Editor’s note: This week’s Seal Beach Crime Log is based on 11 detailed versions of the call log and one summary version, totaling 408 pages that were provided by the Seal Beach Police Department. It is not possible to list all incidents or arrests.
IN SEAL?BEACH
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
• Citizen Assist (Priority 3)—9:05 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The reporting person was having a problem with a parking permit and a license plate reader. Result: they kept trying to give him a ticket. The reporting person was counseled.
• Animal Welfare Check (Priority 3)—11:59 a.m.—Seal Beach—The reporting person said a dog inside a car was barking and had been in the car for awhile. The log did not specify how long. According to the log, Long Beach Animal Care Services was handling priority calls. The car and the dog were apparently gone when police arrived. Editor’s note: Leaving either a human child or an animal in a hot car is a violation of California law. The minimum penalty would be a citation and a $100 fine for a first offense, regardless of whether it was child or a dog. Offenders are also at risk for being charged with animal cruelty for leaving a dog in a hot car or child endangerment for leaving a child in a hot car.
• Disturbing Individuals (Priority 2)—1:46 p.m.—12th Street (Old Town)—The reporting person said individuals were yelling and screaming. The reporting person didn’t know if they were fighting or being loud. The reporting person said this was an ongoing problem. Police determined that it was only a verbal dispute between neighbors.
• Vehicle Fire (Priority 2)—5:54 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The reporting person said a golf cart at the location appeared to be on fire. The call was transferred to the Orange County Fire Authority. As of 5:58 p.m., it turned out that the golf car was smoking, but not on fire. As of 5:59 p.m., it was determined that there was a small fire in the battery compartment.
• Disturbing Juveniles (Priority 3)—8:02 p.m.—Marina Drive (Bridgeport)—The reporting person said juveniles were hanging out on the tennis court, not playing tennis and refusing to leave so the reporting person could play. Police found juveniles on the courts, but did not observe illegal activity. Police were unable to locate any reporting person.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
• Health and Safety Violation (Priority 3)—6:44 a.m.—Ocean Avenue (Old Town)—The reporting person reported three teenaged boys smoking marijuana near Lifeguard Tower 1. Police patrol checked the waterline. Police were unable to locate the juveniles in question.
• Municipal Code Complaint (Priority 3)—8:30 a.m.—Lampson Avenue—The reporting person said four men with dogs had been on the soccer field for 30 minutes. The dogs were all off leash. The reporting person thought they should be in the park with the rest of the dogs.
• Petty Theft Report (Priority 3)—9:46 a.m.—Golden Rain Road (Leisure World)—The reporting person said their car had been ransacked. Loss: cash gift cards and electronics. The value of the electronics was blacked out in the log, but petty theft is defined as the taking of property or cash worth less than $950. Report taken.
• Disturbing Noise (Priority 3)—2:08 p.m.—Main Street (Old Town)—The reporting person said two boys were making a lot of noise on their skateboards in the parking lot. The log said: skateboarding is not a crime. Log item.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
• Patrol Check (Priority 3)—3:40 p.m.—Avalon Drive (The Hill)—The reporting person overheard a group of 12 teenaged boys and girls talking about a parting in Gum Grove. The reporting person was concerned because they were not wearing masks and they were not practicing social distancing.
• Suspicious (Priority 2)—4:48 a.m.—Ocean Avenue and Electric Avenue (Old Town)—The reporting person said a woman was chasing a man. The reporting person speculated that he might have taken her backpack. As of 4:49 p.m., they were running toward Electric Avenue in the alley. The reporting person briefly lost sight of them, but as of 4:50 p.m., reported them on the Green Belt by 15th Street. As of 4:54 p.m., police contacted the two individuals. There was no crime. It turned out they were arguing over a cell phone.
• Suspicious Person (Priority 2)—8:03 p.m.—15th Street (Old Town)—The reporting person said a man in his 20s wearing a face shield and mask was going door-to-door asking questions about neighbors in the area. The reporting person said he asked suspicious questions such as how many individuals live at the location, how long had they been there, etc. As of 8:10 p.m., the reporting person called back to advise the young man identified himself as a Census worker.
MONDAY, AUGUST 24
• Transient (Priority 3)—7:48 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The reporting person said a man was sleeping on the bench in the underground parking area. Police contacted him. He refused resources.
• Vandalism (Priority 2)—11:12 a.m.—Marina Drive—The reporting person said a man was throwing paint on cars and the sidewalk. As of 11:49 a.m., police were on-scene and requesting Public Works respond to dispose of the pain. As of 11:50 a.m., police had arrested Anthony J. Cassidy on suspicion of malicious mischief.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
• Welfare Check (Priority 2)—12:35 a.m.—El Dorado Drive (Leisure World)—The reporting person requested a check on the well-being of a family member living in Leisure World. Police requested Leisure World Security bring a key to the relative’s unit. As of 1:15 p.m., police contacted a neighbor who had a key and would allow them access. Police determined the relative was not in the residence. The reporting person was so advised.
• Hazard (Priority 3)—2:04 p.m.—Bolsa Avenue and Southshore Drive—The reporting person said the pavers on the parkway on the southside of the location had caved in, causing a hole large enough for someone to step in and cause injury. Police coned off the area and advised Public Works. Assisted.
• Car Burglary (Priority 3)—2:08 p.m.—15th Street—Around 8 p.m., someone took peppery spray, hand sanitizer and the vehicle registration from the reporting person’s car. Point of entry: unknown. Report taken.
