Briefly In Public Safety: Stolen car discovered at accident scene

Two Orange County men riding in a stolen car allegedly hit parked cars and a street pole at Pearl Street and South Coast Highway Sunday afternoon.

Laguna Beach Police responded to the scene at 1:55 p.m. Eddie Reyes Martinez, 19, from Mission Viejo, and Jonathan Jesus Cordova, 18, from Laguna Woods ran from the scene, Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Louise Callus wrote in an email. Citizens in the area of Bluebird Beach and Coast Highway detained the men until officers arrived. Both men were injured and taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, police said.

Martinez, the driver of the 1989 Honda Accord, is charged with unlawful taking of a vehicle and hit-and-run, both felonies. He also is charged with three misdemeanors: a person under 21 with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 or more, driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest. The car was reported stolen from Lake Forest at 10:55 a.m. Sunday, Callus said.

Cordova is charged with one felony of taking a vehicle without owner consent and one misdemeanor of obstructing and resisting a peace officer. Cordova was transported to Orange County Jail while Martinez remained in the hospital with a court date set, Callus said.

Mission Hospital officials did not provide data on Martinez’s condition.

A building inspector could not be reached for comment about the amount of damage.

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Police to staff crosswalks Feb. 27

Officers from Laguna Beach and Irvine police departments will staff 37 designated crosswalks in Laguna Beach along Coast Highway as part of an enforcement campaign Feb. 27 to raise public awareness and improve pedestrians’ safety.

Laguna saw a decrease in traffic collisions involving pedestrians in crosswalks in 2012, with eight collisions compared to 12 in 2011, Laguna Beach Police Capt. Darin Lenyi wrote in an email. The total number of traffic collisions involving pedestrians increased to 19 in 2012 from 18 a year earlier.

Officers will be monitoring crosswalks for violations on Feb. 27, Lenyi said. He said the department conducts similar operations throughout the year, but specific dates for future campaigns have not been announced.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce