Briefly In Public Safety

Tale of a purloined picnic umbrella

A 44-year-old man was arrested at 5:45 p.m. Saturday after he allegedly sold an umbrella to a family on a picnic in Heisler Park “” after being paid to “watch” the picnic table and umbrella by another man, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said.

Jack Dennis Parker, who gave police a Santa Ana address, now faces charges of petty theft and embezzlement.

The alleged incident began when a man went to Heisler Park at 4 a.m. on the Fourth of July and attempted to “reserve” a picnic table, Kravetz said. The man approached Parker and asked him to watch the table for him until he came back with his family. He gave Parker $20 to watch the table and two items, including an umbrella.

Later in the morning, another family arrived and wanted to use the still-empty table. Parker gave them the table and allegedly sold them the umbrella for $13. Then the first man came back and told the family they were at “his” table with his umbrella, Kravetz said. The picnicking family pointed to Parker, who was nearby, saying they had bought the umbrella from him. Police were called to untangle the case, and Parker was arrested and held on $20,000 bail.

Crying toddler leads to mother’s arrest

Ieva Wilkerson, 33, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment Saturday after allegedly leaving her toddler and infant alone in their Laguna Canyon home while she went drinking at a local bar.

The toddler, a 3 1/2 -year-old girl, was found at 12:10 a.m. Saturday walking down Laguna Canyon Road in the 20000 block, crying and asking, “Where’s my mommy,” Kravetz said. Police were called and the child led officers to her home a block away. Inside, officers found an 8-month-old child asleep in a bed, and no adults present. Officers took custody of the children while additional officers attempted to locate the parents.

A man who lives in the area told officers the mother frequents the White House bar, where she was located an hour later. Wilkerson was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and booked into Orange County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Fight erupts over barking dogs

A spat about barking dogs led to battery accusations by two women against each other, and the arrest of a man on suspicion of resisting a police officer at 9:47 a.m. July 1 in the 200 block of Jasmine Street, Kravetz said.

The three are all residents of a condo complex, where a police officer observed a man screaming at two women.

The officer happened to be at the location investigating a small sewage spill, Kravetz said.

Police determined that an altercation had erupted at the condo complex over allegations that two residents were allowing their dogs to bark.

This escalated into an alleged pushing and screaming match between the occupants of the three condos, Kravetz said. The man, Reagan Smith, 39, was arrested after allegedly refusing an officer’s orders to sit down, and two of the women conducted citizen’s arrests against each other for alleged battery. Both women were cited and released at the scene.

Woman accused of punching elderly man

Laguna Beach resident Linda Moriarty, 40, was arrested on suspicion of felony elder abuse after allegedly punching an 85-year-old man in the face while police were responding to a bizarre incident in a hotel room at 12:10 a.m. Saturday, Kravetz said.

Officers had been called to a disturbance at the Crescent Bay Inn in the 1400 block of North Coast Highway, where they found the door to the room broken off its hinges and four people inside, including a man who was on the ground and appeared to be unconscious.

While an officer was checking the unconscious man’s condition, Moriarty allegedly reached over the officer, and, with a closed fist, struck an 85-year-old man in the face, Kravetz said.

Three men arrested at old Coast Inn

An undercover investigation has led to the arrest of three men on suspicion of using a room in the old Coast Inn to deal GHB, known as a “date rape drug,” Kravetz said.

Undercover detectives on foot patrol at the old Coast Inn July 3 noted there were people in one of the rooms, Kravetz said. After learning from the owner that no one was allowed inside this particular room, officers approached the occupants and allegedly purchased GHB from them.

Detectives returned at 5:59 p.m. Saturday with a warrant and searched the room, leading to the arrest of James Gregory Graesser, 41, of Laguna Beach; Marvin Alvarado, 34, of Laguna Niguel; and Shane Sutton, 30, of Laguna Beach. Graesser and Alvarado was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale; Sutton on suspicion of transporting narcotics for sale.

Hotel guest charged in drug case

A hotel guest who was apparently reluctant to leave the Surf and Sand hotel was arrested at 1:27 p.m. Sunday after police were summoned to eject him and allegedly found marijuana and cocaine in his room, Kravetz said.

Paul Garrett Michaels, 28, was arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession and held on $20,000 bail.