Briefly In Public Safety

Rappel rescue ends in cocaine arrest

A man who was rescued with two other people from Tablerock Beach about 9 p.m. March 17 was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine and being under the influence of the drug, Laguna Beach Police Lt. Jason Kravetz said.

Giovanni Carlo Frizzle, 20, of Mission Viejo, was pulled by firefighters from the beach in a basket, along with two others, after one of the trio called for help.

They were in an isolated cove and surrounded by water.

Firefighters rappelled down to the area from a line suspended on a crane above the sand.

Two of those rescued, Frizzle and a woman, were “very intoxicated” and were transported to Mission Hospital Laguna Beach for examination, Kravetz said.

Frizzle was subsequently arrested and held on $20,000 bail, according to police records. The man who called 9-1-1 was not as intoxicated as the others and was released at the scene, Kravetz said.

Pot smell draws police to vehicle

A Nevada City, Calif., man was arrested after Laguna Beach police investigated a vehicle after a report that marijuana was wafting out of it as it drove at South Coast Highway and Victoria Drive at 1:43 p.m. March 17, Kravetz said.

After stopping and searching the vehicle, Marco Matthew Maynard, 20, was arrested on suspicion of possessing more than one pound of marijuana for sale.

Woman jailed on probation violation

A Laguna Beach woman was held without bail after police went to her home and found a known gang member present, a violation of her probation from a prior conviction, Kravetz said.

In addition, Tatum Yuriko Inouye, 33, was arrested on suspicion of possessing hashish and drug paraphernalia. She was held in Orange County Jail, according to jail records.

Man accused of assault, burglary

A 22-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and other allegations following two reports of burglaries over two days in the 200 block of Canyon Acres Drive, Kravetz said.

In the first incident, someone broke into a woman’s rented room inside a home and stole a computer, flat-screen monitor and digital camera, totaling $1,500, at 10:02 a.m. March 19.

The next day, police were called to the same area at 5:42 a.m. on a report of a car burglary in progress, Kravetz said.

The victim said a man was using a crowbar to attempt to break into his car, and when he confronted the suspect, the suspect got into his own car and then allegedly nearly ran over the victim as he drove off.

Police stopped the suspect and allegedly found some of the items from the burglary of the previous day inside the vehicle.

Scott David Burnham Jr. was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and possession of stolen property, Kravetz said.

Burnham was held in Orange County Jail on $20,000 bail, according to jail records.

Nothing was stolen in the Saturday incident.

Cement workers land in jail

The driver and passenger of a cement mixing truck were arrested on separate allegations after being pulled over for a traffic violation in the 300 block of North Coast Highway at 4:25 p.m. March 19, Kravetz said.

John Steve Devinney, 37, of Anaheim, was taken into custody on a felony bench warrant for alleged terrorist threats with a $100,000 bail.

Jorge Rios, 29, also of Anaheim, was detained for an alleged immigration violation.

Purse swiped from open car

A woman who parked her BMW in a supermarket parking lot and left the windows rolled down for her dogs reported that her purse was stolen from the car at 10:51 a.m. March 18 in the 30000 block of South Coast Highway, Kravetz said.

The purse contained $7,000 worth of items, mainly jewelry and cash.

Unregistered sex offender arrested

A 71-year-old San Clemente man was arrested after police were called to the 100 block of Beach Street at 2:41 p.m. Monday on a report that a man was panhandling and acting belligerent, Kravetz said.

The suspect, Richard Ernest Hibbard, was taken into custody on suspicion of public intoxication.

Then, after police learned Hibbard was an unregistered sex offender, an additional charge for failing to register as a sex offender was added.