. S. Coast Hwy. A 31-year-old Culver City woman was arrested for driving drunk and held for $2,500 bail.
Felony vandalism and battery. 9:25 p. m. Joleen Michiko Trear, 22, of Aliso Viejo, was arrested for physically assaulting an ex-boyfriend after seeing him with another woman. She also allegedly keyed her rival’s car. Bail was set at $20,000.
