Animal Files

More rescues for PMMC, nonprofit calls on community for donations to help

On Thursday, March 7, at 4:20 p.m., the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) responded to a live dolphin at Crystal Cove State Beach. 

“PMMC had people in the back bed of our RAM rescue truck holding the dolphin, so we called police to let them know. They in turn gave us a police escort to get the dolphin and the team back to PMMC as quick and safe as possible,” Krysta Higuchi, PMMC Events and Public Relations Coordinator said. “Once back at PMMC our team was able to fully examine her. She had multiple seizures and it was deemed humane euthanasia was the best course of action.”

On Saturday, March 9, at 12:28 p.m., at the 31500 block of Bluff Drive, LBPD and PMMC received reports regarding a whale close to shore.

According to Jim Beres, LBPD Civilian Services Administrator, “A whale in distress was reported to be in the water near the sand at West Street Beach. The reporting party thought the whale might be injured.” 

“The whale swam back out,” Higuchi said. “Right now it is migration season for gray whales so it is fairly common to see these whales off our shores. The moms tend to stash their calves close to shore while they go off and forage.”

Donations badly needed at PMMC to help save pinnipeds

In all, PMMC rescued four pinnipeds over the weekend, including three sea lions from Huntington Beach and one elephant seal from Newport Beach, bringing PMMC’s 2019 rescue count up to a record-high 46.

Higuchi said that donations are badly needed.

“The animals just keep coming in and we have not even hit our typical peak time yet,” Higuchi said. “Right now we are going through fish, medical supplies and funds faster than anticipated. Any amount is greatly appreciated.”

Click on photo for a larger image 

Courtesy of PMMC Instagram

California sea lion that was rescued by PMMC

Donations can be made at www.pacificmmc.org/donateor check out PMMC’s wish list at www.pacificmmc.org/our-wish-list for other items in need. 

For more information about PMMC, call (949) 494-3050.

PMMC is located at 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd.

Incident Reports

Saturday, March 9

S Coast Hwy & Vista Del Sol | DUI with 1 Prior

11:52 p.m. Sarah Joanne Longstreth, 23, Laguna Beach, was arrested on suspicion of DUI with one prior. Bail was set at $10,000.

Park Ave | 200 Block | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol 

9:34 p.m. A 41-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.

Glenneyre St | 800 Block | Trespassing

8:10 p.m. Armando Navarette, 53, San Rafael, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

S Coast Hwy & West St | Unlicensed Driver, Hit & Run, Reckless Driving

2:22 p.m. Rocio Hernandez Gomez, 52, Laguna Niguel, was arrested for driving without a license (bail was set at $500), hit and run (bail was set at $500), and reckless driving (bail was set at $500). 

S Coast Hwy | 31800 Block | Warrants

12:04 a.m. Lisa Cristina Olamendi, 50, Laguna Beach was arrested on three undisclosed warrants, with bails of $2,500, $1,500, and $10,000.

S Coast Hwy & Ruby St | DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

12:15 a.m. A 48-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

Friday, March 8

S Coast Hwy & Ocean Ave | Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance

6:48 p.m. A 61-year-old Los Angeles man was arrested on two charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance (bails were set at $500 and $500).

Cliff Drive & Jasmine St | Throwing Substance at Vehicle, Battery, Vandalism

4:17 p.m. Timothy Michael Libby, 33, Laguna Beach, was arrested for throwing a substance at a vehicle (bail was set at $20,000), battery (bail was set at $10,000), and vandalism (bail was set at $500). 

Loma Terrace | 300 Block | Possession of a Controlled Substance and Narcotic Controlled Substance, Purchase of a Narcotic Controlled Substance for Sale, Felony Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

2:42 p.m. Salam Mohammed Ballout, 28, Laguna Beach, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance (bail was set at $2,500) and a narcotic controlled substance (bail was set at $500), purchase of a narcotic controlled substance for sale (bail was set at $10,000), and felony possession of a firearm and ammunition for a person previously convicted of a crime (bail was set at $20,000).

S Coast Hwy & Victoria Drive | DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

1:09 a.m. A 43-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

N Coast Hwy & McKnight Drive | Warrants

1 a.m. Quy Huynh, 42, Huntington Beach was arrested on a warrant for property crimes (bail was set at $25,000) and on a warrant for petty theft (bail was set at $25,000). 

Thursday, March 7

Highway 1 & Crown Valley Pkwy | DUI

11:35 p.m. A 54-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Bail was set at $2,500.

Highway 1 & Crown Valley Pkwy | DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

11:29 p.m. A 44-year-old San Clemente woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

S Coast Hwy & Wesley Drive | DUI

11:29 p.m. A 53-year-old Laguna Niguel man was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Bail was set at $2,500.

S Coast Hwy & Camel Point Drive | DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

10:44 p.m. A 38-year-old Laguna Beach woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

S Coast Hwy & Bluebird Canyon Drive| DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

11:40 p.m. A 41-year-old Ladera Ranch man was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

Forest Ave| 500 Block | Parole Violation

9:05 a.m. Ephraim Jay Bautista, 35, Westminster, was arrested for violating parole. No bail was set.

