Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Wednesday, August 26
Keep the Peace—7:48 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller asked for police to stand by while a disruptive customer was served with an expulsion letter. The individual was removed from the store and advised against trespassing.
Trash Digger—10:36 a.m.—Corsair Way—The caller said a man on a bike was digging through the trash in the alley of Corsair. Police were unable to locate him.
Hazard—1:27 p.m.—Almond and Pansy—The caller said a woman was sitting in the middle of the street with a caution sign due to kids playing. The caller thought this was inappropriate and a hazard. The woman was gone by the time a police unit arrived.
Grand Theft—5:23 p.m.—Beachcomber Drive—The caller reported the theft of a necklace that was taken some time in the past month while the caller was away on vacation.
The caller came home and the item was missing. Report taken.
Disturbance, Juveniles—7 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller complained about a group of juveniles playing in the back alley near a trash bin. The caller wanted them to leave. The caller was concerned about possible vandalism. Police unit contacted four minors behind the smoke shop and advised them to leave. They apparently agreed to comply.
Thursday, August 27
Vehicle Burglary—8:10 a.m.—Electric Avenue—Sometime during the night someone cut the lock to a van and took tools from inside it. The value of the stolen property was not provided in the log. Report taken.
Municipal Code Complaint—8:53 a.m.—15th Street—The caller was concerned due to a fine mist that was blowing in the air and covering her car. She thought it might be due to construction work going on in the house across the street. She thought the “mist” covering her car might be insulation and was concerned that it might damage the vehicle. Police unit 107 contacted the construction crew. They were finished blowing insulation and leaving in a few minutes. Police unit 107 determined there was no violation.
Transient—9:45 a.m.—A Row, Surfside Colony—Security, relaying second-hand information, said an individual was camped out along the fence line that separates Surfside Colony from the beach. Police unit 107 contacted the individual and determined that there was no municipal code violation at that time. No further law enforcement services were necessary.
Identity Theft—12:24 p.m.—Stanford Lane—Someone used the caller’s personal information to open a Social Security account online. Report taken.
Burglary Report—3:35 p.m.—Main Street—The caller reported the theft of an iPhone and possibly other property (details were blacked out in the log) from the front desk within the past two hours. The caller had no suspect information. Police took a crime report for a petty theft.
Petty Theft Reported—6:04 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported a petty theft and said the suspect was running on foot, going northbound toward apartments. Police arrested Jason Daniel Eldridge on suspicion of violating California Penal Code 459.5, which is shoplifting.
Disturbance, Juveniles—8:25 p.m.—Main Street—The caller reported two trucks at the location and 20 juveniles digging through dumpsters to the rear of a business. Police unit 207 contacted the juveniles. It turned out they were Eagle Scouts doing a project and had permission to be there.
Police Information—9:31 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller said a woman had been stung by a stingray and there was no answer at Lifeguard headquarters. Orange County Fire Authority was en route. Log entry.
Friday, August 28
Dead Animal—7:39 a.m.—Seal Beach and Anchor—The caller reported a dead skunk in the northbound lanes of Seal Beach Boulevard between Anchor and Pacific Coast Highway. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Graffiti/Vandalism—3:01 p.m.—13th Street and Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported spray paint on a cement ring that circles a palm tree out on the sand. Referred to Public Works.
Welfare Check—4:09 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a girl, described as 9 or 10 years old, was in the laundromat by herself. When the caller asked who she was with, the girl said “he” went to the library and she didn’t want to go. The caller was standing outside the laundry and could still see the child. The caller said the girl was the only person in the laundromat and had been present for about 10 minutes. At 4:12 p.m., an older man walked into the laundromat. The caller said he was talking to the child and scratching a scratcher. Police unit 107 contacted the man, whose relationship to the child was blacked out in the log. He apparently left the child in the laundromat while he returned a video to the library. He was counseled not to do that again.
Saturday, August 29
Suspicious Occupied Vehicle—10:31 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—Police unit 106 observed an apparently suspicious occupied vehicle and based on warrants arrested Courtney Kline on suspicion of petty theft; suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and suspicion of driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Transient—11:20 a.m.—Seal Beach Bouelvard—The caller said a man who the caller apparently described as a transient was sitting in front of a vacant property. The caller said there was a problem with transients staying inside. Police unit 107 interviewed the man in the field.
Illegal Peddler—11:46 a.m.—Crestview—The caller said two women were going door-to-door, passing out some type of literature.
Disturbance—3:20 p.m.—Main Street—A man in the store refused to leave. Police unit 106 contacted him and found him cooperative during the field interview.
Theft in Progress—6 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a man was getting ready to walk out of the store wearing a pair of jeans under his shorts. Security spoke to him outside. He became argumentative with security. The caller tried to get him to come back into the store, but he said he didn’t have anything. At 6:03 p.m., he was reported leaving on a bike. Police contacted the suspect at 6:14 p.m. Eddie Velasquez was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting.
Sunday, August 30
Transient—2:03 a.m.—First Street and Welcome Lane—The caller said a man who the caller apparently described as a transient was making strange noises. Police unit 207 interviewed the man in question in the field.
Fishing Hole—3:05 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and First Street—Details were blacked out in the log. Citation issued.
