Police briefs

A missing child was found within four hours of his disappearance early

Tuesday morning in the 19300 block of Seahorse Lane.

Officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department and the Orange

County Sheriff’s Department spotted 8-year-old Michael Lopes at about 3

a.m. Tuesday morning after he went to the wrong house and fell asleep on

the couch after spending a night with his family at Universal Studios.

The boy was not hurt.

Huntington Beach police Lt. Bruce Kelly said a neighbor brought Lopes

outside after seeing him sleeping on the couch.

Sgt. Joe Consoli said officers received the call at 11:08 p.m. Monday and were on scene in minutes when they were met by a “well-intentioned

neighbor who was mistaken [and] who informed police that the child had

been found.”

“Twenty minutes later the parents wondered where the officers were and

the officers went back to the scene realizing the child hadn’t been found

yet,” Kelly said.

Officers began a door-to-door search of the neighborhood with help

from an Orange County Sheriff’s helicopter and a bloodhound.

Consoli said about 20 officers were on scene when a neighbor walked

Michael outside at 2:53 a.m. Tuesday.

Kelly said the child was not from the neighborhood and was unfamiliar

with the houses.

Police academy seeking final volunteers

Want to become more involved in the community and get to know the

police department a little better?

On Sept. 5 the Huntington Beach Police Department will begin its new

Citizen Academy Class designed to educate residents about the workings of

the department, from investigations and patrol functions to SWAT, the K-9

Unit and the Narcotics/Vice Unit.

“Citizens don’t often know what the police department does so this is

an opportunity for people who live and work in the community to come

together and have more of a personal contact with the [police]

department,” said program coordinator Sgt. Gary Meza.

Meza said some activities will require participants to make

“split-second” decisions to use any necessary force.

Other activities include shooting handguns under supervision at the

shooting range, a heliport tour and working with a video-electronic

simulator to act out split-second decisions officers face.

The free class is open to anyone 18 and older who lives or works in

Huntington Beach. It meets 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays for 11 weeks.

Students will also be able to take a tour of the police facility and

have an opportunity to talk with Chief Ronald Lowenberg.

Meza said about five spots are open. To obtain an application, call

Meza at (714) 536-5650.

The program has graduated 450 participants since its inception in

1994.