BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Orange man dies...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Orange man dies in motorcycle crash

A 34-year-old Orange man died early Thursday morning after he lost

control of his motorcycle on the Costa Mesa Freeway and was

catapulted about 230 feet in the air before he fell into a drainage

culvert adjacent to the freeway, California Highway Patrol officials

said.

The man, who remained unidentified pending notification to his

family, was traveling southbound on the Costa Mesa Freeway at about

6:50 a.m. at a high rate of speed, officials said. He rode his

motorcycle between two vehicles and suddenly lost control of his

vehicle, veering to the right and striking an asphalt curb, CHP

officials said.

Both he and his motorcycle went up in the air and then came down

hitting the ground and pine trees. Paramedics pronounced the man dead

at the scene.

Traffic was not affected because the vehicle went off the freeway,

officials said. The incident is under investigation.

Costa Mesa gang members arrested

Costa Mesa Police arrested two local gang members Tuesday

afternoon for their suspected connection with a stolen vehicle and

two reported assaults, officials said.

Gang officers nabbed Jonathan Valdez and Abel Guerrero, both 20,

near the intersection of Killybrooke Lane and Watson Avenue at about

3:05 p.m. as they were walking toward the car that was reportedly

stolen, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Tim Schennum, who supervises the

department’s gang detail.

The two men were also involved in a couple of assaults on Monday,

he said.

“We don’t have victims,” Schennum said. “But these men matched

witness descriptions of the suspects involved in the assaults.”

A witness had also supplied police with the license plate number

that matched the stolen vehicle that Valdez and Guerrero were

driving, he said.

“Both men are identified gang members,” Schennum said. “We wish we

had the witnesses come forward and identify the suspects. But we’re

happy that at least witnesses came forward and gave us the

information.”

Valdez and Guerrero are being held in Orange County jail and will

face gang enhancements in addition to charges of auto theft, he said.