Drunk—2:36 p.m.—Main Street—The caller said a man who had been inside the location had been verbally abusive. He was last seen three minutes earlier going southbound on Main on the west side of the street. Police unit 107 arrested Stanley Joseph Szymanek on suspicion of public drunkenness.
Animal Information—7:49 p.m.—Old Ranch Parkway—The caller reported a cat in a car with the windows rolled up. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Monday, August 31
Indecent Exposure—8:25 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street—The caller reported a man exposing himself to a woman as she walked her dog. Police were unable to locate the suspect.
Trespassing—9:37 a.m.—Avalon Drive—The caller said a sedan somehow got through the gate on the Seal Beach Boulevard side and was now in the park. There or four individuals were in the park, playing loud music. The caller said they had all been drinking. They were gone when police arrived. Police unit 141 found none of the gates were secured and secured all of them.
Traffic Hazard—12:17 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said there was a large tarp in the southbound lanes of traffic between the bridges on Pacific Coast Highway and cars were swerving around the tarp. Police unit M7 moved the tarp.
Tuesday, September 1
Coyote—2:34 p.m.—First Street—The caller reported a large coyote on First Street going toward Pacific Coast Highway. Message delivered to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Suspicious Occupied Vehicle—2:45 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—Police unit 206 contacted the driver who was taking a nap before heading home. No further police services were necessary.
Theft from a Vehicle—7:18 a.m.—Montecito Road—The caller said someone stole supplies, a speaker and a trumpet from her car. The caller said the suspect left a can of Mace on the front seat. At 7:30 a.m., another citizen called the victim and said he found some of her property nearby. As of 7:51 a.m., some of the stolen property had been recovered. Report taken.
Property for Destruction—1:26 p.m.—Bolsa Chica and Old Bolsa Chica—The caller found a box of needles at a homeless encampment. The caller asked for an officer to come and book the property for destruction. Police unit 106 took approximately 200 needles to Fire Station 48. Fire station personnel would destroy the needles.
Suspicious Person—5:09 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported a man working on his bike in front of Seal Beach Police Department headquarters. He was carrying a trash bag with something long in it. This seemed suspicious to the caller. Police unit 107 contacted the man. He had picked up some property from the police earlier. No further police services were necessary.
Wednesday, September 2
Transient—9:04 a.m.—Main Street—A citizen reported a woman sleeping in the corridor of a complex. Police unit 107 advised the woman against trespassing and she apparently agreed to comply.
Grand Theft—12:01 p.m.—Hazel Nut Avenue—The caller reported the theft of a catalytic converter sometime during the night. Report taken.
Suspicious Occupied Vehicle—4:38 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller said a man was driving with a dog on his arm and a woman passenger. The caller said occupants of the car were going around the parking lot, asking people if they need to pay for parking. The caller said they did this multiple times. The caller thought this was suspicious and that they were planning to commit a crime. Police were unable to locate them.
Thursday, September 3
Coyote—1:43 a.m.—14th Street and Seal—Multiple callers reported three-to-four coyotes on the beach. Police were unable to locate them. Message delivered to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Municipal Code Complaint—6:17 a.m.—Seventh Street and Ocean Avenue—The caller said a large brown dog was running on the beach without a leash. Police were unable to locate the dog.
Grand Theft Report—8:54 a.m.—Elder Avenue—Someone took the caller’s catalytic converter sometime during the last two days. Report taken.
Counseling Requested—5:08 p.m.—Electric Avenue—The caller said an area resident spat on him after an argument about parking. The caller requested counseling regarding his options, such as possibly filing an assault report. The caller said he was standing next to his car. However, when police unit 107 arrived at the scene both the caller and his car were gone.
Los Alamitos
Tuesday, August 18
Suspicious Circumstance—1:59 p.m.—Ranger Drive—The caller reported sitting on her couch and seeing someone reflecting a mirror in her living room, then seeing a light. This occurred twice but no one was seen. Patrol was unable to locate.
Family Disturbance— 6:16 p.m.— Howard Avenue— The caller reported a man hitting a woman. The man pushed the woman into a car, and was hitting her in it before they left. Patrol was unable to locate.
Wednesday, August 19
Vandalism—8:28 a.m.—Howard Avenue—The caller reported that someone threw a rock through the caller’s sliding glass door at approximately 3:30 a.m. The caller believed the incident could be the result of a dog he found barking the previous night. A rescue shelter was picking up the dog that day. Log entry.
Thursday, August 20
Disturbance—11:21 a.m.— Chestnut Street—The caller’s husband was freaking out, breaking things in the residence. The caller said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his time in the Army. The caller requested the police check on her 15-year-old son, who was at the residence. The caller had to leave for work. No weapons, alcohol or drugs were involved. The caller didn’t think the subject will hurt her son, but still desired the police to check on him. She was told there would be no crime if her husband damaged his own property. The son was unharmed and seemed extremely comfortable, not feeling the need to get away. He said everything between him and his father was fine. He was advised to call the police if he ever felt uncomfortable. Counseled.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, August 24
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—10:47 a.m.—Kensington Road—The caller reported a suspicious-looking man, who had been driving around the neighborhood for the past 30 minutes. The driver told the caller he worked for a bank. The man was last seen 10 minutes before the call, but was no longer at the location.
Laurie Hanson of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
