Briefly In Public Safety

Man held in alleged shoplifting

A Laguna Beach man was arrested after police were alerted to a shoplifter at a market in the 200 block of Broadway at 1:18 p.m. March 10, Lt. Jason Kravetz said.

Julio Lopez, 38, who had allegedly taken two bottles of beer, was stopped nearby and detained by officers, who arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication. The suspect was then held on a battery warrant and on suspicion of providing a false name, after police determined his true name.

Driver accused of knocking man down

A Palos Verdes man was arrested on suspicion of DUI and felony hit-and-run man after allegedly sideswiping a man getting into his car in the 100 block of North Coast Highway at 5:14 p.m. March 10, Kravetz said.

Stan Katzer allegedly drove away after hitting the man and knocking him to the ground. As Katzer drove his 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 northbound, a witness followed the car into Corona del Mar, where Newport Beach police pulled the suspect over and arrested him.

Laguna Beach paramedics treated the victim for minor arm injuries.

Undercover drug purchase ends in arrest

Laguna Beach undercover officers arrested Derrik Ryan Ulloa, 30, of Lake Forest after allegedly buying methamphetamine from him in Lake Forest at 6:23 p.m. March 11, Kravetz said.

Police arrest man on hotel roof

A San Clemente man jumped on a roof in an attempt to escape officers who were about to arrest him on a warrant at a hotel in the 900 block of North Coast Highway at 7:47 p.m. Saturday, Kravetz said.

Officers had detected a warrant associated with the owner of a car parked at the hotel and went to contact him.

The car owner, Jason Douglas Creager, 34, was in one of the hotel rooms with other people.

When Creager saw the police, he allegedly jumped out a window and onto the roof of the hotel. Police got him down and arrested him for the warrant ($2,500 for allegedly driving on a suspended license and speeding).

He was also arrested on suspicion of possessing a prescription medication without a valid prescription.

Cyclist sprayed with unknown substance

A bicyclist was sprayed with a caustic substance while riding southbound on South Coast Highway near Cress Street at 8:23 a.m. Saturday, Kravetz said.

The cyclist told police that a gray Ford pickup truck slowed next to him, and a passenger sprayed him with something that stung his eyes. The cyclist called paramedics, who treated him at the scene.

The truck, whose occupants were described as three male white “surfer types,” drove off after the incident.

The battery incident is under investigation.