Stalking suspect arrested again Police arrested a...

Stalking suspect arrested again

Police arrested a man on suspicion of stalking and violating a

restraining order that required him to stay away from a 13-year-old

Laguna Beach girl.

Garrett Elliot Gardner, 18, of Laguna Beach was arrested at about

midnight Sunday after he was reportedly seen staring through the

girl’s bedroom window.

The girl’s father called the police, who apprehended Gardner about

three blocks from the girl’s residence, Det. Matt August said.

Police did not disclose the girl’s address to protect her

identity.

Gardner was on bail after being charged for stalking the same girl

in December. After Gardner made numerous unwanted e-mails, telephone

calls and unannounced visits at the girl’s house, August said, a

temporary restraining order was taken out against Gardner on Dec. 6.

By Dec. 8, August said, Gardner violated the order by sending the

girl an e-mail and showing up at her house.

On Dec. 8, Gardner was arrested at her house. The district

attorney’s office later filed felony stalking charges against him,

August said.

Gardner is being held at Orange County Jail without bail pending

trial.

Assault being called antigay hate crime

An assault and battery at a fast-food restaurant is being

investigated as a hate crime.

Fares Mohamad, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident, and Curtis Fox,

36, of Mission Viejo were confronted by three men after ordering food

at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday at the Jack in the Box in the 1200 block

of South Coast Highway, police said.

The three suspects spoke with Mohamad and Fox inside the

restaurant. After the pair left the restaurant, the three men drove

up next to the pair in a silver Honda SUV, police said.

Two of the men jumped out of the SUV and punched Mohamed in the

face. Fox then ran back to the Jack in the Box to call police, Sgt.

Darin Lenyi said.

After Fox ran away, one of the suspects continued to punch and

kick Mohamed. The beating is being investigated as a hate crime

because one of the suspects reportedly used an antigay slur during

the attack, Lenyi said.

Though police said Mohamad was nearly beaten unconscious, he

declined medical treatment.

The first suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, about

5-foot-9 and weighing about 180 pounds, wearing a blue baseball cap

and a white T-shirt. The second man is described as a black or Latino

man in his mid-20s, about 5-foot-9 and weighing 185 pounds, wearing a

dark-colored shirt and dark jeans. Police do not have a substantial

description of the third suspect.

Young girls report suspicious man

Two girls are safe after a man reportedly tried to lure them away.

An 11-year-old and 13-year-old girl were walking along the 600

block of South Coast Highway at about 4:30 p.m. when they heard the

man’s voice, police said.

The man reportedly told the girls to “come here,” police said.

The man was described as being white, between 5-foot-7 and 6 feet

tall and weighing between 175 and 200 pounds, with dark, spiked hair.

He was reportedly wearing dark, baggy pants and a light colored

shirt.

The man held his hands cupped at his chest and told the girls he

wanted to show them something, Sgt. Darin Lenyi said.

The girls ran away to a Ralphs supermarket, where one of them

called her parents, Lenyi said. Her parents then called the police,

he said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Det. Zach

Martinez at (949) 497-0368.

Man arrested after alleged threat

A Laguna Beach man was arrested at about 10:30 p.m. Monday on

suspicion of threatening two men with a knife.

Darin Bence, 37, and Michael Tauber, 43, heard a noise near a

fence at a residence in the 1000 block of Glenneyre Street, police

said. They reportedly found Eric Smith, 22, wielding an 8-inch knife

that he was holding over his head.

Smith allegedly pointed the knife at the victims and asked them to

step out of the gate. After the victims refused, Tauber ran into the

house and called police, Sgt. Darin Lenyi said.

Tauber then came back outside, and the victims were reportedly

threatened a second time by Smith. Both victims then ran away, Lenyi

said.

Four officers were dispatched to the house, and after learning

that Smith was armed, they repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon

while aiming their handguns at Smith, Lenyi said.

“After repeated commands, he dropped the knife,” Lenyi said.

Smith was then handcuffed and taken into custody, police said.

Officers determined that he had a measurable amount of alcohol in his

bloodstream.

Gun locks available at police department

The Laguna Beach Police Department has received 1,000 cable gun

locks through Project ChildSafe.

The lock kits are available at the front desk of the police

station.

The police station is at 505 Forest Ave. For information, call

(949) 497-0701.