After Unruly Weekend, Peace Returns to Beaches

Laguna Beach police reported quiet and well-behaved crowds Monday--in contrast to an unruly group of 200 taunting and chanting beach-goers who nearly caused a riot Sunday.

Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Danell Adams said two people were arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred Sunday afternoon when two officers investigating reports of a drunken man on Aliso Beach were confronted by the mob of young people.

Sunday’s near-riot was the second such incident on crowded Orange County beaches during the first two days of the spring vacation.

On Saturday, a riot nearly broke out on Huntington City Beach after a young woman allegedly exposed herself to beach-goers. Police had to break up a crowd of about 500 people who had surrounded the scene, and the woman and an onlooker were arrested, police said.

Sunday’s incident occurred just south of Aliso Pier.

Sgt. Adams said two officers had been called to Aliso Beach by lifeguards who reported seeing a man passed out on the sand. When police tried to arrest the man, they were met by a crowd of 200 taunting beach-goers, who became “verbally abusive” toward the officers, he said. Police called for four more officers to help break up the crowd.

Adams said that when Officer Tom Jones tried to make the arrest, the man woke up and kicked Jones in the hand. It took four officers including Jones, to subdue the man, later identified as Walter Fred Christinat, 25, of Perris.

Adams said a man in the crowd then began to incite those around him with chants of “riot, riot.” The man, later identified as Michael Jeffery Smith, 21, of San Clemente, was arrested on suspicion of inciting a riot, police said. Smith, who was taken into custody, was later released on $500 bail, police said.

Adams said Jones was treated for a sprained thumb suffered in the struggle to detain Christinat, who was booked on suspicion of public intoxication and assault and battery on a police officer.

Police in all Orange County’s coastal cities have been extra vigilant in recent days because of the huge crowds of youths on spring break. As in Huntington Beach, which deployed four officers on all-terrain vehicles to patrol the strands and the downtown area this week, most coastal city police are adding extra officers to their forces.

With continued clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s expected for Orange County beaches this week, large crowds are expected.

“They are going to keep us busy this week, that’s for sure,” Newport Beach Police Lt. Paul Henisey said.