Costa Mesa councilman learns of auto theft problem firsthand

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- Auto thefts have been a significant problem in the city

for at least three years.

It was so much of an issue in 2000 that the Police Department joined a

countywide task force to battle the challenge.

Among those who knew the problem existed: Councilman Gary Monahan. But

it wasn’t until a month ago that he experienced it firsthand.

Monahan’s 1984 GMC pickup truck was stolen in the wee hours of April

18.

It was parked outside his pub on Newport Boulevard.

The councilman was surprised when he received a call earlier this week

from Santa Ana police notifying him that they had found the truck in

their city.

“They said they found it, and there was this guy sleeping in it,”

Monahan said.

But getting his truck back has not been much of a pleasure, he said.

“The truck has been totally trashed,” he said. “All his belongings

were in the truck -- clothes, jackets, half-eaten food.”

The outside of the vehicle had also taken a severe beating, Monahan

said.

“There are several dents, the dash is gone, the steering is gone. The

windshield is cracked, and the bumper’s beat up. The toolbox is also

gone.”

In 2000, the city saw a whopping 21% increase in motor vehicle thefts.

But the task force and other proactive steps in terms of patrolling seem

to have helped, officials say.

“Being a part of the task force has helped not just Costa Mesa but

other cities throughout the county that have had a similar problem,”

Police Chief Dave Snowden said.

It has, however, not been a particularly good few months for council

members. In February, Mayor Linda Dixon’s car was burglarized, but the

stolen items were retrieved hours later when police arrested the alleged

burglars.

For Monahan, this is not the first time he has been the victim of a

crime.

“I was carjacked when I was a teenager, in Mountain View,” he said.

“But that was different because of the physical danger.”

This time, he and his family felt “violated,” Monahan said.

“Seeing the car and smelling it,” he said. “It is just sad.”

Monahan said he doesn’t want to keep the truck.

“I’m thinking about giving it away to one of the charities,” he said.

“It would cost too much to fix it. And after what’s happened, I don’t

even want to touch it. But it’s nice to know whoever did it is behind

bars.”