Costa Mesa police arrest nine for alleged DUI on Halloween night

Costa Mesa police arrested nine suspected drunk drivers and ticketed 17 others during a Halloween night checkpoint and increased police patrols on Sunday evening.

Funded by a state grant, officers working overtime stopped 579 of 2,147 cars at Newport Boulevard and Flower Street on the night of Oct. 31. A saturation patrol had extra officers patrolling city streets and looking solely for drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The checkpoint netted five DUI arrests, and 17 tickets were handed out to motorists without a valid driver’s license. Eleven vehicles were impounded. The saturation patrol led to 58 traffic stops, with police arresting four drivers for possibly driving drunk.

-Joseph Serna