Attack

SANTA ANA - An Orange County prosecutor on Wednesday described an alleged Costa Mesa gang member accused of attempted murder as a "puppeteer" who convinced younger teens to help him in a shooting that left a 15-year-old girl wounded in the Shalimar area. Prosecutors say Salvador Hilario Burciaga, 23, ran up to a crowd on Shalimar Drive on July 28, 2008. Wearing a blue bandanna across his face, he allegedly yelled a common gang challenge, "Where are you from?" Burciaga stands accused of then using a sawed-off shotgun to shoot a girl in the chest before anyone could respond.

Two brothers who allegedly attacked an 83-year-old woman as she waited at a Costa Mesa bus stop are scheduled to appear in court Friday, prosecutors said. Paul Grigore Patrulescu, 30, and Ciprian Patrulescu, 31, face a felony count each of inflicting injury on an elderly adult for an Aug. 18 attack on a woman at a Harbor Boulevard bus bench, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. The men first offered to buy the woman dinner, but after she refused and began screaming for help, the two punched her in the face twice and fled the scene on foot, prosecutors said.

"You see, things were not always this way, recalled Kathy Anderson, a retired teacher and lifetime resident of Costa Mesa. "You could hear them in the distance, but never, ever, did they encroach upon our town. They were truly wild. " Fast forward several decades later, and they roam our streets at night and hang out in our yards. Everyone knows they exist. Most of us are unaware of how many there are. Some of us know of them only through a cartoon character. And, unfortunately, too many of us become aware of the problem when it is already too late.

Newport Beach police arrested an Anaheim man they said assaulted a security guard at Hoag Hospital. Austin Kristopher McKee, 23, was arrested after the incident about 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to Newport police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. McKee was in the emergency room when he assaulted the guard, Lowe said. He was taken into custody on suspicion of battery. A motive for the alleged attack was unknown. — Lauren Williams Twitter: @lawilliams30

ANAHEIM - The less-than-aptly named Western High double-wing offense was no match for a Corona del Mar offense that actually took flight on Friday night. Senior quarterback Cayman Carter found open receivers all night against a secondary that had seldom seen an aerial attack in practice or its first two games. Carter finished with 297 passing yards, completing 19 of 27 attempts. No less than 15 of Carter's passes produced first downs, with one - a 23-yard connection with Bo St. Geme - producing the Sea Kings' lone passing touchdown.

Re. " Commentary: Tactics from the union playbook stay the same," (Aug. 29): An odd incident that may or may not have any connection whatsoever to any labor union is being hyped to promote an insidious antiunion agenda. Even if one were to accept, however ludicrous the accusation, that this was some kind of stunt (no crime has been alleged, as yet) being pulled off by the Costa Mesa Police Assn., does it justify vilifying all labor unions and the entire union movement? Did the criminal plunder of billions of dollars at Enron justify demonizing and/or abolishing the entire free market system?

The family of a wheelchair-bound Newport Beach man who was attacked by an unknown assailant is raising funds to help pay his immediate medical bills. Alan Halderman, 56, got into an altercation on the Balboa Peninsula with another man Aug. 6. He was punched in the head and pushed from his wheelchair. He suffered a broken hip in the attack. "The short-term expenses for his injuries are around $3,500, so that's what we're hoping to raise, though long term I think we're looking more at upwards of $20,000," said Halderman's sister, Sarah Frost.

Costa Mesa police have arrested two brothers on suspicion of attacking an 83-year-old Irvine woman, authorities said Tuesday. Costa Mesa residents Paul and Ciprian Patrulescu, 30 and 29, respectively, allegedly punched the woman early Saturday morning after she repeatedly refused their offers to buy her dinner, according to Lt. Paul Dondero. Police said the men had been drinking earlier in the night when they came upon the octogenarian just before 4 a.m. at a bus bench near Harbor Boulevard and Baker Street.

When Flashback Heart Attack takes the stage, the 80s cover band doesn't just conjure up fun memories for the crowd. They put on a show. The band members, from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, enjoy interacting with fans during their set. They entertain with risqué jokes and hit songs. Many of their songs are just as good as the originals. Well, after all, they claim the songs belong to them. Back in the 80s they were Heart Attack and wrote songs that were stolen from them and became hits for other artists.

A theology graduate student likely died of a heart attack while surfing off Newport Beach, according to a friend. Brian Cohee, 58, of Claremont died Thursday at Hoag Hospital after firefighters took him there in critical condition. His friend, Min-Woo Shin, 33, said Friday that doctors at Hoag informed him that Cohee probably suffered a heart attack, but that an autopsy was still needed to confirm that. Earlier that afternoon, Cohee had traveled down to West Newport near Highland Street and West Oceanfront with Shin.