Suspect in chase still in critical condition

A man who police said led them on a high-speed chase down Costa Mesa streets ending in a dramatic crash onto the Santa Ana Country Club golf course remained in critical condition Monday, officials said.

Paul Hastings, 36, of San Juan Capistrano, was being treated at Santa Ana’s Western Medical Center Intensive Care Unit on Monday afternoon, days after police tackled him on the Costa Mesa golf course as he tried to get away, authorities said.

According to police, Special Enforcement Detail detectives monitoring the Stater Bros. grocery store parking lot Friday night watched Hastings and 29-year-old Rafael Aldaco of Whittier exchange something before Aldaco went inside the store, Det. Eugene Kim said.

The Stater Bros. parking lot off Newport Boulevard and 22nd Street is a known hot spot for drug activity, police said.

When police confronted Hastings after Aldaco left, Hastings sped away, racing down local streets until he crashed onto the golf course about eight blocks away, Lt. Clay Epperson said. Hastings made it out of the car and ran the length of the golf course before being caught, Epperson said.

A few detectives remained in the parking lot to wait for Aldaco, who ran away when he saw authorities, Epperson said. Police subdued him with a Taser gun.

Investigators said they did not find any drugs, but did find fake debit and credit cards on the men, Kim said.

Detectives are now looking into whether the men were part of a larger fraud ring and how, exactly, they obtained victims’ card information

Debit and credit card information is usually obtained by either phishing — sending out e-mails where criminals pose as legitimate banks and request account information, or through skimming, which involves placing equipment over ATMs that records account information and personal-identification numbers, Kim said.

Police urge the public to be more vigilant as fraud crimes increase in today’s faltering economy. People should be suspicious of cards with four-digit numbers written on the back, people who hang out at ATM machines for an unusual period of time, and cards where the numbers do not match the receipts. Never respond to an e-mail from a bank asking for account information, as this is fake, police said.

Police are expected to release photos of Aldaco and Hastings today in the case so local merchants may recognize them, investigators said.

Anyone who may be a victim of fraud or has information regarding Aldaco or Hastings is asked to e-mail Kim at ekim@ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.