Nails Found at Mission Viejo Park in 3rd Incident This Week

Landscaping crews on Friday discovered 17 nails hidden around a park in Mission Viejo, marking the third time in a week that sharp objects have been found in south Orange County parks.

Detectives began searching hardware stores and home-improvement centers for signs of the culprit, who may be responsible for placing dozens of razors and nails at parks in five cities over the last year.

The nails found in Mission Viejo appear similar to those discovered Thursday at a Laguna Niguel park, where more than 50 nails and razors were scattered around the playground.

Authorities said the razors at the Laguna Niguel park appear to be the same brand placed Sunday in the playground at Laguna Beach’s Main Beach.

No one has been injured, but parents Friday began informal patrols at parks, searching for sharp objects before allowing their children to climb on the playground equipment or participate in youth sports. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department plans to continue sweeping through hundreds of parks across south Orange County and has launched surveillance operations in hopes of catching the perpetrator in the act.

“We don’t know for sure if [all the incidents] are connected or if we have a copycat here,” said Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

Employees of True Green Landscaping, a contractor that cleans Mission Viejo parks, were raking wood chips at William M. Beebe Park about 8:30 a.m. Friday when they found nails on the playground.

The employees closed the park and called authorities. Sheriff’s deputies with metal detectors found more nails, bringing the total to 17.

The construction nails, about 11/2-inches long, had been placed at the end of a slide, on the stairway leading to the play area and around swings at the park near Olympiad and Jeronimo roads, Amormino said. Deputies had checked the park Thursday afternoon but found no sharp objects.

“We speculate that overnight, someone came and put those nails here,” Amormino said.

The first wave of razor findings occurred a year ago at six parks in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. Police never caught the culprit, and the incidents ended in May 2001.

Then, early Sunday morning, Laguna Beach police received an anonymous call from a young woman warning that some friends were going to do something at Main Beach to hurt people. Authorities discovered 17 razor blades partially buried in the sand.

On Thursday, a father taking his 18-month-old daughter for a walk at a small park in the Marina Hills community of Laguna Niguel found razors and nails.

Residents who live around William M. Beebe Park said that despite their concerns, they think it’s important to continue enjoying their park.

Lisa Fahey, 33, of Mission Viejo doesn’t want her 4-year-old daughter, Kate, to be afraid of the park, but she said she’s having trouble explaining why anyone would place nails around the playground.

“Did he kill the park?” the girl asked.

“No, they just put sharp nails in it,” Fahey said. “They’ll catch him. Police are good at that.”

For others, the incident has shaken their sense of security.

“I was shocked because we are in one of the safest communities, and now we can’t take our children to the park,” resident Debbie Richmond said.