Newport Beach : Man Accused of Illegally Taking Lobster, Abalone

Curtis Dale Brestel, 26, of Costa Mesa is scheduled to appear in Harbor Municipal Court on Aug. 20 on 11 charges of taking illegal lobster and abalone in the waters off Corona del Mar, a spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game said Tuesday.

Brestel, according to department spokesman Pat Moore, was arrested July 30 by wardens who had been alerted by citizens. Among other things, Moore said, the man had 14 lobsters, several of them under legal size and all taken out of season. The lobster season opens Oct. 7.

Each of the 11 misdemeanor charges carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.