Police arrest man who had been deported

A man who had been deported after serving time in jail was arrested along with two teenagers early Saturday after police responded to a burglary in progress in the 1100 block of Redding Avenue in Costa Mesa.

Police used a Taser to subdue Jesus Mejia, 26, of Santa Ana after the two other suspects had been arrested.

At around 4:45 a.m., police were called to Redding Avenue, where they saw a car driving away without its headlights on, Lt. Dale Birney said.

Police pulled the car over and matched the 13-year-old and 16-year-old occupants to the burglary, Birney said. But the person who had reported the crime said three people were involved, so police began a search for a third burglar.

About 30 minutes into the search, police found Mejia hiding in the bushes at Wakeham Park at Smalley Road and Salinas Avenue, Birney said. Police ordered him out and told him to take his hands out of his pockets, Birney said, and when Mejia refused, police used a Taser on him.

Birney said police found a loaded .380 pistol on Mejia, and he was arrested on suspicion of burglary, of having a concealed weapon and of a parole violation, Birney said.

Sgt. Mark Manley said Mejia’s status as a deportee did not affect how he was booked or arrested in Costa Mesa. Any kind of enhancement will be dealt with later by either the district attorney’s office or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“I think it shows how important it is to have our tri-agency program we recently approved…. Only with that program are we able to address interagency problems, like this with the city of Santa Ana, and keeping their criminals from coming over to the Costa Mesa and committing crimes,” Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley said Saturday.

“At the same time, our police were responsive and fabulous about doing their job, and there’s not much more we can ask for than immediate response to the problem and an immediate arrest.”

Mejia was being booked at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana on Saturday evening, and his bail is unknown. His immigration status will be checked at the jail.