Hit-and-run leads to Costa Mesa crash A...

Hit-and-run leads

to Costa Mesa crash

A hit-and-run that turned into a police chase ended in a crash

Wednesday night in Costa Mesa.

Newport Beach Police began chasing Gregg Walters after a witness

saw him hit another car at the intersection of Placentia Avenue and

Victoria Street and flee the scene. The chase ended when Walters hit

five parked cars on American Avenue, north of American Place.

Costa Mesa Police were called to the scene after the crash and

arrested Walters on suspicion of drunk driving, evasion, hit-and-run

and having a suspended license, Lt. Bob Ciszek said. Walters, 36, is

being held on $20,000 bail and will be arraigned today.

Officer injured after issuing a citation

A Costa Mesa Police officer suffered minor injuries after an

alleged assault by a homeless man upset about receiving a bicycle

citation Wednesday evening.

Officer Jinna Johnson stopped 37-year-old John Christopher Bauer

at Fairview Park at about 6:30 p.m., Costa Mesa Police Lt. Karl

Schuler said.

“He was OK at first, but later got upset when he found out that

she was going to give him a ticket,” he said.

Bauer struck Johnson with his fist and continued to hit her,

Schuler said. A passerby called police, and Johnson was also able to

call for backup using the police radio, he said.

She was able to subdue the man and had the situation under control

by the time officers got there, Schuler said.

Bauer was arrested, and Johnson was taken to the hospital, where

she was treated for minor injuries, he said.

Vanguard blaze causes evacuation

A fire at Vanguard University Thursday afternoon resulted in the

evacuation of a dormitory, but no one was injured, a Costa Mesa Fire

Department official said.

The department got a call at 3:33 p.m. that smoke was visible at

Laguna Hall off Vanguard Way. There were likely few people in the

building when the fire broke out because it was undergoing roof work,

the official said. The fire was severe enough to warrant five

engines, two trucks and a medic squad, but firefighters had it under

control shortly after 4 p.m.

No information was available on what caused the fire.