BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Costa Mesa...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Costa Mesa Police arrest 3 in drug bust

Costa Mesa Police arrested three men over the weekend and on

Monday after they found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside

a home belonging to one of the trio, officials said Monday.

Two of the men, Pete Leon Smith, 40, and Scott Howard Wright, 39,

both of Irvine, were arrested early Saturday morning after police

officers searched the home in the 1200 block of Watson Street,

reportedly owned by 40-year-old Michael Lakin, said Costa Mesa Police

Lt. Dale Birney.

Narcotics detectives had a search warrant and were inspecting the

home at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday when they found the drugs, he said.

“We obtained the search warrant after several complaints from

neighbors that there was possible drug activity going on in that

residence,” Birney said.

He said there was no indication that the men were operating an

in-home meth lab.

On entering the home, police found the methamphetamine and

arrested Wright and Smith, who were there at the time. Lakin, who was

not home, was arrested Monday in Costa Mesa. Lakin’s two daughters --

12 and 8 years old, respectively -- were taken to Orangewood

Children’s Home, Birney said.

Lakin was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled

substance, Wright on a charge of being under the influence of a

controlled substance and Smith on an outstanding warrant, he said.

Birney added that police also found three cameras installed at the

perimeter of the home believed to have been used by the men for

surveillance.

-- Deepa Bharath