Briefly In Public Safety

Driver arrested after car flips, ejecting woman

A Huntington Beach man was arrested after his vehicle flipped over on South Coast Highway in downtown Laguna Beach on Sunday, ejecting a woman passenger through the sunroof. The woman sustained major head trauma and was in critical condition following the 8:44 p.m. incident, according to Laguna Beach Police Chief Paul Workman.

Matthew Craybas, 38, was driving a 2004 BMW X3 in the 200 block of South Coast Highway when he allegedly failed to navigate the curve of the roadway and hit the concrete traffic barrier in front of BJ’s Restaurant, flipping the car over, which came to rest on its side, according to police.

No other vehicles were struck, nor were any pedestrians injured on the opposite side of the wall.

His passenger, a 38-year-San Francisco woman, was transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo where she was listed in critical condition.

Craybas was arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence causing injury. He was booked into the Orange County Jail.

Shoplifting suspect tracked to beach

An 18-year-old Brea man was arrested on various charges after allegedly stealing liquor from Ralph’s market at 11:08 a.m. Sept. 8, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said.

Jordan Nelson Drake is suspected of grabbing a bottle each of vodka and macadamia nut liqueur and fleeing the store in the 700 block of South Coast Highway. The suspect dropped the liqueur but fled with the vodka as a store employee chased him. The employee obtained the license number on the vehicle, which was found three hours later parked in the 500 block of Cliff Drive.

A police officer located the suspect on the beach with another man and the vodka. Drake was arrested on suspicion of burglary and providing false identification to an officer.

Dental office theft investigated

Police are investigating a report that nearly $10,000 worth of dental tools have been stolen from a dentist’s office in the 600 block of North Coast Highway between mid-August and mid-September, Kravetz said. There were no obvious signs of forced entry and the tools were small and sealed for use.

“We don’t know who committed the theft or how they did it since there were no signs of an obvious burglary,” Kravetz said.

The report was made at 2:02 p.m. Sept. 11.

Hotel room found vandalized

A hotel room in the 1500 block of South Coast Highway was found vandalized after a guest checked out at 1:25 a.m. Saturday.

The male guest is suspected of tearing fixtures from the walls, breaking furniture and ripping items apart, leaving $2,625 in damage to the room, Kravetz said.