POLICE FILES - Sept. 9, 2000

COSTA MESA

* Bristol Street: While an innocent shopper strolled through the shops

of South Coast Plaza the afternoon of Aug. 25, a thief was in search of a

few selections of his own, particularly a Kenwood stereo he spotted

inside an Acura. So he opened the car up and stole it, along with a

speaker and a $10 bill on the center console. The stereo was of the

“removable face” variety, but this form of removal was more drastic than

the manufacturers had intended.

NEWPORT BEACH

* Newport Center Drive: An unknown perpetrator apparently had some

issues with the technology at the Amtech Elevator Services Office in the

500 block. Some time on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, he removed

and destroyed two computer control boards from elevator systems that were

inside the company office. The boards were found on the ground, looking

like they’d been given a hearty stomping.

* Bristol Street: A locked door was no match for a burglar who struck

at the office of Signs Plus in the 1000 block sometime during the Labor

Day holiday weekend. The door was made of glass; the thief smashed right

through it and made off with $185 dollars from a cash box.

* 27th Street: It was the first time she had decided to park her

Mustang on the street rather than leaving it in the garage. And it only

took one night in the 100 block Tuesday for the car to be burglarized. A

thief popped the lock on the trunk and scurried off with a laptop

computer and a printer.