Fire at Huntington Harbour Mall A four-alarm...

Fire at Huntington Harbour Mall

A four-alarm fire tore through the upper levels of the Huntington

Harbour Mall Tuesday evening, leaving only one man, who tripped over

a fire hose, injured.

The fire began in a third-floor office of the mall just before 7

p.m. and ran the length of the attic space, said Steve Hess, public

information officer for the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

It took 65 firefighters from five departments -- Huntington Beach.

Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach -- just

under an hour to put out the blaze, Hess said. The fire began in a

single office, ran the length of the attic and affected 20 units in

the mall, Hess added.

Officials said they do not yet have an estimate on damages or know

what caused the blaze.

Remains identified as Huntington man

A coroner identified the remains found on Feb. 8 in Humboldt

Harbor as 21-year-old Huntington Beach resident Matthew Large.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday for 59-year-old Tommy McGuire,

who is suspected in the death of Large.

Large, who was declared missing on Dec. 6, 2001, was a friend of

McGuire’s son Travis and was last seen at the apartment in Irvine

where the father and son lived.

Travis died earlier this year of medical problems. The cause of

death is unknown, Huntington Beach Police Lt. Ron Burgess said.

McGuire is described as 6-foot-1, 240 pounds with white hair and blue

eyes. Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Three weeks after Large’s disappearance, police found his GMC

Sierra pickup truck submerged off a boat ramp in Eureka, Calif. The

skeletal remains were found in the harbor close to where the car was

uncovered two years ago. Authorities are still investigating whether

it is Large, and it could take as long as three weeks until they know

for sure, Burgess said. They are performing DNA tests, he said.

McGuire is also wanted for possession of explosives that were

found in his house during a recent investigation. He has been known

to frequent the Humboldt County area, where both the car and body

were discovered.

Deliberations begin in Trachman trial

Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the trial of a 37-year-old

former Huntington Beach police officer accused of molesting a

14-year-old girl while on duty.

Prosecutors say Mark Trachman fondled the girl at her home during

a police interview in which she was reporting an incident of sexual

abuse. He also faces two misdemeanor charges for allegedly asking two

other women to expose themselves during separate traffic stops.

Trachman has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. He was

arrested in May 2001.

Trachman was fired from the Huntington Beach Police Department in

August 2001 after he was charged with asking the women to expose

their breasts.

Police honor six at annual breakfast

The Huntington Beach Police Department honored its best Wednesday

morning at the department’s annual employee awards breakfast.

Six employees, nominated by their peers and supervisors, were

honored at the breakfast hosted by the Police Management Assn.

Officers Frank Gallant and Steve Wickser were awarded the Medal of

Courage. Senior Officer Russell Reinhart was named Uniformed Officer

of the Year. Officer Lisa Gallatin was honored as Non-Uniformed

Officer of the Year. Edie Zadel was named Civilian Employee of the

Year. Sgt. Brian Tidrick was honored as Supervisor of the Year.