• Suspicious Person (Priority 2)—6:23 p.m.—Balboa Drive (The Hill)—The reporting person said a young man and young woman went into Gum Grove. The woman thought they might be casing the area with the intention of committing burglaries. The reporting person said the woman was carrying a pillowcase. Police determined the “pillowcase” was in fact a tote bag that contained a blanket. The two adults parked and went for a walk in the park. No further law enforcement services were required.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
• Car Burglary (Priority 3)—11:34 a.m.—Electric Avenue—Sometime during the night, someone took change and a garage door opener from the reporting person’s car. The reporting person did not want to file a report and requested only that the information be entered in the log. Counseled.
• Unknown Trouble (Priority 1)—10:40 p.m.—Eighth Street—The reporting person told police that a man could be heard yelling and crashing sounds could be heard in the background. The reporting person could only hear one male voice.
As of 10:48 p.m., one person was detained. However, as of 11:13 p.m., police determined there was no crime—just an individual damaging his own property. Police apparently advised/warned/counseled him regarding the matter.
• Arrest—Ocean Avenue—Seal Beach Police arrested Virgil Wayne Davis on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct: alcohol.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
• Keep the Peace (Priority 3)—12:41 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—A dog was inside the location and bit the reporting person.
The reporting person was a customer. The dog and its owners were walking away as of 12:32 p.m. Medics declined. As of 12:47 p.m., Long Beach Animal Care Services told dispatch they would call back with an estimated time of arrival. As of 1:03 p.m., the reporting person said they were going to leave the area. Police advised Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Police provided LBACS with the reporting person’s address.
• Arrest—Ocean Avenue—Police arrested Katherine Dillon, on suspicion of misdemeanor underage possession of alcohol.
• Arrest—Ocean Avenue—Police arrested Stephen Alvarez, on suspicious of underage possession of alcohol.
• Arrest—Ocean Avenue—Police arrested Andrea Aguilar Moncada, on suspicion of misdemeanor underage possession of alcohol.
• Arrest—Ocean Avenue—Police arrested Incident Sean Erec Eugene Nichols, arrest on suspicion of possession of an open container of alcohol in public, an infraction.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
• Burglary Report (Priority 3)—1:25 a.m.—Seal Way (Old Town)—Someone took the reporting person’s property, but later in the day a neighbor recovered the property. The reporting person wanted to prosecute. Report taken.
• (Editor’s note: There were few items related to the Aug. 29 demonstrations on Main Street listed in the log.)
• Disturbing Individual (Priority 2)—9:21 a.m.—Main Street (Old Town)—Someone was attempting to wash the chalk off the sidewalk. Police could hear a verbal disturbance in the background.
The reporting person was calling on behalf of the group attempting to wash the chalk off. As of 9:23 a.m., a protester was yelling that it was nothing and said the reporting person is attempting to cause a problem.
Another reporting person said he had a pressure washer out on Main Street somewhere. As of 9:32 a.m., police contacted an unspecified number of individuals.
Police were unable to locate the pressure washer.
• Vehicle Blocking (Priority 3)—3:07 p.m.—Main Street (Old Town)—The reporting person reported that a parked golf car at the rear of the location was blocking the trash dumpster.
According to the log, police were not able to respond right at that time due to the protest event.
• Disturbing Noise (Priority 3)—10:12 p.m.—Ocean Avenue (Old Town)—The reporting person said there was loud singing coming from the lot.
Police were unable to locate the source of the reported singing.
• Counseling (Priority 3)—11:42 a.m.—Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway—The reporting person wanted to report that he was the victim of some violence at the Aug. 29 protest. He would not provide information about the incident, but wanted to make sure SBPD was aware of possible violence. No report desired.
Counseled.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
• Disturbing Noise (Priority 3)—12:46 p.m.—Main Street—Skateboarders were too loud for the reporting person. As of 12:53 p.m., the skateboarders were gone.
• Suspicious Person (Priority 2)—2:07 p.m.—Main Street—The reporting person said a man was walking around with a metal pipe, looking into cars. Police apparently contacted the man and interviewed him in the field.
• Arrest—Lampson Avenue—Police Andre Kelly Hernandez on suspicion of felony grand theft of car parts.
• Arrest—Lampson Avenue—Police arrested Ramiro Adan on suspicion of felony grand theft of car parts.
MONDAY, AUGUST 31
• Disturbing Music Complaint (Priority 3)—6:41 a.m.—Ocean Avenue (Old Town)—The reporting person complained about loud music coming from cars in the parking lot. As of 6:54 p.m., police found about 80 high schoolers, but no loud music.
• Arrest—Seal Beach Boulevard—Police arrested Ismael Guevara Garcia on suspicion of misdemeanor petty theft from buildings.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
• Suspicious Person (Priority 2)—2:59 p.m.—Galleon Way (Bridgeport)—The reporting person complained about a man with a drone. She thought he was taking pictures of her house. When she confronted him, he became hostile.
As of 3:07 p.m., the other half of the dispute was on the phone. He said he was hired to take drone footage of a home that was up for sale. He was a licensed drone pilot. When he advised her of his job, she did not car.
Police contacted and counseled both parties. The drone pilot left the area.
• Arrest—11th Street—Police arrested Christine Najjar on suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a spouse/ex-spouse/date/etc.
• Arrest—Artesia Boulevard, Bellflower—Seal Beach Police arrested Biridiana Jimenez arrest on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance for sale.
• Arrest—Artesia Boulevard, Bellflower—Seal Beach Police arrested Jorge Rodriguez arrest on suspicion of felony burglary of a garage with no forced entry.
• Arrest—Los Alamitos Boulevard, Los Alamitos—Seal Beach Police arrested Jairo Axel Zuniga on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI Drugs.
