Seventeen firefighters extinguished a blaze that caused nearly $400,000 in damage to two homes on Wildwood Drive Saturday, Nov. 12.
While the blaze broke out three short blocks away from the city’s South Laguna fire station, that engine company had been dispatched to another call two minutes earlier, but was recalled and arrived at Wildwood within seven minutes of the first report, fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse said.
Eventually, four engines arrived and firefighters took just 15 minutes to douse the blaze that caused $300,000 in damage to the exterior of two homes and destroyed content valued at $50,000 at one of them, LaTendresse said.
The cause is under investigation, though it’s not considered suspicious, he said.
Heads Up
Laguna Beach police will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19.
Patrols will target areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests until 3 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, says a statement.
Streetbeat
Monday, Nov. 7
Vehicle burglary. 2700 block of S. Coast Hwy. 9:40 a.m. Thieves, who used a rock to shatter a window, made off with $200, credit cards, knives and paperwork.
Grand theft. 800 block of S. Coast Hwy. 11:34 p.m. Jewelry worth $5,500 was taken from a hotel room.
Vandalism. 300 block of Forest Ave. 2:21 p.m. The owner of a vacant business reported the theft of light fixtures, shelving and cabinets and damage to ceiling mural, a cumulative loss of $13,650.
Petty theft. 2200 block of Glenneyre St. 3:42 p.m. Mail was stolen.
Stolen vehicle. 500 block of Seaview St. 9:30 a.m. A 2016 Mercedes SUV was stolen overnight.
Tuesday, Nov. 8
Fraud. PD. 2:23 p.m. A resident reported finding a fraudulent check for $1,200 noted on her bank statement.
Occupied vehicle. 200 block of Ocean Ave. 9:55 p.m. A search of a vehicle for a parking violation turned up 10.07 grams of methamphetamine, 18 Xanax pills, and 6.85 grams of heroin. Wesley Allen Beebower, 22, of Mission Viejo, was arrested for suspicion of selling and possessing narcotics; and Sarah Bergstrom, 23, of Palm Springs, was arrested for suspicion of possession alone.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
Traffic stop. 100 block of N. coast Hwy. A 22-yearold Huntington Beach man was cited for DUI.
Rape. 31800 block of Coast Hwy. 10:20 a.m. A patient in the hospital behavioral unit accused another patient of a sexual assault. Officers were unable to interview the victim due to an unrelated medical condition.
Fraud. 500 block of Forest Ave. 4:49 p.m. A resident received a bill from a cellular carrier for $1,600 on an unauthorized account.
Fraud. 500 block of Seaview St. 7:41 p.m. $550 was fraudulently withdrawn from a bank account.
Thursday, Nov. 10
Disturbance. 30800 block of Coast Hwy. 2:32 a.m. Mission Viejo residents Thomas Waldron, 38, and Christina Behney, 36, were arrested for violating a court order and an outstanding warrant, respectively, after they initially barred police from entering their room.
Property. 500 block of Forest Ave. 10:17 a.m. A wallet was found with 3.5 grams of meth inside.
Child abuse. 1000 block of Dyer Place. 11 a.m. An inquiry is underway and no details were released.
Suspicious. 200 block of San Tropez. 7:39 p.m. A resident received two calls in two days demanding $14,000 over smuggling a relative across the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican authorities are investigating.
Fraud. 1000 block of Skyline Dr. 8 p.m. A resident discovered that fraudulent checks for $200,000 had been written on his account.
Friday, Nov. 11
Fraud. 30800 block of S. Coast Hwy. 10:26 a.m. Woman passed a $100 counterfeit bill.
Medical. 400 block of S. Coast Hwy. 6:19 p.m. A customer who had been imbibing fell through a street-level storefront window and suffered a head injury.
Warrant arrest. 100 block of N. Coast Hwy. 8 p.m. Michael Allen Garcia, 38, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for battery and trespassing warrants.
Saturday, Nov. 12
Traffic stop. 1700 block of S. Coast Hwy. 12:18 a.m. Garrett Thomas Basich, 27, of San Clemente, was cited for suspicion of possessing and transporting 1.89 grams of meth and 11.48 grams of heroin for sale. Bail was set at $25,000.
Sunday, Nov. 13
Traffic stop. 200 block of Mountain Rd. 1 a.m. A 31-year-old San Clemente woman was cited for DUI.
Traffic stop. 100 block of S. Coast Hwy. 1:04 a.m. A 19-year-old Norwalk woman was cited for DUI.
Vehicle burglary. El Bosque. 10:35 a.m. A pair of shoes are missing from a car where a window was smashed.
Vehicle burglary. El Camino del Mar. 11:12 a.m. A window was smashed to gain entry.
Traffic collision. 20400 block of Laguna Canyon Rd. 5 p.m. A motorcyclist, who witnesses say was riding in the center lane, sustained a fractured leg after colliding with two vehicles.
Drunk driving. 200 block of Broadway St. 9 p.m. A 54-year-old Laguna Beach woman was arrested for DUI and then transported to Mission Hospital for mental health treatment.
Traffic stop. 1300 block of S. Coast Hwy. 9 p.m. Muhammad Shayyan Samla, 20, of Irvine, was arrested for an outstanding warrant for speeding.
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