Police briefs

Eron Ben-Yehuda, Angelique Flores

POLICE OFFICER RECOVERING AT HOME AFTER ACCIDENT

A Huntington Beach police officer is recuperating at his home after a

suspected drunk driver crashed into his motorcycle during a traffic stop

on Pacific Coast Highway last week.

Just before midnight Friday, Richard Wright, 51, had stopped a Chevrolet

S10 pickup truck for a traffic violation, said Denise Medina, spokeswoman

for the California Highway Patrol.

Wright, a former police union president, and the 16-year-old driver were

standing on the side of the road just north of Seapoint Avenue when a

Jeep Cherokee heading in the opposite direction veered toward them,

police said.

The Jeep, driven by Ronald B. Grey, 37, of Newport Beach, hit the police

motorcycle, which then collided into Wright and the 16-year-old,

officials said. The Jeep then crashed into the truck, where another

16-year-old was sitting, before rolling over once and landing upright,

Medina said.

Wright , who broke his left arm, and the truck’s passenger were airlifted

to UCI Medical Center, where they were treated and released. The

16-year-old driver was taken by ambulance to Huntington Beach Hospital.

Grey was booked on suspicion of drunk driving.

AUTHORITIES STILL INVESTIGATING KILLINGS

Police are still investigating the deaths of three Huntington Beach

residents.

Kenneth C. Stahl, 57, and his wife, Carolyn Oppy-Stahl, 44, were found

shot to death in their car on a desolate South County road Nov. 20. A

security guard found them slumped over in their car that was parked along

Ortega Highway, about nine miles east of San Juan Capistrano. The engine

was running, and the headlights were on. Numerous gunshots had shattered

the driver’s side window.

A week later, Bridgette Elizabeth Ballas, 29, was fatally injured by an

unknown assailant in the early morning of Nov. 27. She was found lying on

the curb in the 900 block of Huntington Street. She was last seen walking

back to her apartment after spending the night with friends Downtown.

ROBBER MAKES OFF WITH $60 FROM RESTAURANT

A Carl’s Jr. in the 18900 block of Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley

was robbed at gunpoint at 11:49 p.m. Dec. 9.

A man walked up to the on-duty manager and demanded that money from the

cash register be placed in a bag. He then told the manager to go into the

office and lay on the floor.

The robber left with about $60 in a mid-’90s black sports car, driving

southbound on Brookhurst. He is described as Asian, about 30 years old,

5-foot-10, with a thin build. He was wearing a gray T-shirt, dark blue

jeans and a baseball cap.

PAIR USES SCAM TO STEAL SHOPPER’S PURSE

A 69-year-old Fountain Valley woman was the victim of a purse-snatching

scam at a Ralphs supermarket in the 18400 block of Brookhurst Street at

4:15 p.m. Monday.

While backing out of the parking stall, a man tapped on the passenger

door window and said her tire was going flat.

The woman parked and got out of her car, leaving her purse inside. As she

and the man checked the tires, a woman approached them and suggested the

woman take her car to a tire shop. At that point, she got in the car and

drove away without realizing her purse was missing.

The woman had her tires checked, but no leaks were discovered.

Within two hours, she was notified by one of her credit card companies

that her card had been used to make several large purchases. Police

believe the pair used the excuse of a flat tire as a scam to lure her out

of her car, allowing time for the women to snatch the purse.

The man was described as Latino, in his 20s, 5-foot-8 and about 160

pounds. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a brown

corduroy jacket. The woman was also believed to be in her 20s, about

5-foot-4, and weighing about 125 pounds. She also had brown hair and

brown eyes.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the

Fountain Valley Police Department at (714) 593-4485.