Briefly In Public Safety

Chain-reaction collision results in arrest

A 39-year-old Laguna Beach woman was arrested following a six-vehicle collision in the 1400 block of North Coast Highway at 9 p.m. Tuesday, said Sgt. Louise Callus.

Stephanie Harling Stewart was taken into custody on suspicion of felony DUI and held on $100,000 bail. She posted bond and was released from Orange County Jail on Wednesday, according to jail records.

Stewart allegedly drove her Range Rover into a Mini Cooper at the Viejo Street stoplight, causing a chain-reaction collision of six vehicles. The vehicles and debris from the collision were spread across all lanes of traffic, Callus said.

There were multiple victims with minor to moderate injuries, and multiple fire engines and ambulances were dispatched to deal with the injured. All lanes of traffic were shut down for about 20 minutes, with traffic diverted around the accident. There was only moderate to light traffic at the time.

Eight people were injured and of those, three were transported to a hospital, one with moderate injuries and two with minor injuries.

Stewart’s vehicle was believed to be traveling about 40 mph when it plowed into the line of cars waiting at the stop light.

Solicitor accused of battery, threats

A 28-year-old Alabama woman who was going door to door selling magazine subscriptions was arrested at 6:54 p.m. Jan. 28 in the 31000 block of Virginia Way after allegedly verbally threatening and hurling stones at a resident, Lt. Jason Kravetz said.

Police had received complaint calls about the group’s soliciting tactics, and one man alleged that a female solicitor had threatened to burn his home down when he asked her to leave, Kravetz said. While the man was on his cell phone following her, she allegedly picked up a handful of pebbles and threw them at his head. Officers detained the woman when she was pulled over in a white van near the entrance to the hospital emergency room, where the van was parked to collect all the workers.

Renee Danalie Rogers of Alpine, Ala., was arrested on suspicion of making terrorist threats and misdemeanor battery. She was held on $50,000 bail, according to police records.

Bejeweled items stolen from shop

Items on consignment at a shop in the 300 block of Forest Avenue were reported stolen at 3 p.m. Jan. 27, Kravetz said.

The artist-designed items included a cross, jewelry box and two picture frames, all decorated with jewels and stones. The merchandise was valued at $2,360.

Man says he was beaten at restaurant

A 31-year-old man walked into the hospital emergency room at Mission Laguna Beach with facial injuries at 1:10 a.m. Sunday, Kravetz said.

The man told the responding officers that two men had struck him outside of a restaurant in the 1700 block of South Coast Highway. He said they slammed his face into a parking meter.

Investigators will be following up on the incident.

Homeless man suspected in food theft

A 31-year-old man, who police say is homeless, was arrested on suspicion of burglary after police were called to a restaurant in the 400 block of South Coast Highway at 8:13 p.m. Sunday, Kravetz said.

Michael Adam Banning allegedly ordered $41 worth of food and had no money to pay the bill.

Banning had reportedly ordered food without the means to pay for it at three other restaurants in town within the past few weeks, but none of those restaurant owners were willing to prosecute him, Kravetz said.

“Since he has a pattern of doing this, officers were able to substantiate an arrest for burglary, knowingly going into the business to commit a theft,” Kravetz said. Banning was sent to Orange County Jail.