The Superior Court is recruiting qualified citizens for the 2013/2014 Orange County Grand Jury. Service as a grand juror requires a one-year commitment from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.
The application deadline is Jan. 18, 2013.
A committee will select 90 applicants from the five Orange County supervisorial districts. State law requires that the jurors represent a cross-section of the county population.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will interview and investigate the backgrounds of all 90 applicants.
In April, the selection committee will interview the applicants.
On May 14, a drawing will designate 19 Grand Jury members and 11 alternates.
California law requires each county to impanel a jury of 23 or 19 members, depending on county population, to serve for a one year. The Grand Jury investigates and reports on both criminal and civil matters within the county.
The civil, or “watchdog” responsibilities of the grand jury include the examination of all aspects of county government, including special districts, to ensure the county is being governed honestly and efficiently and county monies are being handled appropriately.
Investigations may be conducted on public agencies, the administration and affairs of any city, or to examine the records of redevelopment agencies. Anyone may submit a written request to a grand jury to start an investigation.
One example of a Grand Jury investigation was the April report “Let There Be Light: Dragging Special Districts from the Shadows,” which recommended abolishing most of Orange County’s 27 special districts through consolidation, privatization and assigning their responsibilities to other agencies.
To make a comment on this story at the Sun Newspapers’ website, go to www.sunnews.org.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Monday, October 1
Vandalism—12:57 p.m.—12th Street and Ocean Avenue—The caller said someone wrote something in white on a stop sign, possibly on Sunday, Sept. 30. The log did not say exactly what the vandals wrote.
Transient—1:22 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a man who the caller described as a transient was sitting in front of the business. The caller wanted him sent on his way. Police unit S40 contacted an individual and advised him to leave.
Forgery—1:42 p.m.—Fuchsia Circle—A citizen walked into the lobby of Seal Beach Police Department headquarters to report that someone charged $8,000 on the citizen’s credit card approximately one month earlier.
Tuesday, October 2
Inoperable Vehicle—12:32 a.m.—Midway and Westminster—Police unit 207 found a car on the south side of the roadway with the hazard lights on. The car was out of the path of traffic. The officer checked the area in search of the driver. The officer found the car’s owner. The car was out of gas.
Grand Theft Report—1:05 p.m.—Old Ranch Road—The caller said someone stole the gardener’s equipment from his trailer within the past hour. Report taken.
Possible Drug Activity—4:54 p.m.—Lampson Avenue and Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a motorist was driving erratically while smoking from a bong. The caller said the man was swerving across the lanes.
Transient—5:10 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a man who the caller apparently described as a transient was talking to elderly customers of the business. Police passed the information along to Leisure World Security and advised them to be on the lookout for the man inside the complex.
Animal Information—9:35 p.m.—8th Street and Ocean Avenue—The caller said a dog was locked in a vehicle with the windows rolled down. The caller said the dog kept barking. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Wednesday, October 3
Petty Theft Bike—9:06 a.m.—1st Street—The caller said a new, black and red beach cruiser bike was taken sometime during the night. The bike was locked up under the stairs and the lock may have been cut. Report taken.
Welfare Check—11:32 a.m.—Main Street—The caller said a man was sleeping on the outside stairwell. He would not wake up when the caller tried to ask him to leave. Police unit 107 found him awake and sitting up. The officer arrested the man for public drunkenness.
Possible Drunk—9:39 p.m.—Marvista Avenue—A woman walked into the caller’s home. The caller thought she might be drunk. He escorted her out of his home and she continued walking down the street.
Thursday, October 4
Municipal Code—6:42 a.m.—6th Street—Two different callers said gardeners had started work before the allowed time. Police unit 107 contacted the gardeners and advised them about the Seal Beach Municipal Code. They said they would comply.
Public Works Information—8 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller said there was a large pool of water in the sand off of the parking lot. Referred to Public Works Department. Public Works called back the police to let them know the “pool of water” was actually a kiddie pool left out on the sand.
Fraud Report—2:37 p.m.—Riversea Road—Someone used the caller’s ATM card number to spend $500 on purchases in Burbank. Report taken.
Traffic Collision with Injury—6:09 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—A vehicle started to roll away. The driver tried to stop the vehicle by jumping in, but was injured in the process. The driver may have suffered a broken leg.
Report taken.
Friday, October 5
Suspicious Person—6:34 a.m.—Bayside Drive—A man in a vehicle was reportedly looking into houses.
Illegal Peddler—10:39 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a man was asking customers for money. Police unit 107 found no evidence of a crime. The man was interviewed in the field.
Vehicle Burglary—12:21 p.m.—North Gate Road and Seal Beach Boulevard—The crime apparently
occurred at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4. Loss: hand tools and drills collectively valued at $500 to $800.
The caller caught the suspect in the act and was able to retrieve some of the lost property. The suspect got into a vehicle and fled. Report taken
Suspicious Person—8:03 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a man was walking in the parking lot, holding a sledge hammer. He was just carrying it, not holding it in a threatening manner. The caller thought he might be an employee of a business. The caller’s line disconnected at 8:05 p.m. Police unit 206 determined that the man with the sledge hammer was an employee, putting up a sale sign.
Disturbance—8:25 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a woman was in front of the business, harassing customers for money. She had a small child with her. Police unit 206 contacted the woman and advised her to leave. She said she would comply.
