Two arrested after chase through Laguna...

Two arrested after chase through Laguna

Laguna Beach Police officers pursued two suspects Wednesday in a

known stolen vehicle. The chase began in Club Laguna and ended at a

condominium community in Aliso Viejo.

Officer Manny Nunez spotted a BMW sedan that had been stolen out

of Newport Beach at noon on Wednesday, Sgt. Darin Lenyi said. When

they driver failed to stop, the chase was on.

The suspect led Nunez and a second officer north on El Toro Road

into Aliso Viejo. They turned into a condominium complex where they

stopped the car and then fled on foot. Nunez’s unit sustained two

flat tires after he pursued the suspects over a curb, Lenyi said.

“They jumped out so quick that they left the car in neutral and it

rolled into a police unit,” Lenyi said. The officer positioned his

unit so that the BMW wouldn’t roll into cars parked nearby.

Officers chased the suspects through the complex, jumping over

walls and running through several backyards. For a short period of

time officers lost the suspects.

Five more Laguna officers together with members of the Orange

County Sheriff’s Department and a helicopter assisted in a sweep of

the area. They eventually found the driver and his passenger hiding

in some bushes. The suspects surrendered without further incident.

Former Laguna Beach resident, Beau Musacco, 22, was arrested on

suspicion of auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and evading

police. He was behind the wheel. Police also arrested Benjamin Hein,

24, of Fountain Valley for possession of stolen property. Hein had

been wanted by law enforcement for a probation violation. Both men

were booked at Orange County Jail.

-- Mary A. Castillo