BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

Man hits wall, is arrested on suspicion of DUI

A Dana Point man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after his Mercedes hit the concrete barrier wall in front of BJ’s Pizza on South Coast Highway in downtown Laguna Beach early Jan. 30, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said.

The suspect, Laurence Henry Dober, 59, continued driving northbound after the collision and made a right on Broadway, heading toward Laguna Canyon, Kravetz said.

By the time police stopped him in the 1900 block of Laguna Canyon Road, at 1:16 a.m., he had a flat right front tire, his driver’s side air bag was deployed, and loud scraping noises were coming from the vehicle, Kravetz said.

Construction equipment stolen from Laguna home

A paint sprayer and pressure washer were stolen from a home in the 100 block of Cozumel Court at 9:33 a.m. Jan. 30, Kravetz said.

The items were left on the sidewalk by a man doing work on the property. Two possible male suspects were seen leaving the area in a pickup truck. The sprayer is worth $3,500 and the washer is valued at $2,000.

Marine arrested in attack near Ocean Ave. Brewery

An Illinois Marine was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after police were called to the Ocean Avenue Brewery because of a disturbance at 1:20 a.m. Saturday, Kravetz said.

A 26-year-old man from Laguna Niguel, who was bleeding from the face and had a broken nose, told police he had been attacked by two men outside the business. The victim said the suspects fled in a VW station wagon.

The officers stopped the suspect vehicle at Bluebird Canyon Drive and South Coast Highway. The victim identified Joshua Tsun Yang, 22, as the person who repeatedly kicked him with pointed shoes. Yang was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and held on $25,000 bail.

Another suspect is also under investigation for felony battery against another person involved in the fight, but was not arrested that night. Police do not know the motive for the attack.

Police arrest man for cocaine possession

Brett Alexander Psilopoulos, 34, of Dana Point, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and possessing a controlled substance at 2:07 a.m. Sunday, after allegedly fleeing an officer who was trying to detain him, Kravetz said.

The officer caught Psilopoulos in the 200 block of St. Ann’s Drive and arrested him after allegedly finding a little more than a gram of cocaine in his possession.

Visitor’s Center window smashed with bottle

A person or persons threw a bottle through the window at the Laguna Beach Conference and Visitor’s Center in the 200 block of Broadway, Kravetz said.

The window sustained $200 in damage, but no entry was made into the business.

Homeless man jailed after alleged assault of woman

A homeless man was jailed after he allegedly punched a homeless woman who complained that he was using her sleeping bag at 2:59 a.m. Monday in the 100 block of Main Beach, Kravetz said.

The woman had left her belongings on Main Beach, and returned to find James Louis Durand, 50, asleep in her sleeping bag.

When she woke him up, he allegedly punched her in the face and knocked her down. He then ran off, and the woman called police.

When police arrested Durand on the battery, they discovered he had five warrants out for his arrest. Four of them were $500 each and the last one was $15,000. Durand was booked and taken to Orange County Jail.

Man accused of setting pallet on fire at park

A homeless man was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor arson after he allegedly set a wooden pallet on fire at Heisler Park at 2:06 p.m. Monday, Kravetz said.

Curtis Abbott, 44, had apparently taken the pallet to the park in order to set it on fire. The blaze then spread to a nearby palm tree. Abbott fled in a city bus, but a witness got the bus number and police stopped it. Abbott had soot on his face when police contacted him, Kravetz said. An hour earlier, officers said they had encountered Abbott at North Coast Highway and High Drive with the pallet, and told him not to take it to Heisler and burn it.