Briefly In Public Safety

Runaway children located in park

An AlertOC message led to the safe return of two young children who had been reported as runaways from their Laguna Beach home Tuesday, Lt. Jason Kravetz said.

The children, a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, were reported to have run away from a home in the 3000 block of Cresta Way at 6:12 p.m.

Laguna Beach police personnel began a systematic search, which included the surrounding neighborhoods, parks and wildland area. Bloodhounds and a helicopter from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department assisted.

Police dispatchers utilized the AlertOC mass notification system to telephone, text and e-mail all registered Laguna Beach residents. Once the report of the missing children was broadcast throughout the community, the police department received 41 9-1-1 calls, and more than 100 calls on the public police lines. Numerous callers reported seeing the children earlier in the evening.

One of the callers who had received the AlertOC message checked a park near the Laguna Beach High School and heard voices coming from an adjacent hillside.

At 7:54 p.m., she called the police to report her findings. Officer Mike Jeffries arrived a short time later and found the two children hiding in the bushes. Both were safe and uninjured.

They had left their home with all their belongings, after the boy became concerned that he might be disciplined over a negative report card.

Juvenile detectives interviewed the parents and determined they did not do anything to compromise the welfare of the children, Kravetz said.

For more information, or to register on AlertOC, visit www.alertoc.org.

Two men arrested in alleged drug sale

Detectives arrested a 57-year-old Huntington Beach man and a 19-year-old San Juan Capistrano man after allegedly witnessing the older man sell Xanax pills to the younger man at 9:56 p.m. Oct. 16 in the 200 block of South Coast Highway, Kravetz said.

Peter Charles Rowley was arrested on suspicion of possession for sales of a controlled substance, and Jacob Ian Wheeler was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and an open alcoholic beverage.

Traffic stop leads to drug arrests

A 62-year-old San Bernardino man who was driving without his lights on ended up being arrested on a drug charge after he was pulled over on South Coast Highway near Bluebird Canyon Drive at 11:53 p.m. Saturday, Kravetz said.

His passenger, a 45-year-old Rialto woman, was also arrested after she told officers she could post his bail on an outstanding warrant, and, when she opened her purse, officers allegedly saw a methamphetamine pipe inside. A further search of the purse allegedly revealed more methamphetamine.

The vehicle was searched, and allegedly was found to have methamphetamine inside, as well as a vial of methamphetamine in the man’s clothing.

Gene Mason Brand was held on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. Pamela Lee Furry was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

Bar fight leads to man’s assault arrest

A bar dispute led to a man’s leg being broken, facial injuries and the arrest of a 28-year-old Los Angeles man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon at 1:27 a.m. Monday outside the White House in the 300 block of South Coast Highway, Kravetz said.

Officers driving past the White House saw a fight going on in front of the business. They broke the fight up and found one man lying on the ground and bleeding from the face.

Officers learned that the victim was inside the bar earlier and became involved in a verbal and physical confrontation with the suspect, who believed the victim was flirting with a female friend.

The bouncers had escorted them off the premises, but once outside, the victim punched the suspect in the face and the suspect responded with further punches and kicking.

In the end, Ramon Vidaurri was arrested on suspicion of kicking the other man in the head. Vidaurri was held on $25,000 bail, according to police records.

Time to change clocks and alarm batteries

The Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Assn. in conjunction with the Laguna Beach Fire Department is urging residents to adopt the habit of changing their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks to daylight saving time in March and again when they change them back in November.

On Nov. 1, daylight saving time will end and clocks will need to be set back by one hour by 2 a.m. that day. This is also a good time to change the batteries on smoke alarms.

“The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping,” said Fire Chief Mike Macey of the Laguna Beach Fire Department and a member of the Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Assn. “Changing the batteries in your smoke alarm is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths.”

Call Capt. Patrick Brennan at (949) 497-3311 for assistance in battery replacement.