Saturday, October 6
Counseling—10:15 a.m.—Cottonwood Lane—The caller requested counseling over a civil issue. The caller said the neighbors were taking out her landscaping and damaging her property. The issue was apparently a dispute over the property line. No documents were available regarding the property boundaries. The residents were counselled, but the issue remained unresolved.
Suspicious—11:29 p.m.—Bolsa Avenue—The caller reported seeing six or seven juveniles, all boys, running onto campus. Police detained four juveniles on Island View. Police determined there was no crime—the boys were just out past curfew.
Sunday, October 7
Dog in Vehicle—10:35 a.m.—Galleon Way—The caller said a boxer was inside an SUV, panting. The windows were partially down and the caller believed that the owner went to church. Police unit 141 determined that the dog was not in distress and the conditions at the time were not such to endanger the dog’s welfare. Matter solved.
Welfare Check—10:30 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller heard a woman crying in the front area. Police unit 207 found a woman whose dog had just been struck and killed by a vehicle.
IN LEISURE WORLD
Monday, October 1
Vehicle Burglary—9:22 a.m.—Twin Hills Drive, Mutual 12—Leisure World Security, relaying second-hand information, said someone stole gift cards and the spare key to a citizen’s vehicle sometime over the weekend. Report taken.
Wednesday, October 3
Disturbance, Family—12:42 a.m.—Thunderbird Drive, Mutual Unknown—Reports of yelling and screaming turned out to be a dispute over the use of a computer. No crime. Both parties were counseled. As of 1:06 a.m., they were playing solitaire. No further police services were necessary.
IN LOS ALAMITOS
Friday, October 5
Disturbance—6:07 p.m.—Farquhar Avenue—The caller reported two men and two women in their mid-20s in the playground, creating a disturbance and possibly under the influence. The caller said they were using profanity and smoking and made her daughter feel uneasy to be on the playground. Patrol checked the area and found no signs of the troublemakers.
Monday, October 8
Counseling–2:54 p.m.—Oak Street—The caller, relaying second-hand information, reported a man on foot being confrontational with people parking in the lot. The caller believed the man lived in the complex and was upset because he wanted to park in the lot.
Wednesday, October 10
Suspicious Person—9:19 a.m.—Green Avenue—The caller said a man with a shaved head was pacing in front of the caller’s residence and was unknown to the area. The man kept staring into the complex and there were children present, which concerned the caller. Patrol contacted the man, who was waiting for his girlfriend and checked out OK.
Suspicious Occupied Vehicle—9:43 a.m. – Howard and Reagan—The caller reported a man in the alley, driving a tan vehicle, who was going through trash cans and appeared to be casing the area. He was last seen heading east.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, October 8
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—9:35 a.m.—Kensington Road—The caller said a pick-up truck occupied by a man was trolling the neighborhood.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—10:32 a.m.—Foster Road—A citizen said he just got a call informing him that the alarm at his residence was disarmed. He and his wife were both at work and no one should be home.
Tuesday, October 9
Burglary in Progress—10:59 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller was gone one-and-a-half hours. The caller returned to find the caller’s home had been burglarized. The residence was ransacked. Loss: unknown.
Unknown Trouble—5:06 p.m.—Ruth Elaine Drive and Donnis Road.
Vandalism Report—9:36 p.m.—Foster Road.
Wednesday, October 10
Traffic Hazard—9:05 a.m.—Norgrove Lane—The caller said a construction crew working on a neighbor’s house was cutting sheet metal in the middle of the street. The caller was concerned that shavings from the metal could damage passing vehicles.
Disturbance—9:48 a.m.—Montecito Road—The caller reported finding a neighbor kneeling by the caller’s vehicle with a knife in his hand.
Burglary Report—11:36 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The log did not say if this was a residential or vehicle burglary.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—3:47 p.m.—Wallingsford Road.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—4:27 p.m.—Yellowtail Drive and Foster Road—The caller said a vehicle occupied by one man had been lurking in the neighborhood for the past hour.
Thursday, October 11
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:02 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller said a pick-up truck was driving up and down the street. The caller was concerned due to recent burglaries.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:21 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive.
Burglary Report—2:50 p.m.—Brimhall Drive—The log did not say if this was a residential or vehicle burglary.
Suspicious Vehicle—5:31 p.m.—Oak Knoll Drive—The caller said a suspicious vehicle was in the neighborhood and when she started to write the plate number, the driver of the vehicle drove away quickly.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—11:32 p.m.—Foster Road—The caller thought there was a traffic collision in front of his home, but there was no vehicle in sight. The fire hydrant was gushing water. An Orange County Sheriff’s Department patrol unit found part of a white fender at the scene. The Orange County Fire Authority turned off the water until Golden State Water could repair the damage.
Friday, October 12
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—9:18 a.m.—Foster Road and Hedwig Road—The caller said a vehicle was driving slowly up and down the streets of Rossmoor, headed towards the park.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—7:49 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive and Tigertail Drive.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—11:16 p.m.—Quail Run Road.
Saturday, October 13
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—3:57 a.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—4:03 a.m.—Bostonian Drive.
Fraud Report—1:15 p.m.—Wembley Road.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—6:45 p.m.—Oak Knoll Drive.
Sunday, October 14
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:42 a.m.—Martha Ann Drive.
Ted Apodaca of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
