Police haul awaits owners

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- They’re still there.

Dozens of golf clubs, pieces of jewelry, shoes, pictures, paintings

and tools are among hundreds of items officers recovered from a burglar

three months ago.

They remain unclaimed.

Now, police are inviting victims in Newport Beach, as well as others

in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside or San Bernardino counties, to come in

to take a look at the property if they believe they may be rightful

owners.

The burglar, James Elwyn Fraser of Huntington Beach, was arrested

March 22 on suspicion of possessing stolen property. Fraser bailed out of

jail but was detained on Lido Island two days later with property in his

possession, which was later determined to have been taken from a home on

the island.

A warrant was obtained for Fraser’s arrest. On April 30, he was

arrested by San Bernardino sheriff’s deputies for the Newport Beach

crime. Fraser is serving a six-year sentence in state prison.

But the recovered goods, worth more than $50,000, are still crammed

into the Newport Beach Police Department’s property room, Sgt. Steve

Shulman said.

“Our goal always is to try and get back the property to their rightful

owners,” he said. “We know it belongs to someone, just don’t know who.”

Shulman said he has no idea how many homes Fraser stole from, but said

people who think their property might be in there should bring copies of

their police reports.

“That way, we can match up the reports with the items we have,” he

said.

This is not the first time the Newport Beach Police Department is

extending an invitation to victims to view stolen property.

In February, officers arrested John Robert Hershowitz, another

Huntington Beach man who police said had stolen from at least five

Newport Beach homes. At that time the department displayed about 250

items detectives had recovered from Hershowitz’s home.

During that display, several people from all over the county found

items that they said they did not even realize had been stolen from them.

FYI

Victims may come to the front desk of the Newport Beach Police

Department between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., seven days a week, to view the

property. No appointment is necessary. The department is at 870 Santa

Barbara Drive. Information: (949)644-3681.