Wednesday, March 6

N Coast Hwy 600 Block | Fighting in a Public Place, Trespassing, Resisting Arrest

9:55 a.m. Gordon Lawrence Weider, 71, Laguna Beach, was arrested for fighting in a public place (bail was set at $500), trespassing (bail was set at $500), and resisting arrest (bail was set at $500).

Police Files

Two virtual kidnapping scams in 24 hours have Laguna parents on high alert

On Thursday, March 7, a Laguna Beach resident reported to LBPD that he had become the victim of a fraud involving the fake kidnapping of his daughter.  

“At 2:30 p.m., the victim received a cell phone call from a suspect who stated he had kidnapped the victim’s daughter and was holding her, and wanted $5,000 or he would kill her. The suspect ordered the victim to stay on the phone with him throughout the incident,” LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota said. “The victim became fearful for his daughter and after briefly hearing a female scream into the phone stating she had been kidnapped, he went to his bank and withdrew $5,000.”  

The victim was then directed to go to various wire transfer locations outside the city where he transferred the money to an account in Mexico.  

“At about 6:30 p.m., as the victim was completing the last transaction, he received a call from his daughter who was fine in Laguna Beach,” Sgt Cota said. “His daughter had not been kidnapped and had no knowledge of what was occurring.”

The father had just completed the last transaction and could not stop the transfer of the funds.

LBPD thwarts wire transfer in second virtual kidnapping scam

Then, the next day, on Friday, March 8, at 11:42 a.m., LBPD received another virtual kidnapping call similar to the one received on Thursday.

“The incident involved another Laguna Beach resident withdrawing money, however, we, LBPD, were able to intervene prior to the money being wired to an account in Mexico,” Sgt Cota said. “The resident contacted her daughter, who is a college student in Chicago and found out she was safe.”

“SRO Ashton created an information piece that was immediately sent to all of the schools in Laguna Beach, including private schools, for dissemination to the parents,” Sgt Cota said. “Two virtual kidnapping incidents within 24 hours is unacceptable. Luckily, we were able to stop the second one.”

The success of a virtual kidnapping scheme depends on speed and fear. Criminals know they have a limited amount of time before the victim catches onto the scam or law enforcement gets involved.

If you suspect a real kidnapping is taking place or you believe a ransom demand is a scam, please contact the Laguna Beach Police Department at (949) 497-0701.

Signs of a virtual scam:

--Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone, insisting you remain on the line

--Calls do not come from the supposed victim’s phone

--Callers try to prevent you from contacting the “kidnapped” victim

--Callers include demands for ransom money to be paid via wire transfers to Mexico; ransom amount demands may drop quickly

If you receive a phone call from someone demanding a ransom for your family member, the following should be considered:

--In most cases, the best course of action is to hang up the phone

--If you don’t want to risk ending the call, drive to the nearest police station

--Try to remain calm and slow the situation down

--Do not share any information about your family during the call and don’t use the alleged victim’s name

--If you hear the a voice or screaming in the background, try to ascertain if it really is your child

--Attempt to contact the “kidnapped” victim via phone, text, a messaging app or social media to see where they are and if they are safe

--Ask to speak to the victim

--Ask questions that only the victim would know

--Ask the caller to call back using the victim’s phone

--Try to buy time by repeating the caller’s demands and telling the caller you need to write things down or need time to complete the transaction

--Don’t challenge or argue with the caller

--Write down the phone number the caller is calling from

For additional information, please contact School Resource Officer Cpl Cornelius Ashton at (949) 497-0773.

Incident Reports

Tuesday, March 5

S Coast Hwy | 300 Block | Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance 

7:53 p.m. A 27-year-old Laguna Beach woman was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $500.

S Coast Hwy | 1500 Block | Trespassing

1:45 p.m. Rosario De La Torre, 50, Laguna Beach, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

Magnolia Drive | 300 Block | Battery

12:51 p.m. Klaus Poehler, 75, Laguna Beach, was arrested for battery. Bail was set at $10,000.

Monday, March 4

Park Ave | 200 Block | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol

6:33 p.m. A 41-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.

Cedar Way & High Drive | Traffic Hazard

4:10 p.m. LBPD received a report in reference to a traffic hazard. According to police reports, the RP stated that a large tree branch fell and was blocking the roadway. The tree was pulled out of the roadway and Public Works was emailed to pick it up.

S Coast Hwy | 600 Block | Trespassing

1:50 p.m. Rosario De La Torre, 50, Laguna Beach, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

Broadway St | 300 Block | Shoplifting

1:31 p.m. Pedro Mondragon, 18, Laguna Beach, was arrested for shoplifting. Bail was set at $500.

S Coast Hwy | 1600 Block | Vandalism

9:13 a.m. LBPD received a report in reference to vandalism. According to police records, the RP stated that the vehicle tires of several guests were slashed.

