BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Costa Mesa woman...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Costa Mesa woman sexually assaulted

A Costa Mesa woman reported to police on Tuesday evening that she

was forcibly taken from outside her home and sexually assaulted while

being driven around in a car, officials said.

The woman was walking from her home to the trash bin outside in

the 1800 block of Monrovia Avenue when she was grabbed from behind,

Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said.

“She said she was forcibly placed on the backseat of the vehicle,

driven to an unknown area in the city and sexually assaulted with an

unknown object during the drive,” he said.

At some point, Birney said, the woman was let out of the vehicle

and she walked home. Police are investigating the incident and are

not releasing the age of the woman, he said.

Incidents such as this in which a woman is attacked by a stranger

and sexually assaulted are an “uncommon occurrence” in the city,

Birney said.

Man robs Costa Mesa lingerie store

No one was injured after an armed gunman entered a Costa Mesa

lingerie store and made away with an undisclosed amount of cash

Monday night, officials said.

The incident occurred at about 9:15 p.m. at Lotions and Lace in

the 700 block of Baker Street. A man in his mid 20s hurriedly entered

the store telling employees, who were ready to close the store, that

he needed to buy something, Lt. Dale Birney said.

The man then pointed a handgun at one of the employees and

demanded money, he said. An employee opened the cash register, and

the robber took the money and fled, Birney said. No further

description of the robber was available.