Costa Mesa Police Arrest Krespi Again After Fight

Irv Krespi, who last month gained nationwide media attention for a two-mile ocean swim with his 4-year-old daughter and who was arrested hours after the swim on suspicion of spousal abuse, was arrested again Wednesday after an argument with a neighbor, police said.

Krespi, 61, and his neighbor were arguing about their daughters’ playing together about 5 p.m. in front of their apartment complex in the 2700 block of Peterson Place, Sgt. Burt Santee said.

“Krespi allegedly picked up (the neighbor’s) daughter’s stuffed animal, ripped it apart and called the neighbor obscene names,” Santee said. “The neighbor made a citizen’s arrest, then our officers came and took him into custody.”

Krespi was held Wednesday night at the Costa Mesa Jail in lieu of $500 bail on suspicion of using obscene language in a public place to entice a fight, Officer Dewayne Greene said.

He was scheduled to be arraigned today in Municipal Court in Newport Beach.

Krespi has said he trained his daughter, Ariel, for the swim in the ocean as a goodby gift because he has a malignant melanoma in his left eye.

Hours after the emotional swim on Aug. 15, neighbors reported to police that they heard from Krespi’s apartment a woman screaming for help and a man yelling. Krespi was arrested.

On Aug. 30, the Orange County district attorney’s office charged Krespi with assault, battery and resisting arrest in connection with the Aug. 15 incident. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on those misdemeanor counts.