Glenneyre St | 500 Block | Warrant 

2:08 a.m. Nicolas McNeil Kelley, 22, Laguna Beach, was arrested on a warrant for shoplifting. Bail was set at $2,500.

Moss St | 100 Block | DUI

12:41 a.m. A 31-year-old Santa Ana man was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Bail was set at $2,500.

Sunday, March 3

N Coast Hwy | 200 Block | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol

2:51 p.m. A 56-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.

Glenneyre St | 800 Block | Forgery

4:10 p.m. LBPD received a report in reference to forgery. According to police reports, the incident occurred the night before during three separate transactions involving three fake $100 bills.

N Coast Hwy | 1300 Block | Trespassing

12:21 p.m. Ira Lloyd Britton, 41, Huntington Beach, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

Broadway St | 200 Block | Battery

11:58 a.m. Jason Michael Adams, 44, Laguna Beach, was arrested for battery. Bail was set at $500.

Glenneyre St | 500 Block | Warrant 

2:08 a.m. Daniel Paul Schneider, 53, Laguna Beach, was arrested on a warrant for shoplifting. Bail was set at $1,500.

St Anns Drive | 200 Block | Trespassing

11:07 a.m. Ira Lloyd Britton, 41, Huntington Beach, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

S Coast Hwy & Moss St | DUI

1:50 a.m. A 50-year-old Laguna Niguel man was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Bail was set at $2,500.

S Coast Hwy | 700 Block | DUI, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.08% or Higher

12:33 a.m. A 37-year-old Irvine man was arrested on suspicion of DUI (bail was set at $2,500) and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher (bail was set at $2,500).

Police Files

Convicted killer charged a second time for brutal 1978 murder of Laguna man 

Walter Lawrence Dalie, a 60-year-old convicted killer, was charged for a second time for the brutal 1978 murder of Laguna Beach resident Brent Stapleton Tobey. On Monday, March 4, he pleaded not guilty to charges that were previously dismissed by prosecutors on August 18, 2015.

According to Rebecca Moss, Public Affairs Specialist, OC District Attorney’s Office, “Dalie is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 19, in Department H-1, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges on March 4.” 

According to the criminal complaint, Dalie is charged with one count of murder “with malice and aforethought” and two sentencing enhancements for murder during the commission of a robbery, and for “personally using a knife as a dangerous and deadly weapon,” in the commission of murder.

Courtesy of OCDA

Walter Dalie was 19 years old in 1978 when local architect Brent Tobey was brutally murdered

Tobey, a prominent local architect, 55 at the time of his death, was stabbed 17 times in the back, head, and chest on November 20, 1978.

The original 2011 case against Dalie was dismissed in part by prosecutors because two critical witnesses had died since a preliminary hearing in the Tobey killing. And at the time, the Orange County Crime Lab was unable to conduct a detailed forensic analysis of evidence from the crime scene.

The day of his murder, Tobey and a friend, who lived nearby, had plans to have dinner together to celebrate the conviction of local James Scramlin for the 1977 murder of their friend Albert Willard. The two friends had found Willard’s dead body in his home.

With not enough to go on, the case went cold. Unsolved for 33 years, it wasn’t until 2002 that the OC Crime Lab found another person’s DNA on Tobey’s clothes. In 2010, they learned that it matched Dalie’s DNA.

When the DNA match was found, Dalie was serving a 50-year prison sentence in Connecticut for the murder of his girlfriend in 1985 with a hammer. With the new DNA evidence LBPD reopened the case.

At the time of the murder, Dalie was 19 and working as a gardener in Laguna Beach and lived in Newport.

Dailie grew up in nearby Dana Point and was a graduate from Dana Hills High School.

Moss said, “No further details about this case will be available until they are presented in court.”

Man arrested twice in four hours for trespassing at same location

On Sunday, March 3, at 8:33 a.m., LBPD officers responded to Stop N Go, 1390 N Coast Hwy, in reference to a man refusing to leave the property.

According to police reports, the caller stated that customers were afraid of the man and that they requested the clerk walk outside with them.

 “Officers made several attempts to persuade Ira Britton to leave the property, however he still refused and was subsequently arrested for trespassing and released after the booking process at LBPD,” LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota said. “At 12:21 p.m., Ira Britton returned to Stop N Go and continued to trespass and refused to leave. He was arrested again and transported to OCJ.”

Ira Lloyd Britton, 41, of Huntington Beach, was arrested for trespassing. Bail was set at $500.

Male allegedly disrobes and exposes self at beach

On Tuesday, March 5, at 11:49 a.m., LBPD officers responded to Table Rock Beach following reports of a male allegedly disrobing and exposing himself to beach goers.

“The subject approached women asking if they wanted him to rub lotion on them, then asked another group of girls if they wished to be in a porn movie with him,” LBPD Sgt Cota said. “The subject was contacted near the beach and cited for public nudity.”