Police surround Laguna home

Mary A. Castillo

A cab ride to Laguna Beach ended with a report about a

knife-wielding man and a possible hostage situation.

The Laguna Beach Police Department surrounded a home in the 300

block of St. Ann’s Drive after receiving a 911 call from a cab driver

who reported that he had been the victim of a robbery.

“The victim picked up a fare in Costa Mesa and drove him down to

Laguna,” said Sgt. Bob Rahaeuser.

The suspect, Grant Hynes Bouck, 31, of Costa Mesa made the driver

take him to several places to find money to pay the fare, eventually

stopping at the home on St. Ann’s Drive. Bouck went inside and then

he returned with a knife, said Sgt. Rahaeuser.

After an argument, Bouck ran into the residence, police said. When

the driver approached the house he heard someone inside -- who was

not the suspect -- tell him that “no one is in here.”

He immediately called police.

Concerned that they were dealing with a possible hostage

situation, 10 officers arrived on the scene.

“When we learned the occupant was an invalid we were concerned for

the safety of that person,” said Rahaeuser.

Several phone calls into the home went unanswered and police

yelled into the home to ask if the person was OK.

When all warnings and attempts to establish contact failed,

officers made a forced entry into the home.

“The owner was lying on the bed and we found the suspect hiding in

the bathroom,” said Rahaeuser.

It turned out Bouck was a friend of the owner’s nephew.

Bouck was put into police custody without incident. He was

arrested for suspicion of defrauding a cab driver and brandishing a

weapon.

Police discovered that he used a 10-inch abalone knife and

although he had it in his hand when he refused to pay the cab driver,

they said he did not directly threaten or harm the victim. The

homeowner was not harmed.

The situation lasted about two hours while traffic was diverted

away from St. Ann’s Street.

Bouck was transferred to Orange County Jail in lieu of $1,000

bail.

* MARY A. CASTILLO is a news assistant for the Coastline Pilot.

She covers education, public safety and City Hall.