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
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.