Few surprises over Memorial Day weekend

Lolita Harper

NEWPORT-MESA -- Thousands of people countywide flocked here for a

coastal holiday weekend experience, increasing the demand for public

safety, but officials said it was nothing unusual.

Police, fire and lifeguard officials said Memorial Day weekend was

fairly quiet and did not pose any significant safety problems.

Costa Mesa police investigated a murder Sunday at the Country Inn &

Suites, but said it was not related to typical Memorial Day activities. A

42-year-old Newport Beach man was found dead with severe head injuries in

one of the rooms Sunday morning. No arrests have been made, and the

investigation is continuing.

Overall, calls for service increased but nothing out of the ordinary

occurred that was directly related to the holiday weekend or the

increased number of visitors to the Newport-Mesa area, officials said.

Lifeguard Capt. Eric Bauer said about 260,000 people visited the

beaches this weekend, which is a little less than normal for what is

considered to be the summer kickoff weekend.

“It just didn’t seem as crowded as most Memorial Day weekends in the

past, but everybody had a great time and went home safely,” Bauer said.

Bauer credited the poor surf and overcast mornings for the decrease in

beach crowds and subsequent rescues, which totaled 16 over the three-day

span. Lifeguards also issued about 2,000 preventive actions, which vary

from warnings to swimmers about being out too far or telling kids not to

throw sand, Bauer said.

Lifeguard Lt. Rob Williams reported two minor rescues on Monday, one

that required medical aid.

“That call was a drunk girl who had to go to the hospital,” Williams

said.

Alcohol frequently plays a role and increases the need for law

enforcement, especially on a three-day weekend when people have reason to

celebrate, Birney said.

“Holiday weekends tend to be busier because there are groups of people

who get together and a mix of alcohol is usually involved,” Birney said.

Another of the more serious incidents in Costa Mesa involved alcohol

and resulted from an altercation between two men at a Memorial Day

barbecue in the 1800 block of Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa Police Lt.

Dale Birney said.

A 25-year-old Costa Mesa man was taken to the hospital after an

unknown assailant broke a beer bottle over the victim’s head and then

stabbed him in both legs with the ragged glass, Birney said.

There were three arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence;

two on suspicion of being drunk in public and four for allegedly

possessing an illegal substance, according to Costa Mesa Police

Department logs for Monday.

Police also received 22 disturbance reports and took five calls to

keep the peace, according to police logs.

Newport Beach Police Department logs show much of the same activity,

with disturbance calls, vehicle stops and alcohol-related incidents

topping the list of calls for service.

Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said the increase in

temperature increases the number of tourists and makes the city more

susceptible to traffic accidents. But this weekend was “pretty normal”

compared with past Memorial Days, Shulman said.

Three traffic accidents resulted in arrests, according to department

police logs. Only one accident, at the intersection of Newport Coast

Drive and Coast Highway, resulted in injuries.

Police received eight reports of disturbances Monday and three calls

to keep the peace. Officers also recorded 20 vehicle stops. A lost child

was successfully returned to parents Monday afternoon and, later in the

evening, neighbors reported illegal fireworks.