Police Arrest 6 in Yorba Linda, Confiscate Drugs

A 61-year-old woman and five other people were arrested on a variety of charges, including possession of drugs for sale, as police wrapped up a six-month narcotics investigation in Brea and Yorba Linda, police said Saturday.

Brea Police Lt. Cliff Trimble said special enforcement officers from his department made the arrests Friday night at the Yorba Linda residence of Helen Irene Backstrom.

After the arrests, Trimble said, an officer answered telephone calls from potential drug customers and, in one case, took an order for drugs. Police later arrested a customer who arrived at the home and allegedly bought marijuana from an officer.

Police also said they confiscated cocaine, marijuana, Valium pills and $9,000 in cash.

Arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs for sale were Backstrom, Linda Lee Spear, 41, and Kari La Rae Kline, 20, all of whom listed their addresses as 6822 Tahitian Circle in Yorba Linda. Police said Spear is Kline’s mother.

Bail for Backstrom and Spear was set at $25,000, and Kline’s bail was set at $10,000, Trimble said.

100 to 500 Visitors

Joseph Alan Ackles, 25, whose address was unknown, was arrested on outstanding warrants, police said, and Ronald J. Harsma, 24, was arrested on suspicion of trying to buy cocaine and marijuana. Carol Goneau, 21, was arrested on suspicion of buying marijuana. Police said Goneau and Harsma are from Yorba Linda.

Trimble said 100 to 500 people visited the house each week to buy drugs. Police said the visitors were between 15 and 35 years old.

A neighbor said the home is in a condominium complex called Fairgreen. The residences there, the neighbor said, are valued at $120,000 to $125,000.

The condominium where the arrests occurred, the neighbor said, was occupied by two teen-age girls and two older women. She said she believed the women were the girls’ mother and grandmother. The family had lived there about a year, she said.

“There was an awful lot of traffic there,” the neighbor said. “There were always cars coming and going. They would park across my driveway.”

A band often practiced in the garage of the condominium, the neighbor said, but always stopped before 9 p.m. Other neighbors mentioned the band but said it created no real problems.