Woman arrested for alleged lewd acts with minor

Deepa Bharath

Police arrested a 40-year-old woman Thursday afternoon on suspicion

of inappropriately touching a teenage girl, officials said.

Newport Beach police detectives arrested Victoria Hawlish at her

home in the 300 block of Orchid Avenue, Sgt. Steve Shulman said.

Hawlish is being charged with four counts of committing lewd acts

with a minor, he said.

Police initially received a complaint from the victim, who is not

being identified because she is under 18, Shulman said.

“Our detectives conducted a thorough investigation and then

obtained a warrant for her arrest,” he said.

Shulman would not give the relationship between Hawlish and the

victim other than that the two were not related. He said releasing

that information would expose the victim’s identity. He also declined

to provide any further details about the incident or talk about the

circumstances that led to the alleged crimes.

Hawlish did not list a profession, Shulman said.

“We have reason to believe that there could be additional

victims,” he said.

Police are hoping that those victims come forward. If they do,

additional charges are likely to be filed.

Detectives would also like to speak to people who may have

witnessed the alleged incidents or similar occurrences, Shulman said.

Hawlish is being held in Newport Beach city jail in lieu of a

$50,000 bail.

Some of Hawlish’s neighbors on Orchid Avenue, who declined to be

named or quoted, said they’ve known her to have had problems in the

past.

Shulman said he does not recall a similar incident being reported

in the city.

“We may have had female suspects in such cases in the past, but

that’s been very rare,” he said. “Especially a female suspect

involved with a female victim is quite rare.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Newport Beach Police

Department at (800) 550-6273 or (949) 644-3771.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.