Trail of Blood Leads to Burglary Suspect

An Oregon man was arrested on suspicion of burglary after police followed a trail of blood from a broken window at a local residence to the attic in which he was hiding, police said.

The incident began about 3 p.m. Saturday when the suspect, Dean Hand, 31, and two companions apparently were fleeing from a pursuing motorist with whom they had argued on their citizens band radio, Police Sgt. Nelda Gonzalez said.

Police were called by a resident who said two men, later determined to be Hand’s companions, had knocked at his door. They said they were being chased and asked for help.

About the same time, a third man--apparently Hand--was seen by another San Clemente resident jumping over a fence into a back yard. The intruder then walked into another home where he interrupted a children’s birthday party, police said.

The intruder was told to leave and went to another house in the 200-block of Via Socorro where no one was home, Gonzalez said. Police found a trail of blood inside that house leading from a broken window to the attic.

Hand was booked on suspicion of three counts of burglary and is also being investigated on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, Gonzalez said.

There is a warrant outstanding in Oregon for Hand’s arrest on a charge of probation violation, Gonzalez said. However, Oregon authorities said they will not extradite Hand on that charge, which would involve sending an officer to California to transport him.