Marines suspected of shooting at businesses, vehicles

Two Marines are suspected of shooting at downtown Laguna Beach businesses and vehicles Saturday night, authorities said.

Joseph Nahale, of Fremont, and Jesse Ivie of Gresham, Ore., both 20, were arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism and shooting into an occupied vehicle, Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino said.

A woman was resting in the back of her vehicle at Crown Valley and Coast Highway late Saturday night when she was awoken by shots through her vehicle, Amormino said. Her rear window and far back window were shot out. The woman told authorities that she believed the suspects drove a red Ford Explorer.

Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the vehicle.

A while later, Laguna Beach police reported similar incidents. Eight storefronts and 17 vehicles were shot at, Kravetz said.

Laguna police had arrived at the scene of a reported burglary, summoned by an alarm in the 700 block of South Coast Highway. They discovered a shattered window there and later found other broken windows, he said.

Kravetz said the incidents occurred between 11 p.m. Saturday and 12:15 a.m. Sunday.

Around 1 a.m. Sunday, deputies stopped a maroon Explorer that matched the earlier victim’s description near Ritz Carlton Drive in Dana Point. The men inside, both active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton, were detained and arrested, Amormino said.

Authorities learned the suspects had purchased BB guns at WalMart earlier that day, he said. The guns were confiscated.

The first victim, a 25-year-old woman, told deputies that she and her husband, a veteran, were down on their luck and would not be able to afford repairs to the car. The Association of Sheriff’s Deputies is going to pick up the tab, Amormino said. He believes the damage could be between $600 to $1,000.

The shootings were not just in Laguna Beach. As of Tuesday, Newport Beach had reported one incident, San Clemente had three and Dana Point had two, Amormino said.

Authorities said there could be more victims. For more information, contact Laguna Beach police at (949) 497-0377.

joanna.clay@latimes.com

Twitter: @joannaclay