Suspected Burglar Learns Not to Sleep on the Job, Especially in Wrong Office

A suspected burglar in Oxnard made a couple of crucial mistakes.

First, he fell asleep after breaking a window and entering a building, the Thousand Oaks Star said. And, his nap area turned out to be an administrative office of the Oxnard Police Department. So, he was transferred to some other sleeping quarters maintained by the police.

More stupid criminal tricks: And then there was the cat burglar who crept into a Redondo Beach business via an air-conditioning duct. Guess he didn’t have a blueprint of the place like cat burglars always do in the movies.

“The burglar was unable to break out of the duct,” the Beach Reporter said, “and so then pried open a roof access door which set off the business alarm.” After which, the cat burglar scampered away.

What a realistic wet suit! Emily Parkin and Robin Sweeney, both 11, were surfboarding when a swimmer with whiskers trespassed in their area. Emily seemed especially surprised, judging from the shot taken by Robin’s mother, Leslie (see photo).

I guess the playful critter, who swam circles around them for a few minutes, figured it had as much right to the watery turf as anyone. This was, after all, Seal Beach.

Unreal estate: Today’s showing is for a house where, as an anonymous reader noted, “you at least don’t need much furniture” (see above).

Food for thought: John Wade of Newbury Park saw a job opening for a type of chef that most people would probably prefer (see above).

Unfortunate Timing Dept.: Police in Pomona, Claremont and La Verne said that over the weekend they received more than 100 phone calls from residents who feared some booming sounds were a terrorist attack. The racket actually was made by fireworks at a recreational vehicle convention.

Drive-away “oops!” adventures (cont.).: “Back in the 1980s, my grandmother finished shopping at a Glendale health store,” wrote Scott LaChasse.

“When she put her groceries and purse in the car, she went back into the store for one more bag.

“She drove home and discovered no purse or groceries but soon received a call from a woman who did have them. Grandma had put her things in another, nearby Mercedes.”

Added LaChasse: “I guess SoCal people didn’t lock their cars back then.”

miscelLAny: The police log of the Dana Point News reported a citizen’s call about “an elderly man” who was sitting in a car and “not moving.” Officers investigated and “determined that the man was not moving because he was reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.” Hey, that’s my favorite form of recreation.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.